by Lisa Childs
So Billy had already cleared it with Paddy, never mind that he hadn’t asked her first. She turned from the watch commander back to Billy, but he’d already headed for the door and snapped off the lights on his way out. Her instincts warned her that she wasn’t going to like what was about to be shown on the screen at the front of the room.
This is not going to go well…
Holden studied Roberta’s face as she turned toward the screen. She looked even paler in the faint light, her jaw tight with tension.
“You’re under arrest,” Robbie said.
He tensed in reaction, wondering for a moment what he’d done this time. Then he realized her voice had come from the speakers of the computer projecting her image onto the screen. The person she was attempting to arrest in the video wasn’t as compliant as he’d been. The gangly youth whirled away from the vehicle against which he’d been leaning and advanced on Robbie, fists raised. His knuckles struck her face, and blood, thick and red, spurted from her nose and mouth.
Holden gasped in shock. Similar reactions arose from the other people in the room, and some looked away in horror. But Holden could not look away. He stared at the screen and watched as Roberta, despite her injury, managed, with the help of another officer, to subdue the violent suspect. The computer clicked, launching into another video segment, this one of Robbie frisking a suspect. Suddenly she jerked her hand from a hoodie pocket and cursed.
“Needle, Rob?” another officer asked.
She nodded, her lower lip drawn between her teeth—not in pain but fear, more fear than she’d shown when she’d been hit in the face.
Holden’s guts tightened with concern, which only increased as the next video ran, showing footage of a suspect flipping out in a fast-food restaurant. When a stun gun failed to subdue him, several officers had to take the guy down. Roberta was one of them, and she didn’t hesitate before piling on top of the flailing man. His fists and feet connected, but still she didn’t back down.
Holden’s was the first hand to go up when the lights went on. Robbie ignored him and called on Bernie Gillespie, the wife of the older couple who’d admitted to joining the program for thrills. Was that why Roberta had decided to become a police officer? Holden wondered. Was she a thrill seeker?
“Do people often underestimate you because of your size?” Bernie asked. Although short, the woman wasn’t exactly petite.
Instead of meeting the woman’s gaze, Roberta met Holden’s and answered succinctly, “Yes.”
She continued to ignore Holden’s raised hand and called on Leonard Romanski, the twenty-something kid who’d told them he wanted to be a police officer. “So is vice the most dangerous unit?” he asked.
Her lips curved into a slight smile. “The answer to that question probably depends on the officer you ask. Vice is rough, there’s no doubt. We deal with desperate people who are sometimes out of their minds on drugs. They have no control over their actions or themselves, so it makes it hard for us to control them—as you saw on the videos.”
Knowing she was ignoring him, Holden just called out his question. “So why would someone raising a small child alone choose such an assignment?”
Color flooded Roberta’s face, turning her pale skin bright pink. Obviously she wasn’t thrilled that he’d shared her personal situation with the rest of the class. But she lifted her chin with pride. “We don’t necessarily choose our assignments. Some officers have unique skills that make them more suitable for a certain department or field.”
The watch commander, who had explained at the first class that he was responsible for handing out assignments to the officers, spoke up. “And Officer Meyers’s small stature and youthful appearance makes her an effective vice decoy.”
“There’s no arguing that,” Holden agreed ruefully.
“Officers have families,” Lieutenant O’Donnell continued, “and so do the citizens we’re trying to protect. Heck, so do most of the criminals we’re trying to get off the streets. It’s just a fact of life.”
“Having a family does affect how we do our jobs,” Roberta added with a pointed glance at Holden. “It makes us more determined to do our jobs well and to keep Lakewood safe for our kids. Because our families come first.”
The other officers and some of the citizens applauded her response. Holden only managed a smile and a nod in acknowledgment. Robbie believed what she said, but now that Holden had seen the videos showing exactly what an officer’s job was like, he knew he was right. Even though he was attracted to Roberta Meyers, nothing could come of that attraction. She was not the woman for him.
