Armed With Steele

by Kyra Jacobs

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Nate’s never stayed over at my place!” Something told me I should try to shift the focus away from me and Nate, but how? And then it hit me: how do you fix a lie? Why, with another lie, of course!

  I shrugged and looked down at my nails. “Besides, it’s not him I’m seeing. It’s Charlie.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  I wrapped the leash around my hand and discreetly gave Brutus another tug. Damn if that dog didn’t do one hell of a boat anchor impression. More drops of rain painted the sidewalk around us, and a clap of thunder boomed in the distance. The storm was coming, and we should be going. I just needed to find a way around one really ticked-off brunette. “Yeah.”

  Katie crossed her arms, oblivious to the rain. “Then prove it.”

  Now she was beginning to piss me off. “I don’t have to prove anything to you.”

  She reached up and poked my sternum with two thick acrylic nails. Nails painted, of all colors, blood red. “Prove it, or else.”

  “Or else what?”

  Her eyes narrowed to mere slits. “Or else I send you on home with a broken nose.” She withdrew her fingers and used her other hand to crack a fist full of knuckles.

  Suddenly, I wasn’t nearly as worried about getting my eyes clawed out as I was about getting punched in the face.

  I glanced over at the intersection and debated trying to outrun her. She was obviously worn out. But I abandoned the idea. It was too risky—my luck, I’d trip and it’d be game over for my poor schnozz. Plus, I had no guarantee that I’d get Brutus to make the run with me. And even if we did make it home before she caught us, Katie would know exactly where I lived.

  Not good.

  I turned my head back to meet her gaze. “And how exactly am I supposed to do that?”

  Katie reached down into the top of her shirt and retrieved a cell phone from the industrial-strength strap of a lime green sports bra. She wiped it on her pant leg, flipped it open, dialed, and then held it out to me.

  I choked back a mouthful of bile and took the phone from her, then gingerly held it with as few fingers as possible up by my ear. “Who—?”

  The person on the other end picked up. “Spy Gear Incorporated.”

  Oh, shit.

  I had to give it to her—the bitch didn’t mess around. “Charlie?”

  “Speaking. How can I help you?”

  I got as far as, “Hey, honey, it’s Jessica,” before Katie swiped the phone back from me.

  “Charlie, this is Katie… Yeah, I’m sure you are…uh-huh. Clear this up for me and I’ll let you go back to playing with your stupid little spy toys. I just happened to bump into the slut I heard Nate was banging behind my back, and she’s trying to tell me that it’s not Nate she’s been shacking up with, it’s you.”

  “I never said we were sleeping together,” I hissed.

  Katie reached out, grabbed a fist full of my shirt with her free hand, and threw me a look that dared me to open my mouth again.

  A cold, light rain began to fall. I looked down at Brutus, who’d finally given up trying to get Katie’s attention. Part of me hoped the poor little guy wouldn’t catch a chill. The other part hoped the mutt would catch pneumonia. Because of him, I was now trapped in the clutches of Nate’s psycho ex-girlfriend and the future shape of my nose depended solely on Charlie’s response.

  Please give her the right answer, please give her the right answer…

  After a few seconds, Katie’s eyes narrowed. “Eww, whatever. Yeah, see ya, Chuck.” She snapped her phone shut, retracted her claws from my shirt, and took a step back.

  I raised one eyebrow. “Well?”

  She shrugged, as if threatening to break my poor nose had been no big deal. “He said you’ve only been out on one date, but that you were all over him. He also said how Nate found your behavior completely revolting, and that he was really missing me.” A smile flitted across her face, but transformed into a look of disgust as her eyes refocused on me. “Then he said to remind you to wear that lacy purple thong you mentioned last time.”

  Oh my gosh, had Nate told him about my purple panties? I felt my cheeks burst into flames.

  She tucked her cell phone back into her hideous green sports bra. “Seriously, honey, you must really be hard up if you’re going after Charlie. That man will screw anything with two tits and a pulse.” She glanced around and lowered her voice. “I’d wear protection, if I were you.”

