“And just who the hell are you to be telling me what I should do?” The woman glared at him.
“Detective Hartman, ma’am.” He reached in his back packet, pulled out his badge and flipped it open. “Would you like a piece of paper to write down my badge number? The little girl here with your son is my niece. I can tell you, this woman did everything she could to put the children’s safety first.”
She coolly eyed him before her gaze slid to Kara. “I assssuuuume I get the bear for free.”
Kara looked even glummer, if possible. “Billy didn’t get a chance to finish the bear. We were just about to stuff them when....”
The lady grabbed her son’s hand and grumbled, “Don’t bother. We won’t be coming back and I’ll tell my friends to stay away.”
“I’ll give you a free certificate...” Kara started to say, but Jack cut her off.
“Let her go. It’s not worth it,” he said under his breath as they watched the woman stalk off. “Some people. I swear.”
The two officers called mall security and made a sweep of the mall, but the fighters were long gone. Kara would need to give descriptions.
He thanked Kara again, took Ada’s hand and led her out into the mall. He wanted to get away from this place as quickly as possible. It was Sunday night, and the mall was closing in about fifteen minutes. He’d take Ada to the burger and ice cream place next door.
Ada could forget about her afternoon and drown her bad memories in hot fudge. He’d spend the time trying to figure out what he was going to tell his sister.
Chapter 3
By the time Kara finished with the police questions and gave a description of the two men, the mall was deserted. The officers offered to escort her to her car, but embarrassed to admit she didn’t have a car, she refused and headed out on her own.
Lifting her cell phone from her pocket she verified her guess, she’d missed her bus by five minutes. The next one, this time of night on a Sunday, was in two hours. Rain pelted her face as she looked up. “Really...” Kara said to the skies. “You got anything else today... because... really.”
She shouldn’t have said that. Murphy’s Law always proved her wrong. A car slowed as it approached the deserted bus stop. Great. What now? A serial killer?
The Audi’s back electric window lowered and a little body struggled with the straps of a child’s car seat. Ada’s face popped into view. “Miss Kara. Uncle Jack saw you sitting there and said we’re giving you a ride home.”
The window in the front of the car slid down. Jack smiled. A dimple creased the left side of his face. His dark hair and the shoulders of his jacket were damp from rain.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that. I live a ways out of town.”
The little girl screwed up her face with an exaggerated frown. “That’s silly. You’re not going to sit out there in the rain when you can get in Uncle Jack’s car and be warm and dry.”
“I didn’t say it.” Jack laughed and shrugged a shoulder. “From the mouths of babes. But I was thinking the same thing.”
Kara tipped the screen of her phone to read the time again. It hadn’t miraculously forwarded. Out of excuses, she asked, “Are you sure? It won’t be an inconvenience?”
“I think after your day, it’s the least I can do. And, if you say it was all in the line of duty... you are taking my line.” He shifted the car into park, got out and came around to her side.
Kara slowly stood and looked down at her ruined outfit.
“Leather seats,” he said. “You can’t harm them. Ask destructo back there, even crayons, McDonalds orange soda and play dough comes out.”
“Pepper spray?”
“Yep.” He smiled a charming grin, and she felt something flip in her stomach. She must just be hungry.
“You’ll be doing me as big of a favor as I am doing for you. First, I have to drop Ada off at her house. My sister will be home from work. Ada is going to be full of stories about what happened. With you there, you can tell Theresa, first hand, what happened. Then maybe she won’t lop off my head.” He braced his hand on the top of the driver’s door.
“Today, I’m not the person you want protecting you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Jack grinned as she slid into the car and he closed her door.
****
When they brought Ada home, it played out like he’d expected up to the part where his sister would be angry.
Kara explained in detail what happened. Theresa understood, and even thanked her.
His sister looked tired. She’d pulled another double shift at the hospital. But, she still found time to sit on the couch next to her daughter and listen to her long drawn out six-year-old’s story with even more details.
