Defending Harlow (Mountain Mercenaries #4)(4)

After he’d graduated, she hadn’t heard anything about him or seen him again—until he’d shown up in the middle of the living room at the women’s shelter. It had been a shock, but she hadn’t been surprised to learn he owned a local gun range and occasionally volunteered his time at First Hope. She’d heard all about the men who came by every month to help out around the shelter and spend time with the residents. Even back in high school, Lowell had been a champion for those who couldn’t defend themselves.

Harlow was a bit chagrined to discover her crush on him was just as strong today as it had been when she was a teenager. He’d grown into one hell of a fine specimen. They were around the same height, but Lowell was all man now. There was no sign of the lanky boy he’d been. His arms were muscular, and his thighs bulged under his jeans. He had a few visible scars, which told her that he’d been through some tough times.

But it was more than his looks. Harlow was well past the age when her head was turned by a good-looking man. She’d met and dated enough men to know that it wasn’t what people looked like that made them a good match. It was who they were deep down.

Lowell played with the kids and was a pro at reading the new residents’ body language. When Carrie had taken a step backward upon meeting him, he didn’t reach out a hand to shake hers, but simply nodded and gave her some space. When Sue refused to meet his eyes, he didn’t make her uncomfortable in any way. He just moved on to greet the next woman.

He even had no problem sitting on the floor with Jody and playing dolls with the little girl.

Yes, everything Harlow had seen about Lowell that day a month ago called to her—but she had refused to give in to temptation. She was the poster child for bad dates, and the last thing she wanted was to be disappointed by a horrible date with her high school crush.

She’d decided to admire him from afar and ignore his previous offer of help. But after Sammie had come into the kitchen one recent afternoon, crying because one of the men who hung around the park told her to enjoy sleeping in her bed because she wouldn’t have one much longer, Harlow decided enough was enough.

She’d gotten up the courage to call Lowell, and without hesitation, he’d said he’d come right over. That had surprised her. She figured he’d have to fit her and the shelter into his schedule. Never in a million years would she have assumed he’d come over the same day.

“Harlow?”

The feminine voice startled Harlow so badly, she jerked and almost dropped the baking sheet on the floor. Shaking her head at her own clumsiness, she looked up to see Loretta standing in the doorway.

The older woman looked way younger than her sixty-five years. She had embraced her gray hair, and it looked amazing on her. Her blue eyes popped even more with the silver color. She had laugh lines around her eyes and mouth and always had a smile for everyone. Today she was wearing a pair of jeans that molded to her body and a T-shirt that said SIXTY IS THE NEW TWENTY.

Harlow quickly turned to the sink to wash her hands. “Hi, Loretta. Can I get you something?”

The other woman shook her head. “Oh no. I’m still stuffed from that delicious breakfast you made. Hiring you and Zoe was the best decision I ever made in regard to this place.”

Harlow smiled as she dried her hands. “I’m thrilled you hired us too,” she told the older woman. Harlow had been working in a fancy hotel in Seattle and had gotten so burned out, she’d decided to make a change. She’d been looking at restaurants in the Denver area when one of the hotel managers had told her about the job opening here in Colorado Springs. It wasn’t something Harlow had considered, but after hearing all about Loretta, how long she’d lived in the area, and how she’d been helping out residents for over thirty years, applying felt like the right thing to do.

Harlow had only been in the Springs for a short while, but she loved it. Enjoyed being able to go hiking, appreciated the fresh air, loved looking out the window of her apartment and seeing Pikes Peak. She felt safe here too, even though the shelter wasn’t in the best neighborhood.

The city was trying to revitalize the area, which was code for cleaning it up. Most of the storefronts around the shelter were still empty, but a few blocks down, new stores and restaurants were opening almost every week. There were also expensive condos being developed several streets over, which would bring customers to the new businesses.

“Did you get ahold of Black?” Loretta asked.

Harlow nodded. “Yes. I was going to tell you, but I needed to get these biscuits in the oven,” she told the older woman. “He’s going to come over today to talk to you.”

She watched Loretta’s shoulders sag in relief.

Feeling guilty that it had taken her so long to call Lowell, Harlow quickly tried to reassure her. “I’m sure he’ll figure out what’s going on, and if those boys are just punks, he’ll set them straight and send them on their way. He also said he was happy to meet with the residents and teach them more self-defense.”

“Good . . . that’s good,” Loretta said. Then she sighed. “Getting old sucks. Once upon a time, I would’ve gone toe-to-toe with those boys.”

Harlow took a longer look at her boss—and didn’t like what she saw. There were bags under her eyes, and her brow was furrowed in concern. “Has something else happened?”

“Something else?” Loretta asked tiredly. “You mean other than the fact my residents are being harassed and we can’t figure out why, the cops’ hands are tied, I have a waiting list twenty names deep with no room for the women who need help, and I have a date tomorrow night?”