He hesitated, wondering if he should say. “Actually, I was shot.”
She went a little still and then asked, “How? Why?”
He contemplated not telling her. But he wondered if he told her, would she open up to him about the man named Wade? “A friend of mine got into some trouble, and I got in the way.” He grinned. “I can’t seem to stay away from trouble.”
She caught his meaning, that he’d gotten into her trouble. “Must be some trouble.”
“At the risk of sounding like I played a role in an action movie, my friend came to me for help, and things fell apart. My sister was here at the time, and an arms dealer tried to kidnap her to use against my friend. I was shot, and my friend saved my sister. The dealer’s in prison now.” He didn’t get into the rest of the story, how Braden McCrae and Arizona had unraveled the mystery, which had included the kidnapping of Braden’s sister and stepsister and attempts to steal weapons technology from the company where Braden worked.
“An arms dealer, huh? What are you, some kind of Homeland Security agent?”
“No. I teach martial arts.” He left out the other detail that he was also a bail enforcement agent. He didn’t know why. It was just a feeling. It was also something he didn’t really share with many people.
“I have a tough guy for a neighbor,” she teased, but he could tell she liked it. He wasn’t a cop, but he wasn’t afraid of bad guys. He enjoyed solving the mystery of tracking the fugitives and, even more, the satisfaction of bringing them in.
“And who do I have for a neighbor?” he deliberately asked.
Between them, Maddie sat patiently, her head moving from one to the other as they spoke.
“I just got a job at a microchip corporation. I’m an HR assistant.”
A human-resources assistant? He’d recently learned the house next door was a rental. Where had she gotten the money to afford it? This wasn’t the most expensive neighborhood in Denver, but it was pushing the million-dollar mark. She may have gotten a deal on hers since it was in need of renovation, but still. How much did an HR assistant make? It couldn’t be that much. Plus she had a loaded Audi Q5 Prestige in her garage. Pricey for an HR assistant.
His curiosity grew. “Where did you move from?”
A flicker of reluctance crossed her pretty eyes. “California. Near L.A.”
Vague. “What brought you here?”
The reluctance he’d seen was gone now, and in its place was a brick wall. She shrugged. “I don’t have any family. It was time for a change. I’ve always liked it here.”
“No family?” Not even a sister or an aunt?
“No.” Her head lowered. “My mother raised me, and I never knew my dad. My mother died in a car accident a few years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. You must have had a tough time.”
“I learned to take care of myself. Mom had life insurance. That helped. I used some of it to go to college.”
College? Her eyes flashed to his when she realized her slip. She hadn’t meant to tell him that. “I have an English degree. What can you do with that, right?” She half laughed.
Although she quipped, he could see she was lying. “When did you graduate?” He kept a light tone. People relaxed more when all they were doing was answering harmless questions.
“Six years ago. You?”
“I didn’t go to college.”
“Just martial arts school, huh?”
“Yes. And I love to read.”
A firecracker of a smile burst on her face. “Me, too. Biographies, mostly.”
Something in common. “Mysteries for me. Some nonfiction.”
“Do you have a family?”
She must know he did. She’d seen his mother stop by. The way she asked said it was important to her. Family.
“I have a huge family,” he stated hesitantly. “There are eight of us, and our parents live in California. Most of the time.”
“I see a limo drive up every once in a while.”
“That’s my mom. Dad sometimes comes with her.” He watched her process that. His parents had money.
“Ivy.” She nodded. “I didn’t piece it together until now.” She glanced around his house. “You live modestly for someone who has such wealthy and well-known parents.”
She was completely guileless as she made the observation. Nothing changed other than the wonder of discovery. She didn’t become flirtatious as most women did, thinking they’d struck gold. He could recognize the shift immediately. Flirting went into overdrive. Efforts to impress, to latch on to him became nauseating. But not with this woman.
“What’s it like being the son of a famous movie producer?”
“I’m not the one who’s famous, so most of the time it’s like being part of any other normal family.” And he preferred it that way. “The press can get annoying.”
“I can’t imagine.” A moment passed, and they shared a look. “Well. We should get going.” She looked down at Maddie, who still sat patiently. “You’re never this good with me. What’s gotten into you?”
Maddie lifted her paw and rested it on her leg.
Remy laughed and shook her head. “I hope you don’t mind her coming over here all the time. I haven’t been able to get someone over to fix my gate.”
“Like I said, I could fix it for you, except then I wouldn’t get visits from Maddie.” He pet the dog’s head, and she stood to come closer for more attention.
Still smiling, Remy moved toward the door and patted her leg. “Come on, Maddie. Ready for dinner?”
The promise of dinner brought Maddie following her out the door.
His curiosity grew over his new neighbor. She didn’t have any visitors and kept to herself. Lincoln was social with all the neighbors. They all loved having him nearby and frequently invited him to barbecues and dinners and holiday parties. Remy had too much to hide. At least it appeared that way.
* * *
Remy Lang realized she was still smiling after she went back to her house to feed Maddie. Drat. That wasn’t in the plan. She had too much to lose to risk engaging in a relationship with a martial arts instructor. Her neighbor. Her big, strong neighbor who’d come to her rescue. She had to admit, having a man like that next door had made her feel safe. But it was foolish to feel that way. She couldn’t share her past—particularly Wade Nelson’s role in it—with anyone. Her survival depended on it.
Wade was not what she’d expected. When this all had started, she’d thought she could depend on him to help her, but
