by Vivian Arend
Tonight?
Tonight she was honest enough to admit she was going to crawl into bed and cry herself to sleep.
Chapter Eleven
MITCH KICKED his own ass over and over for that first, disastrous public meeting. Anna took the situation with a hell of a lot more grace than he would have. If she had turned up at Traders with another guy, he would have taken the asshole apart before tying her to his bedpost for a long hard discussion.
Anna? Other than that one moment when he thought she was going to slit his throat, she’d stuck to the plan.
Which sucked. Hugely.
Christmas passed. New Years. They followed their own rules and didn’t contact each other on the sly. It felt as if he bumped into Anna a million times, though, yet never once did she look straight at him or acknowledge him. He was invisible, at least to her.
The reaction of the Coleman clan was mixed. As expected, word spread throughout her extended family that he and Anna had broken up. The good part was most of the Colemans were decent enough to assume he hadn’t done anything horrid. From them, there were no dire repercussions against him or the rest of his family. Katy’s friends kept supporting her. The few times someone needed help with their cars, they still used the Thompson and Sons garage.
But anytime one of the Moonshine Coleman men crossed his path, Mitch remained extra wary and protected his balls. Steve and Trevor especially ended up being pains in his ass, which he understood since she was their little sister and all, but damn if their deliberate bullshit didn’t rub him raw.
He fucking missed her like crazy.
The good part was the ache inside was getting familiar enough that if she got the promotion and moved away, he’d be used to the pain. He hated to think about it, but that possibility was real. Or if she decided at the end of it all that they weren’t ever getting back together again, he’d already know how to live without his heart.
Mitch slipped out from the garage and walked to the tattoo shop on Main Street, the warming air a sure sign of approaching spring. So damn long since he’d been truly warm. He missed her fire, missed—
Jesus, he was doing it again. His thoughts drifted back to her even when he tried to avoid it.
The pain and pleasure he got from another tattoo couldn’t compare to the pain he was living with. He’d let her go because it was the right thing to do, but no matter what happened he’d never forget her.
It was time to add another link to the chains he wore.
He pushed through the door of the shop, pulled off his coat and hung it up. The front desk was empty—Brad must be busy with another customer.
Mitch dropped into a chair to wait, thumbing through a bike magazine, unable to avoid hearing when voices rose from the back room.
“You like how it’s turning out?” Brad asked.
“I do.”
Mitch was on his feet and moving before he realized. That was Anna. What the hell?
“It looks awesome,” Brad declared. “Ashley did a great job designing it.”
“She did. But you’re good, yourself. I like the shading you added.”
Mitch had never wanted to bust down a door so bad in his life. Anna had gotten a tattoo? Fuck. He needed to see it more than he needed his next breath of air.
“Well, we’re done for today. Take the usual precautions, let me know if you have any troubles. One more session will finish the shading.”
Double fuck—Anna had a tattoo that had taken more than one session? Mitch’s mind whirled with possibilities of where on her creamy skin she’d placed it.
Utter agony rolled through his soul that he’d missed being a part of her planning it. What if he never got to see it in living, breathing color?
He was still standing a few paces away from the door when she stepped out, her long hair loose and flowing instead of up in the ponytail she wore when she worked. He took in every detail about her hungrily while she was still distracted, talking over her shoulder to Brad.
Then she turned and jerked to a halt, the laughter in her eyes fading to longing. “Mitch.”
He had to wet his lips before he could speak. “Anna. You’re looking good.”
“Thanks.”
Nothing more. Safe. Public.
He kept staring, soaking in every detail. “Ashley drew you a tattoo, did she?”
Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. Involuntarily, images from their night spent with Ashley and Cassidy raced through his brain, and damn if his cock didn’t react.
Anna straightened slightly, her gaze locked on his so there was no possible way he could miss the heartfelt intensity with which she delivered the words. “It’s something I decided I wanted,” she said softly. “Life’s too short to put off things that are important.”
There was nothing he could say in response, because he didn’t want her holding back and waiting for him. But the truth tore him apart. She was what was important to him, and he wanted her right now. Every bloody second of the day.
She stepped around him, her fingers brushing him with the faintest of a caress as she headed for the coat rack.
Had the contact been deliberate? He ached to catch her in his arms to tell her he was sorry for all the things they’d missed doing together. That he wanted to take it back about breaking up being the best thing for them. He wanted to share that more than anything he wished he could be with her, and be good for her.
But he couldn’t. He couldn’t be any of those things, not for certain, so he did the only thing he could.
He let her walk away.
IT HAD BEEN a long winter full of lessons Anna hadn’t really wanted to learn. Yet, no matter how trite it was, as spring approached hope stirred in her heart.
She missed Mitch, jackass of the century that he was. He’d taught her things while they’d been together. About living life to the fullest and not worrying about others’ responses.
The time apart had taught her that she was stronger than she thought.
Maybe it was pathetic, but she often found herself smoothing the paper she still had from him, the one with the date-like things he’d said he wanted to do with her. She missed that man. Missed the strangely earnest hoodlum who had shared his heart with her during their quiet moments together.
