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point.”
    “Oh, good grief.” She all but rolled her eyes. “What does this security inspection entail?”
    “I have a checklist.” John looked around. “Exterior and interior lighting. Locks. Alarm system.” He smiled. “Might even get you a break on your insurance.”
    She didn’t smile back.
    “It’s painless,” he said. “Twenty minutes max.”
    Julia frowned at her father. “I suppose if it will help you sleep better at night.”
    Wainwright looked mildly annoyed. “Honey, look, I thought maybe John could keep an eye on the shop for a few days,” he said, obviously trying for diplomacy.
    “Dad, I appreciate your concern, but I don’t think that’s necessary,” she said.
    “Julia, you’re too smart not to do something about those letters. I’m a public figure in New Orleans and not everyone agrees with my views. Unfortunately, I think there are a few people in this city who wouldn’t hesitate to take their displeasure out on my family.”
    “Dad, I don’t think the letters have anything to do with you.”
    “Then what?”
    She blinked. “Well, maybe a book I carry here at the shop has displeased someone.”
    “Maybe.” But Wainwright didn’t look convinced. “I’d never be able to live with myself if something happened to you because of me.”
    She softened. “People have been passionate about the written word for centuries. Books have been burned and banned by governments. Authors had been threatened with death.” As if realizing she’d strayed into territory best left alone, she added, “I carry books that undoubtedly offend some individuals. Political. Religious—”
    “The letters mention sin,” he interjected.
    “ Fanny Hill. ”
    Looking pained, Wainwright made a sound beneath his breath. “Even so, darlin’, I feel it’s my responsibility to see to it that you’re safe.”
    “I have no qualm about John conducting a security inspection here at the shop.” She came around the counter, a little house cat protecting its den from the neighborhood pit bull. Her gaze flicked to John, and he could see she was reining in impatience.
    “And your apartment,” Wainwright added.
    “I’m sure John has better things to do than babysit me.” She gave him a pointed look. “Don’t you?”
    It was the opening John had been waiting for. His chance to get the hell out of there and still save face. If he was lucky, he could make it to the cabin by first light and spend the next couple of days communing with nature and trying to put things into perspective.
    He stared at her, indecision tugging him in different directions. Part of his brain screamed for him to jump at the opportunity to run—something he had become quite adept at. But there was another part of him that wasn’t quite so logical, a part of him that knew Benjamin Wainwright didn’t jump at shadows. If Julia was receiving threats, she probably needed him a hell of a lot more than he needed to spend the next few days getting lost in a bottle of rotgut.
    “With all due respect,” he heard himself say, “if you’re receiving threats, you should be taking them seriously, particularly with your father vying for the director position at Eternity Springs.”
    She turned those gypsy eyes on him, and in their depths John saw a flicker of stubborn. “I am taking this seriously,” she said. “I’ve filed a report with the police, and I’ve just agreed to a security inspection by you.”
    Wainwright sighed then scowled at John. “Talk some sense into that hard head of hers. I’ve been trying for twenty-nine years and still haven’t succeeded.”
    “Dad, it’s not like we’re talking about a mad axe murderer here. I’ve received a few letters.”
    “Threatening letters,” Wainwright injected.
    “I have an alarm system.”
    “You have a mass of wires that are at best a fire hazard.”
    John watched the exchange with interest, curious about the source of Julia’s resistance. She was too smart not to realize the