He asked Theresa if he could help with anything. She turned down his offer and said she was giving Ada a bath and then both were off to bed.
Jack drove Kara to her apartment at South Hill. He parked and followed her up the sidewalk and cement steps to her apartment door. She thanked him for the ride as he watched her reach in her pocket for keys.
Her hand shook as she tried to get the key in the lock. He took the key and opened the door for her.
“You have a friend who can stay with you tonight?”
“No.” She looked at him. Her eyes were still red rimmed from the spray.
He sighed. “Don’t take this wrong, and I swear I don’t want this to come out weird. But I would feel a lot better if you let me come in for a little bit until you are settled in. No monkey-business, I swear.”
He could tell she was fighting to try and make the right decision. “I really don’t want to be alone... but I...,” her words trailed off.
“I owe you for taking care of Ada this afternoon. I’ll only stay an hour.”
“Sure.”
Kara opened the door, flipped on the light, and tossed her keys in a cup. Jack followed her into the living room. It was homey with hand-crocheted throws and pillows scattered about the furniture.
“Have a seat.” He motioned to the couch. “Let’s give us a minute to unwind. Do you have anything to drink? I’ll pour us a glass. My nerves are a little frayed too.”
“There’s a bottle of wine over the refrigerator and the glasses are on the side.”
He poured two glasses and came back into the living room. She hadn’t moved from where she’d sat.
“Let’s take off your coat. It’s soaked.”
Kara pulled her arms free and he draped it over a chair to dry. She picked up the glass but didn’t take a drink and stared into the dark liquid.
“It was fearless what you did today.” Jack tried to think of something to say to make her feel better, but his words didn’t work.
Instead her chin quivered and a tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another. Her hands trembled. He removed her glass and set it on the coffee table.
She looked at the ceiling and shook her head. “I told myself I wasn’t going to cry. Damn it. And here I go...”
Jack scooted close and wound an arm over her shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay.”
She looked at him as more tears streaked her face. “Do you understand? It could have been so... bad. Those kids were scared. Ada was crying! What if I hadn’t been able to stop the fighting and the kids were hurt? They were in my care.”
He took her chin and tipped her face until their gazes met. “But they weren’t. You can’t play the what-if game.”
“I don’t understand,” she said.
“I’m a cop. I am telling you, you can’t play the what-if game. If I’d arrived five-minutes sooner, the guy wouldn’t have been shot. Or, I could have helped get that lady from the car. Superheroes help everyone. Everyone else helps those we can. We thank the powers that be for letting us get there on time. It’s not easy, but the rest is out of our control.” He leaned forward and took out Kleenex so she could wipe her eyes. “Be careful. There could still be pepper spray on your face.”
He got off the couch and wander
ed into the kitchen. He opened a cupboard and removed a large bowl and then filled it with warm water. He put in a few drops of dishwashing detergent then got Kara from the living room.
He held her hair back. “Dip your face in the water it will help clean off any spray we might have missed.”
She looked over her shoulder. “You seem to know a lot about pepper spray.”
“I’ve gotten it in my eyes a few times too. It’s no fun.”
“You had a rampant co-worker?”
“Nothing that dramatic.” He lifted her hair out of the way while she dipped her face. He lifted a dish towel and patted the water off her face. Most of the redness in her eyes was gone leaving them a warm chocolate brown with long, dark lashes. He swallowed. Kara was more than pretty, she was beautiful. “I’m going to flip on the football game. Go take a shower and I’ll wait to make sure you’re doing okay before I leave.”
She took the towel from him and folded it. “Do you do this for all your crime victims?”
“Nope. None.” He smiled when she did. “Have any chips?”
“Will tortilla chips and salsa do?”
“I’d love it, thanks.”
He turned on the game and waited until he heard the shower turn off. In another minute Kara emerged from the bedroom in yoga pants and a zip-up hoodie.
