Heartbreaker Hero: Eddie's Story (Maine Justice Book 4)

by Susan Page Davis

  Eddie laughed and sipped the milk. His mouth twitched a little. She was used to the aftertaste, but people who didn’t drink goat’s milk regularly found it odd.

  “Here, have some apple pie.”

  “Thanks.” He took a big bite and grinned at her. “Did you make that?”

  She shook her head. “Mom did.”

  “It’s great.”

  She sat down again. Finally, Eddie laid down his fork and just looked at her.

  “I’m glad you came,” she said.

  “Me, too.”

  Her mother came back through with a basket of clean laundry.

  “Thanks for letting me come up tonight,” Eddie said.

  “You’re welcome. Leeanne said you had a little excitement last night?”

  “Nothing dangerous, really. We went to search a condo where we thought a felon might be hiding out. Today was better. The woman who owned the condo tried to buy a getaway car for a criminal, and we caught him.”

  “What about the woman?” Leeanne asked.

  “So far she’s still loose, but Harvey’s trying to get the D.A. to charge her with abetting.”

  “Sounds like you’ve had a long day,” Marilyn said. She disappeared with the laundry.

  Leeanne and Eddie talked quietly for another half hour, but her mother didn’t make a return appearance. He caught Leeanne up on all the happenings at church and with Harvey, Jennifer, Abby, and Jeff, and she told him that her younger brothers had had two snow days off from school that week and outlined the classes she would start on Monday.

  Finally she asked, “Do you want a shower tonight?”

  “That would be great.” Eddie stood and picked up his bag.

  “Use the bathroom down here.” She took him to the doorway and turned the light on. “You won’t wake anybody up that way. You’re sleeping in Abby’s room. Want me to show you?”

  “The room Harvey and Jennifer had last time we were here?”

  “Yes. I’ll turn the light on when I go up, so you can find it.”

  “Okay.”

  “Just turn out all the lights when you go up.”

  He put his duffel bag on the floor in the doorway to the bathroom and reached out for her. She hesitated then moved into the circle of his arms and laid her head on his shoulder.

  “Je t’adore, Leeanne.”

  A wave of warmth swept over her. She soaked up the moment, enjoying the feel of him against her and the strength of his arms around her.

  “We’ll talk in the morning.” She squeezed him a little, and Eddie squeezed her a lot.

  She pulled gently away, and he stroked her hair, looking into her eyes. She rubbed her hand along his scratchy jaw. She’d never dared to touch a man that way before—never wanted to. He bent and brushed his lips against her cheek. She stepped back, her heart pounding.

  “Good night, Eddie.”

  “Bonsoir, ma chérie.”

  She smiled and went silently up the stairs, her pulse tripping.

  *****

  Marilyn was ironing in the dining room when Eddie got up the next morning. He’d shaved and dressed for farm life—black jeans and a plaid flannel shirt.

  “Good morning,” she said when he went downstairs. “Leeanne is feeding the goats. She’ll be right in.”

  “Did George and the boys get off on their fishing trip?”

  “Yes, they left about six. We’ll see them at suppertime.”

  She turned the iron off and hung up the shirt she’d been pressing. Eddie never ironed.

  “Let’s get you some breakfast.” Marilyn bustled ahead of him into the kitchen.

  Leeanne came through the back door, from the ell attached to the barn.

  “Good morning!” Her cheeks were red, and her eyes glittered. She pulled off her mittens and coat, sat on the bench under the hooks, and pulled off her boots.

  “Eggs and bacon?” Marilyn asked, moving a cast iron frying pan onto the cooktop over the stove’s wood-burning firebox.

  “I can do it,” said Leeanne.

  “Okay.” Her mom went back to the dining room.

  Leeanne opened the refrigerator for the bacon and eggs and started peeling off slices of bacon.

  “I usually eat cold cereal,” Eddie said.

  “So, live a little.” She covered the pan and turned toward him.

  He stepped toward her and she smiled, raising a hand to his cheek.

