Nightfall Read Free Page B

trying to hold in a smile. Ian scratched his chin, but there was a knowing expression on his face as he turned his attention to his watch. Mark kept his shit-eating grin.
    “She’s a really nice woman,” Adam said. “And you’ve mentioned her quite a few times over the last year. Like at least once a week.”
    Heat crawled into Alexander’s face. Damn it. He didn’t blush. Yet he couldn’t deny making this decision brought him a lot of discomfort. He hadn’t felt this out of control around a woman in a long time. He hadn’t suffered with a building longing to be with a woman until now, and a staggering desire that felt like it might burn a hole clear through him.
    “Why is she moving in here?” Ian asked, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.
    Alexander rushed to explain. “I don’t know for certain she’s moving in. I haven’t asked her yet. She might say no.” He leaned forward and anchored his elbows on the table. “Look, last night I stopped by to see her at the bakery. I was coming back from that meeting and saw the bakery lights were still on. I was worried because almost every shop on the street had closed early because of the blizzard. She was there by herself. I told her I’d follow her home to make sure she got there safe. Her ex-husband turned up in the alley behind her bakery.”
    “Shit,” Adam said, concern narrowing his eyes. “What happened then?”
    “It was taking her too long to appear and I went out back to see what the problem was. He was intimidating her. She said she was okay, but I got some seriously weird vibes off the man. I don’t like it. Then she told me that he says some people he arrested once are intent on hurting the people he loves. That makes me very nervous. When I go over to her place today I’m going to see if she wants to move in here for a short time. Just until her ex cools off.”
    “You think he’s stalking her?” Mark asked, bristling like a porcupine.
    Alexander sighed. “I don’t know enough about the situation to be certain. But I’m going to find out. So if you guys will support me in helping her, I’d appreciate it.”
    Ian nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, General. Hell, you understood when we wanted our women to move in here. There’s still a lot of wankers out there intent on doing harm. Maybe the disaster caused her ex-husband to go mental.”
    His woman. Yeah, if he was one hundred percent honest with himself that’s how he felt about Patty. Like it or not, she’d grabbed him by the gonads, and he couldn’t shake it. Had he ever tried to shake it? No. Slowly but surely the friendship he’d developed with her had changed into something deeper for him. Problem is, he didn’t know if she felt that way. Maybe she’d tell him to take a flying leap. If she did he’d respect her wishes, of course.
    Mark chimed in with, “I can’t see the ladies having a problem with Patty coming here.”
    “I don’t see an issue either, especially if you think she’s under threat. Of course we’d help her,” Adam said.
    “Thank you,” Alexander said, relieved he wouldn’t get any pushback.
    Satisfied with their answers, he moved to the next thing on the agenda.
    * * * *
    Patty’s phone rang just as she sipped her second cup of coffee. She grabbed her cell and saw Alexander’s name flash on the screen. Undeniable happiness lit up inside her.
    “Morning, Alexander,” she said when she answered.
    “Hey.” His voice was casual. “Everything okay there?”
    “Absolutely. If it wasn’t you’d be the first to know.” Oh, hell. Did I say that out loud?
    “Looks like the weather is kicking our ass.”
    “How much snow do you have on your side of town?” she asked.
    “Give or take a foot. At least it’s stopped snowing.”
    “Same here. But I’m from Maine. I’m used to this weather.”
    “I’m from Boston originally, but twenty degrees in Maine is friggin’ cold,” he said.
    “Ah, I thought your voice had a little