Hot Pursuit

by Jennifer Bernard

  "Or Knight and Day," she quipped.

  "Or Knight and Day." Finally, he smiled again. "That might be our new slogan. Anytime, Knight or Day."

  "I sense a poem coming on."

  He gave her a wry look, but didn't respond. He kept his steady gaze on her, giving nothing away. She'd love to know what he was thinking about right now. The kiss? Her half-brother? Their online relationship? Their non-online relationship? Something that had nothing to do with her, like what numbers he was going to play in the lottery or what he was going to have for breakfast?

  She lingered one more moment, just in case he tried to kiss her again, or make any move at all. But he didn't. So she got into her car, gave him one last wave, and pulled out of the parking lot.

  As soon as she got home, she logged onto her computer and fired off one last message to StarLord. "I don't regret a thing."

  For the next few days, Merry obsessed over the incredible revelation that StarLord was Will Knight. The worst part was that she couldn't tell her friends, not even Suzanne, who had provided that wonderful picnic.

  "We had fun," was all she said. For a writer, it was pretty much torture that she couldn't say more.

  "The least you could do is share a couple of details," Suzanne grumbled. Using her stroller to box Merry in, she'd cornered her on Constellation Way outside of Mrs. Murphy's bookstore, Fifth Book from the Sun.

  "Just for the record, that's no way to use your child," Merry said virtuously. "You're setting a bad example."

  "Ha. I set up a romantic interlude for you and all I get is, 'we had fun'? Even my baby is disappointed in you."

  "Okay, it was a lot more than fun. It was kind of mind-blowing. But I really can't say any more than that. Especially here." She cast a significant look toward Mrs. Murphy, who was dodging a line of customers to peer out the window at them.

  She'd be all over this little morsel. My God.

  "Somewhere else, then. We can go anywhere. Have stroller, will travel." Suzanne adjusted the visor keeping the sun off Faith's little face.

  "I really can't, Suzanne."

  "Because it's someone you know. Someone I know. Someone we all know."

  Merry schooled her expression to reveal nothing. Damn, that expressionless act Will pulled off was a lot harder than it looked.

  Suzanne caught on right away. "Right on all counts!" she said triumphantly.

  "I have to go."

  "Margaritas tonight? A little rum might make you talk."

  Yeah, it probably would. No margaritas for a while, Merry decided. "Sorry, I have to work."

  "Since when do you work nights?"

  "I work all the time, didn't you know?"

  Lisa called her later that day to offer moral support. "I just want you to know, I would never try to pry a secret out of you."

  "Did Suzanne corner you, too?" Merry balanced her phone on her shoulder as she breezed through an article on a proposal to install roundabouts in key intersections.

  "Pretty much. Faith got a bee sting. She called my emergency number, then once the baby was okay, the gloves came off. But I told her your business is your business, and I refuse to pressure you."

  "Thank you." Since Lisa had come to Jupiter Point with a secret of her own, Merry wasn't surprised by that statement.

  "However, if you feel the need to talk, if you want to let someone in on the identity of your mystery man, you know I'm a great keeper of secrets. Just pointing that out."

  "Lisa…" she warned.

  "No pressure."

  "Lisa…"

  "Okay, gotta go, a patient just walked in." She hung up in a hurry. Merry had to laugh. In just a few months, Lisa had gone from jaded big-city cynic to one of the crowd. It was kind of cute, actually.

  Thank goodness for Carolyn, who didn't pester her at all. Most likely, that was because she was simply too busy now that she was flying back and forth between two jobs. She didn't have time for trivial things like Merry's suddenly surreal love life.

  Maybe "love life" wasn't the right term. It was more like—hot pursuit.

  All of a sudden, she kept running into Will everywhere. Jogging at the beach, eating a giant stack of pancakes at the Milky Way with his brothers, breaking up a fight at Barstow's, helping the hotshots and the local fire department with fire mitigation. In public, they both acted as if nothing had changed, as if they were still prickly adversaries.

  But every time she saw him, her heart did this funny thing in her chest, a kind of expansion, like a tiger lily unfurling from a bud.