  It was my turn to narrow my eyes.

  She turned to go, then stopped and turned back. “But, wait, your mother—”

  “Got their names confused.” What was one more lie? Apparently, I was chock full of them. “Charlie used to be a cop. Mom liked the idea of me seeing someone with connections to public safety.”

  “Oh,” Katie said, the iron-fisted edge gone from her voice. “Well, sorry I got all up in your face just now.” She reached down to give Brutus a quick scratch behind the ears.

  He gave her a farewell lick, followed by a quiet whimper.

  I glared at him. Traitor.

  “See ya around, Jessica,” she said, and resumed her labored pace around the corner and on down the sidewalk.

  Thankfully, in the opposite direction we were headed.

  I raised a shaking hand to push a clump of damp hair back from my face. “Come on, Brutus, before the skies really open up.”

  I tried to move forward once again, but Brutus’ rear remained planted solidly on the grass. And nothing I did—not treats, not threats, not tugging, or pushing—got him to get off him butt and finish our walk. He was done.

  At least it wasn’t pouring yet.

  Next thing I knew, the sky opened up and dropped what felt like a cold, thick, endless curtain of water down upon us.

  Why me?

  * * * *

  “This is all your fault!”

  Brutus sat down on the kitchen linoleum and looked up at me, unfazed by my outburst. Then to add insult to injury, he extended one back leg into the air and proceeded to clean himself in a place no animal should be able to reach with their own tongue. I looked away in disgust and went back to wiping up the rainwater he’d just sprayed in every direction with a thorough full-body shake.

  When my teeth began to chatter, I threw in the towel. Kitchen and dog might have been dry, but I was still soaked to the bone. I shot him another dirty look, which he didn’t see as he still had his head buried in his nether region, and stormed off to take a hot shower. But the minute I stepped foot into my bathroom, a thunderclap cracked like a sonic boom overhead and the lights went out.

  “D-d-d-dam-m-m-m-it!”

  I began hunting for candles in the dark and had just located a long-stemmed lighter when the sound of someone pounding on the front door met my ears. I chanced a look at myself in a mirror on the way to the door, and cringed at the just-in-from-the-hurricane look I had going.

  One quick look out the peephole verified the visitor was exactly who I’d thought would be there. I cursed under my breath, in no mood for company, and swung the door open.

  Nate stood before me, soaked. I spotted his personal vehicle, parked across the street and one house down from ours and knew he’d probably made a mad dash from there to our front porch. And I almost felt sorry for him.

  Almost.

  “Why, Nate, what a pleasant surprise.”

  “You have some explaining to do.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “And your ex-girlfriend is a real piece of work. Let’s call it even.”

  “Oh, no, you’re not getting off that easy,” he said, and brushed right on past me.

  “Hey!” I called after him. “I didn’t invite you in. You’re trespassing, buddy!”

  He shrugged out of his wet jacket and continued into the kitchen. “Then call the cops, why don’t ya.”

  I closed the door and stormed after him. Stubborn man and his stubborn dog.

  Nate tossed his jacket onto the back of a chair, then spun around, crossed his arms and leaned against
the counter. There was a silent fury in his blue eyes, which for once did nothing for me. I walked by without a second glance.

  “Can I get you anything?” I asked. “Water? Beer? Maybe a couple Taser electrodes to the chest?”

  I turned in time to see both his eyebrows launch toward the ceiling. It was one heck of a Captain Crunch impersonation.

  “Taser? What did I do to deserve that comment?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” I said, sarcasm thick in my voice. “Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you dropped that damn, traitorous, lazy-ass dog of yours off on my doorstep.”

  The scowl returned to his face. “You seemed to be fine with him the last time I was here.”

  “Yeah, well that was before I knew taking him out for a walk would result in me coming face to face with your dangerous, psycho ex-girlfriend! Seriously, Nate, you sure know how to pick ’em. What does she do for a living? Pit boss up at Blue Chip?”