Less than an hour later, he reminded himself of that as he stood over Holly’s bed. She’d kicked off the covers and lay on her back, sprawled across the entire double bed. Her mouth hung open, soft snores escaping from her throat.
A smile curved his lips as he watched her sleep, so peacefully now…
But he could remember those nightmares when she’d first come to live with him. The way she’d awakened, screaming in fear. For herself or her mother?
Lorielle had often been battered and bruised. Like Roberta, she’d put herself in danger. Sure, Roberta had an admirable reason; she was doing her job, trying to make the streets safe. He respected her for that, but respect was all he could ever feel for her.
He couldn’t put Holly or himself through the pain and uncertainty of caring for someone who willingly risked her safety and her life. He stepped out into the hall, drawing the door partly closed behind him. Then he pulled out his cell and dialed a familiar number.
After scarcely a full ring, a woman’s voice answered, “Hello.”
“Meredith, I hope it’s not too late to call,” he began as the grandfather clock on the landing chimed midnight.
She chuckled. “Of course not. You know me, I never sleep.”
His tension eased as he acknowledged exactly how well he knew Meredith Wallingford. They’d grown up together, their parents close friends who’d often joked that they would arrange a marriage between their two children. But Holden had gone off to the seminary and Merry had married someone else. They’d remained friends, though, and when she divorced they began to date. Casually. Infrequently. Neither of them having the time for anything more.
It was time to make time. His attraction to Roberta Meyers was just superficial. His long friendship with Meredith was much deeper, a much stronger foundation on which to build a lasting relationship. He didn’t have to make the mistakes his father had to realize that.
“Holden?” she said, her voice soft with concern. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” he assured her, “I’m much better now.” He’d regained his focus, his objectivity. “It’s been too long since I’ve talked to you.”
She chuckled again and reminded him, “We just talked a couple of days ago.”
“About one of the kids,” he said. Merry was a social worker for the city of Lakewood. “Not about us.”
“Us?” she queried, her tone guarded. “Is there an us?”
“I think maybe there should be,” he said.
Her response was a silence that lasted so long he wondered if he’d lost the connection.
“Merry?”
“Are you sure about this?” she asked. “We’ve known each other a long time.”
“That’s why I’m sure,” he said. “We know each other. We know how busy we are.”
“Too busy for anything more than an occasional dinner,” she reminded him.
“How about we try lunch?” he suggested.
Her tone still guarded, she asked, “When?”
“Tomorrow.” The sooner he saw her, the sooner he would forget all about Roberta Meyers and how sweet her lips had tasted. “Can you come by the shelter?”
“Sure…” But she didn’t sound convinced—or particularly enthusiastic—as she said goodbye and hung up.
Of course it was late. And she was tired. Tomorrow would be better. But first he had to get through tonight. Moments la
ter he flopped onto his back in bed and closed his eyes.
And he saw her face. Roberta’s…
SOMETHING SOFT and wet brushed Robbie’s cheek. “Holden,” she murmured as she surfaced from a deep sleep. She shifted against the mattress. How had he gotten in?
Not that she cared. She only wanted him to kiss her—really kiss her this time. But instead, she got the wet tongue again across the bridge of her nose. She blinked open her eyes and stared up into a furry face. “Sassy!”
The long-haired Chihuahua swiped her tongue across Robbie’s mouth. Robbie sputtered, disgusted with the slimy doggie saliva, and caught the dog.
“That’s probably the most action you’ve gotten in a while,” Joelly teased from the bedroom doorway. “Or is it? I heard you say his name.”
Heat rushed to Robbie’s face. “Whose name?”
Joelly mocked a throaty murmur, “Holden.”
“I said hold on,” Robbie lied. “I knew it was Sassy wanting to go out.” The little dog wriggled free of her hands and jumped off the bed to race around Joelly’s bare legs.
“I already took her out.”
“How long have you been here?” Robbie asked, hoping to change the subject.