  And another thing…he kept doing very sweet, completely anonymous things for her. For instance, on the morning after their date, when she stopped at the Venus and Mars for her morning cinnamon latte the barista refused to accept payment. "It's already taken care of," he told her. "Secret admirer, I guess."

  The next morning, same thing. After three mornings, she pinned him down. "How long am I drinking lattes for free?"

  "He left a hundred dollars and a number for us to call when the funds run out. I'd say you're drinking for free as long as you want."

  Huh.

  That same day, Mrs. Murphy called to notify her that her book had arrived. Mystified, since she didn't remember ordering any books, she swung by the Fifth Book from the Sun. The book was a new collection of stories by Toni Morrison, her favorite author in the world. Hardcover, signed by the author, and much pricier than anything she would have bought for herself.

  Mrs. Murphy claimed to have no idea who had ordered the book. Will had actually managed to keep a secret from the biggest rumor-monger in town, which made him some kind of Superman.

  "But if you want me to find out," Mrs. Murphy added in a whisper, "I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Not strictly legal or ethical, but I could bend some rules for you."

  "Please, don't even consider that. You wouldn't want Jupiter Point's finest coming after you."

  But Merry didn't mind a certain member of Jupiter Point's finest coming after her. She'd never been wooed like this before. Being pursued by Will Knight—yeah, she kind of loved that.

  And it kept going. Brianna knocked on her apartment door one morning with a gorgeous terra-cotta pot filled with dirt. "Special delivery from an anonymous benefactor," she said, her vivid face alive with curiosity.

  Merry peered at it suspiciously. "Dirt?"

  "Uh, no. I mean, yes, that's soil. Potting soil. Covering up a rare variety of Lilium lancifolium from China." When Merry stared at her blankly, she continued impatiently, "Tiger lily. There are three bulbs in this pot. They'll grow inside if you give them enough moisture, but you can also plant them outside. Did you know that you can eat every part of a tiger lily plant? It's medicinal too. You can make a tincture from the flowers that helps with nausea during pregnancy."

  "There will be no need for that tincture, thank you very much." Merry took the terra-cotta pot, which was heavier than it looked. She always forgot how strong Brianna was from all her garden work.

  "Are you sure? If a man gave me three Lilium lancifolium bulbs, my ovaries might spontaneously go into overdrive."

  Merry laughed. "You'd better tell Rollo that all it takes is a big old pot of dirt and you'll start popping out babies."

  Brianna flushed self-consciously.

  "Wait…are you…?"

  "No, no, not yet. But we've been kicking around the idea. Suzanne's baby has no one to play with. And I always wanted someone to make fairy houses for. I was shocked when I reached high school and no one was interested in fairy houses anymore."

  "Girl, you kill me. I swear, when you look up adorable in the dictionary, there ought to be a picture of little gingeroo Brianna making fairy houses in the forest. Thanks for the delivery." When Brianna planted her feet and refused to budge, she added, "And no, I'm not saying who sent this."

  "But do you know?"

  "Goodbye, Bri."

  Then came the final straw. At work one day, she got a call from the front desk. The local car detailing service had arrived to
pick up her car.

  Very sweetly, she asked them to give her a minute.

  Then she dialed Will's number. "What the hell do you think you're doing? My car is fine as it is!"

  "When's the last time you had your oil changed? And your brakes checked?"

  "There's a schedule somewhere." She couldn't remember exactly where she kept that information, but who really paid attention to that stuff anyway?

  Deputy Will Knight, of course.

  "Can you just do me a favor and let them check out your car? I'd sleep a lot easier."

  "But they're going to clean it too, aren't they? I can't have that. My car is kind of like a filing cabinet on wheels."

  "Fine, tell them to skip the interior. That's up to you." He coughed, burying the word "stubborn" in the sound.

  "I heard that. And I can't accept your intrusive bossiness disguised as an offer of help."

  He growled a little bit. "You're a helluva lot of trouble, you know that?"

