by Tessa Walton
“I won’t need anything,” Dove said. She knew the report was mostly for her emotional state, since Danielle would take their orders and such. In fact, a moment later she was doing just that.
“Scrambled eggs, bacon, and ketchup please,” Nate said.
“No,” Dove said. “No, tell me you’re not one of those people who put ketchup in their eggs.”
“Born and bred,” he answered.
Dove covered her eyes. “Uncultured swine.”
“And you, ma’am?” Danielle asked.
“Fried eggs, turkey sausage, and no ketchup. I would prefer it’s not even on the counter near me, but I suppose that’s unavoidable now.”
“When I was little I used to dip my watermelon in ketchup,” Nate said, and Dove thought he even had some pride behind the statement.
“If it were up to me right now, I would say you need to leave the restaurant. Maybe I’ll call Teressa over here to tell you that.”
“And she’ll tell you plenty of people put ketchup in their eggs.” As they continued to tease each other their food came out. Nate grabbed the ketchup bottle and squirted in a sizable amount of ketchup. Dove watched him mix it all up with his fork, making a face. Then he took a big forkful, and pushed it towards her.
“What? No! What are you doing?”
“Come on. Open up, Dovey,” he said, then began making airplane noises, circling her head.
“No, stop—” she began, and as she was speaking he shoved the fork into her mouth. She coughed, spraying bits of ketchup egg everywhere. He laughed and grabbed a stack on napkins, beginning to clean up.
She grabbed napkins of her own and spit the eggs into them. “Gross,” she said. “Completely gross.”
He took the fork back and took a big bite of his eggs. “Tastes good to me,” he responded.
“You know,” she said, “sharing a fork is sort of like kissing.”
“Is it?” he asked.
“Yes. Our mouths both touched the same thing.”
“Yeah, but I kissed you. You didn’t kiss me back,” he pointed out with an exaggerated lip jutted out.
She grabbed his fork and cut a corner off her egg with it. Then she took a big bite.
“I can’t wait till this case is over,” he said.
She placed a hand on his leg, then handed the fork back to him. “It will be before you know it,” she said. “As long as you stay on the job.”
“Believe me, I am seeing this job to the very end,” he answered. “Oh, so I have something to tell you.”
“Yeah?” Dove took another big bite of food, surprised at how comfortable she was eating in front of him, despite how she normally felt on dates.
“Sarah called me,” he said nonchalantly.
Dove stopped eating in the middle of her bite and spoke the next word with her mouth full. “What?”
“Yeah, she just wanted to make sure I was safe, because she saw the crash on the news, and she asked me to dinner.”
Dove quickly chewed her food and swallowed. “What did you say?”
Teressa chose that moment to come out of the kitchen and walk over to them.
“How’s it going? Food good?” Teressa asked.
“Teressa, I don’t need you to check up on me,” Dove said, a bit shortly.
“The food is as good as ever,” Nate said, shooting Teressa a smile.
“See how polite he is?” Teressa said, looking at Dove. “Maybe you could learn from him.”
“Oh, I want to learn whatever he has to teach me,” Dove answered hollowly. As she was talking, she felt Nate move over quickly, and her hand fell to the side. She looked at him. “What?” she asked.
“Hey, Lieutenant Monroe,” he said, and Dove understood. This was too public. Everywhere was too public. They weren’t safe together until the case was over. Dove ate quickly and left Nate and Leslie talking. She knew what was going on now anyway. It didn’t seem worth spending any more time with him.
“I thought I told you you can’t do that,” Leslie said to Nate, arms crossed.
“Do what?” he asked, feigning ignorance.
“Flirt with Dove. Don’t think I didn’t see you over here, talking and laughing, with her hand on your leg. This is an open case, Nate.”
“We were just eating together. We happened to both be here and thought it didn’t make sense for us to eat alone.” Nate knew he was caught. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do. He hated lying, but he thought he might like Dove more than he hated lying. “It’s not like I paid for her dinner or anything.”
“Just know I’m watching you,” she said.
Nate nodded, paid, and left. He couldn’t believe he had just left Dove without giving her the news that he had told Sarah no. He realized too that, on top of everything else, he didn’t have her number. He had no way of contacting her and telling her the truth. And driving to visit her seemed a bit too intimate. Besides, there was no way he could do it after Leslie’s warning.
He drove home and flipped on the television. He wondered if Dove was watching the same at the motel. If her motel even got cable. No matter what he did, he couldn’t get his mind off Dove. He needed to tell her that she was the one he chose. That through it all, even when Sarah was an option, he chose her. But he supposed it would have to wait till tomorrow.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter
Dove called Nate late that night. She hadn’t really meant to, but her mind had been spinning all evening. She was relieved when Nate answered.
“I just need you to say it. Just come out and say you’re dating Sarah.”
“I’m not dating Sarah.”
“Fine. Going on a date with Sarah. Please don’t mess with semantics with me.”
“I said no to her.”
“What?”
“She asked me out and I told her there was someone else.”