“Feel better?” he asked.
She sat next to him. “Any other tricks you know for pepper spray? Now, I have a headache.”
“I bet you do. Adrenalin wearing off will do that. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll get you a glass of water. Aspirin?”
“Already took two. I have to warn you. I’m not much of a of a football fan.”
“That’s okay. Not much of game. I’ll shut it off.” He pushed the button on the remote and the screen went dark.
They sat in the quiet room until Kara said, “Thanks for staying. I’m a big baby.”
“You had a really rotten day. Everyone needs someone. Ten years came off my life today when I ran towards your store knowing Ada was inside. Theresa’s had some hard times since her divorce. She won’t take money, but family’s family and I need to be there for her. She’s been through a lot. You know. Rotten ex-husband who doesn’t want any involvement in Ada’s life. I take Ada as often as I can when she’s at work. Theresa trusts me with her daughter... and....” He drew in a deep breath.
Kara took his hand. “This guy I know said not to play the what-if game. You seem to be a person who always makes sure others are safe, that’s why you left Ada at Make-Me-a-Bear. It’s usually safe. I think it’s more than your profession, it’s who you are or you wouldn’t be here and I would still be standing waiting for the bus.”
He nodded, not sure what to say. Kara said what he needed to hear, and hopefully earlier he’d done the same for her. It had been a long time since there was a woman he felt he could open up to.
They sat and listened to the rain patter on the windows. In a few minutes Kara’s head slumped down to rest on her arm. She’d fallen asleep. Jack drew her onto his shoulder. He didn’t want her to be cold.
As she slept, Jack tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She mumbled something and frowned. He wanted to wipe the frown from her face. It was a good thing he hadn’t been at the store earlier. He would have broken those numb-nuts’ heads for scaring her and the kids. This woman had no police training to handle situations like she’d been thrown into, but Kara did everything he would have. She put the kids’ safety before hers.
Kara was someone he didn’t see every day. Brave. Different. Special.
He’d just stay awhile longer until she woke up, he didn’t want to disturb her sleep.
Chapter 4
Kara looked forward to the evening with her girlfriends and telling them what happened over a pitcher of chocolate raspberry martinis at Shillings.
“That is a crazy story! Who would think Make-Me-A-Bear was a dangerous place to work? I think we should drink to that,” her best friend, Zoe, exclaimed as she raised a toast her direction.
“I don’t want to think about bears or fights or... anything.” That wasn’t true, because she didn’t want to stop thinking about the tall, handsome detective who came to her rescue. “Let’s talk about a more pressing issue. Our Valentine pact.”
The four women nodded solemnly.
Kara fished in her purse, pulled out a headband, and pushed it over her hair. The band was red with a feather in the middle and a metal wire with a dangling piece of greenery. “Mobile mistletoe. I was the first one to make the pact.” She crossed herself and brought her hands together.
They all laughed and took another drink from their martini glasses.
“But now it’s close to Valentine’s Day, not Christmas!” Jess exclaimed.
“I know. But, because of our pact, I am forced to wear this damn thing until someone kisses me.” Kara spread out her arms and tipped her head in a bow.
“All year?” Jane asked as she raised an eyebrow in question. “You’re telling me if you don’t find a man to kiss you, you’re going to wear that thing ALL year?”
“Yep.” Kara let go of a sigh. “That’s what I said, and I’m good to my word... unless of course I find a man, then... who gets it next?”
“Me!” Zoe shouted. “I’m all in on this man-or-bust game!” She waved down the waiter, but he walked by.
“Good. But I think I’ll have it awhile longer, so you’re safe.” Kara thought of Jack. Could he be the deal breaker for her? What kind of kisser was he? Tender? Or would he be strong and demanding? He seemed like a man who took what he wanted, but she would never know because there was no call.
