by Jill Sanders
“Cool, can I see?”
She stood back as he went through the pieces. When he came to the painting of Sawyer, he focused on it for a while, then glanced back at her.
“The cop?”
She nodded. “He has unique eyes.” She focused on Sawyer’s eyes in the painting and tilted her head as she looked at them.
Hunter moved on to the next painting.
“You shouldn’t have any problem selling these. You’ve always been so talented.” He touched her shoulder.
“Thanks.” She jumped when Tsuna rushed over and started barking.
“Someone’s here.” Hunter nodded to the large window. “Looks like she’s a good little guard dog.” The doorbell chimed, and Rose scooped up the still-barking dog and headed down the stairs.
When she saw Carson and Detective Anderson on her doorstep, her breath caught.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Can we come in?” Carson asked. She motioned for them to step in, but Hunter stopped them.
“Do you have a search warrant?” he asked.
“Hunter, please, I will always cooperate with the police.” She motioned for them to come in. As Carson passed by her, he reached out and scratched Tsuna’s head.
She showed them into the sitting area and stood next to the fireplace. She hadn’t lit a fire yet, but with the darkness of the sky outside, she knew she would need one later that evening. She set Tsuna down in her dog bed, but the dog went over and jumped onto Carson’s lap to get attention.
“As you may have heard, there’s a new theory going around about Sean Clayton,” the detective said.
“Yes. I’m sorry, I can’t give you any information about that. Isaac and his father never talked about work when I was around.”
“We were hoping,” Carson jumped in, “that is, we know your husband kept an office here.”
“He did. I haven’t really touched it since the last time he was in there.” She motioned for them to follow her.
Opening the office door, she stood back as the two men entered. “You’re welcome to look around. I’m not sure what you might find. I only go in there to dust.” She stayed outside the doorway. It was too hard for her to cross the threshold, especially now.
“Thanks, we’ll let you know if we find anything.” Carson nodded to Hunter.
“My client has no knowledge of the law. Anything you find…”
“Yeah, we know.” Carson interrupted and waved him off.
“How about some lunch?” she asked, hooking her arm through Hunter’s arm. She could tell he was going to hover over the men and attempted to distract him.
“Actually, I was thinking of heading into town to pick up some more boards. I noticed you haven’t replaced the ones that were torn up yet.”
“Don’t bother. I talked to my new contractor and he said he’d be happy to do it. He was picking up the boards at lunch today and should have the deck back to normal by the end of today.” She smiled.
“New contractor?” Hunter frowned as they walked into the kitchen.
“RJ quit when they started investigating him. I think his pride and his concern for his reputation got the better of him. I had hoped he’d come back after his name had been cleared, but…” She shrugged.
“Who’d you hire this time?”
“Someone from Fredonia, a James Dylan.” She walked over to the fridge and got out the makings for grilled cheese sandwiches. She pulled out the chili she’d made a while back and heated it up while she grilled the sandwiches.
“Are you sure about this contractor?” Hunter asked her.
He continued to question her as she cooked. Finally, she handed him a beer and told him not to worry, she could take care of herself.
They had just sat down to eat when Carson walked into the room.
“We’ve taken a box full of papers. I’ve got a receipt for all of it here.” He handed her a piece of paper.
“Why do I need a receipt?” she asked.
“It’s for legal purposes. It shows what they took and where from.” Hunter reached over and took the paper from her. “I’ll hold onto that.” He nodded to Carson. “Anything interesting we should know about?”
Carson tilted his head at Hunter. “We’ll keep you posted.” He turned to Rose and nodded. “You might want to check in on Ozzy. He’s at the vet. Someone attacked him last night.”
“What?” She jumped up, leaving her food untouched. “What happened?” She walked with Carson towards the front door.
“We’re not sure. Sawyer had just returned from visiting me and someone attacked Ozzy. Knocked him out. The vet has him for the next few nights.”
“Why didn’t he tell me last night when we talked?”
Carson shrugged. “Not sure, but when I left him, he was still pretty shaken up.”
“I’ll go and visit Ozzy and see how he’s doing. I have to get a few more things for Tsuna while I’m at it.” She glanced down at the small dog, who was begging Carson for more attention.
The man bent down and picked Tsuna up and snuggled with her for a moment before handing her over. “Take care of this one.” He scratched Tsuna again. “See you later.”
“The cop again?” Hunter asked from the doorway.
“What?” She turned. “Oh, yes, someone attacked his dog. You remember Ozzy.”
“Sure.” Hunter frowned over at her. “It won’t look good if you’re seen with one of the lead officers in your case.”
“Sawyer was removed from the case.” She walked over and got her jacket from the hook. “I’m going to head into town. There are a few more things Tsuna needs. Do you want anything?” she asked.
“No.”
Tsuna loved riding in the car. The little dog lay down in the seat and slept the entire trip to the veterinary office.
She turned to Tsuna. “Do you want to stay in here or would you rather—”
A knock on her car window caused her to jump. Her hand went to cover her heart as she squealed.
The sound of Sawyer’s chuckle made her heart jump again, but for other reasons.
Rolling down her window she glared at him. “Did you do that on purpose?”
