“Okay, Cain. Tell me about your menace.”
“Thinks she’s above the law, she does.” Cain vibrated with something akin to anger. “Rides that damn elephant into town like she’s queen of the jungle or something.”
John shot forward in his seat. “Elephant? That better be some kind of metaphor.” His scowl had Brown squirming in his chair, but Cain was too caught up in the excitement of relating Miss Smith’s sins to pay him any mind.
“Nope,” said Cain. “It’s an honest to God, Asian elephant and she rides it into town and ties it to the damn parking meter.”
John was too stunned to speak. He looked to Brown for confirmation.
“She owns an animal refuge, just outside the city limits,” Brown explained. “They take in old circus animals and such. Been there long as I can remember.”
John turned back to Cain. The emotion that had been simmering had become clear. Excitement. The fool was excited because he thought someone was finally going to take his parking tickets seriously.
“You idiot.” Furious, John fought not to shout. “She ties an elephant to the parking meter and you write her a parking ticket?”
A much deflated Cain nodded.
“And I suppose,” continued John, “she goes into that market to do her shopping?”
Again Cain nodded.
John shook his head with dismay. “Don’t imagine she builds a fence around the elephant or leaves a handler to watch over it?”
Cain’s brows furrowed and Brown sat straighter in his chair.
“You do know this state has laws about handling wild animals? Specifically, laws about elephants—to protect innocent bystanders who might unknowingly spook one and get trampled in a charge.” The fool had been issuing the woman a parking ticket when she could be hauled in for leaving an exotic and potentially dangerous animal unattended in a public parking space. It was reckless and irresponsible and it didn’t fit with John’s image of a blue haired, shrinking Mrs. Smith.
~~~
An hour later, John rolled the city cruiser up to the gate of Smith’s Animal Refuge. The fence was high and sturdy, with warning signs clearly displayed. A cattle guard stretched across the ground beneath the locked metal gate. John left the car to idle and stepped out of the cruiser to look for an intercom system. Movement in the distance caught his attention and he stepped over to peer through the wide bars of the gate.
At the end of the drive, several barns and corrals flanked a typical ranch style house. Several fenced enclosures dotted the surrounding area, but the movement came from the yard directly adjacent to the home. A brightly colored beach ball flew into the air in an elegant arc. Before the ball could make its way to the grass below, the orange and black striped tiger that had been crouched on the green lawn bounded into action, patting the ball with one wide paw. The woman who’d thrown the ball laughed at the animal’s antics as if she played with a house cat. She stood in the grassy expanse, long golden hair blowing in the afternoon breeze—yards away from the safety of the house. Long limbed and willowy, she moved with casual grace as she walked to the rolling ball and plucked it from the ground, heedless of the power of the animal rolling on the grassy carpet at her feet.
John’s muscles tightened with icy worry even as the heat of anger rushed up his neck. How could the woman be so reckless? Though something about her confidence struck him as more than arrogance. She clearly lived side-by-side with exotic animals every day of her life. He’d looked up the records on Smith’s Animal Refuge and found the operation was legitimate. Still, she’d broken the law when it came to the elephant. He needed to speak to the woman to find out if she had any sense in her sun-streaked blonde head.
He didn’t see an intercom, and he really didn’t want to risk startling the tiger by honking his horn. He was just about to go to the car and radio someone to call her by phone when the tiger’s playful attitude gave way to alertness. Perhaps the wind had changed, he couldn’t be certain, but suddenly the tiger and the woman both stared at him with intensity and curiosity. After a moment’s hesitation, the woman lifted a hand in a wave, then turned and led the tiger around the corner of the house and out of sight.
Returning alone, she began the long walk to the gate. He watched her move closer with fascination. The white cotton threads edging her cut-off blue jean shorts drew his eye to tanned thighs. They were the thighs of a swimsuit model, he thought. A light layer of perspiration made her skin glow. Yes, he could definitely enjoy a little touch football on the beach with Miss Smith. Knowing his eyes were hidden behind the mirrored tint of his sunglasses, he allowed himself a long leisurely look. Her generous breasts were veiled behind a tight fitting cotton shirt that only served to ignite his imagination. When he managed to move his scrutiny up to her face, he found a sparkle in her big blue eyes and her wide lips quirked in a welcoming grin. Would she wear that expression to welcome her lover to her bed?
Calliope Smith studied the lawman at her gate as she went to meet him. He appeared lean, yet powerfully built in his dark city uniform. His jawline was firm and tanned. His sandy brown hair, just long enough to tussle in the breeze, showed no signs of gray. She’d guess his age at mid thirties. Young for a Chief of Police. But chief he must be. As far as she knew, it was the only position the city had open.
She had no idea why the man believed he was standing at her gate, but she knew beyond doubt the reason he’d appeared in her life on a warm summer day. She’d always known certain things without question—since she’d been a small child. Her mother had said she was blessed by God. Her father had assured her she had fairy blood. She grinned, wondering what her future husband would think. Imagine being married to her hometown Chief of Police. She’d only been home six months and hadn’t been sure she’d stay until that very moment. It was for the best. She couldn’t abandon the refuge and she’d had no luck finding someone qualified to take over the responsibility.