  “She’s not psycho, and, no, she works in the parking control division.”

  Note to self: do not park illegally in this town. Ever. “Uh-huh. Well, I didn’t appreciate having to lie my way out of the broken nose I was this close…” I held up my right thumb and index finger. “…to receiving.”

  “Yes, it’s the dishonesty I’m here to discuss.”

  I turned from him before my face gave anything away. I knew I should have come clean about the Macy’s mix-up sooner, but there just hadn’t been a good time to do it. At least that’s what I’d kept telling myself. Either way, judgment day had arrived whether I’d wanted it to or not. Unfortunately, I was sopping wet and in no mood to be put on trial.

  “Dishonesty?” I reached up to retrieve a jar candle from the top of the refrigerator.

  “I thought we’d agreed that night at…Charlie’s…to be honest with each other. Partners don’t hide things from each other, remember?”

  I walked across the kitchen without looking his way and retrieved the lighter. “No hiding things. Sure, I remember.”

  “Then why didn’t you tell me about you and Charlie?”

  I turned to face him. “What?”

  “You and Charlie. Katie called, said she’d bumped into you and B while she was out jogging. Though, she didn’t mention anything about threatening to break your face.”

  “My nose, Nate. She threatened to break my nose.” I couldn’t help but reach up and touch it, to reassure myself that it was indeed still intact.

  “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. She’s not usually a…violent person.” He stopped, then shook his head. “But we’re not talking about her right now. We’re talking about you. And Charlie.”

  Between the cold, my fatigue, and the overall absurdity of him so easily buying into my latest fib, I started to giggle. I lit the candle with a shaking hand, and the giggle turned into a snicker.

  “What’s so funny?”

  I shook my head and tried to resume my composure. “Really?”

  “Don’t do that.” Nate stepped closer to me.

  “Don’t do what?”

  “Answer a question with a question,” he growled.

  “I can’t believe you bought into that story, hook, line and sinker. You probably didn’t even bother to call Charlie and get his side of the story before tearing over here, did you?”

  Nate recoiled. “No, I didn’t. I thought I’d give you the chance to clear everything up before I…”

  “Before you what? Went over there and pounced on him, too? Look Nate, I hate to break it to you, but Charlie’s not—” I stopped.

  He took another step closer. “Not what?”

  Not the one I want.

  “Not my boyfriend.”

  “But Katie said Charlie said—”

  “And I owe Charlie big for playing along and saving my nose. It was all a lie, Nate. Built on top of another lie. And another.” I ran my hands through my hair. Got caught up in the gooey styling product mess and cursed as I pulled them loose. “Look, I’m not usually the type of person who goes around lying to worm their way out of sticky situations. But then you came along…” I shook my head and sighed. “The first lie wasn’t technically your fault, though. It was mine. I was at my parents’, getting grilled by my mother about being all alone here without Grace. So I blurted out that I wasn’t alone, that I’d started seeing someone.”

  I could see the light bulb go on in Nate’s head. His eyes narrowed. “So it was your mother that Katie overheard at the store.”

  I shrugged. “How was I supposed to know she’d go announcing it to the world? I just picked out the first name that came to mind. I mean, really, is there anyone better to date when your mother’s worried about you being alone than a cop?”

  “And the part about Charlie?”

  Charlie? Why was he so damned concerned about Charlie? “Well, when Katie threatened me earlier, I panicked. She accused me of being ‘the other woman,’ and didn’t believe me when I denied it. I had to come up with something to throw her off my trail, so I tossed out the name of the one other person I knew you spend a lot of time with: Charlie.”

  Nate remained quiet for a moment. “So, there’s really nothing going on between you and Charlie?”

  I snorted. “Only in Charlie’s dreams, Nate. Definitely not in mine.”

  Nate took another step closer, eyes locked on mine. “Why didn’t you tell me about the lie to your mother before?”

