Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery Page B

unzipped her backpack. She pulled out several bills and thrust them toward him. “I want to hire you.”
    Justice hadn’t been expecting that. “What’s the job?”
    “I need a bodyguard. There’s this boy at school. Zack.” She wrinkled her nose. He’s always around and he watches me. It’s creepy, you know? I don’t know what to do about him and I don’t want to say anything to my mom because she might take it wrong. Maybe talk to my teacher. That would be embarrassing. But you’re a guy and I thought if you talked to Zack it would be better.”
    Justice watched her carefully. “What exactly has he done? Has he hit you? Pushed you?”
    Lillie frowned. “No. He doesn’t even speak to me. He’s— Oh!” She shook her head. “No, he’s not bullying me. We study that in school and watch movies and talk about it. I’m not being bullied. He’s just there all the time. I can’t figure out what he wants. I did ask, but he ran away. Boys are very strange. Mom says I’m going to like them someday, but I don’t think so.”
    He relaxed a little. “Okay.”
    “I don’t want her to worry. You can’t tell her.”
    “I have to tell her if something is going on in your life, Lillie.”
    The girl sighed. “Can you tell my grandma instead?”
    She was a good negotiator. “Sure. I’ll tell Ava if I find anything, and I’ll report to you.” Because if someone was bothering Lillie he wanted to make sure it stopped.
    “Great.” She held out the money again. “Is this enough?”
    “You don’t have to pay me. The first one is free.”
    She smiled. “Thanks.” She put the money in her backpack and withdrew a piece of paper. “Here’s his name and where he lives and stuff. So you can find him.”
    He took the information. “I’ll look into the situation and get back to you.” He wasn’t sure what was going on with Zack, but he would sure find out.
    “Thank you for helping me. Mom’s busy with her new store. She’s really happy and I knew this would upset her. Grandma’s excited, too. So I didn’t know where else to go. Maybe it would be different if I had a dad.” She put her elbows on her thighs and rested her chin in her hands. “I mean, I have a dad, but I never see him.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “It’s okay. I don’t remember him at all. He left like when I was born or something. He doesn’t see me.”
    She spoke without emotion—because this was all she knew. He wondered what kind of man could walk away from his child, then told himself the question was stupid. Parents walked away from kids all the time. Or did worse. Look at his own father. Justice had lived the nightmare of parental abuse. Having Bart abandon him would have been a kindness.
    “If you have questions about him, I’m sure you can talk to your mom,” he said.
    “I know. Or Grandma. They tell me that. But what am I supposed to ask?” She straightened and stood. “Thanks for helping me.”
    “You’re welcome. I’ll get back to you in a couple of days.”
    She grinned. “Can we set up a secret meeting place, like we’re spies?”
    “Sure.”
    “I’d like that. But it’s okay if you just come to school, too. Mom says you’re busy with your business.”
    She picked up her book and her backpack and walked to the main entrance to the hotel. Justice followed her to the door and watched her walk away. Then he took the stairs back to his room. He returned to his computer, but instead of seeing Felicia’s detailed spreadsheet, he saw the past. A much-younger Patience and how she’d smiled at him.
    She’d only been about four years older than Lillie. A pretty girl who had grown into a beautiful woman.
    He stood and crossed to the window, then stared out at his view of the mountains.
    If things had been different, he thought, even though he knew it was a waste of time. Things couldn’t have been different. Not with who he was and how he’d been raised. Bart Hanson had liked living on the wrong side of the law, liked