My Brother's Bodyguard (Hometown Heros #1) Read online

  “I don’t know,” she said with a hesitation that let me know just how much she hated the idea.

  “What? You backing out already? I thought you were worried about your little brother.”

  “No, yes, … you're right, okay, we’ll let you drive us home. What then?”

  “Just follow my lead. And remember, look at me adoringly occasionally. Enough for Jimmy to think you’ve got a major crush on me. It’s either that or this will never work.”

  Her look back at me was as far from adoration as a look could get. More in the ‘cut out my heart with a spoon’ mode if you ask me.

  I smiled at her, yes it was going to be fun pushing her buttons. There were so many of them.

  .o0o.

  Elle

  Insufferable. That was the word I came up with as I stomped off to find Jimmy. It competed with Jerk, Idiot, and Bastard. But insufferable was so much better. Everything about the guy set me off. His arrogant attitude. His total disdain for the normal courtesies. That silly smirk of his, and those wide shoulders that looked like they could carry the world.

  Everything bugged me to no end.

  Taking deep breaths, I forced myself to remain calm and at least pretend like everything was under control. By the time I found Jimmy coming out of the computer lab, I had it together.

  “What did you think?” I asked.

  He shrugged his shoulders as he started for his locker. “I don’t think Mr. Stewart likes me.”

  I had to stop myself from laughing. “Let me guess, you pointed out where he made a mistake.”

  “Three times,” Jimmy said, “Really, it was embarrassing. Then we got into a debate about LINUX versus Microsoft. I don’t think he fully grasps all the nuances.”

  All I could do was shake my head. He’d never learn.

  “Listen, you know that Nate guy, the one in the Army jacket. The one that helped you this morning,” I said as I fought to keep my voice steady and sure.

  “Yes,” Jimmy said, giving me a quizzical glance.

  “Well, he’s going to give us a ride home today.” There, I got it out without sounding stupid.

  Jimmy studied me with a strange look and then asked, “Why?”

  My heart fell. This was it, the moment when this would work or blow up in my face.

  “You don’t worry about why. It’s none of your business,” I answered as I looked away.

  Jimmy’s lips creased into a big smile as he came to the conclusion I wanted him too. All without me really having to say anything.

  “You like him? And he likes you?” he said as if the possibility a boy might like his big sister was somehow unusual, in fact unbelievable.

  “You just meet me here after your last class,” I told him as I turned and walked away. That should do it, I thought. I wouldn’t have to look adoringly at the insufferable beast. A simple misdirection and Jimmy was on board.

  When the final bell rang, my pulse started racing as I anticipated the ride home. What would we talk about? What was this ‘lead’ I was supposed to follow? And what did Nate think about all of this? What did he think about me?

  These and a dozen other questions raced through my mind as I hurried to Jimmy’s locker. He was waiting for me with a big grin.

  “So where are we supposed to meet Nate?” he asked.

  My stomach fell. I hadn’t worked out the details. What if he didn’t wait around for us? Or changed his mind, we’d miss the bus and I’d have to call Mom. Not a pleasant thought.

  “Come on,” I said as I tugged at his shoulder. The sooner we got this over with the sooner I could relax.

  Nate, of course, was waiting for us in the parking lot, leaning up against an older, cherry red, pick-up truck that looked like it had been polished to within an inch of its life. That silly smirk on his face and arms folded across his broad chest spoke of a boy who was very comfortable in his own skin. So unlike so many of the boys in our school who didn’t have the faintest clue of who they were or who they were going to be.

  “Hey kid,” Nate said as we approached.

  “Hi Nate,” Jimmy responded with ease. “Elle says you’re giving us a ride home.”

  Nate smiled, “Yeah,” he said, pushing up off the truck and pulling the driver door open.

  What? That was it?

  Jimmy smiled and held the passenger door open for me.

  “You first,” I said to him.

  He only smiled and slowly shook his head. The twerp was enjoying this, I realized.

