square feet, it made up for in charm. From the exposed brick walls to the picnic table–style seating, everything had a down-home feel. There were even paper towel rolls at every table for those messy fingers.
“You should try everything on the menu,” Lyle said, giving the corners of his mouth a wipe. “This place is amazing.”
“Maybe this is where you can bring Nancy on your first date.”
Lyle’s eyes went wide. “Did you talk to her? Did she say she’s interested? Does she like barbecue?” Kelly smirked, making Lyle a bit paranoid. “What? Did you talk to her?”
She pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.” Pretending to scroll through her text messages, she could see Lyle’s face turning red.
“Come on, Kelly. Don’t mess with me.” He came around to her side of the table and tried to get a look at her phone screen.
“I’m not messing with you,” she said with a giggle, holding her phone against her chest so he couldn’t see.
“That’s exactly what you’re doing. Come on! Did you ask her? What did you say? What did she say?” He gently tried to tug the phone away from her.
“Stop,” she protested as he almost succeeded. She turned her back to him and he wrapped his arms around her. They playfully wrestled for the phone until Lyle flew backward. In the blink of an eye, he was facedown on the ground with Detective Walsh on top of him, growling at him not to move. As if poor Lyle would fight back.
All eyes were on them and everyone was frozen in their spot. It was as if they believed Detective Walsh’s words were meant for them, as well. Kelly was the only one who had the ability to intervene.
“What are you doing?” she asked as she attempted to push the detective off her friend and producer. He was as strong as a bull and as stubborn as a mule. He wouldn’t budge.
“What am I doing? I’m doing my job. This guy was all over you.”
“This guy is my producer. Please let him up.” Kelly scanned the room. People whispered to one another. Phones were out and texts were definitely being sent about what just happened. This would end up on someone’s social media. Caroline would not be happy if the station got bad press because of her.
Detective Walsh helped Lyle back on his feet and apologized for the misunderstanding.
“Are you okay?” Kelly scanned Lyle for any injuries. He wasn’t bleeding. She prayed there were no broken bones.
He did still appear a bit dazed. “I’m fine,” he said, giving his neck a rub. “You could have told me you hired a guard dog.”
“I didn’t. My uncle sent him, and I thought I had gotten rid of him.”
“Yeah, we need to talk about that,” Detective Walsh said. “I left you at work. That was where you were supposed to stay until I got back.”
He had some nerve. She motioned for him to follow her away from all the prying eyes and ears to the back hall by the restrooms.
Once they were alone, she laid into him. “Let me make something clear. I did not ask for you to be assigned as my bodyguard. I have a job to do—”
“So do I,” he interrupted. “And when you aren’t where you’re supposed to be, it makes my job a little harder.”
“It makes your job harder? You were the one who abandoned your duties. My boss sent me here. What was I supposed to do? Tell her I couldn’t go on location because the cop my uncle sent to babysit me had to go deal with some personal issues?”
With his hands on his hips, his head fell forward. “I’m sorry about that,” he mumbled at the ground.
“What was that? Did I hear an ‘I’m sorry’?”
His head lifted and their eyes met. “I’m sorry I had to leave. I take my job seriously, and you know your uncle. I don’t want him to think that I wasn’t making your safety a priority.”
Of course he was more worried about her uncle than her. Truthfully, she was more worried about Caroline than anyone else.
“Listen, I am under a microscope right now. I can’t have you attacking innocent people while you’re watching me. My contract at the station is on the line. I don’t want to get you in trouble with my uncle, but I have to call him and get him to back off on this bodyguard idea.”
Detective Walsh held his palms up. “Whatever you want to do is fine by me. I’m not going to stop you from calling your uncle, but I am asking you not to throw me under the bus when you do. Your job is on the line and so is mine.”
She didn’t want to get the guy in trouble, but she had to make a case for getting rid of him at the same time. “I’ll do my best,” she promised.
Kelly started back to her makeshift work area but Detective Walsh touched her arm. “This is a bad idea, by the way. Leaving yourself out in the open like this. Shouting it from the treetops exactly where you are and how long you’ll be here. It makes you an easy target.”
“How is it any different than being at the studio? He knows where I am every day I work.”
“Yeah, but can he walk right into your studio? Can he sit a few feet away from you during your entire show? Whoever your little stalker is, he can get his hands on you here if he wants that.”
Kelly wrapped her arms around herself. She sure hoped he didn’t want that. There wasn’t a chance this guy would really show his face. Was there?
“Well, you’re here now. If he was spying on me and saw what you did to Lyle, I should be fine.”
Detective Walsh tipped his chin. “For today. Until you call your uncle. In the future, you need to think about this kind of stuff.”
She had been so gung ho about getting rid of her bodyguard a few seconds ago, but now, it seemed like one of Uncle Hal’s better ideas. Her uncle would catch this stalker, obsessed fan, whatever he was. She wouldn’t need someone to protect her forever.
* * *
DONOVAN HAD BEEN on a few stakeouts in his day. This wasn’t exactly like those but close. Instead of sitting in a car all day, he got to hang out at one of his favorite barbecue places and eat the free food the manager kept bringing him. Standing behind the table where the radio station crew sat to do their show, he slathered the pulled pork in some of the tangy and sweet Kansas City–style sauce.
“How’s it taste?” the manager asked, checking in for the third time. Donovan wasn’t sure if he was simply being generous or was afraid of getting slammed to the floor like that Lyle guy.
“It’s delicious, sir. This might be even better than the brisket, and that was heaven.”
The man’s whole face lit up. He took pride in what he did and it showed. “Glad you like it. Can I get you anything else? Did you get some cornbread?”
“I’m good, thank you. I’ve had two pieces of cornbread. You guys make the best.”
“Appreciate