“Long enough,” Joelly said, “to make coffee.” She crossed the short distance to the bed and pressed a mug into Robbie’s hands. “Drink up. It’ll be time to wake Kayla for school pretty soon.”
Sunshine filtered through the thin shades, illuminating the room and the dust particles dancing in the air. Robbie really needed to clean. But who had time? She’d rather play cards or a board game with her daughter than dust any day.
As Joelly had ordered, Robbie took a deep gulp of the coffee. The rich brew flowed down her throat, hot but not scalding. It warmed her insides, just as the sunshine warmed her outside. “Mmm, thanks,” she mumbled. “I owe you.”
“I’m going to collect on that,” Joelly warned her as she dropped onto the bed.
Awake now, thanks to Sassy’s kisses and the coffee, Robbie focused on her friend, who wore the same short skirt and tight shirt she’d worn to the CPA class. “Were you out all night?”
Jo smothered a yawn behind the back of her hand. “Not like you think.”
“You’re not trying to live down to your bad press again?” Robbie asked. Jo had a habit of doing crazy things to get her dad’s attention.
She shook her head. “Of course that’s not what my father thinks.”
“You’ve seen your dad?” Usually Joelly didn’t visit the mayor unless she had Robbie at her side for moral support.
“I got dropped off there after work last night.”
And that was Robbie’s fault for borrowing her car. Her clunker was in the shop again, which was the reason she’d been late for last night’s CPA class. “Are you all right?”
She waved off Robbie’s concern. “It was fine, even though I woke him up. Anyhow, he reminded me about his ball. He ordered me to be there.”
Robbie winced. Nothing good ever came of Joel Standish ordering around his headstrong daughter. You’d think, after twenty-four years, the guy would have figured out how to deal with his namesake. “So you’re not going, of course.”
“No, I’m going,” Joelly matter-of-factly corrected her, “and you’re going to be my date.”
The coffee from which Robbie had just taken a sip burned as it traveled up the back of her nose. She coughed and sputtered, and Jo thumped her back. Through watery eyes, she glared at her friend’s laughing face.
“Payback.”
“Are you going to cause a scene and embarrass him?” Robbie wondered. It wouldn’t have been the first time Joelly had done that in retaliation to her father’s patronizing behavior.
She shook her head. “That’s not my intention at all. That’s why you have to be my date.”
“How many times do I have to tell you,” Robbie said, fighting the smile that twitched her lips, “I love you, but I’m not in love with you?”
“Smart-ass.”
“Seriously, though, you’re going?”
“Yes, I’m going to try to talk some sense into him about his vendetta against the chief.”
“What is that about?” Robbie asked. “Chief Archer arresting us? That happened a lifetime ago. Just how long does your dad hold a grudge?”
“Longer than that,” Joelly said with a heavy sigh. Sassy, responding to the tone, jumped onto her lap. Standing on her hind legs, she lifted her front paws as far up her mistress’s chest as she could reach, hugging her. Joelly stroked the dog’s back as she elaborated, “My dad’s ticked off about something that happened between them back in college.”
“Wow, that is a long time. What happened?”
“My dad’s girlfriend dropped him for Frank Archer. She wound up marrying him.”
“So the chief’s wife used to date your father?”
Joelly nodded. “She was the love of his life. They remained friends, though, until she died last year. I think my dad actually blames the chief for her getting cancer. That’s why he’s been on this rampage against him.” She sighed again. “I have to get him to stop.”
“That’s why you joined the CPA.”
“And that’s why I have to go to this ball. And you’re going, too,” Joelly ordered. She failed to recognize how often she acted like her father.
Robbie smiled. She didn’t have the heart to point out the similarities between dad and daughter. Joelly wouldn’t appreciate the comparison.
“If you won’t be my date,” Joelly continued, “how about asking Reverend Thomas? At least one of us will be dating a guy my father would approve of.”
