by Lisa Dyson
Callie nodded. “Okay, then. I’ll see you soon.”
She watched him walk out the door in his uniform, her body heating, and she wondered why men in uniform had never affected her quite like this before.
Maybe it was because he was more than just a man in uniform. He had a warm and giving soul, a great personality, and he was a pretty terrific kisser.
She grew warmer as she remembered his mouth on hers. She had to blink several times to clear her head. She had no time for thoughts like that today. She had work to do.
About an hour later she parked next to Tyler’s truck in the Lincoln Hotel’s parking lot. She’d passed a van parked at the front door. The vehicle had a Whittler’s Creek logo on the door and had probably been used to transport the files to the hotel.
She’d visited the hotel once as a teenager to attend a sixteenth birthday party in the lobby. She remembered it had been catered and there had even been a DJ. The birthday girl’s parents had gone all-out.
Unlike any of Callie’s birthdays, which had usually passed as normal days. Her dad would either be on a long-haul trip or he’d forgotten her birthday altogether. The most recognition she’d gotten were more chores from her stepmother and bruising punches in the arm from her stepsister.
Callie straightened. That was the past. She didn’t allow herself to be hurt physically or emotionally anymore.
Tyler strode down the hall toward her, a welcoming smile on his face. “Come with me. I’ll show you to your new digs.”
She followed him down the hallway and into what appeared to be a small conference room. “This is perfect,” she said and then looked to the wall for a light switch. She flipped it with no result.
“Gino said the electricity should be on this morning.” Tyler pointed to the windows. “It’s pretty sunny right now. But if that’s not enough light to work, then you can come back when the power’s on.”
Callie shook her head. “No, I’m anxious to get started. I can get organized and see what we’ve got.” She glanced at the half dozen or so boxes piled by the wall. There was a scratched conference table and some sad-looking rolling arm chairs. Nothing like her ergonomic leather chair, glass-and-metal desk, and the park view she had in her office back home. But she could make do here. She was up for the task.
“Then I’ll leave you to all this,” he said, gesturing to the boxes and the room, “and I’ll get to work.” He turned to go but then spun around to face her. “I could pick you up a sandwich for lunch.”
“Is that your sneaky way of checking up on me?” She couldn’t help teasing him.
“Hey, if you don’t want me to bring lunch, just say so.” He grinned. “Maybe your question is your way of saying you’d rather not have lunch with me.”
She made a goofy face at him and then their gazes locked. She took the few steps to the doorway where he stood. She stopped before their bodies touched but close enough that she felt the heat coming off him. There was also that distinct physical pull, like a magnet to metal. She put a finger to his lips. “That’s not at all what I was saying. I’d love a sandwich.” She ran her finger over his lips, down his chin and neck until she reached his breastbone. “So where are you going?”
She almost laughed aloud at his look of confusion.
“I’m going to work,” he said.
Then she did laugh, enjoying the sexual power she had over him. “I meant, where are you going to pick up lunch so I can tell you what I want to eat?”
He didn’t answer. His arms were around her and she was plastered against his body before she could register what was happening. Then he kissed her with abandon.
Exactly what she’d been hoping he’d do all along.
*
TYLER NEVER MADE it back to the hotel for lunch.
Instead his admin assistant, Donna, delivered Callie’s requested sandwich.
“Here’s your tuna wrap,” Donna said as she came into the conference room, making Callie aware of the mess she’d created with the files. “The Chief said he’s sorry he couldn’t bring it himself. He and the boys got called to a domestic disturbance.” Donna set a paper bag in front of Callie, careful not to place it on any files.
“I completely understand.” That was true but it didn’t mean Callie wasn’t disappointed. “They all had to go?”
Donna nodded. “Except for Jim—Officer Franklin. He stayed behind in case something else came up. He’s also covering the phones while I take lunch.” She stopped to take a breath. “This is the third time they’ve been called to this particular address and last time there were weapons involved. It could be pretty serious.”
Callie was reminded of how dangerous Tyler’s job could be. “And Tyler—Chief Garrett—felt the need to be there himself.” A statement not a question.
“Exactly.” Donna surveyed the room. She appeared to be in her midthirties or close to forty. She had a few stray grays in her dark brown hair that she’d pulled back into a low ponytail. She wore dark-rimmed glasses that framed her huge brown eyes.
“So you’re going over those files that were moved in and out of the Chief’s office?” Donna hitched up her black pants and checked the tuck of her white button-down shirt.
“I am.” Callie hadn’t expected Donna would hang around, but she appeared to not be in any hurry to leave. “Would you like to sit down?”
Donna hesitated, as if deciding. “Sure,” she finally said, rolling a chair out from under the table and taking a seat. She stopped suddenly and looked at Callie. “Unless you’d rather I leave?”
“Oh, no, sit. Keep me company. Have you eaten yet?”
She nodded. “I did. I brought my lunch from home, so I ate before picking up yours.”
“That was very nice of you. Thank you.” Callie reached for her purse. “How much do I owe you?”
Donna held up a hand. “No need. The Chief took care of it.”
