Page 69 of Guarded Hearts
The security breaches he’d discovered there were so subtle that they were easily missed. Colt was good—damn good. But Carson only trustedhimselfnot to make a mistake. He needed to be there in person and see it with his own two eyes.
On high alert, he studied every intersection and car he passed with suspicion. When he reached Layne’s ranch, he noted that Colt hadn’t parked right out front for anyone to see. There was no sign of his brother either.
Good. Real good. Colt had done his job exactly the way that Carson would do it if he were posted here.
As he parked in front of the house, he swept his gaze over the structure. All the windows were still shuttered with the blinds and curtains drawn. Now he could see why Layne was going stir-crazy inside. The land was far too beautiful to hide from view.
He’d done what needed to be done to protect her. When he first answered Layne’s call for help, he hadn’t known he was still in love with her.
The minute he’d set eyes on her, he denied it. But that only lasted until his body—then his heart—took over.
He didn’t have to fight for her love. She’d given that freely. Now his biggest battle involved capturing her stalker.
Carson’s hands fisted as he walked to the back door. After one knock, it swung open, and Colt stood there, a bored expression on his face.
“Welcome, brother.”
Carson stepped inside. The house was cool, almost chilly with all the blinds closed against the warmth of the day.
The space gave off a strange vibe without its inhabitants. Like most homes, Golden Horizon was just walls and a roof—Layne gave it life with her calm and cheerful demeanor. Faye, too, brightened these rooms that felt so empty at the moment.
Colt shut the door behind them.
He turned to his brother. “Give me an update on the situation.”
“Nothing new to report. I’ve been checking all the security footage. Not a single movement on the ranch that hasn’t been a deer grazing in the field, or a possum wandering to the barn in search of some feed.”
He nodded. “And at night?”
“You know I’m always awake. There’s a good spot to keep watch from the back porch.” He waved at the door off the kitchen that led to the spot where the Londons entertained guests in the summers.
Usually Layne didn’t want anything to do with her father’s friends and would sneak off during a party. To meet Carson.
“And you’ve been checking the loft in the barn like I told you to?”
Colt gave a single nod.
“All the horses are fine? Has the ranch hand who comes to care for them noticed anything funny?”
“Not a thing. I told you, all is quiet here.”
He turned his head to look at the closed window. “Yeah. Too quiet.”
“You think the stalker is gearing up for something?”
“I’d be shocked if he hasn’t already put a plan into motion. Let’s take a look at the security footage.”
* * * * *
Layne felt like a character who’d stepped into the wrong film. The Malones were very welcoming to her and Faye, but neither of them belonged here. Without Carson, she felt even more lost, and he was nowhere to be found.
She wandered into the kitchen, thinking to make some tea. Seeing her housekeeper standing at the counter with a mixing bowl in front of her and baking ingredients spread across the black granite counter was a breath of familiarity.
She couldn’t help but smile at the woman who had been part of her family for so long. “What are you baking?”
“Miss Willow asked me specially if I’d teach her how to make banana muffins. But I can’t find her anywhere. I thought I’d get everything ready for when she comes.”
“And do you have all the ingredients?” Layne sidled up to the island.