I signed the contract that would bind Brian to me for the next year at any point he was not on tour. Tom would keep the position as his tour bodyguard, which was fine with me. After much talking and arguing with Nathan Brian and I came to the agreement that I should move into the guestroom of his home. It made sense and it would be easier on both of us.
So a week later I carried a single duffel bag into Brian’s home as he led me in. I was half way down the hall when I heard an unfamiliar female voice.
“Who was that?” I asked, stopping and slipping into my professional mode.
“Don’t worry. It’s Leighanne. She got in last night,” he explained, smiling.
“Does she know about me? About my moving in yet?” I asked as we continued down the hall and entered a very beautiful room
“She knows about you, yes. About you living here, well she doesn’t like it but she knows it’s for the best. So what do you think of the room?” he asked, looking at me with hopeful blue eyes
“It’s beautiful, Brian. I think I’ll be very comfortable here,” I answered, smiling gently at him. He looked like a little boy once again.
“Good. Now come on and I’ll introduce you to Leigh,” he said, tossing my bag on the bed and dragging me out of the room by my hand.
“Leighanne, Ryder is here. Come meet her,” he called down the hall.
A moment later a beautiful blonde came into view and I had to stop for a moment. She smiled at Brian with such love and devotion I felt like I was intruding and should have left. She was gorgeous and so obviously in love. For a moment I wondered why anyone would want to deny them what they had.
“Hello, handsome. Dragging the bodyguard around again?” she teased Brian, kissing him quickly.
“Leighanne Wallace, this is Ryder Taggert. Ryder, this beautiful angel is my soon-to-be wife Leighanne,” Brian introduced.
“It’s nice to meet you, Leighanne, though I wish it were under better circumstances,” I said, offering my hand to her.
“Same here, Ryder. Brian is crazy about you. Thank you for taking all this on,” she answered, shaking my hand and smiling at me
“No problem. It’s what I do. Do you two have any plans tonight?” I felt awkward and intrusive. No one should have come between them and yet I had been hired to watch Brian constantly. Sometimes my job was not everything I loved about it.
“Not tonight. I got a new script I wanted to look over and I’m just still so tired. Brian, didn’t you say something about going to play basketball with Nick?” Leighanne answered.
“I can stay home with you,” he answered her.
“Go play. I’ll be fine and I’ll still be here when you get back. I live here too you know,” she teased.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Tell Nick I said hi and have fun.” She kissed his cheek and looked at him. “Keep an eye on him. He likes to wonder off like a child,” she told me, smiling.
“I’ll watch him,” I answered, smiling back.
“Well since you want me out of your hair so bad I guess I’ll go change and call Nick,” he teased her. He kissed her quickly and disappeared leaving the two of us alone.
“He didn’t tell me you lived her, Leigh,” were the first words I spoke.
“Is that a problem?” she asked, her brow wrinkled in concern.
“No, not for me. I just feel like I’m intruding on your private time here. I don’t want to be in your way when you two just want to be with each other,” I explained.
“Ryder, if you are going to keep the man I love safe then stay. You aren’t in our way. I do appreciate you doing this. He’s taking all this harder than I am,” she admitted.
“Why is that? I thought you were getting most of the threats,” I answered.
“I am but they don’t bother me much. Most of them are ridiculous and I don’t believe any of them. He’s trying to hard to figure out how a world that claims to adore him would do this to us. And I’m worried it’ll be too much for him and he’ll leave the group,” she said, looking up at me with sad eyes.
She loved him so much. You could see it, feel it. Why would anyone want to come between them? I understood though. It wasn’t they anyone wanted to come between them really. They just wanted what they had. They had this incredible gift that the world could see but couldn’t get too and they were jealous.
“Don’t you worry, Leighanne. Brian won’t leave the guys and if it’s the last thing I do he will be standing at that altar on his wedding day,” I promised.
“Hey, Ryder, you coming,” Brian called from the front hall.
“I’m coming, shorty,” I shot back, smiling at Leighanne before following Brian to the door.
“Who are you calling shorty?” he asked, opening the door.
“You midget man. Got a problem with it?” I teased.
He was silent a moment then shook his head. “Don’t really want lie on the ground again so I’m not going to argue with you,” he answered, cracking just a hint of his smile.
“Hey,” I said, shoving him playfully as I smiled back.
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