Chapter 4

FOUR

TUESDAY, 10:00 A.M.

Caleb blinked, making sure the image standing in front of him in the hallway of his apartment building was real and not some mirage.

Juliette. The woman who'd walked out of his life without even a backwards glance had now entered his world as suddenly as she'd left it.

His mind tried to form words. Say something. Anything. "I just can't get over the fact that you're here, standing in front of me."

"Well, imagine my surprise seeing a twelve-year-old version of you waiting for me this morning with a piggy bank and a story about a break-in."

He suppressed a groan. "I'm so sorry. I guess the events of last night shook her more than I thought. I should have gotten her in to see the school counselor."

She smiled and his pulse hammered in his ears. She'd always had that effect on him.

His whole world was defined by logic and reason. Except when it came to Juliette. His brain short-circuited around her.

"It's crazy to see you as a parent," she said. "It suits you though. Ivy is just like you."

The compliment sent warmth rushing across his face. "Thanks. But what brought you to Savannah of all places?"

"My grandmother passed away about a year ago. I wanted to honor her memory by keeping the house she left me." Her voice had that hint of a Southern accent, and living in Savannah must have brought it out.

Juliette was still as beautiful as he remembered. Her dark-blonde hair was short and stylish, not long like she used to wear it. But her warm golden-brown eyes brought back the flood of fond memories. How many nights had they stayed up late, talking outside the barracks? It had been a long time since he'd had that kind of connection with anyone.

A door opened and Caleb's neighbor, Abigail Prewett stepped out. "Oh, I thought I heard voices."

"Hi, Abby. We were just going inside."

"What happened? Oh dear. Why isn't Ivy in school? Is this because of the break-in?"

Caleb appreciated the older woman for helping pick Ivy up from school when he had to work late, but sometimes her nosiness grated every nerve he had. Abby cared for her grandson, who happened to go to the same school as Ivy. Caleb tried to extend her some grace, because she was a recent widow, having just lost her husband to a rare cancer. Abby understood Ivy more than most people, having been a professor at a technical college before resigning to take care of her husband. The woman geeked out over robots with Ivy and often helped his niece with her programming homework.

But she was still annoying.

Abby sized up Juliette, and a grin spread across her face. The woman was probably in her late fifties and had that Southern grandmotherly charm.

"And who is your beautiful friend, Caleb? You didn't tell me you had a girl?—"

"Thanks for checking on us, Abby, but we were just heading in." He had to get Juliette away from his prying neighbor, because he didn't have a logical explanation for Juliette's presence, let alone Abby thinking Juliette was his girlfriend. Before Abby could say another word, he ushered Juliette into the apartment.

"I'm so sorry for the mess in here. Work has been a bit stressful." The table of laptops and papers created a visual representation of the state of his affairs. Messy. Chaotic.

Desperate.

He'd never let anything in his life get this out of control. Juliette would probably question whether he was fit to be Ivy's guardian. Just like Ivy's grandparents.

He cleared some space at the table and offered her a seat. Ivy attempted to sneak off to her room, but he snapped his fingers. With a pout, she took a seat next to Juliette. He sat down and sandwiched Ivy between them.

"What's going on? Someone want to fill me in?" He faced Ivy. "Last I remember, I dropped you off at school. I watched you go in. Why would you go to Juliette for help behind my back? We could have talked about calling her."

A flicker of fierceness flashed across the girl's face. "I'm sorry, Uncle Caleb. But I needed help you wouldn't refuse. And you wouldn't listen to me about not going to work. I saw the picture and thought about your Army friends. They always have your back. You told me that much. Juliette can help. She's a professional bodyguard. I think she even guarded the president once."

He glanced at Juliette. She shook her head and mouthed no .

Ivy pouted. "Well, she probably could. She's that good at protecting people."

A professional bodyguard suited Juliette. The woman had dedicated her life to protecting others. She was as fierce a protector as a momma bear with her cubs. It was what made her an amazing Ranger. She risked her life as easily as breathing if it meant saving someone else.

But he didn't need a bodyguard. His mind scrambled to put the pieces of Ivy's puzzled emotions together.

"Why, Ivy?"

His niece shifted in her chair. "What if the person comes back? Or shows up at your job? I know you can defend yourself, but—" Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she turned away.

Caleb shook his head and glanced at Juliette. "Let's start over. We had a break-in last night, but that doesn't mean the person will return. The police said they've had a few burglaries in the area. And I've changed the locks and security code." He threw his hands up, as if to apologize for this bizarre encounter.

Juliette shrugged. "Ivy seems to think something bigger is going on. She walked from the school to my office. I just want to make sure you are both safe."

"Ivy walking the streets of Savannah by herself isn't safe." He turned to his niece, lowering the volume of his voice. "You should have come to me with your concerns." He loved that Ivy wanted to protect him, but she'd gone overboard.

