A Guarded Love Read online

  “Kristin, Landon told me that you have a concert coming up.”

  “Yes. That’s right.”

  “I want to make sure the facility is secure before you arrive.”

  “Do you really think that’s necessary?”

  “Until we get this guy under control, we can’t be too careful.” Rob looked serious.

  “That’s why Rob’s the head of security. He’s the best.” Landon reached over for more fries.

  “Oh, I just remembered I need my dress and shoes from my apartment.”

  “I’ll take you there tomorrow so you can get them.” Rob typed something into his phone.

  With Sam out of the way, it was time to get her life back.

  Chapter 18

  During the drive home, Landon didn’t want to disturb Kristin while she slept on his upper arm. He figured her adrenaline dropped after being in court and she could use the rest. Plus, he liked having her near. It allowed him to watch her and not get caught, so he was going to take advantage of this opportunity. He noticed how flawless her skin appeared. It looked fresh and glowing. Glancing down at her hands, he noticed her pretty long fingers that allowed her to play piano so well. There was no question about it, she was beautiful.

  He felt grateful that Kristin said he could attend her concert. For a while, he didn’t think she was going to let him, but his persistence paid off. The more he was around Kristin, the more he wanted to learn about her. One thing he had already learned was that she was a strong woman, even if she didn’t know it yet. It was impressive. Kristin was plugging along in school trying to keep up with her classes even though Sam was making it difficult. Landon noticed that her walls were coming down. He had watched her visibly relax after the papers were signed. On the car ride to court, she allowed herself to be playful and he loved it. The changes were slow in coming, but he hoped this could be a new beginning in their relationship.

  Landon was aware that he was responsible for some of this mess. If the picture wasn’t shown of the two of them, Sam probably wouldn’t have been pushed to the edge. It made things worse for Kristin with Sam. Now he felt he had to do his part to make things right. She looked so innocent resting there, he hated to wake her up.

  “Kristin we’re home,” he whispered.

  She sat up and looked around. “I’m so sorry I fell asleep on you.” She brushed her fingers through her hair.

  “It’s been an emotional couple of days.”

  “That’s an understatement.” She smiled slightly. “I feel completely drained.”

  “Let’s get you into the house.” Landon helped her out of the car and followed her. He watched as she plodded down the hall to her room. She looked exhausted and he didn’t know how she was going to finish her studies. When he realized that he was just standing in the hall thinking, he decided to go find his grandparents. They were in the family room, putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Grandma Suzie was gently pushing pieces into place. Landon dropped in the chair next to them.

  Grandma Suzie peered over her glasses at Landon. “Well?”

  “Well, what?”

  “You know what I’m asking.”

  Landon put his hands behind his head. “We were able to meet the lawyers and get the papers signed.”

  Grandpa Scott smiled at Landon.

  Grandma Suzie sighed. “That’s nice, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Quit playing dumb.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Landon shrugged with a slight grin.

  Grandma Suzie folded her arms. “This girl seems special to you. Am I correct?”

  “I’m helping her get out of this mess.” Landon tried to keep his voice calm.

  “Nice try, but I can see that you have feelings for her. I haven’t seen you this interested in someone in a long time. Grandpa and I like her.” Grandma Suzie stood up and clapped her hands together gently. “We should do something together while she’s here.”

  “What did you have in mind?” Landon didn’t want Grandma Suzie interfering.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe take a drive around Donner Lake.”

  “Okay. Why don’t you ask her?”

  “I will.” Grandma Suzie bantered and winked. “Don’t wait too long before you tell that girl how much you like her.” She had a twinkle in her eyes.

  “Thanks for your concern, Grandma, but it’s not like that.”

  “Yeah, right.” Grandpa Scott laughed loud and hard.

  Grandma Suzie kissed the top of Landon’s head. “I love you, Landon, and she’s perfect for you.”

  “I love you, too.” Landon sat there quietly. “Kristin doesn’t like me because I’m a country singer.”