Callie left her purse where it was. “I guess I’ll have to take it up with him.”
“Go ahead and eat.” Donna pointed to the bag of food.
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.” She patted her stomach where her white shirt pulled at the buttons. “I’m stuffed. I brought some leftovers to heat up and ate too much.”
Callie laughed as she unwrapped her food. “I need to make sure I don’t do the same thing. This wrap is huge!”
“The portion size at the new deli is certainly generous,” Donna said and then changed subjects. “So you used to live here?”
Callie had the distinct feeling during their mundane conversation that Donna had been looking for an opening to get information on Callie.
“Yes, born and raised. I left when I went to college and now I’m living and working near the Maryland side of the DC beltway. What about you?”
“I moved here almost five years ago. I can’t believe it’s been that long already.”
The fluorescent lights in the ceiling suddenly came on. “Oh, good! We finally have electricity.” At Donna’s questioning expression, she added, “It’s been turned off until now—the new owner had to get it turned back on. It’s not as warm as I’d expected in here because of the high ceilings, and the sun coming in the windows has made it light enough to work in here. But using the ladies’ room with no windows was tricky with just the flashlight on my phone.”
The two women laughed and Callie relaxed a little. “So what brought you to Whittler’s Creek?” She took a bite of her wrap.
“Actually it was a friend of your sister’s suggestion.”
Callie nearly choked on her food. “My stepsister? You know Wendy?” Callie’s guard was back up.
“Not until after I moved here. We met through a mutual friend who raved about how nice this town was. She even gave me a heads-up about the job opening as assistant to the Chief of Police when I was looking for a fresh start. As for your stepsister, I’ve seen her in passing, but we really haven’t talked in a while. How’s she doing?”
; Talking about Wendy made it impossible for Callie to eat. She set her sandwich on the wax paper it had been wrapped in. “I haven’t seen her much since I’ve been back. I guess she’s okay.” She pulled a bottle of water from her things and took a long drink.
“So you’re not close?”
Callie was hesitant to continue the conversation about Wendy because she wasn’t sure how close Donna and Wendy might actually be. She wouldn’t put it past Wendy to have Donna interrogate her.
“You said you haven’t been in touch with Wendy in quite a while?” At Donna’s nod, Callie asked, “She seems down on her luck.” Callie wondered how Wendy had fallen so far that she needed free food.
Donna leaned closer and lowered her voice, even though they were the only two in the room. “I only know what I’ve heard, but supposedly she and her husband have been having problems. He’s got alcohol and drug issues and he also lost his job a while back. But I don’t know how much of that is true.”
“What about Wendy? Is she working?”
Donna shrugged. “I really don’t know. The last I talked to her, she was applying for jobs after getting laid off at the cheese factory. But that was quite a while ago. Maybe even a year or more.”
“So you’ve worked for Tyler since he took over as Chief of Police?” Callie needed to steer the conversation away from Wendy.
Donna nodded. “That’s right. I worked for his predecessor before that. The Chief was nice to let me stay on.”
“I’m sure it’s because you’re good at what you do.” Callie tried taking another bite of her sandwich.
“I hope so. I really like my job.” Donna looked at her watch. “Oh! I need to go. Officer Franklin is waiting for me to get back with his lunch. He’s probably starving.” She rose from her chair so quickly that it rolled backward a foot or so.
“It was nice talking to you,” Callie said.
Donna hesitated at the doorway. “Same here.” She sounded surprised, making Callie wonder what horrible things Donna had heard about Callie from Wendy. Interacting with people in this town was like walking through a minefield. Callie never knew who’d heard Wendy’s lies.
*
TYLER RETURNED TO his office midafternoon, ready to go home for the day, but he knew he still had things that needed to be done.
“Everything work out okay?” Donna asked as he came by her desk.
He ran his hands through his hair. “Yeah. After we got Mr. Dalton to let Mrs. Dalton come out of the house, we arrested him without incident. He’s at county lockup. It always takes forever to get someone processed there.”
Donna nodded.
“You got lunch for Callie?” he asked, knowing Donna would do anything he asked of her. He was actually more interested in whether Callie was disappointed that he couldn’t have lunch with her. He just didn’t want to come right out and ask.
“I did. She seems nicer than I expected.”
Odd thing for Donna to say. “She is.” He paused. “Why did you expect her to not be nice?”
“Oh, you know. Things her sister told me about how nasty she can be.”
“Really? I didn’t know you knew Wendy.” He hadn’t seen even a hint of nastiness in the past week. Even when Callie had wine poured on her or when her stepsister had pushed her to the ground and belittled her. “What kind of things?”
Donna’s eyes widened. She was probably surprised he’d want details. “I shouldn’t be gossiping.”
“This isn’t gossiping. It’s telling me what kind of things Wendy has said about Callie. You know she’s under my supervision—which is confidential, by the way—so I should know what I’m dealing with.”
“I wouldn’t share anything I know with anyone outside this office, Chief.” Her voice trembled with emotion.
“And that’s why I trust you implicitly. Now, what has Wendy said about Callie?”