Dove was stunned. For a long moment she was silent. After that, she asked, “Is that your way of telling me we’re exclusive?”
“I don’t know that we need labels yet. Just know that I chose you. That’s what’s important.”
“You want Sarah. Why didn’t you say yes?”
“I want to be with you more than I want to be with Sarah,” he answered.
“But you only get your first love once in life. Don’t you think you should take advantage of that?” She wondered, if she had the chance again, if she would get back together with Harold. But she didn’t think so. Not after spending so much time with Nate. She could see the nice way people were meant to be treated, and she didn’t have to settle for anything less anymore.
“First loves are meant to pass. There’s nothing wrong with moving on to bigger and better things.”
“Do you think this is a bigger and better thing?” she asked.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”
“Okay. Well, uh, I guess that’s all I needed to hear,” she said. “Bye.”
“Bye,” he answered.
She hung up and threw her phone onto the motel bed. She wanted to race around the room, but she had no space to do so. She decided on the next best thing, and jumped in the shower with her phone music turned all the way up. She hoped the walls here weren’t as thin as they looked, but either way she enjoyed singing throughout the night and listening to cheesy romance songs on repeat.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter
Nate went to work the next day and told Jessica his plan. She was more than on board.
“That sounds great, Nate! I say we tell the chief about it now and see what he says. Maybe we can try it today.” She led the way to the chief’s office, and Nate followed.
She knocked on the door, and they heard the gruff voice call out, “Come in.”
Jessica walked in and stood right in front of the desk, Nate stood partly behind her. “Sir, Nate has an idea on the stalking case that I think you should hear.”
“Let’s hear it,” he said, and Jessica turned her body, letting Nate st
ep forward.
“Well, sir, I’d like to drive Dove’s car to her house, and turn off and on lights and such. Then we could have officers hidden so when he comes to investigate it we can catch him.”
“I like it. You can take lead, and Officers Trevose and Dunlap can help stake out the grounds. Debrief them, and then get out of here.”
“Thank you, sir,” he said, and Jessica led him out the office. Nate was ecstatic. The chief liked his idea, and now he was going to save Dove and be her hero. They were practically exclusive, and they had eaten half a meal together. He thought his excitement was pretty thinly veiled.
“Easy, big boy,” Jess whispered. “Don’t make people ask more questions.” Nate nodded.
They found Trevose and Dunlap, and Nate debriefed them. “Any questions?” Nate asked.
“Yeah, one,” Officer Trevose said. “What’s the nature of your relationship with Dove Babcock?”
“I’d be remiss to say we haven’t become friends over the course of the investigation.” Nate said. If anything, he was pleased with how that came out. It seemed very professional and understandable. He had worked closely with a woman, and they had become friends. Surely no one could see anything wrong with that.
“Just friends?” Officer Trevose said, raising an eyebrow. “Well, it must make her feel safer to have a cop friend.”
“I would hope so,” he answered. He knew Trevose didn’t like Dove. It seemed unfair that he would be part of the investigation to help her, but that was how police work worked sometimes. He went outside and climbed into the car.
“Did I do okay?” he asked Jessica once he was settled.
“I thought you answered it pretty well.”
“Will they do digging if we start to date after the case is over?”
“Maybe, but I find that mostly they don’t look too closely at it. If they do search, I have your back, because you really haven’t been dating, and I’m sure Leslie will too. Between the two of us, I think you’ll be just fine.”
They pulled up to the hotel. He got out straight away and Jessica followed. He walked up and knocked on her door. Room 22. She came straight out and answered it.
“Hey, Officer O’Bannon,” she said, and, after Jessica cleared her throat, “Hey, Officer Daniels.”
“We’re just here for your car,” Nate said.
“Here’s the keys,” she said, holding them out, then dropping them in Nate’s outstretched hand. “Try not to go into a car chase with them.”
“We’ll do our best,” he said.
When they walked out to her car, she followed them. “Listen,” she said, “be safe, okay? And remember what happens if you crack the case.”
“Trust me, I remember,” Nate said, grinning sheepishly.
As they got into the car, Jessica said, “And what exactly happens if you crack the case?”
“You know,” Nate muttered, not wanting to play her games.
“Do I?” she asked.
“Shut up.”
He drove to the end of the street, then let Jessica out so she could wait at the neighbors’ without being seen getting out of the car. He drove forward and parked at the edge of the driveway. He half-ran into the house, not wanting to be seen if the man was early. He turned on the light by the door, then stomped into the house, trying to make noises. He walked to the living room and turned on the television.
Now, though, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He would act as a warm body in the house, but who knew Dove’s routines? Dove and the stalker. He looked around the house, wanting to know more about Dove.
She seemed to collect doves. There were pictures and figurines spread throughout the house. He figured that was fitting. Her walls were mostly shades of blue and brown. Her furniture was comfortable, and the pillow accents made them stylish. He hadn’t known what to expect, but this seemed to fit. He hung around for a couple of hours, till his shift ended. Every once in a while, his radio piped up about some crime: a speeder, a petty theft from Walmart, nothing big enough to call him away from his current duty, but nothing seemed to fit.