Ivy trembled. "But what if the person shows up at your work? Maybe this isn't about robbing us. Maybe the person is after you. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Caleb's resolve melted at the sight of tears rimming Ivy's jade-green eyes. How could he be mad at her when he had the same fear of losing those he loved?

"I get it, Ivy. More than you know. But I don't think hiring a bodyguard is necessary."

More tears wet the collar of her school uniform shirt. Oh, Ivy . His heart pulsed with love for his niece, but a bodyguard? Who happened to be Juliette Montgomery?

Not going to happen.

He shot Juliette a pleading look, not sure what she could do in this situation. One more reason on his list of why he made a terrible parent. How could he console Ivy after this break-in had destroyed her sense of security?

Juliette tilted her head. "Caleb, what if you agree not to go to the office today? Maybe take a day off."

He put his hand on Ivy's shoulder. "Would that help you realize that I'm safe? I was going to go into the office this afternoon, but maybe I can work from home the rest of the day."

Ivy wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yes. Today and tomorrow. Please don't go to the office. Just stay here."

"But you have to go to school. After yesterday's trouble, you can't miss any more classes. Are you willing to go to classes for the rest of the day? I'll give you back your cell phone so you'll be able to get in touch with me anytime you need me."

"Yes, if you promise not to go to work."

Caleb nodded. "It's a deal. Why don't you get your books and get ready for school."

As Ivy headed to her bedroom, Juliette leaned closer to him. "Do you want to tell me what's really going on?"

He blew out an exasperated breath. "I don't like the recent chain of events. You know I don't believe in coincidences. My company is a cybersecurity firm. The bank that was just robbed is one of my clients."

Juliette's eyes lit with recognition. "I'm all too familiar with the robbery at First United Bank. I was there."

"What? You were there when men stormed the bank with guns?"

She nodded. "I had to make a deposit. Just a simple errand that veered way off course."

"Well, Rushmore has been sending threats to my company, trying to attack our software. We've been fending them off, but then someone breaks in and steals one of my laptops? It all ties together."

Juliette sat back in the dining room chair. "So maybe you do need someone to watch your back. It might not hurt to have me hang out for a day or two. Just in case you're a target."

"But it's more about my software than me personally."

She squinted. "How much more personal does it get than a home invasion?"

"Well, when you put it that way, it does seem like I'm on the radar for these hackers. But I don't need a babysitter."

"Coffee. You need coffee. Let's drop Ivy off, and then we can discuss this over coffee. And maybe some bear claws."

Juliette and her snacks. He bit back a smile at the memory. The woman had always been eating some kind of sugary snack.

Plus, how could he say no to her pleading eyes?

He relented. "Fine, maybe we can meet for coffee after I drop off Ivy. I haven't had enough caffeine yet today. It would be nice to catch up, and maybe we can figure out how to alleviate Ivy's concerns. We can talk about it."

His breath hitched at the thought of spending time with Juliette. Flashbacks scrolled through his mind of the last time he'd seen her, when he'd lifted her off the mountainside to safety. One of the worst days of his life. And now, three years later, she sat at his dining room table after his niece had hired her to be his bodyguard.

"Let's meet at Bitty and Beau's for coffee in thirty minutes," Juliette suggested.

"Sounds good." Caleb's phone vibrated in his pocket. "Let me take this. It's my partner, Blake." Juliette nodded and headed to the front door to wait.

"Blake, I'm on my way out the door. Can I call you back shortly?"

"It can't wait. We received another threat from Rushmore. They posted it on their website this morning. They've just declared a cyberwar with Cyberskies. And they named us both personally as their enemies."

* * *

TUESDAY, 11:30 A.M.

What had she been thinking? Juliette tapped her foot under the café table while waiting for Caleb.

Why had she suggested they meet up? The man could defend himself. But, like Caleb had said, too many coincidences might spell trouble. And she wanted to make sure there wasn't real danger for Caleb or Ivy.

But now the past stared her in the face. Should she bring up that day she'd left, try to explain?

She'd ordered two coffees and two bear claws. Caleb wouldn't eat the pastries, but she'd use it as an excuse to eat two. Sweet snacks were her downfall. The caffeine and sugar rush did little to calm her nerves, but seeing Caleb again had erased the canyons of time and distance between them. Maybe they could forge a friendship again. Because her reaction to his presence made her head swim and her heart beat a little faster.

"Jules." Caleb waved and headed in her direction. Her stomach fluttered. Why was she nervous?

"You still love sweets, I see." The wooden chair scraped against the floor when he pulled it out and sat down. His memory never let anything slide.

"Who, me?" she said, taking a big bite of the warm pastry that might as well have doubled as a dessert. "I never understood how you stayed in shape with your vast amount of sugar intake."