“Constable Coleman. Can I see you in my office?”
She was on her feet, swaying as she considered why the staff sergeant was calling her. “I’ll be right there.”
Her commanding officer put her out of misery immediately after she’d closed the door behind her. “I thought you might like to witness this.”
He slipped a page from the file on his desk and ran it through the paper shredder.
Anna took a deep, deep breath, the extra oxygen making her lightheaded. “Thank you, sir.”
Max nodded. “I have zero complaints about your work, and there have been no further incidents, so we’ll put it all behind us.” He paused. “I will admit I was surprised to hear that you and Mitch were no longer seeing each other at all.”
Well, that was an unexpected turn in the discussion. “We thought it best.”
Her commanding officer pulled another page from her file and stared at it. “I think I should tell you about this. It’s a letter of reference of a sort. I got it in the mail back in December, and it’s a glowing report of your skills as an officer.”
“Always good to know people appreciate our work.” Anna waited to be dismissed, but Max obviously had more on his mind.
He read a few lines. “‘An asset to the force, and a strong member of the community.’ You have quite the admirer.” His gaze traveled farther down the page. “He goes on at length regarding your skills, but what I’m still confused about is this section. ‘I’m completely to blame for any recent black marks against her record, and hope that you will take that into consideration as she is considered for promotion.’”
Oh God. “Mitch Thompson wrote that.”
Max nodded. “Seems to think a lot about you. Was totally
willing to throw himself under the bus to get you off the hook, although we both know he’s wrong in that. He’s not to blame for anyone else’s behavior.”
“Of course he’s not. I take full responsibility for myself.”
“And that’s why I’ve cleared your slate. Your actions have proved your value to this department.” Max frowned. “Although I admire his guts in sending this to me, I have no idea where he got the idea you were up for promotion. Nick is the only one who put in for job advancement last fall.”
Anna’s brain felt filled with puzzle pieces trying to fit together correctly. “Nick’s up for a promotion?”
Staff Sergeant Max put a finger to his lips. “They’re still in the works. We’re in the final months. I’ll be asking for feedback from you later this week, in fact, as one of his closest coworkers.”
Nick was up for promotion, and Mitch knew about promotions back in December? Anna shook herself back to alertness to answer her commanding officer. “Whenever you’d like to talk, let me know.”
“And Anna—I want to make this clear. I have no issues with you seeing anyone in town that you want. My only expectation is that your behavior in public remain exemplary.”
A shimmer of light broke through the mental haze. She smiled at him. “Thank you for that, sir.”
“Thank you for proving me right in your skills.” He slipped the note from Mitch back in her file. “I have a feeling there’s someone else who will be pleased to hear your news.”
A strange mix of euphoria and confusion floated her back to her office. Sheer relief was the highest emotion followed by a nagging tic at the back of her brain. Why had Mitch thought she was up for promotion? Had she ever said anything to make him think that?
It was one thing she would definitely ask when she contacted him with her good news. Part of her wanted to call him that very minute, but if the past five months had taught her anything, though, it was patience. She’d wait for that evening and the privacy of her own apartment.
Nick stuck his head in the office door. “You have the final reports on the last break-in?”
Anna paused, adjusting her brain to focus on work again. “I’m pretty sure I put them on your desk.”
Her partner stepped in and flipped through the pile. “Got any plans after the picnic is over this weekend?”
“Nothing unusual.” Anna wasn’t about to tell him she was planning to hold a private party with Mitch to celebrate that pile of shredded paper in the staff sergeant’s garbage bin. “You? Talk to anyone interesting out there today?”
“Pulled Mitch Thompson over. Well, a whole gang of riders, including Mitch.”
Hearing his name mentioned so soon after thinking about him made her smile, but she focused on staying nonspecific until they were officially back together. “So the bikers are out again, are they? With the great weather, I figured they’d be on the road soon.”
“That guy, I swear.” Nick shook his head. “One minute I think there’s a rational person under all that ink, and the next he proves he’s nothing more than brawn and attitude.”
Anna held her tongue.
“He’s obviously not stupid—he does listen to reason occasionally, but you should have heard the garbage he spilled at me today. Should have known one moment of sanity doesn’t make a man sane.”
Something about Nick’s comments didn’t sit right, especially not when mixed with the staff sergeant’s information. Anna turned slowly, trying to make sense of her forebodings. “Nick, when else have you talked to Mitch? Other than while pulling him over?”
He stiffened, eyes widening, and an awkward pause went on and on until she interrupted it. She might be leaping to conclusions, but something in her gut told her she was right. Mitch mentioning promotions. Nick being the one up for one.
“Did you say something to Mitch about me?” She felt her anger stirring. While she and Mitch had discussed the best way to deal with her reprimand, this sounded as if something else had gone down without her knowledge.
Nick walked around her and closed the door to their office. “I didn’t…exactly. I might have encouraged him to think of your future with the department and—”
Oh my God, her guess was correct. “So you butted into my life? You had no right.”