“Your father would approve of Holden?” Robbie asked. Despite the animosity between the mayor and the police department, Robbie had always respected Joel Standish. She owed him so much…
Joelly nodded. “My father makes hefty donations to the shelter.”
Robbie suspected that had more to do with his daughter than the youth minister.
“Maybe I should stop by the shelter,” she mused aloud. It wouldn’t be easy—it never was—being reminded of the life she’d led during those awful, terrifying months when she was a teenager. But she’d had to deal with the reminder more than once, since working in vice had forced her to return to the seedy district of Lakewood.
“Invite him,” Joelly encouraged her.
Joelly could be bossy, but she was often right. Robbie needed to get over her fear of dating. She needed to ask Holden Thomas out.
Chapter Five
Hands clasped, heads bowed, the teenagers recited the words of Holden’s favorite prayer, seeking guidance and wisdom from a higher power. Satisfaction filled him as he studied the group who’d pulled their chairs into a loose circle. These kids weren’t here because their parents had forced them or bribed them, unlike most of the kids who’d been part of his youth group at St. Mike’s. Contrary to Officer Meyers’s remark about Holden recruiting them, these runaway teens came to the shelter of their own volition.
His satisfaction ebbed away as he acknowledged that fear and desperation were their primary motivations. But they were here—not out on the streets or in some abandoned warehouse that drug dealers had taken over. That was why he’d founded the shelter. Well, at least that was part of the reason.
Chairs creaked and rubber soles squeaked against the floor as the group dispersed. “Hey, everyone, remember to make smart choices out there,” he advised as they all headed out the door, except for one girl who hung back.
“I’m sorry,” she said, swinging her blond hair over her shoulder.
“About?”
“I know you went to that party last week looking for me,” Skylar said, gesturing toward the scrape that had faded to a faint yellow bruise, “and that’s how you got hurt.”
“It’s not your fault,” he assured her. “I’m just glad you changed your mind about going there. You made the right choice, Skylar.”
She smiled. “You’re really not mad at me?�
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“Not at all,” he said. “I’m proud of you.”
Her smile widened and she stepped forward, her arms reaching out for a hug. But then someone rapped on the door frame and Todd, one of the kids who’d just left the group, said, “Hey, Rev, that TV cop’s here with some chick cop.”
His pulse tripped as it sped up. “Chick cop? What does she look like?”
“Hot! Really hot!” Todd exclaimed. “But kind of uptight, too.”
Roberta. Now his pulse raced. He hurried out of the meeting room with Todd and Skylar close behind him. “You know her?” Todd asked, but he didn’t wait for an answer. As Holden neared the police officers, the kids slunk off toward the lounge.
“Hey, Rev,” Sergeant Kent Terlecki called out as Holden joined them in the main-floor reception area of the four-story building. The tall, golden-haired officer shook Holden’s hand and said, “Hope you don’t mind us stopping in.”
“Not at all,” he assured the public-information officer. Then he met Roberta’s blue-eyed gaze and added, “In fact, I appreciate it.”
“When Robbie mentioned she was going to check out the shelter, I thought I’d come along,” Terlecki explained, “in case you were too busy to show her around. I can give her the grand tour.”
Irritation tempered Holden’s pleasure at her visit. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the public-information officer, but he would have liked him more had he not tagged along with Roberta.
“So don’t let us get in your way,” the sergeant told him, his hand settling with familiarity on the small of Roberta’s back.
Holden’s irritation grew. “I’m not too busy,” he nearly snapped.
Kent glanced from him to Roberta. “If you’re sure you have the time.”
“I’d be happy…” With his peripheral vision, he noticed that someone else was walking up to join them.
The long-legged brunette closed the distance quickly, despite stopping occasionally to greet some of the kids who hung out watching the wide-screen television. “Meredith…”
She leaned close and kissed his uninjured cheek. “Hi, Holden. I brought lunch.” She patted the handle of the picnic basket that hung from one arm.
