Along Came Trouble

by Sherryl Woods

  There was one street he hadn’t checked, he realized as he pounded the steering wheel in frustration: Primrose Lane, Daisy’s street. He’d been so certain they wouldn’t turn up there, given the way his sister felt about Mary Elizabeth. Well, it was way past time for long shots, he thought, turning back toward town.

  Relief swept over Tucker as he spotted his father’s car, Mary Elizabeth’s and Gail’s all lined up on the street in front of Daisy’s. Relief quickly gave way to anger that they hadn’t thought to fill him in on their plans to have an impromptu gathering. He had half a mind to keep right on driving, but then Andy pulled up beside him and he was stuck. If he took off now, everyone would make way too much out of it.

  “I see you had the same idea I did,” Andy said as he parked and climbed out.

  “It’s certainly the last place I expected to find them, especially Mary Elizabeth,” Tucker said.

  He walked inside half-expecting to find his sister and Mary Elizabeth at each other’s throats with all the others sitting around watching the brawl. Instead, he found something damned close to a tea party. Daisy was passing around cookies just out of the oven, his father was teasing Mary Elizabeth over some childhood shenanigan, Gail was bustling around refilling glasses of iced tea. Even Tommy was underfoot.

  “Well, isn’t this just the picture-perfect family gathering?” Tucker commented irritably. “Guess everybody forgot to invite me.”

  Andy put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Tucker’s just upset because he expected to find Liz waiting for him at Earlene’s.”

  Mary Elizabeth had the grace to wince. “I’m sorry,” she said at once. “Your father was at the store, Daisy called to see what was going on because she’d heard he was there with a rifle and the next thing you know everyone was heading over here.”

  Tucker looked from his father to his sister. “I thought you two weren’t speaking to Mary Elizabeth.”

  His father shrugged. “Changed my mind.”

  Tucker turned to Daisy. “And you?”

  “I’m withholding judgment for the time being.”

  At least that was a softening in her attitude, Tucker thought, grateful that some good had come out of this mess, even if his heart was just now settling back into something akin to a normal rhythm.

  “Cookie?” Daisy inquired, shoving the plate under his nose and wiggling it around so he could get the full benefit of the aroma of the gooey chocolate chips. “It’ll sweeten your mood.”

  “Have one,” Mary Elizabeth encouraged, “and come over here and sit by me.”

  Tucker took the cookie, but hesitated over the invitation, waiting to see what King would have to say on the subject.

  “Oh, go ahead, boy. You’re too old for me to have to tell you what to do.”

  Tucker chuckled despite himself. “Since when?” He slid a chair next to Mary Elizabeth and sat down warily, still expecting an acerbic comment from Daisy at least. But beyond a slight frown, she displayed no reaction to his choice.

  Within seconds the boisterous conversation around the table resumed. He touched Mary Elizabeth’s arm. “You really okay?”

  She turned to him with shining eyes. “Better than I have been in years,” she said. “I’m back with family.”

  Tucker laughed. “If you consider that a blessing when you’re talking about this family, you might want to have your head examined.”

  “Nope,” she insisted, leveling a look into his eyes meant to send heat spiraling through him. “This is the only one I want.”

  The look, the firm declaration, had the desired effect. Need shot straight through him. “You want to get out of here?” he asked, his gaze unwavering.

  “Now?”

  “Right now.”

  A satisfied smile began tugging at her lips. “And do what?”

  “Whatever strikes our fancy,” he said.

  “You’ll have to be more specific than that,” she taunted.

  Tucker felt heat climbing into his cheeks. “I can’t say anything else in front of this crowd,” he protested.

  “They’re not paying a bit of attention to us,” she claimed.

  Tucker knew better. They might be chattering away, but every one of them had half an ear attuned to his conversation with Mary Elizabeth. Because the goal was way more important than any momentary pangs of embarrassment, he leaned close and whispered exactly what he had in mind.

  Now the color was blooming in her cheeks, but she scraped back her chair and stood in one fluid motion.