“You were making us look bad,” Nick snapped, colour flushing his cheeks. “Maybe you want to stay at your current level of near-incompetence, but I have aspirations to do a lot more and—”
Anna shot up a hand to cut him off again, utter fury creating a black hole in her belly. “Near incompetence? You want to explain that one to me? I have a perfect record with the department, including being involved in liaison work and high-risk security details.”
“You only got the liaison position because you’re a woman.” Nick’s control vanished, and his words came out a shout.
Her rage bloomed so quickly it had already passed being an inferno. Instead, her fury was blue hot, like a core of dry ice burning from the intensity of her frozen emotions. She ground out her words, soft and low. “If you have such a low opinion of my skills, why did you not decline when you were offered me as a partner?”
Nick wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Another thought whispered through, shock registering as revelation kicked in. Some of the pain she and Mitch had suffered through was because Nick had an agenda. Nick was the one looking for things.
“You asked to be my partner, didn’t you?”
He headed toward his desk. “Maybe we should put this aside for another day when we’ve cooled off.”
“Bull fucking shit on that,” Anna spat out. “You asked to partner with me in the hopes of getting some weird glory from being with the lone woman on active duty, didn’t you? What is your game, Nick?”
“I’m up for promotion, okay? Is that what you want to know?” Nick slammed himself down in his chair. “It’s my chance to get out of town and move to a position with some political clout.”
“This…was all about you getting ahead.”
“Of course. Like any intelligent person, I’m doing what I can to make sure my career advances in the right direction.”
Anna’s nails were digging holes in her palms. “By running roughshod over anything or anyone in your way? Oh, you’ve got all the makings of a great politician, I can tell already.”
Nick narrowed his eyes. “Getting involved with Mitch was a stupid move for your career, and there’s no way even you didn’t know it.”
Ice flooded her veins. “Even me? As in ‘Anna Coleman who isn’t that smart’ or is this some kind of ‘you’re a woman, and you should get your ass back in the kitchen’ comment? I’d suggest you consider real hard before you answer if you don’t want to find out exactly how well I learned self-defense during training.”
Revelation struck. This was why Mitch had insisted they break up. He’d fallen for whatever lies Nick had told him. Mitch had gone and done what he thought best—calling them off—without telling her why. Yes, she’d agreed in the end, but still…
It would take a little more time to work through exactly how she wanted to deal with him.
Right now, Nick was front and center on her shit list.
Her partner continued to prove he wasn’t very smart. He wasn’t shutting up. “The Thompsons aren’t the kind of—”
She’d had more than enough of his bull. “No more, Nick. Don’t even try to dig yourself out of this hole. From now on you will keep your nose out of my business and out of the Thompsons’ business, you understand? You don’t go near them. You don’t try to find things to mess up their lives. Consider them your own private kryptonite, or I will report every single thing you did, and not only will your current political aspirations die, but your career will be over.”
Actual fear shone in his eyes, as if Nick had finally realized he’d gone too far. “What are you going to do?”
“I need time to think, but my personal life is none of your goddamn business. I’ve told you that before, but if
that’s not absolutely crystal clear this time around, we have a major problem.”
Nick nodded, then backed off. “The reports are supposed to go through in the next month.”
“Reports?” She wasn’t giving an inch. Staff Sergeant Max had already told her this, but making Nick squirm was as necessary as breathing.
He turned white, but continued. “Promotion reports. I’m up for one. I…told Mitch you were the one being considered.”
She had nothing left inside to burn as the final confirmation of her suspicions was revealed. “Then you’d better hope that for the next month I don’t get sick of seeing your face. Get out of here.”
Nick shot from the room as if jet propelled.
Anna sat in silence and tried to recalibrate her life. Her career was back within the safety zone. But her career wasn’t enough.
It appeared Mitch had planned to end them for her own good before they’d even spoken. Even more, he’d made the temporary break-up about him not being able to keep his hands off her instead of telling her about the potential promotion. He’d taken control of the situation instead of working as a team.
No matter that he’d had good intentions, he didn’t get to make those kind of life-altering decisions without her, and the sooner he came to understand that, the happier they would be going into the future.
The future. They had one, and she was looking forward to it with everything in her.
Once Mitch Thompson had finished the crap-ton of explaining and apologizing he had ahead of him.
Chapter Twelve
MITCH ZIGGED instead of zagging, turning away from the large tents that had been set up in the community fairgrounds. The three days of May fair were usually a time for kicking back and relaxing.
Forget relaxing and enjoying himself—the numbness inside refused to go away. And while he’d promised his family he’d come to the grounds for a while, he was getting tired of having to duck around corners to avoid getting beat on by surly Coleman males.
The first time Steve and Trevor tracked him down Mitch had taken the punishment. After that, he wasn’t about to simply stand there and let them knock him around, but he figured hurting any of Anna’s kin also wasn’t on the agenda. Thus the ducking and hiding, and didn’t that chafe his ass in a whole new way.