  "I've been told, yes. Now back to the main point. What are you up to with all these little gifts and so forth? I thought we agreed we're going to keep things on a friendly level."

  "Which is why I didn't send you the moon-and-star condoms I thought you'd appreciate."

  She laugh-snorted. "The what?"

  "They glow in the dark."

  She laughed so hard that Chase, who happened to step into her office at that moment, stopped in his tracks.

  "You're laughing." He sounded confused by that fact. "And you sound like you're having fun."

  She covered the receiver. "This is a private conversation. Do you mind?"

  "With who? Is it a guy? Do I know him?"

  "Private," she repeated. She really didn't want Chase to know anything about Will. Even though he'd been perfectly respectful lately, she wasn't ready to get too personal with him. Just because they shared a father didn't mean they had anything else to talk about.

  When Chase’s face fell, she relented. "How about lunch next week?"

  He grinned, his blond hair flopping around his ears. "Seriously?"

  "We'll see. But I think so."

  When he finally moved past her doorway, she lowered her voice. "Seriously, Will, I can handle my own business. I don't like taking things from a man, even a friend. I'm all about standing on my own two feet."

  "How's a guy supposed to sweep you off your feet, then?"

  Her mouth quivered into a smile and that warm feeling spread through her again. Was that what Will was trying to do? Sweep her off her feet? The fact that he wanted to made her glow inside. "That's not on the agenda, remember?"

  "Agenda's change."

  Just then, she heard a click as someone else jumped on the line. "Hey there, mystery woman. Whoever you are, if you don't jump Will's bones, you're making a mistake. He's one of the all-time great guys. Legends will be told about him someday. Books will be written, songs will be sung."

  "Cindy!" Will's furious voice interrupted her.

  "Gotta go," Cindy said hurriedly. "But you should know I have a curated list of prospects for Will and I'm not afraid to use it." And she hung up.

  Will said goodbye at that point, in such a mortified tone that she didn't dare laugh.

  So he wasn't the only one feeling the heat about their off-the-radar "thing," whatever it was. Small town life…she might never get used to it.

  14

  Despite Merry's stubborn attitude, Will knew his strategy was working. Someone like Merry, with her curious mind, needed to be kept off guard. He couldn't do the normal, predictable thing and expect to make an impression. He had to reach outside the box. And all his anonymous gifts were accomplishing exactly what he wanted. If he kept the surprises coming, eventually she'd see the light.

  At that point, he'd have her right where he wanted her.

  Tiger lilies and books were one thing, but he knew Merry well enough to know exactly what she really wanted. Some women liked jewelry or chocolate. The quickest way to Merry's heart would be a hot tip on the story she was working on.

  The opioids investigation, for instance.

  The DEA had identified the man at the Rootin' Rooster as "Buckaroo Brown," an ex-con and drug dealer who had apparently made some new connections while in state prison. He lived just over the border in Tijuana, only coming to California every few months.

  Will debated long and hard whether or not to share that information. His main concern was that it might put her in danger. According to the DEA, Buckaroo was safely in Mexico and wasn't expected back for the rest of the year. Maybe Merry would drop her gig at the Rooster once she had the scoop about Buckaroo, which would make her safer. No matter what, Will would be watching like a hawk.

  Besides, he'd spotted Buckaroo thanks to her. She deserved to know who he was. And he knew how much she'd love getting an anonymous tip like this.

  So, feeling slightly ridiculous, he called Merry from a phone booth and spoke in a whisper. "Are you the one working on the drug story? I got a name for you. Buckaroo Brown. Check it out."

  Soon after he made that anonymous call, she shot him an email.

  "Got a tip on the fentanyl story. I'm sharing it with you in good faith. It's a name: Buckaroo Brown. I'm researching him now. Pretty unsavory character. Please be careful. And please remember I shared this with you."

  He emailed back right away. "Your cooperation with the sheriff's department is noted. We'll follow up on this right away. If this lead checks out, you no longer have any reason to moonlight at the Rooster, is that right?"