  I glanced into the truck to see the insufferable beast giving me a smirk to kill all smirks. He was enjoying it just as much as Jimmy.

  Taking a deep breath, I climbed up into the truck and slid across. Making sure that at no time did any part of my body come into contact with Nate’s. If that made things tight for Jimmy, then tough, he deserved it. Nate smiled as he slowly shook his head and started the truck.

  “So, Jimmy,” Nate said as he pulled out of the school’s parking lot. “Your sister tells me she doesn’t have a boyfriend. Why is that?”

  My stomach clenched up into a ball of pure anger. How dare he say that? Twisting towards him, I got ready to give him a piece of my mind but I was caught by two eyebrows waggling. Daring me to ruin things.

  Jimmy laughed. “I don’t know, I always just assumed it was because the guys at this school were idiots.”

  Okay, my little brother could be sweet at times. He didn’t know he was being sweet but it sounded good all the same.

  Now it was my time to smirk as I glanced at Nate. He just smiled back and shifted gears. I didn’t think it was intentional but I swore his fingers grazed against my knee.

  Immediately an electrical shock shot through my body. Something that had never happened to me before. One of those sharp thrills that made me look at the world a little differently.

  “Yeah, that’s probably it,” Nate replied as if he hadn’t just touched me. All the while I was fighting to understand what had just happened.

  “But then, it could be something else,” Jimmy said.

  “Hey,” I interrupted, “I am right here.”

  Nate laughed, “Okay Elle. You are correct, we should include you in our conversation. So why don’t you have a boyfriend?”

  Suddenly my heart felt about three sizes too small for my chest. This was not happening.

  “If you two don’t shut up, I will … “

  Nate laughed, “Threats only work if they’re backed up by real ramifications.”

  Jimmy laughed next to me and gave me a quick look that let me know he was completely on Nate’s side in this matter. A fact I was going to make him regret later.

  I think Nate might have taken pity on me because he changed the subject by asking Jimmy about how his first day of school went. It was like opening a fire hose. Jimmy started in on the teachers, the other students, even the air conditioning and how it could be improved.

  All the while, I sat there and thought about how close I was sitting to Nathan Clark. About how he smelled of leather and sandalwood and something else. Some unknown scent that was pure male.

  Nate nodded encouragingly at Jimmy to keep him talking, but every so often he would shoot me a glance with smiling eyes that made my insides quiver and crack-fueled butterflies jump around in my stomach.

  “Up here on the right,” Jimmy said as we turned onto our street. I was surprised. The ride home had happened so quickly.

  When Nate pulled into our driveway, Jimmy jumped out and said, “Thanks, Nate, see you tomorrow.”

  “Hey, tomorrow, sit in class back by me,” Nate said, “I might need some help along the way,” he quickly added.

  Jimmy’s brow creased in a deep frown as he said, “Why don’t you sit up front with me. There is an empty desk next to mine.”

  Nate laughed, “Guys like me do not sit in the front of the class. It would screw up the way the universe works. Besides, it’s extremely un-cool.”

  “Oh,” Jimmy replied, I think that may have been t
he first time in his life that Jimmy had ever considered the fact that being cool was important. “Sure. Okay Nate,” he said as he finished getting out of the truck.

  I started to scoot out after him when Nate gently touched my shoulder.

  My body froze in place as I waited.

  “Hold back a second,” he said with that husky voice of his

  I held my breath as I watched Jimmy go inside with a final wave. Not even a quizzical look as to why I wasn’t right behind him. The boy was clueless when it came to things like this.

  “What?” I demanded, probably a little more forcibly than I should have.

  Nate laughed, nothing I ever said seemed to have any impact on this guy.

  “I just wanted Jimmy to think we’re out here flirting. You know, sell the story.”

  “Oh,” I said as my heart let loose its tightness.

  We sat there for a moment, neither speaking, as if worried that if we spoke, we might say the wrong thing.

