Sleepovers.
She knew he’d be arriving in about five minutes, and she was a sweaty mess.
“Go shower. I’ll meet your boyfriend at the door,” Charlie said, adding the homemade sauce to the lasagna. “I’ll give him some wine, keep him company, and ask his intentions with my daughter.”
She stared at him. “DO NOT do what you used to do, Daddy.”
“You like this one.”
She shrugged.
When his little girl wouldn’t answer or look him in the eyes, it meant something.
It was usually huge too.
“Talk to me, Lyzee my love. Tell me what you’re thinking about him.”
“I was thinking about Chris. Today, I’ve been thinking about him a lot.”
Charlie got excited. He wanted grandkids in the worst way, but more importantly, he wanted his little girl to be happy. She deserved love.
“What about him? Could he be the one?” he asked, trying to be neutral.
“We’re just best friends.”
“That’s all?”
“We haven’t had sex if that’s what you’re asking.”
Charlie looked at his daughter. She’d grown up so fast. He remembered being in a house just like this a long time ago with her and her mother.
She looked just like her mom, and she was just as headstrong.
“I didn’t ask if you slept with him. I asked you to tell me what you were thinking about him.”
Elizabeth always had an open relationship with her father when it came to her sex life. He bought her the first bra, told her about the birds and bees, and spoke to her as if she was an adult, not a child.
He was her father and then her friend.
“I’m confused about him.”
“What about?”
“We’ve slept in the same bed, we’ve been close the last year, but I’m worried.”
“Is he gay?”
“No,” she said, thinking about his erection in the front seat of the car. He was definitely not gay. That was the one thing she was certain of when it came to Chris.
“Well then what?”
“What if we have sex, and it’s a hot mess? What if we do it, and we regret it?”
“Then you learned a lesson, had some fun, and saw that you can’t be a couple.”
“What if I scare him away? I’m not easy to love, Daddy. I’m not exactly the posterchild for easy relationships. My own stepmother hates my guts and always has.”
He hated that part.
Charlie always did.
“You’re very easy to love, Elizabeth. You’re smart, you’re funny, and you’re all about the scales of justice.”
She died inside.
She’d failed that last one.
Ask ‘The Butcher’. Oh, wait. No one could ask him anything. She’d killed him in cold blood.
Yeah, two out of three on that one.
“What if the sex ruins it?” Granted Gabe weighed in, but Charlie’s opinion mattered more. Her father wouldn’t shoot smoke up her ass. He’d tell her the truth.
Besides, he knew her better than anyone else in the world did. Second on the list?
Christopher Leonard.
Maybe she should just ask him.
That was funny.
“It won’t ruin it if you two are best friends. It’s either going to take it to the next level, and I’ll get grandkids one day, or it’s going to make you both realize that sex isn’t a good thing between you.”
“What if he hates me afterward?”
“Then he never loved you before.”
He had a point.
“I say do it. I say grab life and that bull by the horns and see if he makes you happy. It’s only sex, Elizabeth. It’s not the end of the world.”
He had a point.
“What if it makes your friendship and relationship better? In the end, what if you’re a better person because you gave him a little piece of your heart?”
Tears filled her eyes.
He hugged her. “He already has a little piece of it. I know my girl. Trust your gut, and in this case if you can’t, trust mine.”
She held onto him a little longer.
“You may be right.”
“I always am, Lyzee. That’s my job.”
“I better go shower. I love you, Daddy,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. When he wrapped his arms around her again, holding her tight, there was peace.
Her father silenced those demons.
Just like Chris did.
“I love you, too, Elizabeth. Besides, if it goes to hell here, you can always come home. I’ll always be there.”
“Not with Abigayle there. We’ll kill each other,” she stated. “Like I said, she hates me.”
“Well, we’re getting divorced. She won’t be staying.”
She stared at him.
“What? Now is when you opt to drop that bomb, Dad?” she asked in complete shock.
She’d hoped this day would come, but Charlie didn’t run from his responsibility.
“Uh, say something, Elizabeth,” he said, staring at her.
“I don’t know where to find a virgin to toss into the volcano for this mighty gift from the Gods. I will find one though. I swear.”
He snorted. “Nice one. You have a smart mouth like your momma.”
Yeah, she did. It was her favorite trait that she’d gotten from Catherine.
Still, she had to know.
“Why are you divorcing her?”
“It’s not working. She’s getting bitchier every day, and I like my women calm. Besides, she’s not happy being married to me. I can tell. I can’t make her happy. Everything I do is wrong, and she’s always nagging. I’m ready to call it quits.”
“I’m sorry?” she asked. Elizabeth tried to get it to come out a statement, but it was totally a question. She didn’t want to be sorry at all.
She wanted to throw a party.
He laughed. “No, you’re really not.”
“No, I’m not. I hate that cuntasaurus.”
“Elizabeth Renee LaRue. Watch your mouth, or I’ll get the soap.”