Without hesitation, Calliope fitted the key to the lock and opened the gate. She stepped close to the man whose name she didn’t know, the name she fully expected to share, and stretched her hand out in greeting. “Good afternoon, Chief…”
He clasped her narrow hand in his much larger one. “Gage. John Gage. Pleased to meet you. Miss Smith?”
“Calliope,” she said with a nod. His eyebrows shot up. It wasn’t an unusual reaction. Most people expected a ‘Smith’ to have an equally common first name. Her parents had gifted her with something a little more unusual and, she thought, it probably fit far better than they ever expected. “Chief Gage, do you believe in love at first sight?”
She had to give the man credit. He didn’t flinch at her use of the L word. She liked that he actually thought about her question, or seemed to. It was hard to read him behind those sunglasses.
“Well,” he said, giving her hand one last gentle squeeze before releasing it, “my grandmother once told me she knew she was going to marry my grandfather the day they met. She never lied to me—that I know of, so…yeah…I guess I’m willing to consider the possibility.”
Calliope beamed. It was a very good answer.
Chief Gage cleared his throat and directed his gaze toward the house. “I’d like to come in and look around.”
The refuge was firmly outside the city limits, so he really didn’t have any right to barge in, but he was her future husband and it seemed like a good way to get to know him. “We don’t do public tours, Chief, but for you I’ll make an exception.”
Calliope pushed the gate across the drive and held it open. Curiosity ate at her as she watched him drive forward, clear the gate, then wait for her to close it behind him. She pushed it closed, then walked to the passenger’s door, promising herself she’d be patient about his reason for being there, just as she’d be patient about falling in love. Even when you know you’ve just met the love of your life, it still takes time for the feelings to grow.
When she slid into the passenger seat, John’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.
“I don’t see anyone else around. Are you alone out here, Miss Smith?”
“I have a helper, but he’s off this afternoon. That’s why I let Tasha out to play. I can’t give her any freedom when Barry is around. Tasha isn’t too fond of men. I think she was mistreated by a male handler at some point in her past.”
“Tasha? The tiger?”
“That’s right. Even Father had to be careful around her.” She still remembered the day her father brought the Bengal home as if it were yesterday. At the tender age of fifteen, Calliope had been awestruck by the beautiful animal. A feeling not so dissimilar to the one she’d felt when she’d looked out and seen Chief John Gage standing at her gate.
“I assume this is a family run operation. Where’s the rest of your family?”
“They died in a car accident earlier this year.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been rough on you.”
“Yes, it was…” As the car stopped, Calliope looked at her childhood home and realized, sometime in the last few months, the sorrow in her heart had become manageable. “But here, everywhere I look I see them—always happy. They loved the refuge, the animals, and the work they did here. It was a wonderful place to grow up.”
She turned to look back at John and although his eyes were still hidden, she was certain he studied her from behind them. The only question—whether he thought her a nut or just attractively original. Slowly he reached up and removed the mirrored sunglasses. His eyes devoured the features of her face—lingering, she thought, on her lips. The very notion compelled her to study his sensual mouth, to wonder how he’d taste.
After a long moment he got out of the car. He was half way around to open her door before Calliope recovered enough to comprehend. The gesture tugged at her heart, so she let him play the gentleman. The hand he offered to help her out felt warm and strong. She stepped out of the car and pushed to her feet, then led him around the edge of the house. She was just about to launch into her slightly rusty, guided tour mode when Tasha appeared in the window with a roar. John nearly jumped out of his skin.
“You keep the tiger in your home?” He sounded outraged.
“No, not normally. She has a very safe enclosure on the other side of the house, but I didn’t want to keep you waiting. It’s okay. She’s house broken and very well behaved. I’d be happy to introduce you to her.”
“No!”
She was startled by the strength of his reaction. Most people were wary, but fascinated by big cats like Tasha.
“You don’t like animals?” She couldn’t marry a man who didn’t like animals.
“Of course I do, but you’ve already said she doesn’t like men. What are you trying to do, get me eaten?”
Calliope laughed. “She doesn’t like men, but she’s not liable to attack you with me handling her either. None of the big cats are ever completely tame, but Tasha’s very well behaved.”
“I didn’t come here to meet your tiger. I came about the elephant.”
“Dolly? I know…” Calliope, held up a hand to forestall any jibes at the name. “It’s a stupid name for an elephant, but it’s the name she came with. Why would you be here about Dolly?”
“I’ve heard you’ve been riding her into town.”
“Oh, my. This is about Jethrow’s silly tickets, isn’t it? I can’t believe it. That man has hated me since kindergarten. You couldn’t possibly have come here to arrest me because Jethrow, for some unknown reason, can’t stand me?”
Just then Tasha chose to roar and paw at the window. Chief Gage swore under his breath. “I came here to decide if you needed arresting. So far the verdict is still out.”
~~~
Despite John’s hesitation, he did end up meeting Tasha. Before the tour could begin, Calliope insisted on taking the tiger back to her enclosure. After a brief set of guidelines on interacting with Tasha, she’d opened the back door to the house and the big cat had cautiously approached him. Together the three of them had walked to the tiger enclosure. To John’s amateur eye it looked both secure and comfortable. In fact, the entire property seemed well maintained. According to Calliope, all the enclosures had been designed with the animal’s comfort in mind.