  “She may not like country music, but she definitely has feelings for you. The genre of music you like doesn’t matter. You two are ideal for each other. You both have so much more in common than music, and we can see it.”

  Grandpa Scott nodded his head in agreement.

  Everyone stopped to listen as Kristin’s music floated down from the piano room.

  “I hope she didn’t hear what you said.” Landon gave an exaggerated sigh and fidgeted in his chair.

  “I’m sure she didn’t.” Grandma Suzie patted his shoulder.

  Grandma Suzie could always read Landon. He should have been used to this by now. Yes, he did like Kristin, and his feelings were growing stronger, but he wasn’t ready to share his feelings with Grandma Suzie.

  Standing up he said, “I’m going to go listen to Kristin play.” Landon shook his head and sauntered to the front room. Standing by the door, he watched her. He loved how she threw herself into the music as she closed her eyes. She used quick, fluid movements. Landon could play the piano, but not like that. Suddenly, Kristin stopped playing and looked at him. “How long have you been watching me?” She sat there smiling.

  “Just a few minutes. You’re so talented and I love listening to you.”

  “Thank you.”

  He joined her on the piano bench. “Is this music for class or for the concert?”

  “It’s both. I wrote this for one of my classes and now I’ll play it at the concert.” Kristin moved over to make room for him.

  “I really like it.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You know, sometime, when you’re available I’d like to play some songs together.” He was surprised how nervous he was to hear her answer. It reminded him of being in high school.

  “I have time now.” Kristin moved her sheet music over to the side.

  “Don’t you need to practice for your concert?”

  “I can play a couple songs with you and practice after.”

  “I have an idea. Why don’t you play the songs for the concert and I’ll add some harmony? We could do the song you just played. You start and I’ll jump in.” Landon grabbed his guitar and moved a chair closer to the piano.

  Kristin waited until he was settled and then she began. Landon joined in it felt natural playing together. When the music ended, he stared at Kristin with both eyebrows raised. She had tears in her eyes. They sat in silence. He ran his hands through his hair. “That sounded amazing. I didn’t realize how good we would be together.”

  Electricity filled the room. He held still, not wanting to disturb and ruin the mood. Kristin must have been on the same page, because she quietly stared at the piano without saying a word.

  Landon turned music on his phone. He stood up and held out his hand, and asked, “Would you care to dance?”

  “I would love to dance with you.”

  Warmth surged through Landon’s arm. The intensity surprised him. He looked into her big blue eyes and fought the urge to kiss her. He placed his hands on the small of her back. Kristin wrapped her arms around his neck. Landon attempted to grasp reality. Kristin’s cheek touched his. Her skin felt so soft. This woman was starting to consume his thoughts.

  He liked the way she felt in his arms and he liked having her body close to his. Her hair brushed the side of his face. He
smelled her perfume; it reminded him of vanilla. Landon felt like he could hold her forever.

  When the music ended, he kept her close. Then Kristin pulled back and looked at him. He found himself looking at her mouth. Kristin gasped softly as Landon’s head lowered toward hers. The kiss was a slow, soft lingering kiss. He knew she was unprepared for a kiss the first time around, so he leaned forward with his body flush with hers. Kristin returned the second kiss with lips parted enough that her mouth matched his perfectly. Kristin’s eyes fluttered open as the kiss ended.

  “I enjoyed being with you, but I need to let you study.” He quickly kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

  Kristin nodded her head. Her eyes were wide as her fingers touched her parted lips.

  Landon was kicking himself. That kiss was incredible, but he shouldn’t have done that. Especially when she was vulnerable and not sure that she even liked him. He prayed he didn’t blow it completely.

  Chapter 19

  Kristin’s heart was telling her to trust Landon. It had felt wonderful when he kissed her. It had even distracted her from worrying about Sam. All she wanted to do was throw her arms around his neck and continue kissing him. At first, she felt flustered as he pulled her close for the dance, but every nerve in her body had awakened at his touch. Landon felt so strong; she felt his muscles under his shirt, and she liked that. Kristin was still feeling the effects of that wonderful kiss.

