Free Like Honey by Liz Everly

bees before I go to hospital to visit Jennifer.”
    â€œWhoa, soldier boy,” Kasey said. “Hold your horses. I don’t think a visit to the hospital is appropriate. She’s your boss, not your friend. Clarify.”
    His heart pounded hard against his chest. She needed to back off and let him do his job.
    â€œI know you’re a professional, Gray, but I also know how vulnerable you are to women. Especially women looking for a hero. I’m warning you. One more miss like this and I’m pulling you off the case. A trained agent let a local hoodlum escape? What is that all about, Gray?”
    â€œThere was very little time,” he said. “She was in trouble and I helped her.”
    â€œYou’re not there to help her. You’re there because she is possibly involved in some illegal business activities. What gives, Gray? Do you have a personal interest in the suspect?”
    â€œAbsolutely not,” he heard himself say. But did he? Jennifer’s smile flashed into his mind. Maybe. But it was nothing more than lust. And he could find another woman somewhere to help him out with that.
    But when he hung up the telephone, and was making his plans for the day, he decided to not check in on Jennifer. Maybe Kasey was right. Maybe he was too involved. He had too much riding on this to fuck it up.

Chapter 12
    â€œI’ m coming over,” Maeve said over the computer. “Something’s going on that you’re not telling me about.”
    â€œI’d love to see you, Maeve, but I’m fine,” she said in a gravelly voice. They said her voice would be back to normal in a few days.
    â€œYou don’t sound fine,” she said. “Have they found the guy yet?”
    â€œNo,” Jennifer said. “He took off deep into the highlands or is hiding in a cave or something. Who knows? I don’t think he’ll be back, because the police have been patrolling regularly around the property. I’m sure he knows, given that his brothers still work for me.”
    â€œWell then why don’t you meet us in France? We could shop, relax on the beach,” Maeve said.
    Oh, did that sound heavenly. But she just couldn’t leave. Things were just too precarious. “I’d love to, Maeve, but our first harvest is about to come in and I really need to be here for that.”
    â€œThere’s also a really cool beekeeping school in France. I think I read something about a conference,” Maeve said.
    â€œI don’t trust the situation here. I really can’t just take off,” Jennifer said.
    Maeve twisted up her face. “Okay,” she said. “But I want to see you. I miss you. And all of this weird and dangerous stuff keeps happening to you. I want you back in the States.”
    Yeah, weird and dangerous all right. Strangled in her own home. She shuddered. Tonight, she would sleep with a night-light, and tomorrow, she was going to see about getting a dog, or two. In the meantime, she just needed to carry on with her life—as if there were no maniac of a Scotsman out there somewhere, maybe looking for her.
    â€œI’m beginning to see your point,” she said. “Ren’s dead. My being here won’t bring him back. I miss home. I’m considering my options.” She had said too much already, didn’t want to give Maeve any false hope. But she had pretty much decided on selling the place, once it had gotten out of debt.
    She was vulnerable and alone. Sometimes, it hit her harder than others. Of course now she felt more alone than ever.
    Alone enough that if Gray hadn’t seen her light go off that night, she might have gotten raped or killed. Liam! How could she have been such a bad judge of his character? How could she ever have been attracted to him?
    She gulped for air. How desperate had she become?
    â€œExactly,” Maeve said. “It has just got to be so lonely there for you. I hate that. But hey,