  “I was afraid you’d be mad at me. And then when you said Katie’d overheard her in the store…well, I felt terrible. Though, now that I’ve met her—”

  “You should feel terrible.” Nate’s words cut right through me.

  “But you said the two of you had been growing apart for some time!”

  Nate crossed the room and slid back into his jacket. “You don’t understand.”

  It was my turn to lean back against the counter. “Apparently not.”

  He turned to face me, his brilliant blues cold and unrepentant. “No more lies, Jessica.”

  I crossed my arms. “Fine.”

  “Are there any other time bombs I should know about, before I walk out the door?”

  I glared at him. Glared because this fight made me realize that despite all my efforts not to, I’d still fallen for him. But we couldn’t be together—especially if I wanted to keep my perfect little nose. Admitting how I felt now would be pointless. “Nope.”

  He came to stand before me once more. “Last chance.”

  My senses were attacked both by the warmth radiating off his body, and the scent of rain mixed with his cologne, but I blocked them out. Couldn’t bear the thought of any more heartache, which is where we’d surely end up. I’d been through enough of that this past year to last a lifetime.

  So I did what I’d been successfully doing for the last six months—chose to remain safely behind the fortress built around my heart. “I got nothing.”

  “Neither do I,” he muttered, and headed for the door.

  Chapter 17

  Friday morning I awoke to the sound of doggie nails scratching at my bedroom door.

  “Alright, alright already!” I worked to peel my eyes open and my covers back.

  Brutus had been demoted to sleeping in the hallway the night before. Licking the enemy—I was certain many wartime mascots had been killed for less traitorous acts.

  As I slid into the nearest pair of jeans I could find, I reminded myself that today was a new day. If life was going to keep throwing me lemons, then I needed to find a way to start making lemonade. Or to invest in an extra large bottle of Jack and start making the kind of lemonade that helps a person forget all about those lemons.

  But the positive thinking got me nowhere. So I headed out to see the one person I could talk to about anything—even if she wasn’t in any condition to talk back.

  “What a mess I’ve made, Grace. See what happens when you leave me like this? I resort to lying. It’s no wonder I never did this much before—I’m terrible at it!”

  I to
ok her hand in mine and gazed up at her beautiful face. With everything I had, I willed her eyelids to flutter open or her mouth to move. But she did nothing.

  “Knock, knock.”

  I spun in my seat. “Matt!”

  “Hey, Jess. Do you mind if I come in?”

  Something unexpected happened then. A twitch. It felt like her hand twitched in mine. I looked down at her hand, not quite convinced I hadn’t just imagined it all.

  “The more the merrier.” My eyes remained focused on her hand, which was still once more. I grasped it tighter, to ensure I’d feel any additional movement. “So, how’ve you been?”

  He came around to Grace’s other side. “Hanging in there. But missing my girl something terrible.” He leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead, then remained within a whisper of her face, a silent longing in his eyes.

  I began to rise out of my chair. “I can leave you two alo—”

  “No! Please. Stay.” He withdrew from Grace and took the only available seat across from me. “How’ve things been for you? Business treating you well?”

  I resumed my seat and nodded. “Things have been…crazy. But yeah, business is doing well.”

  Matt studied my face. “You never finished your story from lunch last week.”

  “Story? What story?”

  He shook his head and grinned. “I’m going to have to buy you another meal to hear the rest of it, aren’t I?”

  “Oh, it’s going to take more than a Whopper to get this bird to sing.”

  * * * *

  Matt talked me into a platonic dinner date, and promised not to give me a hard time about whatever I had going on with Officer Steele. I think he was lonely. Which was fine, because I was, too. I hoped a night out with him would somehow help fill some of the void created by Grace’s absenteeism. An added bonus was that it would get me out of the house, and hopefully help keep Nate off my mind as well.

  As I was getting ready to go, my cell phone rang.

  “Miss Hartley?”

  I knew from the frosty tone of those two little words who was on the line. This was it! I took a deep breath and crossed my fingers. “Speaking.”