  “You’re frozen.” He pulled away from her icy fingers. She chuckled and held her hands over the stovetop.

  “Can you come down next week?” Eddie asked.

  “I think so. I’ll let you know after I get my classes squared away.”

  He put out his arms, and she came to him. He breathed in her scent of hay and goat feed and the light floral tinge of her shampoo. Not a bad mix.

  “Come down to Portland this summer. You could get a job there and be with … Harvey and Jennifer.” He wanted to say, “with me,” but that might be a little too strong.

  She turned back to the stove and tended the bacon.

  Eddie stepped back a little, away from the splatters. “So, what are we doing today?”

  “I thought we might go ice skating, but it is really cold out. I think we’d better stay in.”

  “I hope your father has a heater in his ice shack.”

  “Oh, he does. Don’t worry about them.” She took the bacon out of the pan and put it on a plate covered with paper towels and cracked three eggs into the grease. Stepping sideways to the counter, she got bread from a cupboard and put two slices in the toaster.

  Eddie watched her work. She had a tomboy quality, but without striving for femininity, she achieved it. She stood in her stocking feet on the spotless linoleum. Brown corduroy pants, a navy zippered sweatshirt over a dark green shirt. Her hair was in a ponytail, and her sculpted ears showed. She poured a coffee mug half full of milk and put it in the microwave.

  “Warm milk?” Eddie asked.

  “Café au lait,” she said.

  “I’m not as French as you think I am,” he protested.

  “I know you like milk in your coffee.”

  He smiled and let her do it. When the milk was hot, she filled the cup with coffee from the pot that Marilyn had left keeping warm.

  They finally sat down to breakfast, and it was really good, so filling Eddie probably wouldn’t want lunch. When they finished, Leeanne washed up the breakfast things. He grabbed a dish towel off the rack and started drying them.

  “You don’t have to do that,” she said.

  “I want to. I do dishes with Abby all the time at Harvey’s house.”

  When the kitchen was clean, they went through the dining room, where Marilyn was folding up the ironing board, to the living room.

  Leeanne brought out the textbooks for her new classes, and they browsed through them. Eddie was glad he had finished school.

  He set aside the one he’d been looking at. Leeanne was still absorbed in the psychology book she’d chosen. He sat in the corner of the couch, watching her profile. Her lips were pursed slightly, and her eyelashes fluttered a little when she blinked. She had an almost Irish look, dark hair, blue eyes. His gaze was drawn to her ear again. He leaned over slowly and kissed the perfect earlobe. She jumped a little, smiled, and pulled away, dropping the book in her lap.

  “So, what do you think?” She nodded toward the ethics textbook he’d examined.

  Eddie slid his arm around her waist. “I think you have a lot of work ahead of you this semester.”

  “Thanks. I’m pretty sure I’ll find my classes interesting this time.”

  He edged closer to her and kissed the side of her neck.

  She stood and unzipped her sweatshirt. “I think we’d better do something. Do you want to play a game?”

  “Can we talk?”

  “Well, yeah, if you really want to talk.”

  He realized she was fending him off, so he stood up and looked her full in the face. “Okay, sure, let me sit over here.�
�� He moved to her mother’s rocking chair.

  She seemed a little surprised, but she took off her sweatshirt and sat down again on the couch.

  “What do you want to talk about?” she asked.

  “Lots of things. Tell me why you picked journalism.”

  He’d asked her that before, but she took a moment to collect her thoughts this time. “Journalism seems kind of noble. Getting the word out about what’s going on. I think we need truthful people telling us the news, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, but sometimes I think the reporters are telling us what they think, not what’s really going on.”

  She nodded. “It carries responsibility. And it’s a little scary, but it’s exciting. Interviewing was my worst class last semester. It’s hard for me to just start talking to a stranger, and you have to keep the important points in mind and figure out what question to ask next. I want to be a good reporter.”

  “Do you like the writing part best?”

  “Sure. It’s fun, and I don’t have to talk to people when I’m writing.” She smiled ruefully. “Actually, the best part isn’t the writing.”

  “It isn’t? What is?”

