Spring Into Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

  I leaned forward and put my elbows on my knees staring at the floor. I sighed. “Fine. What do I have to do?”

  The attorney stood and I straightened in my chair. “Detective, you will come with me. I’m going to take you to meet the head of security. You will be working closely with him to deal with a very sensitive matter.”

  “You’re not going to tell me what that matter is, are you?” I questioned as I bent my neck back to look at his face.

  “I’m sorry, but no, I am not. You will find out when we arrive.” He reached for his briefcase. “We have a car waiting for us.”

  “I can drive my own car,” I said as I stood.

  “No, that won’t be necessary. As of right now, you are working for us, not your township. So, you need to blend in.” He walked to the door before he turned back to the Chief.

  “Thank you for all your assistance, Chief Wheeler. Detective, I’ll be out front waiting for you.” He turned to walk out of the office.

  I stared daggers into his back until he disappeared around the corner. Then I turned the daggers on the Chief. “What the hell is going on?”

  “I have no idea, Jackie. They wouldn’t tell me anything.” He dropped the pen on his desk and leaned forward to put his elbows on it.

  I shook my head. “I so don’t like this. Something feels wrong.”

  “Just go do what you need to do, and get back here as soon as you can.” He picked up his pen again and sat back in his chair.

  “How can the township even do this?”

  He sighed. “Look, Jackie, just like every other township out there, it’s hurting for money. None of the supervisors want to raise the taxes, but they were going to have to.” He hesitated for a moment. “You’ve seen our budget, and it’s getting tighter and tighter. Two of our cars need to be replaced; there is equipment that you and the other guys have been asking for. And, until now, we haven’t had the money. All aspects of the township will benefit from this, and we won’t have to raise taxes.”

  I got it. The economy sucked, plain and simple. If this would help the township out, and get us more guys on the street along with the training and equipment we needed, it would be worth it, maybe. I had to look at this in a positive light. If I didn’t, it would only make matters worse.

  “Hurry up and get this done, Jackie.”

  “You can bet on it, Chief.” I stood and walked to the door.

  “Be Safe, Jackie,” he called out as I reached the door.

  “Always, Chief.” I smiled over my shoulder and walked into the lobby where Mr. Smallwood was waiting for me.

  He acknowledged me with a quick nod and opened the front door for me to follow him. “What about my car?” I asked him.

  “Someone will bring you back later to retrieve your things,” he stated briskly and walked over to a limo that was parked in our lot. I had come in from the back lot, so I had not seen the limo out front.

  “Nice way to blend in,” I mumbled. As I walked to the rear of the car, an older white man was holding the door open.

  “Detective,” he said and nodded politely to me as I got into the car. I nodded back and slid across the back seat.

  I had been in limos before, so I wasn’t gawking at the surroundings, but I was still a bit in awe over what was happening. Three times my salary to work as a security guard? Why would anyone pay that for someone like me?

  The car drove west for a while and neither Mr. Smallwood nor I said anything. He typed something on his blackberry, but I didn’t care what he was doing. My mind was a whirlwind while I attempted to figure out what was going on.

  About twenty minutes later, we pulled up to a large metal gate. A security guard opened it and we drove up a long driveway. There was a large house at the top of a hill. It was a beautiful, sprawling three-story house with lots of windows. The center of the house was almost all glass. You could see all the way through, and even see the balconies on the second and third story that crossed from one side of the house to the other. I had seen this house many times from the road, and always wondered who owned it. I guess I was about to find out.

  The limo stopped, I waited for the door to open before I climbed out. I examined the house trying to keep my jaw from dropping. “Who lives here?” I asked Mr. Smallwood as he climbed out.

  “Your new boss,” he walked past me and toward the front door. Well, that told me a lot. I nodded to no one and followed him.

  The door opened before we reached it, and there stood a woman dressed in a maid’s uniform. Did people really dress like that?

  She smiled at me as we entered. The entrance was part of the glass section of the house, and I lifted my chin to view the floors above me. The rays of sun bounced off the glass enclosure, I immediately loved it.

  I followed Mr. Smallwood down a hallway. I could hear voices as we walked, and I was trying to pick up words or recognize the voices that were talking, but they all meant nothing to me.

  As we entered, the conversation stopped, and everyone turned to me. I glanced around the large room. It was filled with couches and chairs in different seating arrangements. The back wall was glass, and it looked out over a pool area. Beyond the pool was a pasture where horses grazed.

  Three people stood in the room and openly gawked at me: two men and one woman. The woman made a beeline for me with a bright smile on her face.

  “Detective, we are so glad you came. I’m Roseanne Samuels. I’ll be your assistant.” I raised my eyebrows. I needed an assistant? I shook her hand. She was only a few inches shorter than I was, but she seemed more petite because of her thin shoulders and the fact that she didn’t have an ounce of body fat. I forced a small smile on my face.

  I heard two sets of footsteps behind me, and everyone turned to look at the door. Today had been a whirlwind, and I didn’t think I could’ve been any more shocked than I was when I turned around to see Ryan Palmer standing in the doorway. His friend Troy stood beside him, but I barely noticed him.