  “Listen,” Nate began, “I can’t give you guys a ride in the morning, I’ve got something I’ve got to do. But stick with Jimmy until you get him to the English lit class.”

  My stomach tightened up, “What are you going to do?” I asked, suddenly very worried that he would do something that made Jimmy’s life even more screwed up.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said

  “No fighting,” I reminded him.

  He laughed. “We’ll see,” he responded, again, completely ignoring what I said.

  I continued to sit there as my heart continued to race and my mind continued to fumble about desperately trying to think of something to say.

  Finally, when I couldn’t stand the pressure any longer I said, “Is this long enough, can I go now?”

  Nate chuckled and shook his head, “What? No goodbye kiss?”

  My heart jumped about four feet, “In your dreams,” I responded as I quickly shot across the truck seat and out the door before he could follow up his statement with action.

  I was halfway to our front door when I heard him laugh and say, “You know Elle, I am more than willing to have you in my dreams if you’ll have me in yours.”

  I almost stumbled but was able to salvage enough self-respect to make it inside without making a complete fool of myself.

  Leaning my back against the door I came to the quick realization that this might have been the most stupid plan I had ever come up with.

  Chapter Four

  Nate

  I’ll admit, Miss Elle Watson was interesting. And yes, she did occupy a good portion of my dreams that night.

  The next morning I made a quick pass over things, laying out the gear for Jake, made sure the supplies were in place, changed the light bulb above the ring and then hurried to make sure the gym’s bathroom was clean. Jake was a stickler about the bathroom.

  Once things were set, I unlocked the front doors to ‘Jake’s Boxing Gym’ and gave my uncle a quick wave. He nodded back, chomping on the short cigar stuck in the corner of his mouth, giving me that scowl that reminded me to keep in line.

  I was pulling into the school’s parking lot when I saw Elle and Jimmy get down off their bus. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. The girl was just too perfect. Tight jeans that weren’t too tight. Just tight enough to show off all the good parts. A cute red top and long brown hair that fell down her back with a slight curl.

  Yes, very interesting.

  We were just outside of the English Lit class when I finally caught up with them. Elle shot me a look like she wanted to punch me. Believe me, I know that look.

  “I thought you’d already be here?” she said, as the last bell rang. “I’m going to be late.”

  Jimmy looked back and forth between us as if trying to figure something out. And knowing the kid, it wouldn’t take him long. If he learned I was just hanging around to provide protection he’d freak out and demand he didn’t need it. Of course, he’d be wrong, but we wouldn’t be able to convince him of that.

  “Missed me that much?” I said to Elle as I pulled her into a quick hug.

  She froze in my arms, becoming as stiff as a board as she looked up at me with a very frightened expression.

  I stared back at her, silently reminding her of our need to continue to fool Jimmy.

  I don’t think she got it at all. Luckily, Jimmy just smiled and turned away.

  Elle, continued to stare and stammer as I let her go and pushed the door to the class. “See you soon,” I said to her as she continued to stare daggers at me. Really, the girl needed to get with the program if this was going to work.

  As we made our way to the back, Joe and his friends gave us the cold look of death. The one that was supposed to let us know our happiness was in danger. I just laughed and shook my head. They had no idea. Really none, and probably never would.

  As we broke out our books, I heard someone mumble something about munchkins and bears but it wasn’t loud enough that I had to deal with it then. Besides, I knew it wouldn’t be long. A guy like Joe couldn’t let things rest. They had to constantly prove themselves top dog.

  Unfortunately for him. He might be top dog, but coming after me would be like putting a poodle in with a grizzly, not exactly fair, and over rather quickly.

  The class was going just fine when the teacher made the mistake of asking Joe his opinion about the authors intent. Joe somehow strung more than two words together, then smiled. Obviously proud of himself.

  Jimmy chose that moment to interject before I could stop him. Like he didn’t have a clue and as if the previous day’s dust-up hadn’t ever happened, he started in on why he disagreed with Joe and what the author had really meant.