  “We have to go,” she said, sounding decidedly breathless as she reached for his hand.

  “Now?” Daisy inquired with a speculative gleam in her eyes.

  “This second,” Tucker confirmed.

  “About time,” King noted.

  “Stay out of this, old man,” Tucker ordered without venom. “Daisy, take that gun away from him before he accidentally shoots somebody.”

  Daisy dutifully removed the hunting rifle from King’s grasp, unloaded it and tucked it in the pantry. She kept the ammunition in her apron pocket. Tucker noted that she’d handled the weapon without the slightest unease. He knew then that if anyone came poking around to stir up trouble, either she or her father could handle it.

  “Good night, everyone,” Mary Elizabeth said from the door, then dropped Tucker’s hand and went back to kiss King’s cheek.

  “Thank you,” she murmured.

  “Didn’t have to do much,” King replied.

  “You did the most important thing of all,” she told him. “You forgave me.”

  He glanced toward Tucker. “Just see to it that you make him happy.”

  “I certainly intend to try,” Mary Elizabeth said, then followed Tucker outside.

  He caught her hand and drew her to a stop. “Think you can do that?” he asked, looking deep into her eyes. “Think you can make me happy?”

  She raised a hand to his cheek, then stood on tiptoe to brush her lips across his. Tucker’s blood began to pound.

  “What will it take to make you happy?” she inquired softly, her breath whispering across his skin.

  “This,” he said as his mouth closed over hers.

  She tasted sweet, but the sensations ripping through him were dark and dangerous. His pulse ricocheted wildly. When the tip of her tongue slid along the seam of his lips, then invaded, he tensed, his blood roaring. He dug his hands into the soft flesh of her butt, pulling her tight against him, his hips grinding into hers, desperate for the one thing that had been missing from his life ever since the day she’d walked away.

  He wanted—he needed—to be buried deep inside her, to feel her tighten around him with velvet heat.

  Her soft moan of pleasure, rather than inflaming him, brought him to his senses. Much as he wanted to put an end to his longing, they couldn’t do this here, right on his sister’s front lawn. People in Trinity Harbor might recover from the scandal of him being back with Larry Chandler’s widow only weeks after his death, but they wouldn’t be so forgiving if he and Mary Elizabeth made a public spectacle of themselves.

  Still holding her close, he ended the kiss, drawing in a ragged breath and putting a discreet amount of space between them, enough to cool the flames that had been about to erupt.

  “It’s less than a mile to my place,” he said, as much to remind himself as her. “That’s as far as we have to go.”

  Laughter sparkled in her eyes. “Surely we can do that,” she said, though she managed to sound doubtful.

  “Of course we can,” Tucker agreed, though he still hadn’t released her.

  “Maybe we should walk,” she suggested. “Cool down a little.”

  He watched her through hooded eyes. “How fast can you walk?”

  She considered the question, then grinned. “Not fast enough.”

  Tucker drew his gaze away from her face long enough to glance from his car to hers. “Your car’s closest.”

  “Yeah, but it’s really lousy for parking along the way in case w
e decide we can’t make it. I’m afraid the gear-shift between the seats could do some real damage.”

  Tucker stared at her, then burst out laughing. “I think once we actually get in the car, we can last long enough for a five-minute drive.”

  “You’re not worried about having my car parked in front of your house all night long?”

  He heard the serious note behind the teasing question. “No, Mary Elizabeth. From here on out, I’m not afraid of anything.”

  She reached into her pocket, then dangled her keys in front of him. “You drive. They’re less likely to arrest you for speeding.”

  Tucker took the keys and led the way to her sports car. Mary Elizabeth was right. He made it to his place in record time with no sign of a sheriff’s deputy on his tail. The night was definitely looking better and better.

  He stepped out of the car and straight into a fist that knocked his head back so hard he thought his jaw might be broken. Mary Elizabeth screamed, but Tucker was ready for the second blow. He caught the man’s arm in mid-swing, wrenched it behind his back and had him up against the car even as she rounded the back end with her purse swinging. Tucker caught that in mid-swing, too. The damned thing weighed a ton.

