The Ties That Bind

her, "for the past few weeks you've done nothing but try to push your way into my San Jose life. Now that I'm offering to take you back with me, you dig in your heels."
    "I don't call dragging me back to San Jose so that you can keep your eagle eye on me an example of sharing your world with me, Garth. You're just trying to kill two birds with one stone. You want to keep tabs on Sherilectronics during this crucial juncture and you feel you should also keep tabs on me."
    He planted both hands on the table in front of her and leaned forward. "You bet your sweet tail I feel obliged to keep an eye on you. After what happened here last night, what do you expect?"
    "You're not responsible for me, Garth."
    "The hell I'm not."
    "We're involved in a weekend affair. That's the sum total of the arrangement, and frankly that doesn't say a great deal. It certainly doesn't imply that you should be excessively concerned about my well-being. I'll exercise due caution until Monday. Take your stupid bid package back to San Jose and worry about finding the thief. I'll be fine."
    "Now you listen to me, Shannon Raine ." Each word was harsh with leashed fury. "I've had a rough night and a long drive. I'm in no mood to put up with your artistic temperament. You're going to be reasonable and rational about this. And that means you will pack a bag and come back to San Jose with me."
    Shannon was almost overwhelmed by the force of the command in him. It took all her nerve to hold her ground. "I don't know how to tell you this. Garth, but for some reason I've lost all interest in San Jose and what it represents. You're welcome to it. And you don't have to worry, I won't be pushing you anymore to make me a part of your life there. I've decided I don't particularly like your Silicon Valley world, Garth. I agree with you. We should keep our relationship limited to the weekends."
    "You're upset and you're not thinking logically, honey. Stop arguing with me and trust me to do what's best for you."
    "You don't know me well enough to know what's best for me. And if the only time we see each other is on an occasional weekend, you probably won't ever get to the point where you know what's good for me." She was getting hysterical and she knew it. Shannon reined in her volatile emotions, striving to bring them under control. She had to keep calm or Garth would take over.
    "You must see that I've got to get back to San Jose," Garth said through gritted teeth. "Someone is trying to betray me. I've got to stop him, and I don't have a chance of doing that if I stay here."
    "Go."
    "I'm not leaving you here alone!"
    "I'm not coming with you."
    Garth's eyes were twin pools of ice as he glared down at her. Then quite suddenly he was straightening and heading out of the kitchen. Shannon watched warily as he disappeared into the living room. "Garth?"
    She got up and followed as far as the kitchen door. Garth was dialing her phone. "Garth, what are you doing? Who are you calling?"
    "Bailey Security. I'm going to have them assign someone to watch this cottage night and day until I can get back here. If you insist on staying here alone, Shannon, I'm going to make sure you have a bodyguard."
    Shannon was floored. "Garth, you can't do that. I won't stand for it!"
    "You," he told her coolly, "don't have any choice."

-10-
    THE BALLEY OPERATIVE was as discreet as possible. Shannon gave him credit for that much, at least. But every time she glanced out her window she could see his incredibly nondescript car sitting across the road. The figure inside the vehicle was that of a man. Slightly balding, slightly built and slightly self-effacing, he had been quite polite in the face of Shannon's obvious disgust with the entire situation. He had introduced himself to Garth and Shannon as Ted Walters, and physically he was as nondescript as his car. Shannon had gloomily decided that was probably an asset in his business.
    "Well, at least he's not going to be baby-sitting me inside the house," Shannon remarked irritably as Garth prepared to take his leave. It had taken Ted Walters nearly two hours to arrive from one of Bailey's branch offices. Garth had stayed with Shannon until the security man was in place.
    "I don't want him inside your cottage," Garth told her. "I want him out there where he can keep an eye on things. That way he won't be underfoot. You'll be able to go about your normal routine without being aware of him."
    "Oh, sure. And when my friends ask me why a beige