“So, no matter what,” Janie acknowledged, “somebody loses.”
“We’re not losing anybody else,” Rafe said. “Running to South Africa is a short-term flight from a long-term problem. Everybody would have to move, otherwise, you would never get to visit your new niece or nephew, or—”
For a moment, Janie thought he might say, “me.” Instead, he continued. “We’re beefing up security around Janie. I’m putting my best man on it.”
“Every officer you have already believes I’m their personal drive-by,” Janie said. “I can’t turn around without seeing Candy or Jeff—”
“You’re on a first-name basis with them now?”
“Have been for weeks.”
“Until we find out who pushed you, you’ll only be dealing with me.”
“And me,” Luke added.
Rafe didn’t look convinced her brother-in-law was up for the task.
“Hey,” Luke protested, “if I can shoot a hippopotamus in the ass to sedate him, I can shoot an intruder if one tries to get near my favorite sister-in-law.”
“Only sister-in-law,” Janie reminded him.
Katie stared at her husband in awe. “I like it when you go all macho.”
“What do you have planned tomorrow?” Rafe asked. “Where should I focus my efforts?”
“I’ll be here all day, painting, probably. I can’t teach injured like this.”
The four of them huddled around the table going over the schedule for the coming week and making sure that at no time was Janie left unguarded and alone.
“You got plans Saturday night?” Rafe asked.
“No.”
“You do now. We’re going to the Police Officers’ Awards Banquet. Almost all of the law-enforcement officers in the area will be there, including the ones who should be driving by here every hour. You’ll go with me. There’s no safer place for you.”
Janie wasn’t sure she would describe a night with Rafe as safe.
* * *
JANIE COULDN’T REMEMBER ever feeling this nervous before a date. But, then, this wasn’t a date. This was a bodyguard getting stuck with an assignment on a Saturday night.
She’d feel even more nervous if she’d had a spare minute to worry. As it was, after last Tuesday’s question-and-answer session, she’d gotten used to having Rafe around, practically 24/7. The only time she was sure he wasn’t around was at night, when Luke took over. Jasper, who’d worked for her father and now was a keeper for Luke, took to spending the night in the living room, even though Janie had insisted he should be with his new bride, Ruth.
Janie had spent the last four days feeling bruised and scared, but determined to go on with her life, including going on nondates. Plus, Janie had never been one to stay home.
Still, she wasn’t sure what to wear to a police officers’ awards banquet. She settled on a gauzy dark green skirt and white cotton blouse with a silky green sweater. But Katie took one look at her and turned white. If not for the bruised arm and accompanying pain meds, Janie never would have allowed Katie to be included in any how-should-I-dress dilemma. But Katie knew when she had a pliable client, and managed to convince Janie to wear something more “dateworthy.”