Resisting the Hero

by Cindi Madsen

  …

  Connor had kept busy the past few days, staying at the station until late. Domestic dispute and abuse calls always got to him, and Tuesday was the third time he’d gone to Hal and Erica Corbett’s house in the past six months. The first call had been more than a year ago, and he’d hoped ever since that she’d take out a protection order and press charges. So he’d spent all day yesterday and today making calls, checking in with the prosecutor, trying to ensure Mr. Corbett finally got what was coming to him.

  The phone on his desk rang and he picked up. “Officer Maguire.”

  Sullivan was on the other end, and when he hesitated, Connor knew it’d be bad news. “Sorry, man. We couldn’t hold Hal Corbett any longer. We might be able to give him thirty to sixty days for resisting arrest, but it’ll have a hard time sticking, and without Erica…”

  Connor pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know.” Damn, did he know. No matter how many people he had helped, it came down to her being willing to press charges. “Thanks for the call.” He hung up and released a string of swearwords.

  Kaleb glanced up from his desk. “Mrs. Corbett isn’t pressing charges, is she?”

  Connor gritted his teeth and shook his head. “He beat the shit out of her this time. And now he’ll go home and do it all over again. I thought I’d finally gotten through.” His failure sat like a cold, hard lump in his gut.

  “You did everything you could. She still loves him for some reason. She thinks jail would be too harsh; I could tell when we talked to her.”

  The things people got away with in the name of love. Yet another reason to avoid it. “She thinks he’ll change, too, but she’s going to be calling us again. Or maybe he won’t even allow that next time. Maybe I can convince the boss to put an extra patrol unit in that neighborhood—Hal should at least know we’ll check in. I’m personally stopping by tomorrow to make sure Erica doesn’t have any fresh bruises.”

  Kaleb came around Connor’s desk and sat on the edge. “You’re too close, and you’re gonna get yourself in trouble.” Connor opened his mouth to argue, but Kaleb put a hand on his shoulder and said, “But if you ignore this warning, like I know you’re going to, you sure as hell better take me along so I can make sure things don’t get out of control.”

  That was the blessing and curse of having a partner who knew you too well. He nodded. That much he could do.

  “Anna called to remind me that the gazebo still needs fixing.”

  Connor picked up the paperwork he’d filled out and crumpled it into a tight ball. He launched it into the nearby trashcan, the nice shot doing nothing to take away the thickness in his lungs. He just wanted to go home, but Anna had signed Kaleb up for gazebo duty and asked Connor if he’d help, too. Mrs. Lowery had even cornered him in the coffee shop yesterday to remind him that he’d promised to help. “Maybe hammering something will make me feel better.”

  After a quick stop at his place to pick up tools, they headed to Magnolia Park. The sun was just about down, but with the lights shining on the gazebo, he could make out Anna, Faith, and Ella. Connor rubbed a finger across his bottom lip. Yes, he’d been busy, but he’d also been avoiding Faith. After the restaurant the other night, he had no idea how their next meeting would go, and he wasn’t sure he wanted Kaleb witnessing it.

  Too late now. He got out of the car and took off his collared shirt, leaving him in a plain white tank top. As they walked toward the girls, he contemplated how to deal with Faith. Indifference? Act like nothing had changed? Give up flirting with her? Try to be friends?

  Ella came running toward them, a streak of pink and curls. She wrapped herself around Kaleb’s leg. After he bent down to kiss her forehead, she bounced over to Connor.

  He scooped her up and tossed her in the air. She squealed and erupted in giggles. She gave him a sticky kiss on the cheek—her hands were sticky as well, purple with grass stuck to them—then she wiggled down and took off back toward her mom.

  Kaleb walked over to Anna, and Faith straightened, glancing Connor’s way. Her blond hair was pulled into a high ponytail, dirt was smudged across her cheek, and she was wearing a red tank top and tiny jean shorts that showed off her legs. His heart gave a hard thump and he decided it’d be a shame to totally give up flirting with her. So he winked. “Hey, Blondie. How’ve you been?”

