This Side of Heaven

was not the time to let her imagination run wild. 'It was no big deal. Senor Carranza simply asked if you were someone I could count on if I needed help.'

Nate squeezed her shoulders so forcefully that she let out a yelp of pain. He released her immediately. 'Is that all?'

'Well, he said I should give you a message.'

Hot coals filled Nate's stomach, burning through his in-sides. Carranza had sent him a message—a warning? And he had used Cyn as his messenger. 'What was the mes­sage?'

'Aren't you taking this a little too seriously?' Cyn asked, puzzled by Nate's attitude, and yet bothered by the shad­owy suspicions she couldn't escape.

'He said to tell you to keep a close eye on me, because anything could happen to a woman living all alone.'

Nate turned from her, afraid she would see the fear in his eyes and discern for herself the danger their relationship had put her in. Under his breath, he let out a string of rather crude curses. Carranza was sending him a warning, all right. There was no doubt in Nate's mind that the old Cuban knew Ryker and was working with him.

'You've got to move back to Jacksonville, to your apartment.' He wasn't going to tell her that Nick Romero was working on getting her some government protection. It would be hard enough to explain why he wanted to hire a private bodyguard for her. That news alone would proba­bly scare her to death. But what choice did he have, espe­cially since Carranza had issued his warning?

'I don't want to leave Sweet Haven, not yet. Don't you think you're overreacting?'

'You're going back to Jacksonville,' Nate said. 'And I'm hiring someone to protect you.'

'You're what?'

'Ryker could show up in a few days. Maybe even tomor­row. I don't want you anywhere around me when he does show.'

'I...I'll go back to Jacksonville tomorrow if that's what you want, but I will not have some...some guy watching my every move.'

'Not just some guy. A private bodyguard. Romero rec­ommended him. He used to be a DEA agent.'

'No.'

'Yes. I've already put a call in. He can be in Sweet Ha­ven today, and he'll help you move your things back to Jacksonville and keep you—'

'I can't leave yet,' Cyn said.

'Yes, you can and you will.'

'We're having a picnic at the beach this evening. Mimi is already making preparations for the food. Bruce has bor­rowed a bus from the church. The kids are expecting to spend May Day at my beach house.'

Nate slammed his big fist into his open palm. Cyn jumped at the unexpected noise. 'If you can't cancel the picnic, then you'll have to leave when it's over and not come back until you hear from me... or Romero.'

'I'll go, but I refuse to have a bodyguard.'

'We'll see.'

'No bodyguard!'

'What do I have to say or do to make you understand that if Ryker finds out about you, he'll use you to get to me.'

'Nate...' She reached out for him.

He turned and walked out of her office, not once look­ing back.

Sitting down in her swivel chair, Cyn huddled over her desk and buried her face in her hands. She cried then, for Nate, for herself and for two ancient lovers. Someone had murdered the Timucuan maiden and her conquistador. A man named Ryker wanted to kill Nate, and if he knew she was Nate's woman, he would kill her, too. * * *

Nate spotted the black Cadillac limousine the minute he stepped out of Tomorrow House and onto the sidewalk. Emilio had parked across the street, almost a block away, but in this neighborhood, a limousine stuck out like a sore thumb. Undoubtedly, the man wasn't trying to hide.

Jaywalking, Nate crossed the street. When he reached the black Caddy, he leaned over and pecked on the side win­dow. Emilio Rivera opened the door and stepped out, his six-foot-eight, three-hundred-pound body towering over a six-foot-two, two-hundred-pound Nate.

'Has your boss got you following me?' Nate asked, slipping on his aviator sunglasses.

'I'm keeping an eye on Senora Porter.' Emilio glanced across the street, nodding toward the one-story building that housed Cyn's shelter.

'Tell your boss that I got his message.'

'Ryker is in St. Augustine. Senora Porter will soon be in danger.'

Nate felt the blood run hot in his veins, fear and anger heating it to the boiling point. 'Tell Carranza that I will hold him personally responsible if anything happens to Cyn Porter.'

'Such a fierce protector,' Emilio said. 'Senor Carranza said you would be.'

'Carranza can go straight to hell for all I care.'

Nate thought he saw the corners of Emilio's mouth turn up slightly as if he were about to smile and caught himself. 'Si, I will tell him how you feel.'

Nate stood on the street watching the black Cadillac un­til it was out of sight. As soon as he could get to a tele­phone, he was calling Sam Dundee. Like it or not, Cyn was going to have a bodyguard. * * *

Cyn handed Bruce the plastic bag filled with damp bath­ing suits, then turned to pick up a basket of leftovers from the late-afternoon picnic.

'I think that's got it,' Bruce said. 'We'd better be on our way, it's past six now.'

'You go on,' Mimi Burnside told him. 'I'll be there in a minute.' The big redhead grabbed Cyn by the arm and pulled her away from the open bus door. 'Why are you moving back to your apartment tonight? I didn't think you were a quitter.'

Cyn looked away from Mimi, waving at some of the kids who were hanging out open bus windows. Deliberately avoiding direct eye contact, Cyn tried to explain her rea­sons without revealing too much. 'Nate has some personal problems that he has to work out before we can even think about a future together.'

'And just why can't you stay here and help him work out those problems?' Mimi scowled at Bruce, who stood on the first step of the bus entrance, motioning for her to hurry.

'Nate doesn't want me here,' Cyn said.

'Hogwash.'

'Thanks for caring so much.' Cyn hugged Mimi, as a child might seek comfort from her mother. 'I love you, but don't push me on this. Please take my word that I'm not giving up on Nate, I'm just doing what's best for both of us for the time being.'

'Well, if you ask me—'

'Mimi.' Cyn gave her friend a pleading look.

'You know where to find me, day and night, if you need to talk.' Mimi gave Cyn a bear hug, turned around and walked toward the bus. 'I'm coming, I'm coming,' she said to Bruce, whose round face was lobster-red from the heat and his agitated state of mind.

Cyn stood at the edge of the road, watching the bus until the red taillights disappeared. She let her gaze stray across the road, knowing that Nate was home, waiting—waiting to send her away.

She couldn't bring herself to turn around and go inside. The desire to run to Nate overwhelmed her. Her legs ached with the pressure she exerted to keep them from moving to­ward his house.

Reminding herself that she still had to pack before her long drive back to her Jacksonville apartment tonight, Cyn began to turn, the effort taking all her willpower. And then she saw him. He stepped out onto his front walkway, stop­ping abruptly when he glanced in her direction. He threw up his hand and waved. Stunned, she simply gazed back at him, watching while he moved toward her, down the walkway, across the yard and then the road.

She thought he looked as breathtakingly male as a man could look, all six-foot-two inches of hard, lean muscles and bronze flesh. He moved quickly, with the swift, sure stride of a jungle animal. Quiet. Deadly.