"It's why I get up early and run five miles every other day. Duh."

Juliette had always thought he was handsome, but the small patch of gray at the edge of his dark-brown hair made him even more adorable.

"I see some things don't change," Juliette said, waving her hand across his T-shirt. This one read Come to the Math Side. We have Pi. Cringeworthy—maybe—but Caleb owned his quirks.

Caleb smiled and pushed his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. "What can I say? I'll choose comfort over style any day." Awkward and humble. And he was oblivious to what others thought of him. The man could still command the attention of any woman in the room, even if he didn't notice.

His demeanor shifted to somber. "I am so sorry about Ivy. The break-in must have really gotten to her. She's had a lot of trauma in her life for such a young age. I hate having her out of my sight, but that private school is locked up tighter than Fort Knox. I think she's safer there. Assuming she stays."

Caleb took a sip of the coffee Juliette had purchased for him. She mentally checked herself. This was business. Nothing else.

But an emptiness stirred in her soul. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed his friendship until he was sitting across from her.

She cleared her throat, refusing to let her emotions get the best of her. "She seemed convinced that the person will return. Do you think the robbery was an isolated case?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't see the guy take anything, but one of my work laptops is missing. Ivy startled the guy. It could have ended way worse."

"She's smart. Maybe she picked up on something and that's why she's nervous."

Caleb sighed and the wooden chair creaked as he leaned back. "She's too smart. Ivy qualified for Mensa at the age of eight. I can't keep her out of trouble on the internet. Yesterday, she got busted for changing another student's grade by hacking into the school's system. She's twelve and in high school. I picked one of the most prestigious private schools to keep her challenged, but the astronomical tuition is pointless if she gets kicked out."

The man had his hands full. He'd always been smart and the top of his classes, even graduating from West Point before enlisting. Seemed like Ivy took after him. "I'm so sorry to hear about your sister. Will you tell me a little more about the accident?"

Caleb frowned and swirled the liquid remnants in his coffee cup. "It was about a month after the incident on the mountain. I'd returned to my station when I got the call about Tessa and the car accident. A drunk driver crossed the center line on a highway and killed Tessa and Zach. Ivy had been at home with her grandparents. I took emergency leave. I came back to the Army only to complete my assignment, and once that was up, I left for good to raise Ivy."

Words formed on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to explain, apologize, and even rehash the past. But what if he didn't want to go there?

Would that day on the mountain always be between them?

Time to change the subject. "What are you doing in Savannah?" she asked, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Do you remember me telling you about my friend from West Point, Blake Abernathy?"

She nodded.

"Blake asked me to join him and start a cybersecurity company. His offer came at the right time and we moved about a year ago. Ivy and I both needed a change of pace, so it seemed like a good idea."

An employee arrived at their table and offered to take their used cups. She might need another one to go.

"So, how have you been, Jules?"

At the sound of her nickname, she froze. Leave it to Caleb to cut to the heart of the matter with one word. He was the only person she'd ever let call her Jules. His familiarity unnerved her. He knew her in ways no one else did.

"I've been back in Savannah for about a year. Since my grandmother left me her house, I decided, like you, it was time for a change. Before that, I was in Columbia, South Carolina."

He watched her with those deep brown eyes that probed her soul. With Caleb, surface-level conversation didn't exist.

"Why?"

Another one-word sentence that shattered Juliette's confidence. She took a deep breath. The man deserved an explanation.

She looked him in the eye. "When I was in the hospital—after the mountain—they told me I had breast cancer. It wasn't the injuries from the attack that sent me home. It was my own body."

"Oh, Jules. I'm so sorry. I would have been there for you if I'd known."

His eyes probed hers for her to continue. "That was my concern. You had your whole life ahead of you, and I'd washed out of the Army. Losing Tank and Laz—the grief hit me hard. And then realizing I'd have to give up the Rangers, the loss was more than I could bear. You deserved to have a future without my baggage. You needed to heal too."

Caleb cleared his throat. "It took me a long time to get adjusted to life with Ivy," he said, "and when I was in a place that I could track you down, I tried. I called your parents, and they said that you'd moved but wouldn't tell me where. I tried, Jules, but I had no idea where you wound up once you were stateside."

She wrapped her hands around her cup to steady them. "You tried to find me?"

He nodded. "I didn't like the way we abruptly ended a great friendship."

The formation of tears took her by surprise, and she turned away to gain her composure. After all these years, she'd thought their friendship had been severed permanently. Yet he'd tried to find her.

She rallied, looked at Caleb and smiled. "After the Army discharged me, I moved back home while I underwent treatment for breast cancer. But the second I was cleared, I moved to Columbia."

"I'm just glad you're well now."

"It was a long and hard battle, but after about a year, I went into remission. But my time with the Rangers was over, and I thought it best to find a fresh start. So I joined the Elite Guardians and became a bodyguard."