  After a short interval, she pinged him back. "You're forgetting about the tips. Reporters don't get paid much. Can you believe I make more as a cocktail waitress in a rooster outfit?"

  Damn it.

  "Watch your back," he emailed back. "I've heard of Buckaroo and he's not someone you want to mess around with."

  For a few days after that, he didn't hear from her. He kept tabs on Buckaroo, just to make sure he didn't make any surprise visits to Jupiter Point. He also followed up on the lead he'd gotten about Heavenly Hardbodies. He was able to match the teenager's description of the suspect with three sweaty bodybuilders.

  Before he brought them in for questioning, he took a break to help his brothers at the airstrip. Forecasters were warning of a big Pacific storm coming, and the place still need buttoning up. They worked furiously, talking little. He was grateful for that, because if they got a hint of anything going on with him and Merry, they'd give him shit the entire time.

  The rain arrived with a light pitter-patter just as they were closing the last high window that let air into the hangar. They stood for a moment, listening to the rattle of raindrops on the roof and looking for signs of moisture making its way inside. When they saw nothing, they all high-fived each other.

  "Knight brothers rule. No one gets wet unless we make it so," Ben joked.

  "You had to make it dirty, didn't you?" Tobias pulled his jacket over his head in preparation for the dash to his car.

  "No, you made it dirty. I was talking about the roof."

  The rain picked up in intensity until it sounded like an entire symphony of drums on the metal roof.

  As they squabbled, Will's phone rang. Merry's number flashed, along with the thumbnail he used for her—a picture of a tiger lily. He walked away from his brothers to take the call.

  Her voice came fast and breathless. "Will, I'm sorry, I didn't know who else to call. I tried Triple A but they're backed up because of the storm." In the background, he heard the sound of wind gusting and howling.

  "Where are you? What's wrong?"

  "I'm down past the waterfront. I was at the Rooster, then I decided to follow up on something I found out about Buckaroo. When he comes to California, he stays at a lodge not far from here. And before you yell at me, he's out of the country right now so there's no risk of running into him."

  "I'm not yelling. Just tell me where you are."

  True, he wasn't yelling, but he was furious with himself. If he hadn
't shared Buckaroo's identity, she wouldn't be stranded in a storm right now.

  "I'm on Route 68, that little road that goes into the mountains after you pass the airport. I thought I'd have time to just swing by here and check it out before the storm hit. But all of a sudden it started raining like crazy and then my car stalled, sometimes it does that when it gets wet. I tried my usual trick to get it going again, but there's just so much rain. It's crazy—" The wind snatched her voice away, so he couldn't make out her last words. He was already loping out of the hangar toward his truck.

  "Are you inside your car right now?"

  "No, I couldn't get reception inside the car. I only have one bar now."

  "Get inside your car and sit tight. I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm all the way out at the airstrip so it'll probably take me an hour. If anyone stops to help you, tell them someone's on their way. And keep your phone on. Put your hazards on."

  "They're … already… Jesus, Will." Now she sounded irritated. "I'm not … idiot."

  He grunted. What exactly would you call someone who set off to investigate a drug lord with a storm coming?

  You'd call the person a pain in the ass.

  And if that person was Merry Warren, you'd race to your truck without a second thought.

  "Oh hey, I do have reception in here." Her voice sounded clearer now; obviously, she'd gotten into the car. "Listen, Will, I didn't mean for you to chase after me. I thought you might know a good tow truck service or something."

  "I'm coming. Just sit tight." Rain slashed against his face. He fought gusts of spitting wind all the way to his Tacoma. Damn, this storm was a lot worse than any of the forecasters had predicted. Weather off the Pacific in this area could be unpredictable. That was one reason Knight and Day Flight Tours had invested in a high-tech weather detection system, which unfortunately wasn't hooked up yet. In the meantime, they were at the mercy of the Weather Channel.

  He yelled to his brothers that he was going to meet someone and dove into his truck. Rain beat against the window as if it was knocking to get in. As he did a reverse turn to head out of the lot, his rear tires fishtailed a little. So much water all at once meant a high risk of hydroplaning.