  She walked to the piano and started playing songs for her concert. The music helped her to focus, allowing her to finally get a lot accomplished in a few hours. After practicing, she went to her room to rest.

  Grandma Suzie popped her head in Kristin’s room to let her know dinner was ready. The thought of seeing Landon at dinner was exciting as her feelings were growing for him. She entered the kitchen and noticed that Suzie and Scott were there but not Landon. Disappointed, she went to sit down at the table.

  “Don’t worry, he’ll be here soon. He’s on the phone.” Grandma Suzie patted her shoulders.

  “I wasn’t worried.” Kristin felt embarrassed that her facial expression had given her away. She’d have to be more careful in the future.

  “I hope you like Parmesan chicken?” Grandpa Scott brought the chicken to the table.

  “It smells delicious.” Kristin pulled a chair out and sat down.

  Landon walked in and gently rubbed Kristin’s back before choosing the chair next to her. Pleasantly surprised, she beamed. Kristin noticed the quick look between Landon and his grandmother. It was so quick that she almost missed it. What did that mean?

  “I have to tell you both how wonderful you sounded this afternoon. Your two styles blended perfectly.” Grandma Suzie winked at Kristin.

  “It was a lot of fun.” Kristin chuckled.

  Landon looked at Kristin. “Yes. We did sound amazing.”

  Grandpa Scott nodded.

  “I was talking to my manager and telling him about you, Kristin,” Landon said, “and how great our music sounded. You mentioned that you had to perform at concerts. What if you perform at one of my concerts? “

  Kristin sat in silence. She could feel everyone looking at her. “Are you serious?”

  “Very.” Landon didn’t look like he was messing around.

  “I don’t think your fans would like classical music. Would I have to play country?”

  “I think we should play the songs we played this afternoon.”

  “What will your fans think? Some of them will remember that I’m the girl in the picture.”

  “They’ll get over the picture and I know they will like the music.”

  “Can I have some time to think about this?”

  “Sure.” Landon took a bite of mashed potatoes.

  What an incredible opportunity. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time. She didn’t feel his fans would be supportive. However, Kristin had to admit, when they played their music it sounded wonderful. But it didn’t sound country. Maybe Landon could change the arrangement so it would appeal to his fans. She was grateful for his kindness. Maybe doing one concert with him would be okay.

  After dinner, everyone helped clean up the kitchen. She liked being involved with the Ross family, even if it was to do a simple chore. Not having a functional family growing up, she had longed for this.

  Grandma Suzie suggested they play “Chicken Foot.” Kristin wasn’t familiar with the dominos game, but it was easy to learn. Her family had very rarely played games. Her mother had always been too busy working and was tired when she came home. More often than not, they had just been trying to survive.

  They played the game for a couple of hours. It was filled with teasing and laughing. Kristin relished every moment. When the game ended, she was disappointed. Not because she lost but because she didn’t want family time to be over.

  Kristin excused herself to go to bed. As she was walking down the hall, she heard her name and turned to see Landon. They met in the middle of the hall.

  “You don’t need to go by yourself. I’ll walk with you.”

  “You don’t need to do that. I think my imagination was working on overtime.” Kristin could feel his protective strength.

  “It’s not a problem. Besides, you need a good night sleep, or we could both sleep in the family room again.” Merriment danced in Landon’s eyes.

  “I did sleep better when you were there, but I’ll try sleeping in here tonight.”

  “Okay.” Landon sounded disappointed. “Let me check your room.” After he made sure she was safe, he turned toward her. “I hope our kiss this afternoon didn’t make you feel awkward.”

  Looking at her feet, she quietly said, “I actually liked it.”