He smiled. “No, I was coming out of the vet’s after visiting Ozzy and saw you pull into the parking lot. It’s not my fault you were engrossed in a one-sided conversation with Tsuna.”
She smiled. “I’ve heard you talk to Ozzy like this too.”
He nodded, his smile falling slightly. “Is Tsuna okay?” His eyes moved to the sleeping dog.
“Yes, we’re actually here to see Ozzy. Carson was just up at the house and told me what happened. Why didn’t you tell me last night?”
“I didn’t want you to worry. The thought of you trying to drive down here last night wasn’t a pleasant one.”
She nodded. She could see herself dropping everything last night to come check up on the dog.
“How is he?” she asked after getting out of the car.
“He’s resting. The doc says I can take him home tomorrow.”
“Oh, wonderful.” She leaned against her car door. “Any clue who did it?”
He shook his head and leaned his hip next to hers against the car. “No, but when I find the guy…”
His eyes moved past her as a van pulled in.
“Damn it, why won’t they leave us alone?” He nodded to the photographers.
“How about some lunch?” she asked out of the blue. Now that she knew Ozzy was okay, her stomach was reminding her that she’d left her lunch sitting untouched on the kitchen table. She was sure Hunter had finished it off, along with the rest of the pie she had in the fridge.
“I doubt we’d have any privacy around town. How about my place? I can make us some sandwiches and Tsuna can run around while we talk.”
She nodded and quickly got back in the car. “See you there.”
Twelve
Sideswiped…
Sawyer followed Rose’s car to his place. The van continued to fol
low them, so he made a call and about a mile from his turnoff, the van was pulled over by a patrol car.
When he parked beside her car, she got out and let Tsuna down on the ground.
“It pays to have friends.” She smiled up at him as he walked towards her.
“Yeah. It’s bad enough that the town has been invaded by paparazzi, now they’re following my every move as well. Why don’t they go back to stalking movie stars? I’m sure Owens loves the attention.”
He took her elbow and led her to the back patio. Tsuna followed them, tip-toeing slowly through the tall grass.
Chuckling, Sawyer leaned down and picked the dog up.
“She doesn’t look like she likes the tall grass.” He set her down in the well-manicured lawn closer to the house.
Rose laughed and sat in the chair Sawyer pulled out for her.
“I’ll step in and make us some sandwiches.” He glanced back. “Keep an eye out for her. We have hawks and she’s small enough to get scooped up.” He was thankful Ozzy was big enough he didn’t have to worry when the dog took off to chase wildlife.
Rose rushed to scoop up the dog and held her tightly as her eyes turned skyward.
He made them a couple of turkey sandwiches, threw a bag of potato chips into a bowl, and grabbed two sodas before heading back outside.
When he returned, Rose was leaning back and enjoying the sunshine, Tsuna fast asleep in her lap.
“Better enjoy the sun while it lasts.” He set the food down. “We’re supposed to get rain soon, then our first snowfall shortly after.”
She nodded and shifted the sleeping dog. “I was just thinking about having some more firewood delivered this weekend. Stoneport Manor has a lot of things I need to keep track of. It’s a pretty big responsibility.”
“Why hold onto it then?” he asked, opening the soda and handing it to her. “Why not sell once you’re done fixing it up?”
“Its home,” she answered without a pause. “It’s the place I want to raise a family someday.” She nibbled on a chip. “What about you? You can’t always live in the… How did you put it? The ultimate bachelor pad?”
“Why not?” He looked around the place. They were losing the sun already and he saw Rose shiver when a breeze crossed the deck and yard. He estimated they had less than ten minutes before the rain would start.
“I mean, haven’t you thought about marriage?” she asked.
“I’ve been married. It didn’t work out.” Her eyes widened slightly, and he shrugged.
“What happened?” she asked between bites of her sandwich.
“Ann, my ex, decided I wasn’t the man for her and ran off with my best friend from grade school, Nick,” he said quickly. His theory was, the quicker he said it, the less the chance of the pain surfacing again. He was slightly surprised when, this time, with her sitting across from him, the old hurt didn’t return at all.
“Ouch.” She shook her head. “It looks like we both stepped into that pile.”
He chuckled at her analogy. “We’d better head in, it’s starting to rain.” He grabbed up the plates and opened the barn door leading into the dining area.
Less than a minute after they stepped inside, a wall of rain started to pour down. A cold wind blew with it, so he shut the big door. He loved sitting there watching and listening to the rain with the door open when it was warmer.
“Just in time.” He laughed when Tsuna walked over and lay in Ozzy’s bed like she owned it. “She makes herself right at home, huh?”
“She’s come a long way from the scared dog she was at the shelter.” Rose smiled down at the dog like a proud mother.
“Have you had security cameras installed yet?” He motioned for her to sit down at the table inside as he went and grabbed a couple beers. “Sorry, I don’t have wine.”
She smiled and sipped the beer. “That’s okay. I like beer, too. I ordered an entire security system. The company that’s coming out next week to install a new gate controller will install almost a dozen cameras while they’re at it. I’m having the best package installed—cameras, alarms, remotes, and passcodes for the gate.”