  “What the hell do you have in here? Bricks?”

  “I’d rather not say,” she said primly, then peered down at Tucker’s assailant, who was struggling fiercely against his grasp. Her mouth gaped. “Ken Willis, have you lost your mind?”

  Tucker glanced down and realized that that was exactly who had attacked him. He jerked him upright and met his gaze. “I’d like to know the answer to that, as well.”

  Eyes flashing with fury, Ken scowled at both of them. “I’ve got nothing to say without my lawyer present.”

  “Fine,” Tucker said, hauling out his cell phone and handing it to the aspiring politician. “Tell him we’ll be waiting for him right here on my front lawn, where you attacked me. I’ll spend the time it takes him to arrive deciding on which charges to press. Assault on a police officer comes to mind.”

  “You’re on leave,” Ken retorted.

  “Oh, I’ll bet I can make it stick,” Tucker said. “Especially with a witness to say you were lurking in the bushes. For all I know it was attempted murder.”

  Willis turned pale at that. “Come on, Tucker. You know damn well I wasn’t going to kill you.”

  “Do I?”

  “You’ve known me all my life. I’m not capable of violence.”

  “My jaw disagrees,” Tucker said. He wrenched Ken’s arm a little higher behind his back until he yelped in pain. “What were you doing here, Ken?”

  “Getting even,” he said, his breath coming in gasps. “Dammit, let me go. You’re hurting me.”

  Tucker eased his grip slightly. “Getting even for what?”

  “For what all of you are doing to Cynthia. You’re hounding her.”

  “The sheriff’s department is questioning her about a murder. That’s it. We’d be questioning you, too, but no one’s been able to catch up with you, as far as I know. I’ll have to check with Walker on that one. See if he still wants to haul your sorry butt in.”

  “I won’t talk to him,” Ken said. “I had nothing to do with Chandler’s murder. Neither did Cynthia. She loved him, for heaven’s sakes.”

  “Is that what she told you?” Mary Elizabeth said. “Did she happen to mention that Larry had moved on, that he didn’t love her?”

  Ken seemed vaguely shaken by that. “If you’re talking about his marriage to you, everyone knew that was just a political move. Sorry, Mary Elizabeth, but it was.”

  Tucker saw her flinch as if she’d been struck, but her chin came up.

  “Yes,” she agreed. “That is exactly what it was.” She looked him directly in his eyes. “So, Ken, when did you decide to make your political move and go after Larry’s seat, before or after he died?”

  “After,” he insisted. “As long as he was alive, there was no point. He had a lock on it in this district.”

  “Which means you had quite a motive for wanting him dead while you were still young enough to handle the rigors of a campaign,” Tucker pointed out. He retrieved his cell phone from Ken’s grip and handed it to Mary Elizabeth. “Call Walker. He should be able to get a deputy over here in five minutes or less.”

  “Dammit, Tucker, I didn’t kill anyone.”

  “I’m sure Walker will let you have your say,” Tucker assured him, as a sheriff’s car screeched to a halt. Tucker handed over the suspect. “If he gives you any trouble, remind him that I can still change my mind about pressing assault charges.”

  Deputy Bucky Harris stared at him, then obviously caught sight of his swollen jaw. “Boss, don’t you want to file those charges now?”

  “Not just yet,” Tucker said, then cast a warning look at Ken. “I’ll wait to hear just how cooperative Mr. Willis is when he talks to Walker.”

  “That’s intimidation,” Ken accused as he was led away.

  “Could be,” Tucker agreed. “I’m willing to let a judge decide, if you are.”

  Ken clamped his mouth shut and got into the police cruiser without further comment.

  Tucker turned to face Mary Elizabeth, who lifted her hand to his injured jaw. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked. “Let’s get some ice on that.”

  “The ice can wait,” he said. “We wasted enough time dealing with that weasel. I have plans for the rest of the night.”

  Her lips curved slowly. “Do you really?”