  “I liked it too. I guess I was worried about my timing. You have a lot going on right now and I don’t want to complicate things.”

  Kristin looked into his eyes. “I felt something during our song. You must have felt it too.”

  Landon nodded. “Would you like to go for a walk around the property tomorrow morning? It’s beautiful this time of year.”

  “I’d like that.” Kristin smiled.

  “Great. We’ll head out after breakfast.” Landon’s eyes were beaming.

  It was hard for Kristin to sleep because she was thinking about Landon. She couldn’t wait to go on a walk with him. Thinking about him made her feel calmer, but also she had a nervous excitement.

  The next morning, it was hard for her to eat. The anticipation of spending time with him alone caused butterflies in her stomach and warmth to travel to her cheeks. From past experience, she knew her cheeks were red. Landon came in the kitchen with a backpack on.

  “This looks like it’s going to be a strenuous hike.”

  “No. It’s not even a hike. It’s a walk. We will have some inclines, but they’ll be easy.”

  Kristin gazed at the backpack. “What’s that for?”

  “I packed this with snacks and water.” Landon reached for her hand. “Ready to go?”

  “Yep.”

  “We could stop by and see the horses or are you really afraid of them?”

  “I’m a little nervous. I don’t mind seeing them from a distance, but when I was nine our class went on a field trip to a farm. As we got closer to the animals, I could see a farmhand working with a horse. Our entire class ran to the log fence to watch. Something must have spooked the horse because he reared back and kicked the man in the shoulder. Another farmhand distracted the horse so the injured man could get help.

  “That must have been terrifying.”

  “It was, but I don’t think about it very often.”

  “We’ll skip the horses for today.”

  Kristin smiled slightly. She was grateful for his compassion. “Sounds good.”

  They walked in silence, hand-in-hand, following a rock path that led to the mountains. It was a pristine area and it smelled fresh and clean. The air temperature was cool and brisk. Landon had packed a jacket for her, and she was grateful. Autumn was in the
air.

  The smell of the evergreen trees reminded her of Christmas. That holiday was hard, especially the first one after her parents’ divorce. Having to divide their time between two homes had always been difficult. Then, in later years, her mom didn’t have enough money to provide a Christmas. Her father wasn’t willing to help with child support. To compensate, her mom tried to ignore the holiday. When Kristin got older and could earn money on her own, she was able to buy presents for her mom and sister, and she actually started to like the holiday.

  Deliberately changing her thought from a depressing topic to thoughts about Landon, she recognized that she wasn’t scared of him. Being with him felt right. Kristin couldn’t help herself; she was falling for him.

  “Hey, Kristin. I want to ask you a question.”

  “Okay.” Kristin wondered if she should be nervous.

  “Have you dated much since you broke up with Sam?” Landon glanced at her.

  Kristin didn’t think they would be talking about Sam. “I dated some while I was in Europe, but it’s hard. I want to date, but I’m finding that I have trust issues. Some of the trust issues have to do with myself. I seem to choose the wrong guys.” She tried to chuckle, but it came out a snort.

  “I don’t know everything you’ve been through, but I do know relationships can be scary. Trusting can be hard. Kristin, I like you. I think you’re so talented. And while you might doubt your yourself, I have complete trust in you. I know we’ve only known each other for a little while.” He paused for a brief moment. “I am so intrigued by you and I want to get to know you better.”

  Kristin’s heart thudded as she considered Landon’s words. “I think getting to know each other would be fine.”

  “We’ll take it one day at a time.” Landon looked deeply into her eyes.

  Kristin felt at peace. “That sounds good.”

  As they strolled deeper into the woods, Kristin analyzed some things about Landon. Taking advantage of the silence, she made a list of things she liked about Landon. She never felt a red flag with him which gave her comfort and he was still interested in her, even with all her baggage. Kristin felt excited that he wanted to be with her. Hope filled her heart as she promised herself to trust him more. He had never given her a reason to not trust him. Remembering that would be important.