Her Lawman Protector

by Patricia Johns

  She found the can opener and a whisk and thumped the drawer shut again.

  “I don’t like making you cook for me,” he countered.

  “I’m not cooking for you,” she said with a low laugh. “I’m cooking for myself, and you’re invited to join me.”

  “Semantics.” He chuckled.

  “Whatever gets me the perfect grilled cheese.”

  And her grilled cheese sandwiches were fantastic. She used sharp cheddar, softened butter and thick slices of crusty white bread. No takeout place could come close.

  “So how were sales for your first day?” Jack asked.

  “Not bad.” She turned toward him again. “People seemed pretty supportive, overall.”

  “That’s good.”

  “I hope it lasts.” She licked her lips. “I was looking for whoever sent those notes—and no one seemed...disgruntled or unusually interested in me. What did you think?”

  “I agree,” he replied. “I’ve told you all along who I suspect.”

  “This isn’t Evan.” She shook her head. “Come on, Jack. He just called to offer me those first-edition books. Why would he try to scare me off?”

  “So Evan, who lied, cheated and maintained an affair without you noticing, is suddenly trustworthy?” Jack retorted.

  Liv felt her own irritation rise. Just because she’d been cheated on didn’t make her suddenly blind or stupid. “Who said I never noticed?”

  Jack’s expression softened. “I thought—”

  “Hindsight is twenty-twenty. Yes, I noticed. He was more distanced. He worked late a lot. He pulled a lot of overtime that he never seemed to get paid for. I wasn’t completely stupid, I just hadn’t come to the most obvious conclusion yet. I was giving him the benefit of the doubt.”

  “You’re doing that still—giving him the benefit of the doubt,” he countered.

  Was she? It was possible. But none of this made perfect sense, and that confusing tilt was driving her crazy. She was missing some vital detail here that would help her understand. Why would Evan want to bother her? Why would anyone want to chase her out of town?

  “What about you?” she said. “Did you ever get cheated on?”

  “Changing the subject?”

  “Keeping it fair!” she retorted. “Come on. Fess up.”

  Jack shrugged weakly. “Once. In college. There was a girl I was dating, and I guess I thought it was more serious than it was.”

  “Meaning she was dating more than just you,” Liv clarified.

  “Yeah. And I’m not that kind of guy. If I’m with someone, I’m loyal. If it doesn’t work, then fine. But I don’t play around.”

  “Very noble.” She held his gaze for a moment, then turned back to the can of soup. “So what happened?”

  “I saw her out with another guy. There was no room for misunderstanding. When she next called me, I said maybe it was better to see other people, and that was that.”

  “Not very dramatic.” Liv shook the soup concentrate into the pot, then reached for the milk in the fridge.

  “Sorry. You wanted more?” he asked with a low laugh.

  “Maybe I do!” Liv filled the can with milk and poured it into the pot. As she whisked, she turned back toward Jack, holding the pot in front of her. “I think great love deserves some great emotion.”

  “In my case, it wasn’t great love,” he replied with a shrug. “In yours... I can’t comment.”

  “So no one managed to break your heart?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe.” He heaved an irritated sigh and looked away.

  “Who? Come on. Tit for tat,” she said.

  “It wasn’t a woman I even dated. And she didn’t break my heart. She just...turned out to be someone different than I thought, and it really disappointed me.”

  “I don’t think that even compares,” she said with a short laugh.

  “This isn’t a competition,” he retorted.

  “I’m not making it one.”

  “You are, with your demand that I open up just as much as you do. It’s not like we’re friends.”

  His words stung, and Liv froze. She was forcing this...but why? Did she want a friend so badly right now that she was trying to strong-arm him into complying?

  “Liv, I’m sorry if that came out more harshly than I intended—”

  “No—” She held up a hand. “You’re right. You’re here professionally, and I hate that. I don’t want some cop overrunning my life, and I don’t want to be an open book to anyone anymore. So I hate it, but...that’s not your problem.”

  There was another crack, a flash of lightning, and this time the lights went out, too, leaving them in darkness. The rain still pattered against the glass, and there was a low moan as the wind whistled around the building. Liv blinked against the pitch-blackness as her eyes started to slowly adjust.

  “You okay?” His voice was low and close. She reached out, her hand connecting with the hard rope of his muscled arm, and her stomach gave a flip.

  “Fine.” Liv closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to ignore how that bass rumble made her feel. Was it loneliness that was making her react like this? Because Evan had made her feel weak in the knees, too, and she wasn’t making the same mistake again. “I’ve got candles, and I know there’s a lighter or two around here somewhere.”

  “I didn’t mean that we’re not friends, Liv. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “Yes, you did.” Her throat thickened with emotion, and she tried to swallow it back. “Let’s not pretend you meant anything else. And that’s fine. You don’t owe me anything but your professional expertise—which I appreciate, by the way.”

  Silence stretched between them, and his hand brushed against her shoulder. She could just make him out the darkness—his broad, dark shape looming comfortingly. Too comfortingly. He wasn’t here for her—not strictly.

  “We all have hang-ups, Liv. Mine are just...less interesting.”

