by Zuri Day
“That was me, fool,” Ransom said. “Miss Mary has squirrels getting in through a hole in the attic window. I found the culprit of the break-in, an old tennis ball. One of the kids probably threw it when Miss Mary wasn’t home and the hole’s been there ever since. I guess it’s good the neighbors are being vigilant, though. Who called you?”
“That’s confidential.”
Ransom snorted.
Carlos once again directed his words to the home owner. “You have good neighbors,” he said with a smile. “It’s nice to know that you’re all looking out for each other. You can’t be too careful. And even though this was a false alarm, you might want to consider taking additional measures since you live alone. There are affordable alarm systems available, and dogs not only make good pets and companions, they’re great protectors too.”
“Well, I sure do appreciate it,” Mary murmured shyly. Getting attention from the handsome man had her blushing like a teenager. Still fit and feisty at sixty-two, she often wondered who the old woman was staring back from her mirror, and what happened to the thirty-something she thought she’d see forever.
“Some company will be moving in soon.”
“A relative or somebody?” Ransom asked.
Mary gave him the once-over. “Or somebody…” she answered in a that-is-none-of-your-business voice. Her sparkling eyes and pursed lips showed there’d be no further explanation.
To underscore that fact, Mary walked over to the table and picked up the aluminum tray of cookies and a stack of napkins. “For you and the other officers,” she offered Carlos.
“Oh, thank you, ma’am. But we couldn’t take all your sweets.”
“I insist, you handsome devil. Give them to your boys out there.” Mary gestured to the street where the other officers lounged between the two parked patrol cars.
“Well, thank you, ma’am. Since it appears everything is under control here, we’ll be on our way.”
“I appreciate your looking after me,” Mary called out to the officer’s retreating back.
He threw back a wave and within minutes, the cars were gone.
9
Gwen stood in the shadows of her front porch, waiting to see the perpetrator marched off in handcuffs. She’d ventured just outside her door as soon as the officers drove up, had watched two of them walk up the front sidewalk while a third had disappeared around the side of Mary’s house. Muffled voices followed. Gwen couldn’t make out the conversation but since there was no shouting or gunshots, she breathed a sigh of relief that the criminal would be taken away peacefully.
Gwen came to full alert as two officers walked back to their patrol car. The officers could be seen clearly under the streetlights, and while they seemed intent on doing their business, there was no sign of stress that she could pick up from their body language. Gwen couldn’t believe they were being so casual at the scene of a crime.
When the third officer came away from the shrubbery laughing and holding what looked like a cookie tray, Gwen’s curiosity could take no more. Where is that low-down gangster thug? How could he have escaped? The police cars had barely pulled away from the curb when she came out of her hiding place and marched across the lawn.
“Miss Mary! Miss Mary?” she said as she rapped the door’s knocker. “Miss Mary, it’s me, Gwen.”
Gwen turned to see if the police had indeed left their block. Maybe they’re circling, making sure the area is safe and the assailant isn’t still lurking behind some bush. When she heard the door open, she spun around.
“Oh, thank good…”
The rest of the words died on her lips as she looked up into the eyes of goodness, looking commanding and a bit intimidating dressed in black: fitted black T-shirt and black jeans that showcased his thick thighs and long legs. When she kept staring silently, Ransom widened his stance and crossed his arms, a slight frown crossing his brow.
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
“Me…who…what?”
“Don’t ‘what’ me. You called the police.”
His look was piercing now, coal black eyes boring, it seemed, to her very core. Gwen shuddered, as if just now aware of the tremendous power he exuded. He was not only extremely handsome, even more than she remembered, but he also exuded virility, sexuality, authority. Ransom reached out, grabbed her arm and pulled her inside Mary’s home. It would have been silly of her to try and resist.
“I think we have our whistle-blower, Miss Mary,” Ransom said as he walked them farther into the living room. He placed his arm firmly around Gwen’s shoulders while a thumb drew a lazy line up and down her bare arm.
Gwen thought she’d faint from the contact; no man before in her entire life, on television or in person, had left her as breathless as did the man beside her. She focused on Miss Mary like a lifeline, and as much as Chantay aggravated her at times, Gwen wished at this moment she could “phone a friend” to divert her attention and stop her nana from tingling. You are not interested, Gwen thought, then continued her silent chastisement. You’re focused on work and your mother, period, not the opposite sex!
Ransom leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Miss Mary is talking to you.”
His breath felt hot and damp against her earlobe. She tried to ease away from Ransom so she could think and talk at the same time, but he held firm.
“Uh, yes, what was that, Miss Mary?”
“I was thanking you for watching out for me, calling the police and all. Of course, it was Ransom here who climbed into my attic.”
Gwen’s eyes widened as she looked up. “You?”
Ransom shrugged. “Squirrels.”
“In the attic,” Mary patiently explained, as the bewildered look on Gwen’s face continued to grow.
“There’s a hole in her window. It looks like an entire family has been making their home there for quite some time.”
“Ransom here…he’s so nice. He’s a businessman with his own company, you know, but still gets around to helping us older people in the community.