  “It’s after you’ve written something and somebody else reads it. If they like it, that is. My first article got torn to shreds in class. That was not fun.”

  “But you’ve had some better experiences?”

  “Yeah, I got some good feedback on the last assignment before vacation.”

  “If you become a reporter, you won’t be able to choose what to write about,” Eddie said. “Maybe you’d rather pick your own topics?”

  She thought about that. “Well, you don’t get to pick your cases, do you? What kind of cases do you like best?”

  “Homicide, I guess.”

  “Really? That’s so gruesome. Is it because you enjoy putting away people who did something really awful, or what?”

  “Maybe. I like the challenge, but it’s frustrating sometimes. You work and work, and you don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere. Then all of a sudden you get a break, and it feels really good. Like yesterday. We’d been after this guy Bentley for a week or so.”

  “And you caught him.”

  “Yeah. Peter gave us a tip.”

  “Abby’s Peter?”

  “Yeah. His was the dealership where they tried to buy the getaway car.”

  “That’s awesome. Does Abby know?”

  “I’m pretty sure Harvey told her.”

  “So, was this connected to the dead man you found in the Brownings’ yard?” she asked.

  “Yeah. But the case isn’t closed yet. We still haven’t caught the guy behind it all. In some ways, I feel like I should have stayed there, in case they get a break this weekend.”

  She looked a little worried. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

  “I’m all yours for the day.”

  She smiled.

  Eddie said softly, “Can I come sit over there now?”

  She hesitated, and he put up both hands. “It’s okay. This is good. Really. I just ... it’s okay.”

  She looked doubtful, and he wished he hadn’t said anything. Maybe he’d just come on too strong this morning. He honestly hadn’t meant to pressure her. Did she regret the liberties she’d allowed him the week before? Or maybe she just didn’t want to risk him kissing her the moment her mother decided to walk in. At any rate, she was too serious at the moment, so Eddie made a funny story about Cynthia Sheridan trying to vamp him while they searched her apartment.

  “Good grief,” Leeanne said. “I hope they’re going to send that woman to jail.”

  “What, for inviting me to a party?”

  “Not exactly.”

  He laughed. “Actually, I’m not supposed to tell you all this stuff. Sorry. It’s off the record. You know what that means.”

  “The most misused phrase in journalism. But don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone about your case. So, what exactly would you do if I said you could come over here?”

  The question hadn’t ended the way he’d expected, and his heart picked up speed. “Oh, just ... enjoy the company, I guess.” He locked eyes with her. Her knockout smile came very slowly, but it was there, all right.

  She made a tiny, beckoning motion. Eddie went quickly, before she changed her mind. She put out her hand and clasped his tightly as he sat down beside her.

  “I think that’s close enough for now,” she said softly.

  “I can handle it.”

  She nodded. “You told me once that if I asked you to back off, you would.”

  “And I meant it. I’m sorry if I was out of line. I really want to do this right.”

  “Thanks. So, tell me how you survived the ice storm.”

  They talked for a long time. When Marilyn came through the room, he thought Leeanne would pull her hand away from his, but she didn’t. Not touching her, other than holding her hand and giving it a squeeze now and then, was an exercise in discipline for Eddie. They made a lot of eye contact, and they laughed a lot. He didn’t think he’d ever talked to a girl he really liked for that long without kissing her, but he didn’t lose interest.

  Finally, she excused herself to help her mother get lunch. Eddie called Harvey on his cell phone.

  “Hey, Eddie! How you doing up there?” He sounded happy.

  “Great,” Eddie said. “It’s cold. What’s up in Portland?”

  “I’m at home. Jennifer is about to put lunch on the table.”

  “Good. I was afraid you were working, and Jennifer wouldn’t see you all day.”

  “No, I went to the county jail this morning, but that didn’t take too long.”

  “Find out anything?”

  “Bentley insists he didn’t do anything for Hawkins, but he did admit Hawkins wanted him to.”

  “So he didn’t give you anything that will help us get Hawkins?”

  “Not yet.”