  “And Evan is my hang-up,” she admitted. “I don’t mean to take him out on you, either. I wanted to wipe myself clean of him, but it’s easier said than done.”

  “If Evan were blackmailing you, or strong-arming you into something—” Jack’s tone became hesitant “—would you tell me?”

  “He isn’t,” she said. “What are you talking about?”

  “Nothing.” He sighed audibly in the dimness. “I’m going to head out and inspect the perimeter. I need to check in with the station, too.”

  “Sure.”

  What she’d really wanted to say was, “No, stay here,” but she wouldn’t do that. If it weren’t for this stalker, or whoever he was, she’d be on her own in this storm, anyway. She’d rummage around, find candles and sort it out herself. Now was not the time to start leaning on another rugged cop.

  Liv watched his form retreat to the front door. Then there was the metallic scraping sound of a gun cocking.

  “Jack?” she called.

  “Yeah?” His voice was quiet.

  “Be careful out there.”

  She didn’t know what she was scared of. This was a power outage—and there were plenty in this town when mountain storms roared through. But there was something about this night—the pounding rain, the flicker of lightning and that sense that she was more alone than she’d previously realized.

  “I always am,” Jack said. He disappeared out the door, and his voice filtered back in to her. “Lock up, would you?” Then he pulled the door shut behind him with a soft click.

  Liv crossed the room and locked the door, adding the dead bolt for safe measure. Another crack of lightning lit up the apartment, the flash coming in from the living room window this time, making the room feel darker in its aftermath. But the window shone gray, the one source of light until she found candles. She paused for a moment, torn between searching t
he blackened kitchen for the candles and heading for the big window over the radiator to look outside.

  The window won, and she stepped around the familiar furniture until she got to the rain-spattered glass. The rain was coming down in sheets, so she couldn’t see far, but in the shadows, she thought she saw a figure...with a cart or something. Could that be right? Not in a storm like this—and not in a place the size of Eagle’s Rest. Big cities might have homeless people stuck outside in the weather, but not here.

  She squinted, trying to make out the details, and as the wind suddenly changed direction, there was a momentary clearing, and Liv’s heart thudded to a stop in her chest. It wasn’t a man—it was a woman. With a baby stroller that appeared to be empty. And she was looking straight at Liv in the window. She looked like Serena...but that couldn’t be.

  Another crack of lightning; a sheet of rain slammed into the window. Liv waited, barely daring to blink, and when it cleared enough to see again, the woman was gone. A shiver crept up Liv’s spine.

  “I saw that...” Liv murmured aloud. “That wasn’t my imagination. I saw that!”

  * * *

  JACK SAT IN his car for a few minutes as he checked in with the station. They were getting closer to being able to lock down a case against Evan—a forensic accountant was combing through his finances right now, unbeknownst to him, and they’d have the evidence for court when the rest of the case was strong enough. Which was great, but he still felt irritable and out of sorts. This time with Liv was difficult for him because she was nosing into his deeper feelings, which were dangerous territory.

  He’d been halfway in love with that woman from afar. Stupid, yes, but when he’d discovered that she was a part of this property fraud scheme, it had hit him hard. He’d thought better of her, and the fact that he was so disappointed in her wasn’t to his credit. But he had been wanting to ask her out, and hoping for a whole lot more than one date. She was his ideal woman. Minus the criminal bent, of course.

  Jack felt obliged to do one round of the building for the sake of appearances, and rain plastered his clothes against his skin. Autumn nights in the mountains were cold, and the rain only made it worse. It must be close to freezing out here. He hunched his shoulders against the chill. He was frustrated—mostly because Liv was still able to knock him off-balance. He was supposed to be the one in control, and with one comment from her he could be sent sprawling. Emotionally speaking, at least. And he didn’t like losing the upper hand when it came to his emotions.

  Had that been on purpose? He’d been asking about Evan, and she’d brought up his own history. She didn’t know he’d been talking about her, obviously, but was she trying to distract him from something he was getting too close to unearthing? Standing in the rain, that seemed like a possibility.

  He headed back into the building and up the stairs that led to Liv’s apartment. His shoes squeaked with rainwater, and rivulets of moisture trickled down his back. When he got to her door, he knocked.

  “It’s me, Liv,” he called. He heard the dead bolt scrape, and she pulled open the door.

  The apartment was aglow in candlelight. Two pillar candles were lit on a side table next to the couch, and she’d brought out a candelabra fitted with another five candlesticks. The ambiance was soft and inviting, but Liv’s expression was anything but. Her face was white, and she glanced toward the window quickly, then grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled him inside.

  “Did you see anyone out there?” she demanded.

  “No. I went all the way around and everything looked fine. What’s the matter?”

  “The woman—with the stroller. Did you see her across the street?” Liv demanded.

  “No. There was no one there.”

  “I saw her.” Liv looked at him pleadingly. “I know this sounds nuts, but she was staring at me...in my window. She wasn’t just looking around—she was watching me.”

  Jack turned the lock in the door behind him, his mind spinning to catch up. Liv didn’t strike him as the paranoid sort.

  “Where was she?” he asked.

