Hidden Danger

by Jennifer Pierce

  “Maggie. Cassie. I think you two can go for now.” Cody strode back up to their bench. “I’m going to stay here. If we need anything else, I'll call. Maggie, where will I be able to find you later? I really don't think you should be home alone.”

  Maggie didn't want to go home alone either, but she wasn't going to let Cody know she needed him. She was about to make something up when Cassie spoke. “Maggie will be at my house the rest of the day.”

  “Cassie, I don't know if I should. I mean, I've already caused you trouble. What if my being at your house brings this person to you?”

  “Nonsense. I won't take no for an answer. Besides, it's Hank’s seventy-two hour off shift. Unless there is some kind of fiery catastrophe, he'll be home.” Cassie squeezed Maggie's hand.

  “Good. I'll see you at Cassie's when we’re done wrapping things up here.” Cody nodded before turning his attention to a third cruiser pulling up to the diner.

  Cassie made idle chitchat as Maggie drove them straight to Cassie's house. She knew Cassie was trying to keep her mind occupied by telling her about her new decorating business. Two years ago, Cassie’s parents had moved to Florida and sold their house to her and Hank. When they’d arrived at the house, she insisted that Maggie take a look around and see all the work she'd done. She’d chatted cheerfully throughout the tour.

  They had barely sat down with their sodas at Cassie's kitchen table when someone rang the doorbell. “Hank’s in the living room, he’ll get it,” Cassie assured her.

  Maggie heard Cody's unmistakable voice drift in from the living room. Moments later, his figure filled the doorway.

  “Cassie. Maggie.” He nodded at each of them. “Cassie, I filled Hank in on the status of your car. The incident report should be ready tomorrow afternoon and then you can turn it over to your insurance company.”

  He turned his attention in Maggie’s direction, and she could feel the butterflies start making waves in her stomach. How could he still affect her this way?

  “Maggie, if you're ready, I have some questions.”

  Maggie nodded. She stood, put her cup in the sink, and gave Cassie a hug. She said good-bye to Hank and followed Cody out of the house and down the drive to where their vehicles were parked. Maggie was looking down, watching where she was walking and thinking about the events that had filled the last couple days, when she ran into something hard. She looked up into Cody's handsome face, not realizing he had stopped to turn around.

  He reached up and placed his hands on her upper arms to steady her. The heat from his touch radiated straight to her stomach and brought the butterflies from earlier to full flutter.

  “Maggie, what do you say we stop for something to eat? I don't know about you, but I didn't get lunch, and I'd like to discuss today's incident.”

  She looked up into his eyes and nodded, unable to speak.

  He dropped his hands from her arms, and the sudden lack of heat sent a shiver through her body. “Why don't we go to Sally's Corner Kitchen? It's a nice, quiet restaurant on the edge of town. It's been open about a year or so.”

  Maggie followed Cody to a small restaurant situated in the corner of an L-shaped shopping complex. She hadn't been able to think of much other than Cassie's car and what the public vandalism implied. The person doing this was serious. Today's incident proved that he didn't care what he had to do to get to Maggie. Maggie had put her friend in danger. Granted, it was only a vandalized car, but the person had been bold enough to do it in broad daylight. What if it turned into more? The next line in the rhyme was regarding a boy. She couldn't bear it if something happened to Cody.

  Sure, she wanted to hate him for hurting her like he had, but she couldn't. It didn't matter what he’d had done to her in the past, he did not deserve to be attacked.

  Once inside, Cody led the way to a booth in the back corner where he sat with his back to the wall, facing the door. His gaze wandered around the entire restaurant, taking everything in. Just like she had read in her novels about police officers always wanting to keep an eye on their surroundings, she mused

  The waitress took their drink orders and left them to peruse the menus.

  “Sally's specialty is the chicken breast salad. She marinates a chicken breast in something, I've yet to figure out what, grills it to perfection, and places it on a bed of romaine lettuce. She will put anything on it you'd like. I take mine with carrot shavings, bell peppers, purple onions, and a boiled egg.”