“Good.” He took a deep breath.
“Sawyer,” she said after a minute of silence, “why did you invite me out here?”
He glanced around. “The house is quiet without Ozzy.” She smiled and set her beer down. His eyes moved to hers and he blurted out, “I’ve been thinking about you.”
She swallowed slowly; the movement was hypnotizing.
Just then, his phone went off and he cursed under his breath as he pulled it out of his pocket and frowned at the emergency message.
He stood. “I’ve got to go. The chief is calling me in.”
“I hope it’s not about… us, this.” She shook her head as she stood up.
“No, he’s got a job for me. I was supposed to have the day off, since I start the night shift tomorrow, but…” He walked towards the door. “I’ve got to change and head in.”
She scooped up the sleeping Tsuna and followed him to the door. “Thank you for lunch.”
He nodded. “I’ve got an umbrella.” He opened the umbrella he kept by the door and started to walk her outside.
“No, I’ve got this, go to work,” she urged him.
“I… Hell.” He pulled her close and covered her lips with his. “There, now I won’t be thinking about it all night.”
She smiled. “Now I will. Until I see you again.”
He smiled. “Go, before I convince myself to call in sick.”
She rushed to her car, holding Tsuna like a football. He watched as her taillights disappeared down his driveway.
He headed upstairs, pulled on his uniform, and strapped on his weapon. When he stepped outside, he saw that the rain had caused a thick fog to settle over the field surrounding his house. The mist came floating off the water and drifted around the house.
He was a few steps from the grey blob he imagined was his truck when a dark figure rushed him from the left side and slammed him on the side of the head. The first blow hit him just below his left ear, knocking him face first into the tailgate of his truck. His face connected with the metal and he went down on his hands and knees.
It took him a moment to recover, but then a steel-toed boot connected with his left kidney, sending pain shooting throughout his entire body.
He quickly freed his weapon, but by then, the figure had drifted back into the thick fog. He thought about shooting into the darkness, but years of training forced him to lean against the tire rim and pull out his cell phone instead.
Carson answered. “Yo, what’s up?”
“I’ve been attacked.” He coughed and cursed when blood came out of his mouth. “Better get here fast. I don’t know if he’s gone.”
“Home?” his partner asked.
“Yeah, son of a bitch jumped me as I was heading out.” He listened to the noises around him as Carson told someone he was with what was happening.
“We’re on our way. Hold tight. Do you have your weapon?”
“Yes,” he said, feeling everything going fuzzy. “Better hurry, I’m fighting off passing out.”
“Just don’t shoot us when we drive in.”
“Got it,” he said as everything went white. He bit the inside of his lip and felt himself focus a little more. The pain in his back was almost as bad as the pain when he’d been shot in the thigh a few years ago.
“Damn it,” he sighed. “Don’t make fun of me if I pass out. I think he busted my kidney.”
Carson replied. “Just don’t die on me and I promise not to mess with you.”
He could hear the sirens and fought to stay conscious until they arrived.
As if in slow motion, he watched Carson rush through the fog, the smoke swirling around his partner’s body as if getting out of the way. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, he was strapped to a gurney as they loaded him in the back of an ambulance. He blinked again and was being rolled into the hospital, the brigh
t lights blazing into his eyes. His stomach revolted, and he had to turn his head, so he didn’t choke on the sandwich and the beer he’d just had with Rose.
A tray was put in front of his face and the straps on the gurney were released so he could roll slightly. When he moved, pain shot up into his ribs and stomach. Once he stopped throwing up, he answered as many of the hospital staff’s questions as he could.
He was taken to X-ray and then rolled into a private room where he waited for a doctor to come in to visit him.
“You’re pretty lucky,” the doctor said a few minutes later. “It could have been worse.”
“Really?” Carson said sarcastically from his spot in the corner of the room. Sawyer glanced over at him and he shrugged. “Sorry, go on.”
The doctor turned back to him. “You have a concussion, a moderate one, and a lacerated kidney, not a burst kidney.” His eyes moved to Carson, who nodded. “We’ll want to watch you overnight, then you’ll be on bed rest for about a week and off work for six.”
“Six weeks?” He moved to sit up, but winced and felt his stomach roll again, so he held still.
“At minimum. You’ll have to come in and let us check you out before we agree to let you go back to work.”
Just then, the chief walked in. “What the hell.” Deter walked over and shook his hand. “I’ve heard of crazy plans to get out of working, but this…” The man sighed and smiled down at him.
“Six weeks,” Sawyer repeated.
“I’m sure you’ll cut that in half,” Deter said.
“I’ll want to see him in two or three weeks. We can gauge it from there. Until then, he needs to rest if he expects to keep his left kidney.”
“That bad?” he asked, feeling all the energy drain from him. The doctor nodded as an answer. “I’ll be back in an hour to check on you. Rest,” he said before leaving.
Deter turned to him. “Tell me you saw the bastard that did this.”
Closing his eyes, he shook his head. “It was too foggy to see his face, but he was big, bigger than me, I’d wager. Steel-toed boots, like they use on construction sites.”
The room was silent, and he opened his eyes again. “What?”