She laughed. “Oh, okay. I’m in my house and I’m a grown ass woman. I can call Abigayle anything I want.”
She had a point.
Besides, his daughter was right. Abigayle was one.
“I’m going to put the house in your name. I have our attorney up here working on it. That’s why I came up here. I have the divorce papers in the car. She’s not getting our home. She can have some of the land, and I’ll have a house built for her and George, but our house is our house.”
“You went to see mom, didn’t you?” she asked.
“Yeah, I did. How did you know?”
She moved the collar of his shirt. “You have her ring around that chain of yours next to Saint Michael. She gave it to you.”
“Yeah, well, she was right. There was only one woman in the world for me, and I married her. Now I’m going to get rid of the crazy.”
She laughed. “Like Abigayle will go away quietly. She’s going to pitch a fit. If you need a place to hide out, you can come here, Daddy.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “I know. Same for you. If you need to hide out, come back to Salem.”
She hugged him again.
“We’ll talk about it later.”
“Okay, baby girl. Go shower.”
The doorbell rang.
“Don’t scare him,” she warned. “Please. I think I do that plenty.”
He simply laughed. “I’ll try. That doesn’t sound like me at all. I’ll be as gentle as a lamb.”
She raced upstairs, praying Chris could handle himself. Charlie LaRue was a handful on a good day.
Today, it was a crapshoot.
* * * E l i z a b e t h L a R u e * * *
Chris was nervous.
Okay, the closer he got, the more freaked out he became. He was meeting Elizabeth’s father, and they were having a date. Yes, they’d had ‘dates’
before, but she made this one sound as if it was a date-date.
He was confused.
As he rang the bell, he waited.
The door opened, and there stood this giant man who looked like a linebacker.
“Are you Elizabeth’s guy?”
God!
What wouldn’t he do for that to be true.
So, he went with it. Why not have one night of his dreams coming true?
“Yes, sir, I am. I’m Doctor Christopher Leonard,” he offered, holding out his hand.
Charlie shook it. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, son.”
“You too, sir.”
“Charlie. I’m not very formal,” he offered. “Come on in. Elizabeth arrived home late. She’s showering, and she’ll be right down. Let’s talk.”
“Yes, sir,” he offered, following him.
Chris was walking behind him and noticed two things. The man loved cowboy boots like his daughter, and he was wearing an apron.
It was one Elizabeth had worn when she cooked for him. It amused Chris and helped him relax. This was Elizabeth’s father. He raised her. She had to get her kindness from him.
He hoped.
They headed for the kitchen. Once there, Charlie grabbed three wine glasses. “Are those for me?” he asked, pointing at the flowers.”
Chris glanced down at the roses. “No, those are for Lyzee. When you have a date, you get the girl flowers.”
He smiled. “Yeah, you do. Someone trained you right. Was it your first wife?”
Chris stared at him. “Uh, I’ve never been married before.”
“Did your momma teach you how to treat a lady?”
“Hell, yes. She’s big on treating women like Goddesses. I was her only child.” He left it at that. There was no need to tell the man she worshiped said Goddesses.
Charlie opened the wine. “You look nervous.”
Chris was intrigued.
This man was hulking and scary, but he reminded him of Elizabeth. They had the same Southern accent, the same icy blue eyes, and his hair, although peppered with gray, had the same curls.
“So, you’re a sheriff?” Chris asked, taking the glass of wine after Charlie opened the bottle and poured.
“Yeah, I’m a cop to the core.”
“Lyzee is too. She was born to be a Fed. You can see it when she works.”
“Lyzee, huh?” The use of her nickname told him everything he needed to know. It was time to get down to business with this young man.
“So, you’re a doctor.”
“I'm an ME and forensic pathologist.”
He stared at him. “Yeah, that’s a doctor. Son, call a spade a spade.”
No one ever considered his career a doctor. It was always looked down upon—except by Elizabeth.
And now her father.
“Yes, sir.”
“What are your intentions with my girl?”
It didn’t surprise him. He was Southern, and he was a father.
This was about right.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Charlie asked.
“No. I don’t know. We have a unique relationship,” Chris admitted.
“You’re both young.”
“We are.”
“Make it count.”
Chris wasn’t good with subtle undertones in conversation. He liked when people just said what they were thinking.
Was Charlie LaRue telling him to sleep with his daughter? Was that a possibility?
Did fathers do that?
He was confused as hell.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to think about it much longer. He heard her coming.
“Did you guys save me any wine?” she asked.
Chris turned around, and he nearly spilled his drink. Elizabeth was wearing a dress.
She was wearing a freaking dress.
“Jesus.”
She stared at him.
“What?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”
“I’ve never seen you in a dress, that’s all,” Chris admitted. “I didn’t think you owned one.”
She laughed. “I own lots of them. Isn’t this what a girl wears on a date?”
He wasn’t sure. He’d never really had a DATE. The girls in college were fooling around in his dorm. Then there was no one until her.
