He shrugged. “Not really. They have an MO of returning to the scene and hitting it again a little while later, after they’ve scoped the place out and have a better idea of what they’re aiming at.”
Harper paled. “I have a security system. It didn’t do much good.”
“Like I said, they’re pros,” Gabe said, and when he saw the nervousness flicker across her features, he realized that she needed reassurance, not more reason to be afraid.
“So what should I do?” Harper asked.
At that moment, Bryce headed across the store in their direction and gave Gabe a decisive nod. When he reached them, he said, “It’s a go.”
“What’s a ‘go’?” Harper asked, her attention swinging between them.
“We need a police presence around here for a little while to protect you, but it can’t be too obvious, ma’am,” Bryce replied. “Officer Banks will be here today, and he’ll keep an eye out for your safety and for any...unusual activity in the area.”
Harper froze for a moment, then shot Gabe a quizzical look, one eyebrow raised.
“It’s for your safety,” Gabe said with a small smile. “Besides, this is now about the chief’s orders.”
She’d probably prefer a different officer, maybe even Bryce—safely married and constantly gushing about his toddler daughter. Gabe had already heard more about that baby than he knew about any other kid at the moment, and he’d only been back in town for a day.
“We thought that since you know each other already, it might make things less awkward. Officer Banks has offered to help clean the place up once the paperwork is done.” Bryce’s lips turned up in a small, ironic smile.
“You did?” Harper’s expression softened.
“Yeah.”
“That’s really kind.” Harper sighed. “It would definitely help. Dad’s health hasn’t been great lately, and I’ve been dreading telling him about this. But if I can tell him that we’ve got a plainclothes officer at the store—”
“We’re just about done gathering evidence,” Bryce broke in. “So we’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes. Officer Banks can take it from there.”
Bryce headed toward the front door, and Gabe glanced down at Harper. She was rigid, her spine ramrod straight and her lips pressed together in a thin line. Harper looked slowly up at him. “How much danger are we in, Gabe? Be honest.”
Her green eyes locked on to him, and he felt a surge of longing. It had been more than ten years since he’d had an unrequited crush on this woman, and one look from her still made him wish he could be some sort of superhero for her.
“Significantly less if I’m around.” He shot her a grin. “I’m trained to deal with this stuff. Trust me on that.”
Harper sighed. Did she recognize the difference between a messed-up teen and a fully trained police officer? He was particularly adept in hand-to-hand combat, and he was the best shot in Fort Collins. She was safe in his hands, and he was no longer that kid she couldn’t take seriously. He was every inch a man now.
“Let me keep an eye on the place, and you can focus on the stuff you need to take care of,” Gabe said, adding, “like Andrea’s little girl.”
She nodded, then said softly, “Her name is Zoey.”
“Zoey,” he repeated. It seemed to matter to her that he recognize Andrea’s daughter a little more directly. But he’d never been very good with kids, and it wasn’t going to start now. She could take care of her business, and he’d take care of her. Intimidating bad guys and protecting the vulnerable—that part he was good at. Kids and family were his weaknesses, and yet he was back in Fort Collins where he had his own family history to face.
He could endure anything for two weeks.
The next morning, Harper unlocked the front door for Blessings Bridal and let Zoey go in first. She paused and looked along the street. It was the same familiar road—sun dappled with intermittent trees spreading long branches over the asphalt. All was quiet, as it normally was this time of day, the only sound that of a chattering squirrel. A police cruiser eased slowly down the street. The officer—a woman—gave her a quick wave.
Harper had slept terribly the night before. Her father was worried now—which was to be expected even after she’d assured him that she had it all under control. And now Harper was faced with the paperwork from the insurance company.
“Let me help you, sweetheart,” her father had said. “I’m retired, not dead!”
But Harper didn’t want his help; she needed to take care of the robbery paperwork on her own. If she was going to be opening a second store in Comfort Creek—a maternity shop—she’d better prove to more than just herself that she could handle the stress and the demands. There had been more than one well-meaning person who had questioned if she could raise a young child while running this shop... So while it was all well and good to say she had nothing to prove to anyone, she did.
Running Blessings Bridal was satisfying in its own right, but she wanted more—a store with her own name on the bottom line, not her father’s. Besides, this store was all that her father had to will to Harper and Heidi, and since it would be the bulk of their inheritance, that was going to be complicated. Eventually, at least. The second shop, Blessings Maternity, was going to be Harper’s first personal foray into the business world, and she wanted it so badly that she could taste it.
“It’s all messed up!” Zoey said, looking around the store. Harper pulled the door shut and locked it after them. She and Gabe had boarded over the broken window yesterday, and the glass and mess was mostly cleaned up. The display case still sat vacant.
“I know, sweetie. Someone broke in. I told you about that, right? So now we have to clean it up.” Harper put the boxed wedding dress on the counter. She’d brought it home with her last night—not taking any chances on a family heirloom—but the sewing machine and all the tools she’d need for the fitting were here in the shop.
Zoey went to the display case and sighed. “The crowns are gone.”
Zoey loved the tiaras, and when the shop was closed, Harper would let her try them on in front of the full-length mirror. It had started when Andrea would visit after hours, and Zoey would sit on her mother’s lap and stare at her reflection with a crystal tiara on her little head.
“I know. The insurance company will give us money so we can get more. You can help me choose them.”
“Today?” Zoey asked hopefully.
“Not today. We’re going to do a fitting for Aunt Heidi’s wedding dress,” Harper said. “And you get to help.”
Since the store was temporarily closed, Harper had pulled Zoey out of preschool for a few days. Preschool had been a constant for Zoey from before her mother passed away, but a few days of girl time would be good for them, too, Harper decided. Besides, it was broad daylight, and she highly