As eight o’clock rolled around, Jessica radioed him. “I just talked to the captain. Decent idea, but it’s bust. Maybe he saw your enter. Either way, we’re done for now.”
“Okay, I’m coming out now,” Nate said. He walked out of the house and locked it behind him. He went in the car and picked up Jessica. “Worth a try,” he said.
“Worth a try,” she answered. “Since it’s your idea, you’re willing to go switch cars around after shift, right?”
“You got it. I wouldn’t mind filling in Dove on what happened.”
“Just remember this is still an open case.”
“If only I could forget,” he muttered.
He dropped off Jessica, then drove to the motel and knocked on Dove’s door. She came out in checkered pajamas. Nate thought she was cute as a puppy. “You find him?”
“That’s an open case,” he responded.
“No one else is around,” she answered.
“Then no, not yet.”
“No one else is around,” she said, taking a step closer to him.
“And?” he asked. She took another step forward, and kissed him.
The kiss was short and chaste, yet Nate stood shivering on the doorstep. Dove laughed a little.
“What’s funny?” he asked, not totally even aware of what words were coming out of his mouth.
“I’m just amazed you can be surprised by that. Everything we’ve done so far has led up to it.”
“I guess I’m easily surprised.”
“Do you want to come inside? I’m making popcorn and watching a movie.”
“If anyone heard about that, I’d lose my job for sure,” Nate said, shaking his head. “I’d better go.” He turned around, and Dove grabbed his arm.
“Wait,” she said.
“What?” he asked.
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him once more. “That’s to remind you that even if you don’t find him, you’re still my hero.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter
Dove made a decision the next day that she knew most of her friends wouldn’t like. So she decided just not to tell any of them. She was ready to be home. It was not easy living out of bags, and it felt like losing. If she couldn’t go to her school, at least she should be able to go home. She packed up all her things and drove back to her house.
There was another reason that she went back to the house, of course. If the stalker didn’t come back, Nate couldn’t catch him, and if Nate didn’t catch him, they couldn’t date. Dove wouldn’t say she was exactly excited for her stalker, but she wanted him back. Whatever it took to have Nate catch him. Ever since he turned down Sarah, Dove had nothing holding her back from the relationship. Nothing but the stalker, that was.
She didn’t know Nate and Jessica’s round schedule, but she should’ve known they’d check the house. It wasn’t much later that they were knocking on the door. She looked through the peephole, and opened it up slowly.
“Hey. Before you say anything, I had to come home. If he didn’t notice you here, he might not notice me here. Isn’t kind of becoming anticlimactic with him, anyway? He keeps coming, but nothing is happening. I don’t think I need to worry.”
“Ms. Babcock—” Jessica started, but Nate put a hand up.
“Let me talk to her,” he said. He walked forward and grabbed both of Dove’s shoulders very gently. “Dove, I am saying this because I care about you. You need to be very cautious. I can’t imagine if anything were to happen to you.” He let go of one shoulder and pushed a stray piece of hair away from her face. “If anything happens, I want you to call 911, right away. Can you do that for me?”
Dove nodded. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had treated her with such care. She wasn’t sure Harold ever did. “I will.”
“I don’t think it’s worth telling you to leave the house, because I’m not sure you would, a
nd in the end it is your choice. But I want you to be as careful as you can be. Just in case.”
“No frying pans,” Dove said.
“If he comes in, you use all the frying pans you can find. If he stays out, let the police do their work.”
“Understood,” Dove said.
“Jessica, go out to the car,” Nate said.
“Absolutely not. I won’t tell anyone what happens next, but I want to see what it is. Besides, you suck at play-by-plays.”
Nate sighed and rolled his eyes, but leaned down and kissed Dove anyway. “Since I hadn’t kissed you back,” he said, then turned and left the house.
“She kissed you and you didn’t tell me?!” Jessica said once they were securely in the car.
“I’m kind of trying to keep it from all police officers.” Nate knew that wasn’t a good enough answer, though. Jessica was more than just a police officer. She was his partner. You didn’t keep things from your partner.
“Come on, I’m not a narc. How was it? Was it amazing? That kiss looked amazing.”
Nate paused, struggling to find words. How was it? Was it amazing? Yes, it was. But amazing hardly began to describe anything like that. He needed a good metaphor. “You know when you’re a little kid, you’re really nervous about bringing home your report card? What if it’s not good enough and your parents are mad, but then they open it up and it’s all As?”
“I don’t think I ever got all As, but I can imagine the feeling.”
“Well, that’s what it felt like. I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype, or I wouldn’t be good enough at it for a previously married woman. But she kissed me twice, Jess. You don’t kiss someone a second time if the first time sucked. And it’s better than any A I ever got.”
“Even passing your entrance and exit exams for the academy?”
“Even better,” he answered. He knew he should’ve thought about it. That there should’ve been hesitation, and a realizing of what moments were truly important. But that moment was truly important. That’s what he knew most of all.
