Out of Circulation (Hemlock Creek Suspense Book 1) Read Free Page A

you."
    Katie refilled their coffee and Mom heated the French toast for Ace. When she set the plate down, he scanned the table.
    "What do you need?" Mom asked.
    "Maple syrup?"
    Katie pointed to the bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's. "Don't you see that?"
    He hesitated, then reached for the bottle. "Oh, sure. I'm just used to real maple syrup."
    She snickered, but Mom shot her a look.
    "So, you're a bodyguard in New York," Mom probed. "I guess you've run into plenty of scoundrels."
    Ace nearly choked on his bite. He took a big swig of milk. "Yes, more than I ever wanted to."
    Her stomach sank. She knew exactly what was coming next.
    "Ace, I tell you what," Mom continued. "We have a little problem here and I don't know what to do. Katie's apartment next door was ransacked last night. The police are looking into it, but I know we'd feel a whole lot better with an armed guard around. Now, I can't offer you much money, but I have some left in our retirement nest egg and I'm sure the whole family will go in on this."
    Surely he'd say no. Manhattan would pay a lot better than small-town folks ever could. She held her breath.
    Ace glanced at her, then back at Mom. His gaze intensified. "I hate to hear that. And while I do have other work pending, I can have them call someone else in." He extended a hand. "Ace Calhoun, at your service."
    She couldn't believe this city-slicker was willing to hang around Hemlock Creek. Yes, he knew how to carry a gun, but did he know how to deal with heavily-armed thugs like those library invaders? Something in his suave smile threw her off-guard, and she couldn't quite bring herself to trust Mr. Ace Calhoun.
     
    ****
     
    Ace couldn't believe how easily he'd tricked Mrs. McClure. Yes, she had excused herself to call Kern Security for verification, but his boss had made sure his story checked out.
    Katie was a different story. Those green eyes tucked under a fringe of red lashes were definitely more piercing than trusting today. As she stalked out of the kitchen, he noticed her limp was more pronounced than it was yesterday.
    Ace followed her, easily overtaking her stride. "Did you injure yourself somehow?" He motioned to her foot.
    The glare became more serious, hostile even. "No. I have a permanent limp."
    She said it almost like a dare.
    Before he could respond, the front door opened and Molly whisked in. "Hey Katie, how's—" She nearly dropped the purse dangling at her elbow when she caught sight of Ace.
    "Well, hello." She grabbed his hand, her smile brightening. "Nice to see you around."
    "Thank you. I'm going to be in town a while longer. Your mom actually hired me to protect your home until the police catch these guys."
    "Oh, mercy." Molly fanned herself and winked at Katie. "Maybe I need to move back in."
    He caught a barely-perceptible flash in Katie's eyes. Did she feel possessive of him? That was a good thing. But her words fell flat.
    "He won't be staying here, I imagine. Maybe down at the Kingsbury Hotel."
    "Is that the one I saw near the gas station? I'd be happy to move over there." Anything to stay close.
    "With that Lexus and your...Manhattan job, I would think you could afford The Greenbrier a few more days," Katie mumbled.
    "Katie!" Molly looked appalled. She shot Ace an apologetic look. "She's a librarian, you know. They spend too much time buried in books and not enough time practicing politeness ."
    Katie shrugged, walking up the hallway. Molly wasted no time, her warm eyes focused on Ace's.
    "So. How do you like West Virginia? You know, I've heard West Virginia girls are the prettiest in the United States." She smiled widely.
    He stayed noncommittal, ignoring her brazen overtures, even though her looks were definitely hard to ignore. "I'm sure that's true."
    Katie returned, awkwardly balancing a bucket, broom, and cleaning supplies.
    He grabbed the wobbling bucket before she could protest. "Where are we going?"
    She glared. " You're not going anywhere. I'm going over to clean up my