Free Bedding The Bodyguard by Virna Depaul

as Kat made her way to Luke’s cabin.
    She was probably overreacting thinking anything was wrong. Chances were Bella had simply gotten outside without Luke noticing. She needed to make sure though. Even if Luke was fine, she’d return Bella and see if she could patch things up with him. They didn’t have to talk. They didn’t have to be friends. But she’d thank him again for his assistance the day before and hopefully they could at least be civil to one another.
    Trepidation filled her belly and she had to force herself to breathe evenly as she walked up to Luke’s cabin. The door was unlocked and there was no sound from inside.
    She looked down at Bella, who sat, obviously reluctant to go into the cabin, and that made Kat’s tension tighten another few notches.
    Swallowing hard, she stepped into the cabin, Bella beside her.
    She started and her mouth dropped open.
    If there had been any one word she would have chosen to describe Luke it would have been controlled. And yet, he looked anything but at the moment.
    Luke sat on the couch, head tilted back, eyes closed. Although he now wore a button-down shirt rather than his LAPD tee, the shirt was wrinkled, he needed a shave, and there were lavender-hued circles below his eyes. The place didn’t smell like alcohol, but on the coffee table in front of him sat an open bottle of whiskey and an empty shot glass.
    Kat took a step back. The last thing she needed to do was get mixed up with a drunk. Only, her mind rebelled at characterizing Luke that way. He didn’t look drunk so much as drained. Empty. In pain.
    Her eyes fell to the framed photograph clutched in his fingers. It was the one of him as a child with the man in uniform. It was the cause of the pain radiating from him, she imagined.
    Her heart fluttered with sympathy and she was overwhelmed by the need to go to him, caress his cheek, and cradle him in her arms. But he was a stranger. A stranger who, while he’d helped her yesterday, had also been angry with her. A stranger she shouldn’t get involved with.
    Just a minute ago, she’d been fearful that the trouble that followed her had affected Luke. She couldn’t let it affect him or anyone. Her life was a mess. She was a mess. Even if she wasn’t in potential danger, that was still true.
    But she couldn’t just leave Luke like this.
    She took a deep breath. “Luke.”
    His eyes slowly opened and he didn’t appear surprised to find her inside his cabin. It was as if he’d almost been expecting her. “Hi, Kat.”
    Kat drew in a long breath. “Hey. Uh, Bella got out so I brought her home. I think she’s hungry.”
    Luke stood and placed the frame on the coffee table. “Thank you. I actually let her out to do her business in the back yard. There must be a loose board in the fencing or something.”
    “Oh.”
    They stared at one another silently and Kat fought the urge to squirm. “Well, like I said. I think she’s hungry. If you’ll tell me where her bowls and food are, I can take care of that.”
    His eyes narrowed, then fell on the bottle of liquor on the coffee table before meeting her gaze again.
    “I’m not drunk,” he said softly. “Just…tired. I had a drink last night.”
    For some reason, she believed him. Despite her worry, Kat kept her voice even. “Then I can still feed her. Since you’re tired,” she said.
    He shook his head. “It’s okay. I’ve got it. You should go.”
    She crossed her arms over her chest. “Is that an order?” She cocked a brow then smiled to indicate she’d been joking.
    He blinked then frowned. “More like a suggestion. I’m not in a great place right now.”
    “No. It doesn’t look like it. Can I help?”
    He hesitated. Shook his head.
    “Right.” She looked around, spotted Bella’s empty food bowl and picked it up. There was water in the other bowl but she grabbed that one too so she could freshen it.
    “What are you doing?’
    “Filling Bella’s bowls.”
    He stared at her. Even unkempt he