“Where are my manners? Do you two know each other? Gwen, as I said, this is Ransom. Ransom, this is Lo’s daughter, Gwen.”
“You’re Miss Lorraine’s daughter?” Ransom asked as he took her hand in his.
Gwen nodded and walked toward Miss Mary. This time, Ransom let her go. She had to sit before her legs betrayed her. She’d just called the cops on her Bro Fabio!
“You look a little peaked,” Mary said. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Gwen cleared her throat, grateful for the chair. She felt strength coming back now that there was a bit of distance between her and Ransom. “I’m fine,” she repeated, before turning her attention to Ransom. “And very sorry for whatever trouble I caused. I thought you were a burglar.”
“It was an honest mistake. I’m glad you thought to act first and ask questions later. That doesn’t always happen these days. People are not as willing to get involved. But then”—Ransom focused those hypnotizing eyes on her again—“something tells me you’re not like the other people around here.”
“Miss Mary, since I know you’re all right,” Gwen said as she stood, “I’ll be leaving.” She tried to brush past Ransom. “Nice meeting you.”
“Wait a minute, neighbor, not so fast. We can’t let an angel such as yourself walk home alone. I was just leaving anyway, and will be glad to escort you.”
Gwen laughed in a way she hoped sounded light and unaffected. “Don’t be silly. I live right next door.”
“Oh, let the young man walk you home,” Mary encouraged. “Honey, never pass up the opportunity to have a fine man on your arm!”
Ransom had her arm again, in that firm yet gentle way that spoke volumes about who he felt was in charge.
There was a strained silence as Ransom and Gwen covered the short distance from Mary’s to her mother’s. As soon as she stepped on their lawn she stopped.
“Okay, I’m in my yard. Thank you.”
“What? I’m going to be a
Gwen held a rein on her temper as she hurried up the steps. Obviously this man had no idea how close to being out of control she was around him. She’d never reacted this way to a man and quite frankly, it scared her.
“We’re here. My front door. Good-bye.”
“Good-bye? Just like that? You call the police on a law-abiding citizen, forcing him away from his scheduled task of squirrel-hunting…and now it’s just…good-bye?”
Gwen put her hands on her hips and raised up to her full five-foot-seven. “Look, I said I’m sorry about the phone call. What else do you want from me?”
“Just this.”
The assault was not what she expected. Instead of a hard, bruising kiss, Ransom’s attack was soft, yet deliberate. He rubbed his lips against hers, ever so slightly, as he made circular motions at the nape of her neck, massaging her into submission. Before Gwen realized it, she’d opened her mouth to welcome him and Ransom instantly took full advantage. His thrusting tongue was hot and purposeful against the insides of her mouth, devouring her with a gentleness that belied his strength. He dug his hands into her hair and deepened the kiss. His other hand caressed her back, even as he outlined her lips with the tip of his tongue before plunging in again.
He kissed with a rhythm that reminded Gwen of lovemaking. She wanted to push him away but couldn’t. She’d never, ever experienced a kiss like this before. It made her want to laugh, to cry, to pledge her undying love, to take the first thing smoking out of Sienna. In short, it made her crazy. And she knew that if she didn’t stop the madness now, then later on, it would be too late.
“Please,” she said, placing a hand on his chest and putting as much distance between them as she could, still wrapped in his arms. She didn’t know that his desire-filled eyes mirrored her own. “I can’t,” she stuttered.
“Baby, you taste so good. I can only imagine…”
“Well, don’t be imagining anything. You said a kiss was the other…payment…you wanted for my calling law enforcement and you…well…we’ve done that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a busy day tomorrow.”
“The kiss was just the beginning,” Ransom said, undeterred by her stern manner. He liked his women feisty, and loved a challenge. “Give me your number. I’d like to take you out. I’ve been thinking of you since we…ran into each other the other day.”
“No.”
“No?”
“You heard me.”
“Why won’t you go out with me? Scared you’ll seduce me on our first date?”
“You’re pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“No, but I’m pretty sure of us. Something is going to go down between us. I felt it from the first moment I held you in my arms…because of the butterfly.”
Gwen was thinking of butterflies all right, the ones that kept fluttering in her stomach every time this man opened his mouth. The mouth that had kissed her so thoroughly, so…
“Look, I’m here to take care of my mother. And dating is out of the question.”
“Why?” Ransom stepped forward.
Gwen stepped back, and fumbled for the doorknob behind her. “Because I’m…not interested!”
With that, she ran inside and closed the door firmly behind her.
10
It had been three days and Ransom couldn’t stop thinking about her. Gwendolyn Marie Andrews, according to Kristy’s Aunt Betsy, had been Adam’s classmate. She’d pored over old yearbooks and found Gwen’s picture. Ransom couldn’t believe she was the same age as his older brother.
A little digging and he’d found out more: that she was the new first-grade teacher at his daughter’s school. She’d be Isis’s teacher. Since Ransom didn’t plan on quitting until he’d scored at least one date with Miss Gwendolyn Andrews, he loved this little tidbit of information. It would give him legitimate, almost unlimited access to the woman who had captured his interest from the get-go. After all, he was a concerned single father, and when it came to his daughter’s education, a very involved parent…especially now.
