Free Sweet Caroline's Keeper by Beverly Barton Page A

life he'd had that effect on other men. A wariness they tried to disguise, but couldn't   A primitive fear that admitted a more dominant male had just arrived on the scene.
    "I'm the one who hired you," Fletcher said. "Ms. McGuire is my stepsister and I'm quite concerned about her welfare. I've been assured that you're one of the best at what you do. I want only the best for Caroline."
    So do I, Wolfe thought That's all I've ever wanted. "I can assure you, Mr. Shaw, that Ms. McGuire's safety is my top priority. No one is going to get to her, except through me.
    "Caroline, you lucky girl, you." Tall, fashion-model elegant, Brooke Harper sauntered across the foyer, all the while sizing up Wolfe, flirting subtly as she held out her hand. "I'm Brooke Harper, Caroline's oldest and dearest friend." She sighed dramatically when Wolfe shook her hand. She held on just a fraction too long, then when Fletcher moved to her side, she laughed and said, "Fletch, darling, if I'm ever in danger, will you hire me a Dundee bodyguard like Mr. Wolfe?"
    Before Fletcher could respond, Roz rushed forward. "Hi. I'm Rozalin Turner. Since I'm Caroline's assistant, I'm sure we'll be seeing a great deal of each other."
    "Ms. Turner." Wolfe acknowledged her presence by looking directly at her.
    Caroline motioned for the other man, who hadn't moved since Wolfe entered the foyer, to come to her. "This is my cousin, Reverend Lyle Jennings."
    Surprisingly the short, stocky reverend's handshake had more power than Shaw's, and the wariness Wolfe saw in the man's eyes had more to do with concern over Caroline than with masculine dominance. He liked Lyle on sight, which made him second-guess his own judgment. He seldom liked anyone immediately. But reason told him that his knowledge of Lyle Jennings's place in Caroline's heart preconditioned him to like the man who truly was a brother to her.
    "Mr. Wolfe, I'm very glad you're here," Lyle said.
    Wolfe nodded, then looked past the others to where a third man stood, arms crossed over his chest and his dark, hooded eyes focused on Wolfe. The last time he'd seen Gavin Robbins was a few days before Aidan Colbert had left the country on his final Peacekeepers assignment. Although the two had worked together for nearly thirteen years, neither had ever moved beyond their initial hostility toward each other. David wondered what Gavin would do if he realized Aidan Colbert had become David Wolfe. Not that there was any reason Gavin would recognize him. All resem-blance to Aidan Colbert was practically gone.
    Caroline turned around and smiled at Gavin. "Come meet Mr. Wolfe," she said.
    Gavin made no move to approach. Instead he remained aloof, deliberately setting himself apart from everyone else. "Fletch tells us that you come highly recommended. I think you should know that I have every intention of checking out your credentials."
    Caroline gave Gavin a disapproving look, apparently appalled by his bold rudeness. "I'm certain that's not necessary."
    "On the contrary," Wolfe said. "If I were your boyfriend, I'd want to make sure the man who was to be at your side day and night was someone trust-worthy."
    Brooke and Roz giggled. Fletch coughed and cleared his throat. Lyle glanced at Caroline as if wanting to gauge her reaction.
    Caroline walked over and closed the still-open front door. "I was just about to prepare some coffee, Mr. Wolfe. Won't you join us in the living room?"
    "Thank you," Wolfe replied. "But if you don't mind ending this evening with your friends a bit early, I'd like to familiarize myself with your house and the grounds tonight and go over a few rules with you that can't wait until morning."
    "Oh, I see." Caroline stared at him strangely, as if she didn't quite comprehend the necessity of such discourteous haste. He feared that Caroline would find his abrupt and oftentimes tactless actions disturbing. One of the many things he knew about her was her penchant for good manners. Something Dixie Jennings had