She gave him her number so he obviously hadn’t wanted to see her again. She checked her answering machine a dozen times from work making herself a little crazy. It was only a day since she’s seen him, but he should have called by now. “What’s wrong with me anyway? Even when you think you’ve found a potential Mr. Right, he never calls.”
“Wait a minute, back up. Did I miss something? You found Mr. Right?” Jess asked.
“Did I say that?” Kara tried to back step as heat flushed her cheeks. “No, I meant I was looking for Mr. Right, and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it looks like all the good ones are taken.”
Kara’s gaze drifted over the dance floor when the beat from the D.J.’s music stopped. The tall man next to the stage turned. Jack? Why was he here? That giddy feeling of seeing him again shot through her. “That’s him,” she whispered loudly to her girlfriends.
They all swiveled in their seats to stare.
“Don’t look!”
“What do you mean don’t look. That’s him is always followed with us looking,” Jane said cocking a perfectly shaped black brow.
“You mean the Mr. Right that you denied having a minute ago?” Jess stated. “There are two guys over there, but I’m guessing you are referring to the tall, drop-dead gorgeous one and not the one who looks like a bowling pin and old enough to be your father,”
Kara licked her teeth to make sure there was no lipstick or chocolate streaked on them. She ticked back to remember if she’d combed her hair before she left work, and then straightened her sweater.
Jack and the man he was with turned and headed toward them.
She pasted on her best smile and attempted a nonchalant girly wave with the tips of her fingers.
Something flicked over Jack’s face, but nothing else changed. His face was a sheet of stone.
No recognition. No smile. No dimple.
“Do you know that woman?” the man asked Jack.
“Nope,” Jack said. “She must be waving at the guy behind us.” Without breaking stride, he and the man walked by her table and out the door.
Her smile slid from her face like hot fudge off cold ice cream.
“Oh-oh...” she heard Zoe mutter and felt her friend’s arm around her shoulder.
Kara realized that’s what girlfriends are for. They try to force you to make lemonade ou
t of life’s lemons. Which reminded her, lemonade was not what she needed. She stuck fingers in her mouth and whistled. “Hey! Buddy! Can we have another pitcher of drinks here?” Her shoulders slumped forward. “What is wrong with me?”
“Nothing. There is nothing wrong with you or any of us.” Jane shook her head making her sleek dark hair wave. “We’re all in the same boat, so no pity parties from you.”
“It’s hopeless.” Kara waited for her glass to be refilled, and then pointed to the headband. “Here’s to mobile mistletoe and being single. Cheers!” She downed half of her drink.
****
Jack’s concentration broke when he saw Kara at the bar. He had to get Kildergard out of there as fast as possible. He’d been in the field the last two days under deep cover. Kildergard was the ex-manager of the bar and talked the current manager into letting him use the adjacent storage facility to sell ‘Bath Salts’. Last week, a local girl showed up at the hospital and had to have her arm amputated after injecting the crap. The use of Methylone was on the rise. After finding where the girl got the stuff, Jack knew Kildergard’s operation needed to be shut down. Now.
He’d worked with the DEA on this case for months, trying to get into the inner circle and convince Kildergard he was a legitiment buyer for a major operation. Now, he was close enough to be shown where the main supply was stashed.
Jack ran a thousand scenarios through his head to how this night would go down. Not one of them involved seeing Kara with her friends.
He glanced at his watch to verify the set up would be in place. Just as Kildergard pulled out the case and opened the lid, Jack said the code word, “ice.”
His words through the wired mic he wore signaled the DEA unit. The door crashed open and heavily armored men streamed in with guns leveled.
“What the...” Kildergard shouted, as he stumbled to run.
Jack grabbed him by the back of the shirt and yanked him back.
The DEA officer slammed him to the floor and pushed his knee in the middle of Kildergard’s back. Reaching in his back pocket, he pulled out cuffs. “Thanks, Hartman. Good work. We got it from here.”
The Mobile Mistletoe Series (Books 1-4) Page 2