"That's great news about your remission—you've always been a warrior. I'm glad you chose a different battlefield to tackle head-on."

His words soothed the hurt places she wouldn't admit existed. He understood. The surgery, doctor visits, chemotherapy, and radiation had bullied her into the fight for her life. And she'd refused to let cancer win. But in the end, it had destroyed one of the biggest things she'd loved.

Being a Ranger.

He broke through her thoughts. "How did you become a bodyguard? It's a perfect job for you, Jules."

Had he read her mind? "My friend, Olivia Savage, owned the Elite Guardians Agency and offered me a job. My first assignment was working with the Preston Whittaker." She fanned herself in mock gushing of Preston's celebrity status. Laila Rabbinowitz had become one of her closest friends. Make that Laila Whittaker now.

"Right. Like you'd ever fall for someone's celebrity status."

"True, but one thing led to another, and when my grandmother left me her three-story house in the historical district, I convinced Olivia to open a branch in Savannah. The Elite Guardians lease the top two floors for office space, and I live in the basement apartment." She sighed. "But let's get to the real reason we're here."

Caleb's face fell. "Yes. Let's. Ivy. I can't believe she tracked you down. Obviously, we can't hire you to babysit me without a known threat. I don't know what's going on, but so far it's nothing I can't handle. Ivy's emotions are a whole different story though." He shook his head, concern for his niece etched into the fine crinkles around his eyes.

"It must be hard becoming an instant parent," Juliette said. "But she cares about you, meaning you're doing something right."

Caleb shrugged. "I'd do anything for her. Zach's parents are still in Ivy's life, and we get together at holidays."

She noticed the wince at the reference to Ivy's grandparents. Her heart fractured into a thousand pieces. She understood all too well the loneliness that shredded a person's soul when a loved one died.

"I remember when my brother, Joe, died in combat. I was twelve. He was my hero, and I still miss him every day. And I remember your parents are both gone too."

"We've both had our share of loss. Ivy's the only family I have left."

This man was a professional griever. But Caleb's faith had always carried him through the difficult times. Despite his analytical mind, he'd always found a peace that defied logic. He'd always encouraged her to reach out to God because, according to Caleb, relying on her own instincts would only get her so far. But trusting in someone besides herself was the one risk she'd never been willing to take.

She shoved her emotions aside.

"The last thing I want to do is insert myself into your and Ivy's lives. I just want to make sure you're safe. I'm not sure what to do. I agree that you don't need a bodyguard. But you need to watch your back, because it really could be connected."

Caleb nodded. "I'll work from home today and then see how it goes. I've emailed my assistant to gather some files so I can pick them up on the way home." She didn't miss the stress that created an edge to a normally stoic Caleb. She'd noted the disarray at his house and his slightly wrinkled T-shirt. And not having shaved? That wasn't like the Caleb she remembered.

"Is there something else going on?"

"No, just work stuff. Co-owning a tech start-up is a lot harder than I thought it would be. And raising Ivy always has its challenges." He took a deep breath, indicating the subject was closed. "I'm glad we ran into each other, although I wish Ivy hadn't tried to hire you. I've missed you and have always prayed that we'd reconnect one day."

Juliette tried to hide her shock at his brutal honesty. The one thing she'd admired most about Caleb was that he was a straight shooter. He said what he meant. She swallowed. "Imagine my surprise this morning, seeing her waiting for me."

Would this be the last she'd see of Caleb Styles? She opened her mouth to ask the question, but a café employee came and collected the remainder of their cups and plates. Thankful for the interruption, Juliette stood. As predicted, Caleb hadn't touched the sweet treat, so she grabbed a to-go bag as they made their way out of the café.

Tourist season had ended, but the streets still beckoned to a few out-of-towners ready to unravel the mysteries of Savannah. Somehow, they fell into a comfortable rhythm of walking side by side toward the corner parking garage, not saying anything. They didn't need words to fill the space between them, something Juliette relished from the past.

If only they could rekindle that kind of relationship.

A chill crept down Juliette's spine, spiking her bodyguard instincts into high alert. She scanned the area around them, unsure of what she was looking for. While she didn't want to dismiss Ivy's concerns, there wasn't any proof that Caleb was a target.

They stood at the corner of the street to cross to the garage. A family of four stopped at the curb, ready to head toward the waterfront district for a day of sightseeing. Several other people approached the crosswalk and waited. Juliette caught movement from the corner of her eye and tracked a man in a black hoodie, cutting his way through the pedestrians toward them.

She could only make out the man's profile under the hood, but was that a gash on his cheek? The man turned and made a beeline for Caleb.

"Caleb, watch out!" she yelled.

The stranger bumped Caleb hard, causing him to stumble off the curb and into the street.

Right in front of an approaching trolley car.