Calliope acted the tour guide with good humor and obvious love for the refuge. Her earthy sensuality combined with a clever, if quirky, wit appealed to John more than he cared to consider. Yes, he found her sexy, but it went beyond that and that made him wary. She’d saved Dolly the elephant for last and John followed her to the large barn, surprised to realize he was in no hurry for the tour to end.
“Here we have the largest of our barns. Dad insisted it be built high enough to house a giraffe, though we’ve never had one here.” Calliope laughed as she waved John into the shaded interior. “We have an assortment of stalls and work areas. At the moment, Dolly has the place to herself.”
John saw the large gray beast through the top half of two giant doors that had been opened in a wall that divided the far end of the barn, creating an elephant sized stall. He could also see sunlight through large exterior doors that stood open, allowing Dolly to move in and out of her shelter.
“Do you always leave those doors open?”
Calliope’s lips tipped in a grin. “Only on Tuesdays and Fridays.”
“Today is Wednesday, and why the—”
“I was only kidding.” Calliope shook her head. “I’m certain you have a sense of humor, but I’m beginning to think it might take some work to find it.”
John refused to give in to her tendency to stray from the subject at hand. “The elephant?”
“Oh. Yes. Dolly. There’s a fenced area beyond the barn. It isn’t nearly enough space, though. She really needs more exercise. That’s why I ride her to town—for exercise.”
John couldn’t believe she thought exercise a sufficient motivation to break the law. He wondered if it didn’t have at least a little to do with irritating Jethrow. He suspected the trouble between Officer Jethrow ‘Jay’ Cain and Calliope Smith had a long and colorful history. The fact she knew his full name had to eat at Cain. The man hated being called Jethrow.
John watched as Calliope walked over to the elephant. “You break the law so the elephant can get her exercise?”
Calliope frowned. “I’m perfectly well qualified to handle her. I’m trained to handle all the animals we keep here. I wouldn’t have them here if I weren’t. The refuge is fully licensed. I know what I’m doing, Chief Gage.”
“Then you also know it’s illegal—and dangerous—to have an elephant out of an enclosure with no protective barrier between her and the public. You must know the dangers and still you leave her unattended—”
“I don’t leave her unattended. Dolly is virtually harmless, but I know there are always risks with wild animals. Why do you think I tie her to that darned meter?”
“I have no idea.”
Calliope continued, barely taking a breath. “It’s not as if Thompson’s has the best prices in town, but it has huge windows directly in front of those two metered spaces, so I shop there to ensure I can keep an eye on Dolly. She’s never out of my sight and I only ride her during the day when children are in school. Any adult with half a brain would know to steer clear of her.”
“So you tie her to the meter?” John should have been outraged, instead he found himself admiring her passion. Standing with her back to the big elephant, Calliope’s cheeks were flushed pink. She was a spitfire and he had a weakness for fiery women.
At that moment, Dolly reached her long trunk over the barrier to give Calliope a little shove—right into John’s arms.
She felt good there. She made no effort to extricate herself, he noticed. John could feel her hands pressing warmly against his chest. Looking down into her face, he found her staring back at him with an air of expectancy. The opportunity was too golden to let pass. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. When she leaned into the kiss, he pressed the advantage, pulling her closer. Close enough to feel the softn
ess of her breasts and the heat of her body. Damn he wanted her. He deepened the kiss and luxuriated in the press of her against his hardening erection. Her hair fell over his hands, making him think of how it would form a curtain around them as she rode him.
Riding. There was something about riding…Damn. Her tumble into his arms tempted him to give in to distraction, but he fought it.
“You can’t ride Dolly into town anymore. It’s just not safe.”
She blinked her big blue eyes as if coming out of a trance. “Then what am I going to do? She needs her exercise.”
To restore his concentration, he looked over her shoulder at the large elephant. Dolly raised her trunk in a salute. Giving her a wink, he returned his gaze to the woman in his arms. He’d been on the verge of telling Calliope she needed to get rid of the elephant, but he owed the big girl. “It sounds to me like you need a bigger enclosure.”
“Well. Yeah. But it’s a lot of expense and work to put up that much fencing. Fencing that will keep in an elephant, don’t forget.”
It occurred to him the refuge had no visible means of support. “Can you afford it?”
“Maybe the materials, but not the labor. Our budget is a bit tight at the moment. I’m going to need to do some major grant writing now that I’ve decided to stay.”
“You were thinking of leaving?” Why did that idea distress him so much?
“I left a fabulous job at a very prestigious zoo to come back here when Mom and Dad died. I’ve been trying to find someone else qualified to take on the refuge, but I recently decided this is where I belong.”
John gazed at her long and hard. He had to be nuts to be glad she’d be sticking around. She and her animals would probably turn out to be nothing but trouble. A final look into her blue eyes pushed aside any doubt. Crazy or not, he wanted a chance to get to know her. “If you can purchase the materials, I’ll round up the workers. Deal?”
No Law Against Love Page 5