  He hadn't even opened his menu. It sounded like he had already made up his mind. Maggie didn't know if she could eat. Guilt still gnawed at her stomach. “I'm not really hungry.”

  “You need to eat. It won't do for you to go without food.”

  He reached across the table and took her hand. She loved the feel of his holding hers, strong and steady. She was safe as long as he was there. Warmth slowly crept up her arm straight to her heart. She knew Cody would never have hurt her if he hadn't had a good reason. Maybe she should let him explain. In retrospect, she was more upset about the fact that he hadn't thought, whatever his reason was, that she should have a say in a decision that involved them both.

  She gently pulled her hand away and looked down at it, placing the other one where Cody’s had been in an attempt to capture the heat for as long as she could. When she spoke, it was barely above a whisper. “I know I need to eat. I think I'll try that salad.”

  Using his index finger, he raised her chin until she was looking at him, “Maggie, can we talk about that night?”

  His features were soft and compassionate, his square jaw covered in stubble and his blue eyes dark with emotion. Before he could continue, the waitress delivered their sweet teas, took their order, and bustled back to the kitchen.

  Her stomach clenched. She didn’t want to hear about her shortcomings, especially in public. She changed the subject instead. “Cody. You said that the next couple lines in the rhyme were ‘three for a girl’ and ‘four for a boy’. We now know that he chose to go after a close girl friend of mine. I'm afraid the boy will have something to do with you.” Realizing he might read more into her statement than she wanted him to, she quickly added, “You’re the only guy I know more than an acquaintance in town. I'd think it would possibly have something to do with Jacob, but he's away on business, so I figure he's safe.”

  “Maggie, before I got the call about Cassie's vandalized car, I talked to Alpha Security. Jake's job ended a couple days ago. They didn’t need him as long as they thought, and they sent him home. I've called and left a couple of messages, and he hasn't returned any of them.”

  “That's what he does when he comes off a job, especially if it's high profile. He likes to spend a day or two decompressing and coming off the adrenaline high. I figured that would be something you knew already.”

  “Actually, we haven't talked much in the last six years.”

  “Oh,” was all she could say. They had been inseparable in their teens. She’d assumed they’d stayed in touch.

  “Maggie, the truth is, I couldn’t face Jake after that night. I knew if I did, he would figure out I was the one you were dating and had broken your heart.”

  They hadn't told Jacob about their relationship. At first it had been weird, dating his best friend and keeping it a secret. She'd been afraid Jacob would be upset. He was fiercely protective of her, and Cody hadn't exactly been the upstanding teenager Jacob would’ve wanted her to date. He couldn’t see the man Cody was becoming. It had been easy not to tell him. Being away at basic training and then stationed a hundred miles away, Jacob was hardly ever home.

  Cody’s truck pulled up the drive. After killing the engine, he stared fixedly out the windshield, straight at her sitting on the porch step.

  Something was wrong, his jaw was tense. She walked to the truck. He watched her, never bothering to get out. His eyes were hard and intense. She knocked on the window. He seemed to come out of whatever trance he’d been. His features softened, and the storm in his eyes dissipated. He gav
e her a weak smile. He must have had another fight with his mom.

  He opened the door and stepped out. She threw her arms around his neck, leaned up, and planted a small kiss on his lips. He responded by wrapping his arms around her and drawing her closer. He ran his hand up her back and tangled his fingers in her hair. He kissed her like he’d never kissed her before, like he was on the verge of dehydration and she was his lifesaving water.

  Her lungs burned, and she pulled back, gulping for air.

  “Whoa,” she whispered, then looked around, hoping her dad and Jacob hadn’t seen that. Cody had never kissed her in view of the house. And that had been way more passionate than they would have liked, she was sure. Not exactly the best way to tell her family about their relationship.

