The Ties That Bind

pregnant stomach as she came down the hall. Concern etched her soft face as she turned on the living room lights. "Are you all right?"
    "I think she needs a shot of something with a kick. I'll see if we've got any brandy left." Dan stepped into the kitchen. "What's this all about, Shannon? Do I need to call the cops?"
    Shannon nodded as she leaned gratefully back into the chair cushions. "I'm afraid so. There was someone in my cottage when I got home tonight."
    "Oh, my God." Annie picked up the phone. "You're not hurt?"
    "Just a little skinned up from a midnight hike on the beach. I managed to get out the front door and down to the water."
    Dan emerged from the kitchen and reached out to take the phone from Annie. "Here, I'll do that. See that she drinks this."
    Shannon accepted the water glass that had been half-filled with brandy and quickly outlined the story for Annie as Dan made his call to the local authorities. He broke into her tale at one point with a quick question.
    "Gibson says he'll be right out to have a look. Wants to know if the guy is armed."
    "I don't think so, but I couldn't swear to it. I didn't see any sign of a gun or a knife. But tell Gibson that I did take a chunk out of the man's arm. His right arm, I think."
    "A chunk?"
    "I stabbed him with the blade I use to cut stencils. It won't have done much damage, but the wound might be useful for identification."
    Dan raised his eyebrows in silent comment and then repeated the information to the man on the other end of the line. A moment later he hung up the phone. "Now I suppose I'd better call Garth."
    Shannon looked at him. "I suppose so, but there's not much point in rushing the call, is there? What can he do from San Jose? He's four hours away."
    "He'll want to know what's happened," Dan pointed out gently. "I get the feeling he spends a lot of time worrying about you. What's that you're holding on your lap?"
    Shannon blinked and glanced down at the silk-screen-printed container she had been clutching. "Something that belongs to Garth," she said slowly. "The intruder wanted it tonight. It's the reason he broke into my cottage."
    Annie came up off the sofa where she had been sitting while getting Shannon to drink the brandy. Her expression was that of an avenging angel. Imperiously she took the receiver out of Dan's hand.
    "I," Annie announced, "will make the call to Garth Sheridan."

* * *
    THE RINGING OF THE PHONE beside the bed did not rouse Garth from a deep sleep. He'd spent the evening doing a great deal of thinking, and when he'd finally undressed and dropped into bed, his mind hadn't switched off. He'd been lying awake with his arms folded behind his head on the pillow for almost an hour when the jarring sound of the phone disturbed his restless, brooding mood.
    His first thought was that the caller might be Shannon, and Garth grabbed the receiver with a sense of urgency. He wasn't prepared for the scolding voice on the other end of the line. Annie O'Connor identified herself immediately, and in no uncertain terms launched into her description of what had happened to Shannon.
    "Are you listening, Garth Sheridan? Shannon could have been raped or killed tonight. What's all this fine talk about protecting her? All that jazz about it being a man's duty to take care of his woman? Who was it who gave Dan and me a lecture on the necessity of getting married because a man had an obligation to protect his woman and child? I've got news for you, Garth-telling Shannon to put new locks on her door and to give up driving a small sports car does not constitute protecting her. A man who cared about her would be with her seven days a week, not just on the weekends. At least my Dan doesn't leave me alone five days a week and expect me to cope with intruders, broken plumbing, car problems and heaven knows what else while he's gone."
    Cold fear washed through Garth as he listened to the tirade. "Annie, stop for a moment. Please. Is Shannon all right?"
    "All right? Yes, she's all right, if you can count being attacked by an intruder and having to flee into the night as being all right. She's sitting here on my sofa right this minute, and do you know what she's holding on her lap, Garth? That stupid bid proposal you left with her."
    "The bid package?" Garth was stunned.
    "It's what the intruder wanted," Annie told him. "It's what he nearly strangled her trying to get. But she didn't give it to him. She stabbed the guy in the arm and raced out of the cottage