  “Oh, yeah. Want to see?”

  She sighed as he scooped her up, then buried her face against his neck. “Oh, yeah,” she murmured. “Show me your stuff, Sheriff. I’ve been waiting way too long.”

  22

  Even if Tucker hadn’t been carrying her, Liz doubted if her feet would have touched the floor. Emotionally she was floating on air. Her life was finally coming together the way it should have—with the person it should have—years ago. She was in the arms of the man she’d loved practically her whole life, even during her ill-fated marriage to another man. She wasn’t proud of the fact that she’d started comparing Larry’s infidelities to Tucker’s deep sense of honor and commitment within months of their wedding day and found him wanting, but it was the truth. It had just taken her way too long to admit it.

  It was doubly unfortunate that tragedy had struck before she was able to finalize the divorce and go back to Trinity Harbor a free woman. She might be free now, but there were still a million and one questions to be answered about Larry’s death and about the future. Thankfully, though, the only question that counted tonight was whether she and Tucker could recapture the passion they had once shared. Whether it would last this time or not didn’t even matter, not at this moment. Being here, with him, was right…and long overdue.

  Tucker hesitated in the foyer, gazing into her eyes. “Do you want dinner? Something to drink?”

  “Later,” she said at once. “Much later.”

  He laughed, clearly relieved. “Good answer,” he said, as he strode down the hall to his bedroom.

  The once-familiar room still had its hunter-green carpet and comforter that she had chosen. The seascapes she’d found at a boardwalk art show in Colonial Beach remained on the walls. And, she noted with surprise, a snapshot of the two of them continued to sit on the dresser. Had it been there weeks ago, on the night she’d crawled into his bed? She had been so distraught that night that she hadn’t noticed her surroundings at all, at least not beyond Tucker’s scent on the pillows.

  “I got that picture out of my dresser drawer the day after you turned up here,” Tucker said, answering her question without her having to ask. “I had put it away, but I couldn’t get rid of it after you left to marry Chandler. How pitiful is that?”

  She brushed the hair back from his forehead and kissed him there. “I think it’s sweet.”

  “It is not sweet to pine for someone for six long years, even after she’s chosen another man,” he said with apparent self-d
isgust. “It’s pathetic.”

  “Maybe you just knew in your heart that I’d come back,” she told him. “I wish I’d had the strength to do it years ago, as soon as I knew what a mistake I’d made.”

  He gave her a wry smile. “Yeah, that would have been nice, Mary Elizabeth. It would have made the last few years a lot less lonely.”

  “I’m here now, Tucker. Let’s not waste another second.”

  He lowered her to her feet then, her body sliding along his. She could feel the hard thrust of his arousal, and instantly her body was on fire, melting inside. Her fingers fumbled at the buttons of her blouse, but he brushed them aside, his gaze intent as he bent over the task.

  The scrape of his fingers over her skin seared her, setting off a tingling that began in her belly and traveled lower, filling her with a sweet yearning.

  He parted her blouse, then pressed a trail of hot, needy kisses along the curve of her breast, finally taking the lace-covered nipple into his mouth in a way that had her knees going weak.

  “Oh, Tucker,” she murmured, her back arching.

  He flipped open her bra, sliding the satin and lace off slowly, provocatively, until her breasts were exposed to his dark, heated gaze. He circled the tips with his tongue, then drew the peak deep into his mouth in a suckling gesture that made her cry out. His gaze, filled with worry, flew to hers.

  “No,” she said. “More, Tucker. Please.”

  “Oh, there will be more,” he promised. “Much, much more.”

  When he had her breasts damp and aching, his kisses roamed lower, even as he released the catch on her slacks and slowly, oh so slowly, lowered the zipper. The rasping sound, the skimming caress of his knuckles against her bare skin, had her most intimate muscles clenching in anticipation.

  When his fingers slipped past the silky barrier of her panties and slid into moist heat, her hips moved restlessly and fire licked through her blood. A fleeting, teasing caress of the sensitive bud of her arousal almost took her over the edge.