  She crossed her arms in a way that emphasized her cleavage. “Fine.” Her gaze dropped to the ground for a moment and then came back up to him. “Actually, I feel bad about the other night.”

  “I think we both said some things we didn’t mean.”

  She twisted the handle of the rake in her hands. “And I also wanted to say thanks…for dinner. You didn’t need to pay for my food.”

  “Least I could do after acting like a jerk.”

  Her eyebrows shot up, the surprise clear on her features. It only lasted a second before she narrowed her eyes at him. “It won’t change my mind about…” She lowered her voice. “You know.”

  “Okay,” he said, keeping his voice and face carefully neutral. Then he walked up the rickety stairs of the gazebo and went to work, hammering down loose boards. Kaleb started on the outside, but after about twenty minutes, Ella started crying for him and throwing tantrums when he didn’t pick her up.

  “Go home,” Faith said to Anna. “I’ve almost tackled this mess of weeds, so I’ll work for a little longer. I don’t mind.”

  Anna asked if she was sure, and when Faith nodded, she picked up Ella. But she was still crying for her dad, arms stretched toward him, trying to break free from her obviously tired mom.

  Connor looked through the archway to Kaleb. “You should go, too. I got this. Go be with your family.”

  Kaleb sighed and then handed the hammer through to him. “Thanks. I owe you.” He glanced at Faith.

  “I’ll take her home when we’re done.”

  Kaleb’s eyes narrowed.

  “Dude, I got your message the other day, loud and clear,” he said, keeping his voice low. “I’ll just give her a ride. Besides, she hates me, remember?”

  Faith straightened and must’ve realized what was going on. She waved Kaleb on. “Go ahead . I’d rather get as much done as possible than have Mrs. Lowery calling Anna all the time.”

  He muttered a thanks and rushed over to the van to help Anna get Ella buckled in. For a while, it was quiet, only the sound of the occasional car, his hammer, or the scrape of Faith’s rake. He’d smashed his fingers a couple times, thanks to Faith bending over to tug at a weed.

  When she came up the stairs, her ponytail was tilted to one side, several strands of hair coming loose around her face. “I’m surprised Mrs. Lowery let this thing get so rundown. If she wants it all picturesque-looking for the festival, it needs some major repairs.”

  “That storm last year around hurricane season beat it up pretty badly. But it could always be worse. Some guy ran his boat into one of the pier gazebos on Sherrills Ford’s side of the lake last week. Totally destroyed it.”

  “He just ran into it? How do you not see something like that coming?”

  “My guess? Lots of alcohol.”

  “Probably a good guess.” She dropped her gloves and rake on one of the benches and propped an elbow on the ledge, looking out toward Lake Norman. Connor put away his tools and went to join her. The urge to put his hand on her back was strong, so he shoved his hands in his pockets.

  Clouds obscured the moon, leaving only the dim glow from the nearby lampposts. Then little sparks of light flashed through the darkness, a glow here and there. More and more lightning bugs showed up, dotting the blackness like hundreds of stars hovering just above the ground.

  “I missed lightning bugs when I was in Atlanta,” she said, looking around at the glittering insects, her eyes wide. “I’d see one here and there, but nothing like this.” One corner of her mouth turned up. “I used to be scared of the dark, so Kaleb would fill a jar with them every night for me. I feel kinda bad for all the poor little bugs who died
trying to light my room.” She glanced at him, seemed to remember she didn’t talk to him like that usually, and the revelry disappeared from her features.

  He nudged her with his elbow. “You don’t have to be so guarded around me. You can let go a little.”

  “And have you use it against me?” Faith shook her head.

  “True. Wait until the newspaper gets ahold of the story about the girl who killed lightning bugs. In fact, I’d better take you in right now.” He placed his hand over the handcuffs on his belt.

  She arched her eyebrows and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, and his mind shot right to the gutter. He cleared his throat. “You started that one.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “I didn’t say anything!”

  “Sweetheart, your eyes said it all.” He lowered his hand from his cuffs and jerked his chin out toward the darkness lit with twinkling bug butts. “Now, behave, will you? I’m trying to watch bugs catch a mate. See if I can’t get some tips.”