  “What about the protective detail for Mike?”

  “He’s chafing,” Harvey said. “Sharon is very grateful, but the city council chairman is making ‘over budget’ noises again.”

  “They’d better not stop the guard detail.”

  “I don’t think they will. Mayor Weymouth won’t let them. She knows how important Mike’s safety is.”

  “Well, I hope you get some R and R this weekend.”

  “Oh, Jenny has plans for me this afternoon.” Harvey sounded content.

  “Going somewhere?” Eddie asked.

  “Nope. She got a new sonagram video from Margaret yesterday. We’re going to watch it about seventeen times. She tells me our son is sucking his thumb. After that, well, you never know.”

  “What about Abby?” Eddie asked.

  “Greg’s in town. Abby is gone for the day. I don’t expect to see her again until midnight.”

  “Enjoy,” Eddie said.

  “I plan to.”

  Chapter 23

  Eddie and Leeanne played Scrabble that afternoon, and Marilyn sat nearby in the rocking chair for a while with her mending. When she went to tend the kitchen fire, Eddie carried more wood in from the shed and filled the woodbox beside the kitchen range. Marilyn started baking, and he went back to finish the game with Leeanne.

  After she beat him soundly, she showed him a picture of her dormitory and the catalog descriptions of the classes she would take that semester. Broadcast journalism, psychology, computer applications, reporting, Article Writing II, and Ethics and Libel.

  “Sounds pretty stiff,” Eddie said.

  “It’s a lot of credits, but I want to get things out of the way, so I won’t have to take so much in the fall. I think it will be okay.”

  “The last year looks a lot lighter,” he said, looking at the list for fourth-year courses as he sat carefully, three inches from her, on the couch.

  “It is. I’ve already taken this one, too,” she said, pointing to Oral Communications for Professionals. “I’ll fill in the credits I need with electives. Maybe I’ll take another se
mester of French.”

  “You don’t have to for me,” he said.

  “Would you rather I didn’t?”

  “Well, I guess I like it that you want to master the language. But it’s not like it’s my first language or anything.”

  “I know, but it would be more of a bond between us, don’t you think?”

  He shrugged. “Tu l’aimes quand je parle français. Si tu es heureuse, je suis heureux.” You like it when I speak French. If you’re happy, I’m happy.

  She smiled and said, “Je suis très heureuse maintenant. Je suis joyeuse.”

  Eddie smiled. He could hear Marilyn somewhere kitchenward, probably putting something in the oven. He moved a little closer and said, “Peut-être je peux t’embrasser maintenant.” Maybe I can kiss you now.

  She hesitated, and he wondered if she was untangling his syntax, or if he’d been trop aggresif encore. After a few seconds, she said very seriously, très serieusement, “Je le voudrais.”

  His stomach jumped. She would like it.

  He heard wheels crunching on snow in the driveway, and a car door slammed. Eddie tried not to rush it, but he knew George and the boys would descend on them in seconds. His timing was lousy. Oh, well.

  Leeanne heard it, too, and she moved a little, as if she would jump up, but Eddie put his hand on her arm, and she swung around and looked into his eyes. He slid his arms around her and kissed her slowly, deliberately. This might be the only chance he got all day.

  George and the boys stormed in the front door, but they were still a room away, and they talked excitedly to Marilyn. Eddie lingered a couple more seconds, then released Leeanne, smiling into her solemn eyes, and stood up just as Randy and Travis came, half running, through the doorway.

  “Eddie! You should have gone! We caught four togue and seven brook trout and two pickerel,” Randy said.

  “Wow! Did you bring them all home?”

  “Only the three biggest brook trout,” said Travis.

  “Did you go on a raid Thursday night?” Randy asked.

  “Not exactly,” Eddie said. “We did arrest someone, and we picked up another guy for questioning yesterday afternoon.”

  “Will it be on the news tonight?” Travis wanted to know.

  “I doubt it, but maybe.”

  Marilyn called to the boys to wash for supper, and they went noisily up the stairs. George sauntered in, holding out his hand.