“I’m going to Kristy’s. Anybody want anything?” Ransom’s crew murmured various orders. He waved away the offers to chip in on the purchase and jumped into his Jeep. On the way, he continued to think about Gwen, his mind swirling with questions. Why is she not interested in going out? Does she think she’s too old for me? Is she married? Ransom didn’t know the answer to any of these questions, but he fully intended to find out.
Gwen ran a hand through the straight hair she was still getting used to. Whenever she touched her hair, she thought of that guy, Ransom, who’d shaken her to her very foundation with a simple kiss, even as he massaged the tresses at the nape of her neck.
Ransom, she thought, as she walked to her pre-owned Toyota and slid into the driver’s seat. What kind of name is that, anyway? Gwen realized she had more questions than she did answers. Like where was he from? Gwen prided herself on staying somewhat current with the Sienna population, at least until ten years ago, the last reunion she’d attended and the time she’d married Joe and begun to gain distance from her hometown. Aside from Chantay, she didn’t really have any inside connections to the goings on in her city. She definitely couldn’t depend on her mother for information. Miss Mary would probably tell her everything about Ransom she wanted to know, and then promptly turn around and tell him she’d asked. One question to her about Ransom, and not only he but half the town would know about it. She needed someone closer to her own age, or at the very least, closer to what was happening in twenty-first-century Sienna.
Which is why she’d finally decided to take Joanna up on her lunch date offer. Chantay was her closest connection to Sienna, but she lived in Los Angeles, and aside from her mother, hadn’t been a real part of the community either. She doubted the constantly flirting Adam would appreciate an inquiry regarding another man, and although a conversation with Mrs. Summers had uncovered a variety of people and interests they had in common, Gwen wasn’t quite ready to call a senior citizen her sistah-girl confidante.
Not that she was interested in Ransom. I’m a married woman, she reminded herself…again. Plus, he looked like trouble waiting to happen, with those enchanting eyes and hair so straight it looked like a weave. Could it be? No, she concluded, there’s no way a man that manly would don fake hair. No, she wasn’t interested in Ransom from a personal perspective but from one of a concerned resident wanting to know more about the man kind enough to track down troublesome squirrels for Miss Mary.
Gwen eased into the coffee shop parking lot and parked next to a Jeep that seemed more suited for the desert than a sedate town of ten thousand. Still, there was something about the ruggedness and strength that struck her as thoughtful. In a world where everything was about the bling-bling, like Adam’s sporty Porsche or Chantay’s champagne wardrobe on a beer budget, this display of restraint was welcomed.
The twinkling of the door chimes to Kristy’s Coffee Shop welcomed Gwen into the establishment and provided a strange comfort. Since leaving Joe, or vice versa, and the news about her mother’s deteriorating mental state, her life had been anything but routine. Coming here almost every day gave the place a familiar feel. In the few weeks left until the first day of school, Gwen was determined to find the peace and predictability she once took for granted.
Gwen stepped into the cool confines and tantalizing smells of the eclectically decorated establishment. Again she noticed the homey, personal touches Kristy had used to make her business feel as if one were sitting in someone’s home. Cozy, overstuffed chairs in deep mustards and burgundies vied for space with two colorfully striped love seats that anchored each wall. Two tall, worn bookcases held the latest newspapers, gossip rags, and a variety of used books. The ledge under a game table housed chess, checkers, Scrabble, and a couple decks of cards. Four round wooden table and chair sets lined the back wall. Local artists added their creative flair to the salmon-colored walls with prices for the artwork discreetly displayed on wooden blocks beneath each piece. The overhead lighting was subdued, with lamps strategically placed throughout to give the readers additional illumination if needed. The low-playing music had a world beat sound that lent an organic quality to the overall vibe.
“Hey, Gwen.”
“Hey, Kristy. You know, I’ve been meaning to tell you that I love the decor here. Is it your design?”
“Design may be a bit lofty a description. Basically I scoured estate sales and flea markets for whatever I couldn’t steal out of my parents’ basement.”
“You gotta appreciate a woman who can improvise.”
“That’s what I say. Your favorite double-Dutch chocolate today?”
“Actually, I think I’ll wait to decide. I’m meeting someone.”
“No problem. I’ll just finish up this order. Let me know when you’re ready.”
As Gwen studied the menu on the wall, a man came up behind her.
“There’s my butterfly. How long have you been waiting for me?”
Gwen jumped at the husky sounding voice perilously close behind her. Knowing the man behind the voice, she closed her eyes and swallowed before stepping out of his reach and turning around.
“Hi, Ransom,” she said in her best professional, nonchalant, you-don’t-affect-me-at-all Mrs. Smith voice.
Ransom took a step toward Gwen. Gwen took another step away from him.
“Why do you keep running from me?”
“I’m not running from you. I just like my personal space, that’s all.”
Ransom narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly. “Is that so?”
“Yes, that’s so.”
“Well, I like it too. Although I am respectful. I wouldn’t want to step on your wedding vows and whatnot, try and take something that doesn’t belong to me. Is that why you’re unavailable, because you’re married?”
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