  “Hell, make your ass glow, and I might take back everything I’ve said about you.”

  Desire swirled through him. If he thought he could get away with it, he’d pull her to him and kiss that sassy mouth of hers. But he was slowly figuring out that she was attracted to confidence, but also scared off by it. And then there was the fact that he wasn’t supposed to be thinking about kissing her. He remembered the look Kaleb had given him and tried to rein himself in. Friends. Without benefits.

  But he couldn’t help smiling, because she obviously didn’t hate him half as much as she claimed.

  …

  Faith was trying not to smile, but she was totally failing. Maybe it was the lightning bugs, or the perfect fall evening, or maybe it was the hot, obnoxious, yet irresistible cop standing next to her. She meant what she’d said earlier—things had gotten out of control at the Rusty Anchor, and she’d felt bad about it. Especially when, after waiting forever for her check, the waitress had told her, “The hot guy who was sitting with you earlier paid it already.” She’d looked all put out about it, too, which made Faith think he hadn’t hit on the one waitress he hadn’t slept with yet.

  When she hadn’t seen him for a few days, she wondered if he was purposely avoiding her. She’d told herself it was for the best—that she had plans to make and bigger things to worry about. But standing out here, muscles fatigued from hours of landscaping work, bugs glittering around them, her cares melted away. Didn’t mean she wasn’t going to be cautious with the guy next to her. She supposed they could be friends, though. If only he couldn’t read her thoughts so easily—she’d have to work on her poker face.

  Connor leaned down beside her, his massive bare arms folded across the railing. He peered off in the distance, and suddenly he seemed to be a hundred miles away. The muscles in his jaw tensed and his brow creased, leading her to believe it wasn’t a happy place.

  “So, Miss Psychiatry Major, tell me something.”

  “Psychology, actually,” Faith said. “And I’ll do my best.” He stared at her for a beat—happened most anytime she pointed out there was a difference. “It’s more figuring out why people do what they do and counseling than the medical side of physical exams and prescribing medication. I hope to be a counselor someday.” She waved her hand, wishing she hadn’t bothered explaining. “Anyway, what’s your question?”

  He gripped the railing, his eyes glued to the lake. “Why would a woman stay with a man who beats her?”

  The question slammed her in the gut—of all the things he could ask, she hadn’t expected that. The set of his jaw and the hardness around his eyes told her it was a serious question. “There are a lot of reasons, which I know is a crappy answer, but it’s the truth. It could be she has a history of being treated badly, so she’s used to it or has accepted that as standard. Or she feels a false sense of security or thinks she has too much to lose. Low self-esteem is a big reason, pretty much at the base of all those reasons. Sometimes she starts out with it, and sometimes the guy’s stripped her of it.” Faith shot him a sidelong glance. “I’m assuming you have a reason for asking.”

  “Got a case,” he said, but there was so much more behind the words. His mask dropped for a moment, a glimmer of a vulnerable person underneath, before it ascended once again. “Anyway. I know what the clinical answers are. Just wondered if you had a different take.”

  As if she couldn’t help herself, she placed her hand over his. “I’d like to say I could find the one reason and cure them all of it. But knowing something and really knowing it—like when we’re in that irrational state of being threatened or when love is thrown into the mix—isn’t easy. That’s the thing about humans. We’re all messed up in one way or another.”

  He turned his eyes on her, his face half light and half shadowed. She swallowed and tried to tell her fluttering heart to knock it off. “I guess that’s why they pay you the big bucks,” he said.

  “Right now they pay me nothing,” she said with a laugh.

  “Well, you’re worth every penny.” Connor turned his palm up and curled his fingers around her hand, his skin warm compared to the cool night air. “So. Are we friends again?”

  “‘Again’ is a strong word,” she joked. “But yes. I suppose we’re friends.”

  “Who occasionally…” He dragged his slightly calloused thumb across the inside of her wrist and her pulse underneath the thin skin quickened in response. “Watch fireflies together.”

  She shook her head but couldn’t help smiling. “Yes. That type of friends.”

  A devastatingly handsome smile curved his lips. “I guess we’d better go before I screw it up, then. And before my dog decides to tear apart something—she gets destructive when I leave her for too long.”