Donna hesitated, her gaze going to the ceiling as if trying to remember. “She would say things like how Callie would yell at her for no reason and tell lies about her to Wendy’s friends. Things like that. Oh, and she’d get Wendy into trouble with her teachers, too.”
Tyler nodded. “Anything else?”
“Just how Callie treated Wendy’s mother.”
“And how was that?” He recalled the night he’d witnessed the two of them arguing and how Callie had told him things weren’t always as they seemed.
“Callie would yell and throw things at her. Wendy made Callie seem like an unstable and dangerous person to be around.” Donna paused. “Not at all the impression I got of her today.”
Not Tyler’s impression, either.
“Thanks, Donna. If you think of anything else Wendy told you, let me know.”
The phone rang and Donna needed to answer it, so Tyler headed to his office to do the paperwork on the domestic disturbance. He needed to confront Callie about what Donna had said about her, but he was conflicted. On one hand, he needed the truth for the sake of his daughters’ safety. On the other hand, things were going well with him and Callie and he didn’t want to ruin that by bringing up her past.
It was after five when he finally finished up for the day. He headed over to the Lincoln Hotel to see how Callie was doing. There were workmen leaving the building as he came in.
He stood in the doorway a few seconds, watching Callie as she concentrated on some papers. “Making any progress?”
Her head jerked in his direction, as if he’d surprised her. Then her expression softened into a smile. “If you call making a mess progress, then, yes.”
He stepped into the room. “This all makes sense to you?” The pages of numbers and words were just that to him.
She grinned. “This is my life. Making sense of numbers.” She straightened a pile of folders. “I like how numbers can tell a story.”
“A story?”
“Yes. Here, let me show you.” She picked up a file and opened it. “This is a record of the city employees and their salaries. By the way, these should really be computerized.”
“I know. Budget issues. Tell me more about this story.”
“Okay.” She looked down the list. “This tells us not only who was working for the town, but what their jobs were and how much they were paid for doing those jobs during that time period. Then, if we compare this list to the one from previous years, it will tell who was hired, fired or retired, as well as if there were new positions created or any that were no longer needed.” She looked up at him. “To me, that makes quite a story.”
He grinned, enjoying her enthusiasm. “If you say so. I prefer my stories with some sex and violence.”
They both laughed.
He became serious, knowing he had to broach a sensitive subject. “I need to talk to you about something. I’ve been hearing things. About you.”
“About me?” Her eyes widened.
He nodded. “I’m not saying I automatically believe everything I’ve heard, but I think you should know what’s being said.”
She visibly swallowed. “Go on.”
He stumbled over his question. “Did you mistreat your stepsister when you were growing up?”
Callie glared at him, obviously fighting to keep control of her emotions. “Did I mistreat her? You’re kidding, right?”
“Bullying isn’t a subject I’d kid about. You hitting Wendy and yelling at her seems to be the consensus according to a couple of people who’ve known both of you.”
Callie rose from her chair and walked to the other side of the conference room. She faced him, not saying a word.
“I’m just repeating what I’ve heard.”
“What do you want me to say, Tyler? Do you really think I’m guilty of bullying?”
“Of course not.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what I want you to say. Maybe I just need you to deny the allegations.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I thought we knew each other better than that. You should already know the answer.” She paused. “Even if I tell you the truth, will you
believe me?”
He blinked. “Of course I will. Why would you ask that?”
“Because that’s how I ended up back in town. My ex-boyfriend didn’t believe me when I said I didn’t break his stupid vase. And now you’re here wondering if I bullied my stepsister. How do I know that you’ll trust that I’m telling the truth?”
“By looking in my eyes.”
She did just that. The glassy appearance of her eyes spoke volumes about her emotional reaction to their conversation. She finally spoke, clearly and succinctly. “I have never bullied Wendy or anyone else.”
He took a step in her direction and she put up her hand to stop him.
“Callie. Please don’t be angry. I told you I didn’t believe what people were telling me, but I needed you to know the rumors were out there.” He paused. “If I believed one word of it, I wouldn’t allow you to be within fifty feet of my daughters.”
She had to know he was speaking the truth. His daughters were precious to him and he’d never put them in harm’s way.
“Who’s been spreading these lies about me?” she asked, wiping at a single tear that had escaped.
“That’s not important. The next time I hear something like that, I’ll make sure I let people know they should check their facts.”
“Is Wendy one of the people who spoke to you?”
He shook his head. “No. Just a few people who knew both of you when you were kids.” He hesitated then decided she deserved to know who was talking about her behind her back. “My sister and my admin, Donna.”
Callie nodded. “Wendy has always been persuasive and an outstanding liar, so I’m not surprised, since she knows your sister and Donna. Your sister has never been a fan of mine.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I know,” she said quietly. “Sometimes the truth is difficult to hear, especially when it involves lies being told about yourself.”
He furrowed his brow. “That’s a convoluted way to look at it.”
She shrugged. “I should have known that rumors take on a life of their own in this town. Forewarned is forearmed. Isn’t that what they say?” She turned her attention back to the conference table, essentially ending the discussion.