  He leaned his forehead on hers. “Can we go for a walk before we go in?”

  Still breathless, all she could do was nod. He reluctantly let her go and grabbed her hand.

  Finally finding her words, she said, “We can’t be too long, or they’ll know something is up.”

  They walked to her mother’s flower garden and took a seat on the stone bench. The muscles in his jaw constricted again. That hard look from before was back, making her uneasy.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No. Yes.” He let go of her hand and stood abruptly. His face was a mixture of pain and grief. He ran his fingers through his hair before shoving his hand in his already full pocket. What did he have in there?

  Just for a second, she saw a fleeting glimmer of hope in his eyes. It disappeared as quickly as it came. Her heart sped up. He was beginning to scare her. “What is it?” She reached out to grab his free hand. He jumped back out of her reach. Her heart beat against her rib cage.

  “I can’t do this.”

  He was scared, that was all. Her pulse slowed, and she smiled. “Relax. They’re not going to kill you. Maim you maybe.”

  She stood and took a step closer. He took a step back in response. “No. Not just that.”

  She didn’t understand what he was talking about. “Then what can’t you do?”

  He looked down at his feet and back to her. Using his hand, he gestured between them. “This. I can’t do this anymore.”

  He was breaking up with her. He couldn’t be. There was no way this was happening. They were supposed to eat dinner with her dad and Jacob. They were going to finally tell them. “You said you loved me.”

  His face was hard, and his eyes were empty of emotion. “I lied.”

  Roaring filled her ears, and her heart exploded in her chest. She started gasping for air. No matter how much she gulped, she couldn’t stop the burning in her lungs. She shook her head, denying the unthinkable.

  “I love you!” Tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn’t bother to wipe them away.

  “Good-bye, Magpie.” He turned around and marched to his truck, never looking back.

  She numbly followed, hoping it was all a dream. His truck speeding down the drive, leaving her in a cloud of dust, broken and alone, proved it wasn’t.

  “Earth to Maggie?”

  Cody had obviously been saying something to her, but she was lost in the memory of that night. “I'm sorry. I was thinking about something.”

  Cody's square jaw tensed. After a brief moment, he opened his mouth like he was about to say something but luckily, Maggie was saved by the waitress again. She placed their salads in front of them. Maggie made herself busy pouring the ranch dressing, hoping Cody wouldn't continue with whatever it was he was about to say.

  “Shall I say grace?” Cody asked.

  She nodded, glad that in the six years since she'd been away Cody hadn't lost his faith. Cody blessed the food and asked for continued protection and guidance in the coming days.

  They ate in silence. The whole meal was awkward. There wasn't the normal friendly banter that had once graced their mealtimes. She missed those moments. She missed Cody.

  “Maggie, I really don’t think you should go home tonight.”

  “Why not? I’ve changed all the locks and added alarms to the windows.” She turned her hands up in a questioning gesture.

  “I’m glad that you did all those things, but what if he comes back? You’re out there all alone. It’ll be fifteen to twenty minutes before help could get to you.”

  “I have dad’s old gun. I could take care of the immediate threat and then call the authorities. I want to go home. I have so much work to do, and I’m not going to get it done if I’m not there.”

  “I can’t make you leave the house, can I?” She shook her head in response. “I’ll come check things out then.”

  “You know it's not really necessary for you to see me home. I'm sure it's out of your way. It's a twenty-minute drive from town.”

  He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. His gaze met hers. His eyes were hypnotizing. “I would really feel better if I could.”

  She knew that Cody's stubborn streak was exactly like hers, a mile wide. If she were truthful, she was slightly afraid of going to the house alone. If she could make it one more night, the security company would be out tomorrow to install the security system. “Okay.”

  Letting go of her hand, Cody picked up the check the waitress had left and then threw a five-dollar bill on the table for a tip. “Dinner is on me tonight.”

  “You don't have to do that,” she protested.