  If looks could kill, Jimmy would be six feet under.

  I stared back at Joe, silently letting him and his friends know that if they tried anything, they’d have to go through me.

  Okay, Jimmy and I were going to have a talk about what he could and could not say. I swear the boy had no idea how many lines he was stepping over. Unfortunately, I had to figure out a way that didn’t let on I was worried about being pulled into his world.

  When the class was over, Joe and two of his buddies made a point of hanging around just outside.

  His scowl let me know this couldn’t be avoided. I shifted to Jimmy’s side to give me some room.

  “Listen munchkin,” Joe began, obviously proud of his insult. “You keep your mouth shut. No one wants your opinion?”

  Jimmy’s brow creased in confusion. “It wasn’t opinion, it was fact. If you’d read the book, you’d realize how wrong you were. You do know how to read, I assume.”

  Joe’s face turned beet red.

  It took a lot of self-control not to laugh. The little kid didn’t look afraid at all. Although, to tell you the truth. I don’t know if that was because he was brave or had no idea how much danger he was in.

  “You just shut up and you might live,” Joe said through clenched jaw as he reached out to poke Jimmy in the shoulder.

  I caught Joe’s hand in mid-air and shook my head as I squeezed.

  Joe blanched for a moment as his two friends stepped forward.

  I immediately mapped out my next two moves and was bunching my muscles to take on their rush when Mr. Anderson stepped out of the room.

  “What is going on here?” he demanded. “Joe, do I need to talk to Coach Stevens?”

  It was like the air was let out of a balloon. The one thing Joe couldn’t risk was pissing off the football coach.

  He shot me a quick look that let me know this wasn’t over. Sometimes, when I least expected it. They would come after me and the kid. There was no doubt in his eyes.

  I stared back at him, letting him know anytime, any place, as I gave his hand one last squeeze then let it drop.

  He spun away and marched off through the crowd, his two minions scurrying to catch up.

  “Jimmy, what is going on?” Elle said as she rushed up to us.

  “Nothing,” Jimmy snapped as he
turned to head to his next class. I could see the anger begin to build inside of him. Maybe it was finally sinking into that special brain of his. Sometimes, it made more sense to keep quiet.

  Elle looked at him, then up at me, her eyebrow raised in question.

  I smiled down at her. “Like the boy said, ‘nothing’. See you at lunch,” I added.

  Turning, I left her there, looking at me with a strange, angry look, that I realized I didn’t exactly like. It seems Miss Watson didn’t care to be dismissed. I laughed to myself. Good, one more button to push.

  .o0o.

  Elle

  At lunch, Jeanna found me at our table while I was waiting for Jimmy.

  “What is going on?” she asked before she even got all the way to my table.

  “What do you mean?” I replied with as much innocence as I could muster.

  She slid across from me and gave me that Jeanna look. The one that let me know she wasn’t going to let me rest until I told her everything.

  “You get a ride home with some strange, new boy, a senior, then this morning, Chrissy tells me she saw you hugging this very same, very hot boy.”

  I sighed heavily as I frantically tried to figure out what I could get away with. “It wasn’t like that.”

  “Oh, then what was it like? Since when does Elle Watson go around hugging strange boys.

  “I didn’t hug him. He hugged me.”

  She just raised an eyebrow and said, “Okay, since when does Elle Watson let strange, hot boys hug her in the middle of school. Or anywhere for that matter?”

  Jeanna wasn’t going to let it rest until I spilled everything. She was like that. Relentless. Especially when it came to gossip. We’d been best friends since sixth grade and Mrs. Hunt’s class of pure torture. All the other girls were fluttering from boy to boy while Jeanna and I had been left on the sidelines. Watching, waiting to be noticed.

  Realizing it couldn’t be avoided, I told her about Jimmy getting bullied and me asking Nate to look out for him.

  “What?” she demanded. “He just agreed to help out. And what does that have to do with you hugging him? Chrissy said it looked like you wanted to kiss him half to death.”