Until now.
“You look beautiful,” he said, as she approached. “I got you something,” he offered.
“What?” she asked.
He was a little caught off guard. Normally, when he bought her something, there was a battle.
Now…
Now there wasn’t one.
The alarms began going off in his head.
Jesus!
Tony had been right. He’d figure it out.
THIS WAS A DATE.
“Here,” he offered, handing Elizabeth a bunch of red roses. “They reminded me of you.”
She sniffed them.
“Thank you, Christopher,” she offered, moving into his personal space.
Immediately, he tried to read her as she rested her head against his shoulder and left a kiss on his neck.
“I love them.”
“I also picked up dessert,” he stated, too flabbergasted to do anything other than babble. “I figured you were tied up with interviews.”
She smiled at him. “I love you. Thank you.”
His heart skipped. “I love you too.”
Charlie cleared his throat. “Want me to leave you two alone?” he teased.
“Don’t start, Daddy.”
He handed her a glass of wine.
“Here,” Chris stated, sliding the box toward her. “I knew you’d rather have these.”
She flipped open the bakery lid, and there were cupcakes.
Her favorite ones.
There was only one thing to do.
She kissed him.
Elizabeth moved into his body, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted one right on his mouth.
Chris nearly dropped his wine, and the girl.
Holy shit!
He didn’t know what to do.
So, he took her lead, and he kissed her back.
Slowly, she pulled away. “Thank you for knowing me,” she offered. “Thank you for this date.”
He simply nodded. Chris wanted to do cartwheels.
“Daddy, how long until dinner?” she asked, holding Chris’s hand.
“The lasagna has about thirty minutes.”
“I think I want dessert first.” Elizabeth selected a red velvet cupcake, pulled off the paper, and then took a bite. Then, she held it out for Chris.
“Life is too short to eat cupcakes last,” she stated, smiling at him. “Sometimes, you have to take that jump and have fun.”
He wanted to weep. His heart ached.
How could any woman replace her? What the hell had he been thinking?
Chris took a bite.
“Let’s get loaded on sugar,” she offered, taking the box, her wine, and Chris’s hand in hers.
Charlie watched his daughter take the man into her living room, and he smiled.
She was just like her momma.
Damn.
He raised her right.
* * * E l i z a b e t h L a R u e * * *
He was going to give the police a break. If anything, he was scared.
The hooker’s death was all over the news. It was on the local stations, and there was a Fed in charge of it. This wasn’t going how he had planned.
This was going to be bad.
Tonight, he planned to end another whore, but instead, he’d give it a night.
He wanted to find the Fed’s home.
He wanted to watch her.
He wanted…to make her pay.
This was going to make his life so much harder. It was going to make it hard to blend in.
For that, she’d have to suffer.
And he was the one for the job.
* * * E l i z a b e t h L a R u e * * *
Dinner had been amazing.
They laughed, had wine, and Elizabeth even sat beside him so she could hold his hand.
So, this was what a date was supposed to be.
Chris was floored.
It was easy, low key, and he wasn’t stressed the entire time. What he was though was horny.
All night, he’d checked out her body in that dress, but only when Charlie wasn’t looking. When she sat beside him, tucked beneath his arm, he shamelessly glanced at her breasts.
He was a man.
He couldn’t help it.
All of this proved one thing to him.
He needed to go on that date. Chris was seconds from breaking. He was about ready to beg her to stay at his place tonight. In fact, he was ready to be an idiot and stay with her.
Only he couldn’t.
Her father…
So, Chris knew what he needed to do. He needed to get off tomorrow to buy himself more time. With a few more dates, maybe he could convince her to…
To what?
She already loved him.
Oh yeah.
To have sex with him.
Chris was all tied up in knots. When she offered to walk him halfway home, he didn’t say no.
He should have, but he didn’t.
Out in the Georgetown air, they held hands.
“Thank you for tonight. I had a really good time,” Chris offered. “Your father is pretty funny. You get that from him.”
She smiled. “Yeah, I love me some Charlie. He’s a great guy. I’m lucky to find really awesome men.”
He glanced over.
Was she talking about him?
God!
He hoped so.
When they stopped at the corner, where they normally parted ways, he was nervous.
What happened now?
Chris was a nervous wreck.
Elizabeth sensed his tension. So, in true Elizabeth fashion, she opted to lead the way.
Going into his body, Chris’s arms immediately went around her waist. She tipped her head, and her mouth found his. She shared one hell of a kiss with him.
It stole his breath, and hers.
When she pulled away, Chris was staring at her.
Did she make a mistake?
He was looking at her like she was a serial killer wielding a machete.
Uh oh.
This was bad.
It was time to cover for what she’d just done.
“I hope we can do it again. Charlie is leaving in a couple days, but if you’d like, I’d love to do happy hour. I know we missed it tonight. We could have dinner.”
Stalked by the Past: An FBI Flashback Novel. (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 17) Page 23