  “I know I don't have to. I want to.” He led the way to the register.

  Chapter Nine

  The sun had set by the time they pulled into the drive. Cody stepped from his cruiser and met Maggie by the porch steps.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Cody could sense unease in her quiet voice as she wearily glanced over her shoulder to the large house looming in the dark. Was he causing the unease or was it being at the house alone? He was willing to bet that it was probably a mixture of both. Emotion flashed in her eyes, but before he could tell what it was, she turned and walked to the front door.

  “You've seen me home. As you can see, it’s all well. Have a good night, Sheriff.”

  He took the steps two at a time and gently grabbed her shoulder, turning her toward him.

  “Please, let me go in and have a look around. It would make me feel a lot better about leaving you here if I know that the house is secure.”

  She nodded and handed him the keys. He unlocked the front door and walked into the entryway. He did a thorough search of the house, starting on the first floor and working his way up to the attic, checking the basement last. The house was clear. He made his way back to the living room where Maggie was staring out the front window into the dark night.

  “Everything is clear.”

  “Thank you.” She didn’t bother to turn around. His gut clenched. Not being able to go on like this, her thinking the worse of him, he had to tell her the truth now.

  “Maggie, I know you don't want to talk to me. I know that I hurt you that night. But I want you to know why.”

  She still didn't turn around.

  Was she finally willing to listen? He took a deep breath, preparing himself.

  “We were going to tell Jake about us later that night. But he had called earlier in the day. He wanted to have lunch and talk to me about something. I met him at Earl’s Diner, and he said that he knew you were dating someone, that he could tell by how happy you seemed. I waited for him to say he knew it was me you were dating. I hoped he’d be giving his blessing, but he didn’t. He had no idea it was me.” He took a small step toward her and reached out to touch her shoulder but let his hand drop.

  “He said he was worried. You had a full ride to Texas Tech, and you’d be the first one in the family to go to college. You were going to make something of yourself. You were going to go and do great things. He was afraid that your boyfriend would weigh you down, that you would either give up on college and stay here in Whitehaven or be so focused on the boy that you wouldn't meet your full potential. He talked about how he couldn't think o
f anyone in town that would be worthy of you.” His chest constricted. He waited for her to respond. Please say something. Say it’s okay. Say you forgive me. She didn't respond, though; she just continued standing there, absolutely still and quiet.

  “All I could think about was that he was right. I wasn't the man for you. You deserved more than some boy whose father didn't love him enough to stick around and whose mother drank too much and found solace in the arms of any man who paid attention to her.” He didn’t want to go on. He knew his past, and he knew his future—both sad and lonely—except that one glorious year with her.

  “I was never going to amount to anything. I wasn’t in college. I was working at the sawmill outside of town. If you remember correctly, I was in trouble with the sheriff that summer we started dating. Sure, I straightened out, but still, I wasn't worthy of you.” He had realized that Jake was right and decided to do the noble thing. He would sacrifice his happiness for her.

  “You deserved someone so much more than me. I thought when I told you good-bye that night, I was freeing you. I was trying to make sure you would find the man that was worthy of your love.”

  She slowly turned around. Tear tracks lined her cheeks making her look as vulnerable as he felt.

  “What about what I wanted? Did you stop to think about that? I knew about your past, I knew about your family, I knew about your job. None of those things mattered to me. You couldn't see what I saw. You couldn't see the man you were becoming. The man I loved. The man I had hoped I would spend the rest of my life with.”

  The ache in his chest intensified, constricting his lungs. He had to go to her. He could never stand to see her cry. It always broke his heart and made him feel so helpless. He took slow steps toward her, allowing her the opportunity to protest. When she didn't, he enveloped her in his arms, where she had been so many times before.

  “I'm so sorry, Magpie.” He held her a moment longer, inhaling the scent of strawberry vanilla shampoo that he loved. He stepped back and kissed her gently on the forehead.