  They gathered up the tools and put them in the police cruiser. “I suppose I should make you ride in the back,” Connor said with a grin. “That way you can’t attack me while I’m trying to drive.”

  “Remember the not-screwing-it-up thing? You’re walking a fine line.”

  His grin only widened. He opened the passenger door for her and she climbed inside. It was a little weird to be riding in a police vehicle. And she couldn’t not think about Daddy in here, too, sitting in the spot Kaleb usually did. Or the one Connor was climbing into.

  “You okay?” Connor asked, and she forced herself to shake off memories of the cruiser parked in the driveway. How she’d see it out there and know her dad was home. How one day it hadn’t been there anymore.

  “Just tired from all the landscaping.”

  For the first time since she’d met him, Connor was quiet, not talking as they rode the short distance to Kaleb’s. She grabbed for the door handle. “Thanks for the ride. I’m sure I’ll see you later.”

  “If you want to make it sooner rather than later, tomorrow’s a swim instead of run day. Why don’t you meet me at the lake at six and we’ll see if you can keep up?”

  “Six? In the morning? I’ll be in bed. Sleeping,” she added before he took it as an invitation or chance to say something dirty. “But you have fun.”

  Connor tipped his head at her. “Night, Blondie.”

  “Good night, Big and Beefy.”

  He laughed, the edges of his eyes crinkling, and her stomach flip-flopped. Definitely a sign that it was time to put some space between them.

  As she walked up the sidewalk, she caught sight of more twinkling lightning bugs. There were few things in life you could bottle and hold onto. Even the glow of the insects wouldn’t last. But right now, she wanted to bottle the carefree happy sensation in her chest before the apprehension creeping in on the edges could take it away.

  Being around Connor felt slightly reckless in a delicious way she craved despite knowing the danger, which made her worry she hadn’t learned anything from her past relationships.

  Still, there was something different about Connor—something he worked to hide—and the curious part of her wanted to dig deeper and figure out what had happened to him to make that s
plit-second of vulnerability cross his features.

  Chapter Five

  Faith was surprised to see Connor in the park, hammering away on the gazebo, his dog pacing the ground around him. She supposed it only made sense that he was off if Kaleb was, since they were partners. But she definitely hadn’t expected him to be spending his day off this way.

  Anna was going to come to help finish up the landscaping, too, but she’d looked exhausted, so Faith told her she could take care of the flowers. She’d picked them up from Sprouts, just like Mrs. Lowery had ordered. Balancing the boxes, she made her way across the grassy area. Connor was in faded jeans and a navy shirt that stretched across his chest as he placed a pale plank of wood in place. A tall, scrawny guy with dusty brown hair was on the inside, the constant pounding of his hammer cutting through the quiet morning.

  “What do you think, Pen?” Connor asked, surveying the plank he was holding in place. “Does it look straight?”

  Penny wagged her tail, then turned to Faith and padded over. Faith set down the boxes of flowers so she could pet her, trying not to think about how adorable it was that Connor talked to his dog.

  He pounded a couple of nails in place and then jumped down. The other guy came down the steps of the gazebo.

  “Looks like Mrs. Lowery has been busy gathering more victims,” Faith said.

  “She’s my grandma,” the tall guy said and Faith clamped her lips shut, not sure how to respond to that. Oops.

  Connor covered his smile with his hand. “Sullivan, this is Faith. Kaleb’s very little sister. Faith, Garth Sullivan.”

  Faith started to put the name with the family. Lowery and Sullivan. “I think I went to school with your sister. Caroline?”

  He nodded.

  “How is she these days?”

  “Fine.” Apparently Garth wasn’t much of a talker. Or maybe she’d offended him. His phone chirped with a text and he looked at the screen. “Speaking of my grandma, looks like she needs me to meet her at the hardware store. I’ll be back in a few.” He pocketed his phone and headed off toward a beat-up white pickup, and Faith really hoped he wasn’t going to share their whole exchange with Mrs. Lowery. If he wanted to spread the word that she was here and doing her flower duty, though, that’d be great.