Colton's Secret Bodyguard. Jane Godman

A bar of soap fell out of his mouth and onto the rug. “Yeah. That was one of the things I meant to warn you about. Papadum eats a lot of things he shouldn’t. Soap, socks, coins, nails, rocks... His best so far was my phone charger. Nature takes its course with most things, but he needed surgery to remove that.”

      “You loaned me a broken dog?” Bree huffed.

      His face was inches from hers, his blue eyes alight with laughter. “Sorry about that.”

      “Anything else I should know?” She edged a little closer.

      “When you ask him if he’s been fed, he may not always give you an honest answer.”

      His arms closed around her and his lips met hers. The kiss was exactly what Bree needed. She felt safe, warm and protected. Giving a little murmur of appreciation, she pressed tight against him. The embrace didn’t last long. Papadum raised a paw and struck Rylan on the shoulder. The move almost sent him sprawling face first to the floor.

      “I think that means he needs more water.” He grinned. “Although I have no sympathy for him.”

      Papadum rubbed his face affectionately along Rylan’s arm, leaving a trail of lemon-scented foam.

      Bree laughed. “Go see to your dog. I’m late for a meeting.”

      He got to his feet, holding out a hand to help her up. His gaze scanned her face. “Has something happened? Other than my crazy pet eating your soap?”

      “Later. I’ll tell you all of it then.” Just being near him had given her new strength.

      He took her face in his hands and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Okay.” Stooping, he ushered Papadum toward the door.

      She drew in a breath. “Rylan?” He turned to look at her, and her nerve almost faltered. “You don’t have to sleep in your car tonight.”

      The change in his expression almost sent her running back into his arms. Somehow, she managed to get her trembling limbs under control and make her way out into the gallery for her meeting.

      * * *

      “No one is ever going to believe I didn’t train you to do this.” Kasey had provided Rylan with a roll of paper towel, which he used to dry Papadum’s dreadlocks. “Although I think you could have found a smarter way of getting her attention than eating her soap.” The dog held up a heavy hairy paw. “Shaking hands? Yeah, that could have worked, but it’s hard to see how it would have needed my intervention. Maybe you should have tried the non-stop sneezing thing you did that time when you caught a fly.”

      Once Papadum was restored to normality, Rylan decided to return him to Bree. The dog’s purpose was to guard her after all. He couldn’t do that if they were in different rooms.

      The gallery was a vast open space. Having studied a floor plan of the building, Rylan knew there was ten thousand square feet of floor space. With its high ceilings and white walls, the former warehouse provided a unique opportunity to display large sculptures and paintings, as well as smaller pieces. Bree had made it bright, open and fun, with a strong sense of diversity.

      Her own paintings were glorious. Celebrating people, African American women in particular, she had a knack for capturing the perfect moment. Characterized by bold angular shapes and brilliant colors, her pictures evoked feelings of heart and home. Little girls playing, women gossiping, family gatherings—all were treated with Bree’s own unique empathy and quirky humor. Her signature was a simple letter B.

      Rylan found her in an area that had been completely cleared, ready for the Spirit show. She was so deep in conversation with a dark-haired man about her own age that she didn’t notice Rylan as he approached. They were standing side by side with their heads bent over a large sheet of paper. The guy’s stance caught Rylan’s attention. He was just a little too close to Bree, a little too attentive.

      He tried to dismiss his unease, telling himself he was letting his feelings for Bree get the better of him. When Papadum saw Bree and gave a delighted bark, interrupting their conversation, Rylan had a chance to review his first impression. Instead of changing his mind, however, his opinion was reinforced.

      Over Bree’s head, her companion gave Rylan a look that was so laden with suspicion and jealousy it was almost comical. Almost. With everything that was going on, it immediately sent Rylan’s protective instincts into overdrive.

      “Hey, Papadum.” Having finally figured out the dog’s anatomy, Bree found his ears and scratched between them. Since that particular caress was Papadum’s favorite thing in the whole world, he promptly fell at her feet in an ecstatic canine heap.

      Laughing, Bree turned to Rylan. “He seems to have recovered.”

      “I don’t think there’ll be any lasting effects. Just hide the soap—and anything else that you consider inedible but that would fit down the gullet of a large, foolish dog—and everything will be fine.”

      “Is that a dog?” Although it was a common reaction to Papadum, when it came from the guy who was still standing way too close to Bree, Rylan found it irritating.

      “Papadum is my new guard dog,” Bree explained. “Oh, sorry. I forgot you two don’t know each other. Rylan Bennet... Lucas Brewer. Lucas does the lighting for all my shows. Rylan manages a group of young artists who will be showcasing their work during Spirit.”

      Lucas tried to get away with a curt nod, but Rylan smiled and held out his hand. “Good to meet you.”

      The other man was forced to return his handshake and make eye contact. Did he get the stern warning Rylan flashed his way? He certainly pulled his hand away quickly and dropped his gaze fast. One thing was for sure, Rylan didn’t think Lucas would forget him...and that had been his intention.

      “I’ll leave you to your meeting.” Ignoring Lucas, Rylan spoke directly to Bree.

      She smiled, apparently oblivious to any hostile undercurrents. “Papadum and I will see you later.”

      Rylan walked away, convinced he could feel Lucas’s stare hitting a point just between his shoulder blades. The guy clearly had a thing for Bree. Did that mean he was the person harassing her? It was a big leap from one to the other, and possibly said more about Rylan’s own insecurities than anything about the other man. Even so, he would be using all his resources to find out more about Lucas Brewer.

      When he reached the promotions office, he checked his cell phone. Although he employed a full-time helper, Rylan liked to maintain a hands-on approach to the welfare of his animals. The personalized app he used allowed him to monitor what was going on at the ranch while he was away.

      Not for the first time, he wondered what Bree would think if she could see his mismatched collection. Ranch described the property he had bought. Sanctuary was the home he provided for his animals.

      From duck pond to donkey stall, the video cameras showed him scenes that were about as tranquil as it ever got. As the number of his adopted animals had grown, he had promised he wouldn’t spend much time away from home. That had been before he met Bree. She had changed everything.

      Watching her with Papadum, he could see that she obviously loved animals...even quirky ones. A slight smile touched his lips as he tried to picture her among his other misfits. But what was the point? Looking into the future was a waste of time. As far as Bree was concerned, Rylan had blown it before he’d even started.