Whispers of Danger and Love by Janis Lane

no object, she was able to move larger trees and shrubbery into the natural terrain. Next came a discreet patio halfway down the slope. She considered should she use natural sandstone pavers. Her patio planters would brighten up the newly purchased metal and mesh table and chairs. Francine said the delivery would be in a couple of days. Cheryl knew she should be ready by then.
    She became aware of the silence next door. Game over? She had mixed emotions about that. The quiet was nice, but it meant that David was on the loose again. She’d bet her last pair of clippers that . . .
    “Cher?” David spoke quietly though the hedge. “You there?”
    “I’m here. What’s happening?” She closed her laptop and tugged on the neck of her T-shirt. She reached for her glass of ice tea and waited for David. She looked up in surprise when not only David Larkin, but three more burly men trailed through the hedge with him.
    “I wanted to introduce you to my friends, Cher. This is Bob, Tony, and Malcolm.”
    The men, drenched in sweat and wet T-shirts, grinned, wiped their hands on their shorts, and reached forward to shake her hand.
    “Sorry we disturbed you the other day,” Bob said. “We get a little too enthusiastic occasionally. Ole Dave here has mentioned how nice your garden is. Hope we don’t harm it again.”
    “That’s right. We told Dave to pull up on that wild overhead smash of his. No good will come of it anyway,” Tony said with a sideways smirk at David.
    Malcolm just smiled and said nothing.
    Stunned, Cheryl floundered, trying to think of what to say to four hulking men all standing respectively in front of her and grinning. Finally, she managed to find a semi-gracious response.
    “Thank you for your concern. It was only one lily. I barely heard you today. Are you all with the police department like David?”
    They nodded.
    “You look so familiar,” she said to Malcolm.
    He dipped his head sheepishly. “I was with Dave the other night when we rescued you and your friend in the old garden. How is she, by the way?”
    She answered his grin with one of her own. “Jane? She’s fine. Refuses to go with me back to retrieve my spade and basket however.”
    “Probably not a bad idea. One of the boys can get them for you. Best if you and Jane, is it?, allow us to do it. Safer, you know.”
    “I’m one of the crew assigned to look out for you, ma’am. I’ll be working for the landscaper. I’d appreciate it if you would pretend you don’t know me. It would help me do my job.” He relaxed with his hands clasped in front of him with David watching with a half-smile on his face.
    Cheryl smiled back at Malcolm and nodded. In truth, she was floored to learn of the heavy involvement of the police department in this project. Did she feel safer or more afraid? The situation was far more serious than she’d first thought.
    “Must say, if you don’t take offense, I really like what you are doing up there on that barren hill. The change is beautiful. Looks like it was always growing there.”
    David then took over and hustled the men off the property. Cheryl sat waiting for him with the new information to digest.
    When he returned, he trailed his fingers across her back, wrapping his hand around her neck, making chills run up and down her arms. Fumes of sweat and maleness wafted across the garden toward her mixing with the sweet fragrance of four o’clocks. David flopped down on the grass beside her chair, perspiration still rolling down his face. He reached for a bandana from his shorts’ pocket.
    “Did we disturb you today? I still feel guilty about your plant. Did you get another? I’ll be happy to pay for it.” He grinned beguilingly up at her, his hair soaked and curling around his ears. She found herself smiling back. He could be so sweet when he wanted—sexy, sexy, sexy. If she was full of sweat and dirt with soaked clothes, even her mother wouldn’t come near her. It just wasn’t fair. Men could get