  “Across the street.” She pointed to the living room window, and Jack went over and stared out into the storm. He couldn’t see anyone. The street was empty, as was the store across the street. Empty and quiet, as anyone would expect.

  “She was just standing there!” Liv said. “With a stroller, the rain pouring down on her, and she was staring right into my window!”

  “Where did she go?” he asked, his skin prickling at the eerie description.

  “She disappeared.”

  There was no stalker. There was no emotionally unstable enemy. That was all made up to ensure that Liv let him into her life, and it looked like it was working. Maybe even a little too well.

  Liv licked her lips, arms crossed under her bust. She looked over Jack’s shoulder and out into the street. Goose bumps rose on her arms, and she gave a shiver. Before he could think better of it, Jack ran a hand down her arm, her skin feeling warm against his chilled fingers.

  “No one there,” he said. “But I’ll keep an eye out. You can count on that.”

  If she had seen someone, maybe the mystery woman was connected to Evan’s group. And maybe it was nothing more than her imagination working overtime. But standing this close to her, looking down on that silken auburn hair, inhaling the warm fragrance of her skin, his mind kept moving away from the job at hand and into much more dangerous territory.

  He realized his hand was still on her arm, and he removed it.

  “Okay...” Liv nodded a couple of times. “It just...spooked me. Do you think that’s the person trying to scare me?”

  “Could be.” Jack felt guilty for perpetuating her fear. He was supposed to make use of weird coincidences for the case. If it weren’t her own imagination doing the work for him, he’d request another threatening letter to be dropped off. But try as he might, he couldn’t mentally argue that sense of guilt away. “But whoever it is, they’re long gone now. Do you think you could describe her?”

  Color finally flushed Liv’s pallor, and she shook her head. “I wish I could. There was a lot of rain coming down, and... She was average in pretty much every way. Her build, her height. And she was wearing a jacket of some sort. Her hair was wet. Blond hair? A pale-skinned woman. And she was pushing a running stroller—you know, the kind with the big wheels.”

  “Was there a baby inside?” Jack asked, his voice low.

  “No, it was empty—” She met Jack’s gaze.

  “Okay. I’ll include it in my report.” This was all pretty specific. Oddly specific.

  “One more thing.” She looked away for a moment, then licked her lips. “I know this sounds like I was imagining things, but she looked like...Serena.”

  “Evan’s wife?” he asked in surprise. Yeah, that did make it seem a little more made up.

  “That part may very well have been my imagination,” she added quickly. “What with Evan’s phone call, Serena has been on my mind. And with that amount of rain, I couldn’t really see much detail.”

  “Okay. I’ll make a note of it.”

  “I almost wish you wouldn’t.” She grimaced. “A woman was there. I just can’t swear that it was her. For the record.”

  “Understood. But tonight, you’re in good hands. No one gets to you unless they get through me, and I’m a great deterrent.”

  A small smile turned up her lips. “I know. Thank you, Jack.”

  Jack glanced down at his sodden shirt, then undid the buttons. He peeled the fabric from his body, goose bumps standing up on his own flesh at the chill. He caught Liv’s eyes traveling over his torso, then she quickly dropped her gaze. It had been a while since he’d been appreciated by a woman.

  “I’ll get you a towel,” Liv said, turning away. While she was gone, Jack grabbed a fresh pair of jeans and stripped off his wet pants, too. He was just buttonin
g them up when Liv returned with a white towel.

  “Thanks,” he said, using the towel over his dripping hair, then rubbing it over his chest and arms, drying off the rest of the way. He grabbed another T-shirt from his duffel bag and pulled it over his head.

  “Are you still hungry?” Liv asked.

  “Actually, yeah,” he said with a low laugh. “You still think takeout is such a bad idea?”

  “I whipped up a cold supper,” she said, picking up a candle and heading into the kitchen. She returned a moment later, the candle in one hand and a platter in the other. She had sliced pepperoni, crackers, cheese, some fruit—and his stomach growled in response.

  “Let’s sit where there’s light,” Liv said, and led the way to the couch in the center of the candles. She put the platter on the ottoman, and Jack joined her on the couch, sinking into the soft depth, close enough to feel the warmth of her skin emanating against his side.

  “I’m sorry if I overstepped earlier,” Liv said, her voice low. “I do that sometimes. I don’t mean to. I just... I think people are interesting and I assume they think the same of me.”

  “You are interesting,” he replied quietly. “Maybe too much so.”

  “Why’s that?” She reached for a cracker and a slice of cheese.

  He’d been holding this back for a long time, and seeing her that scared had snapped a thread inside him. All of his reserves seemed to be unraveling.

  “I’m supposed to be a professional here,” Jack said quietly. “I’m...starting fresh in this precinct, and I can’t take any chances with my reputation.”

  “And I’m a problem?” She shot him a wry look.

  “Liv, you’re—” The words caught in his throat, and he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “God, Liv, you don’t get what you do to men, do you?”

  He glanced back at her, and her shining eyes moved over him in stunned silence.

  “You’re gorgeous. You’re bright. You’re funny. I’ve got a type of woman I tend to be attracted to, and I don’t find her too often...”