  Ryan’s blue eyes sparkled, and his full lips curled up mischievously at me. His short-sleeved blue polo shirt hugged his chest and wide shoulders. The soft blond hair on his arms caught the sunlight as it came in from the window behind me.

  I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes. No freaking way! Why didn’t I even consider this? Of freaking course! I heard him chuckle.

  “Please don’t tell me you’re my new boss,” I said when I cracked open my tense jaw.

  His smile widened. “See, I knew you were smart.” He stepped closer, and I almost backed away; but I held my ground. “Welcome, Detective Liveon.” He held his hand out for me to shake.

  I looked at his hand for a second before I placed mine into his. The warmth of his hands made my palm burn. He held it longer then was necessary, and I studied his face. His eyes still sparkled as he studied me closely.

  “What do you want?” I asked, and it probably wasn’t in my nicest voice.

  He started to open his mouth but then stopped and grinned. I wondered what he was about to say, but I didn’t ask. I kept watching him and realized that everyone was staring at the two of us. I took a step back.

  “I need your help,” he said. He broke eye contact to walk over to a couch and sit down. “Please, have a seat.”

  I stood where I was with my feet glued to the ground until I felt someone stand beside me. I turned to see Troy, and he guided me to a chair. It was probably a good thing because my feet weren’t working too well at that moment.

  I sat down and looked across the sitting area to Ryan. “What help do you need from me?” I was surprised that my voice came out as calmly as it did. Years of practice in stressful situations were paying off.

  I squirmed in my seat as his eyes traveled over me; I felt like I was naked as he took me in. His eyes were so bright, even when the sun wasn’t shining on them. I felt the intensity of his stare as it traveled over me. Somewhere, I remember reading that he was on a top ten list for having the sexiest eyes. Looking into them now, I believed
it.

  We sat cautiously studying one another. Finally, Troy cleared his throat and I peeked over to see him next to me smiling. A blush crept up my face, I told myself to stop. Yeah, like that was going to work.

  “Detective Liveon, may I call you Jacquelyn?” Troy asked me.

  “Yes, you may,” I answered him quietly.

  “Thank you. As you now know, you’ve been hired to work for Mr. Palmer.” I scowled at Ryan and then turned my attention back to Troy. “We need your assistance on a sensitive issue.”

  I waited to see if he would continue. When he didn’t say anything, I spoke. “What issue?”

  “Someone has been making death threats against him,” he said simply.

  After a second, I snorted a quick laugh and focused directly at Ryan. “Why am I not surprised?” He gave me a lopsided grin in return.

  Chapter 7

  April - Ryan

  I couldn’t stop pacing. I walked circles around the house, unable to sit still for a moment. Would she come? I had my cell phone in my hand, and I waited for the message to come through. Every time my phone made a noise, I jumped and looked at it, but it was not the information I was waiting for.

  Finally, the message arrived. “We are on our way.” It was from my attorney. The one I had sent to work out the deal with Rosewood Township, the one who was bringing Jacquelyn to me. I grinned like a kid on Christmas morning when I saw the words on my screen and looked out over the third-story balcony and toward the pasture where two horses grazed in the distance. Finally, I would get my chance to talk to her.

  I knew it wouldn’t be long before she arrived, and when the guardhouse called to say the limo was here, I moved out of the atrium area so that she wouldn’t see me. I wanted to surprise her. I asked Mr. Smallwood not to tell her anything before she arrived. I wanted to see the look on her face when she realized she would be working for me. Would she be surprised, or angry?

  I observed the limo from my bedroom window and watched as she climbed out. She wore a tan blazer and brown slacks, and the blazer set off her wide shoulders and highlighted her light blond hair. She looked up at the house and then followed Mr. Smallwood to the front door. I gave her a few minutes to get inside, I actually felt butterflies in my stomach as I walked down the stairs to the room where my security team waited.

  I took a deep breath before I turned the corner and entered the room. Troy walked beside me and put his hand on my shoulder. I peered at him, and he grinned at me. He was the only person who knew how much I wanted to see her. As I rounded the corner, everyone turned to look at me. I didn’t care about anyone else in that room. My eyes went directly to hers, and I watched her mouth clamp shut.

  I knew she probably wasn’t used to being surprised, so that made it even better. I laughed quietly and grinned at her.

  “Please don’t tell me you are my boss.” Her eyes were still wide, but her voice was steady.

  “See, I knew you were smart.” I extended my hand, wanting to feel her skin against mine. “Welcome, Detective Liveon.”

  She hesitated before she took my offering. I knew I should have let go of it sooner, but I clung to it a few seconds longer. Her light blue eyes stared intently into mine, and I had the crazy urge to pull her into my arms right there. I let go of her hand instead.

  “What do you want?” she asked quietly.

  I wanted to say, You, but I held that back, for now. Maybe she could see in my eyes what I wanted to say because she took a small step away from me.

  “I need your help,” I walked past her to the couch. Her intense scrutiny and beautiful eyes were making me more nervous than I anticipated. “Please, have a seat.” So you can’t see my knees shaking.

  Troy stood beside her and took her arm gently, leading her over to a chair. I focused on where his hand touched her arm, a spike of jealousy spearing through me.

  “What help do you need from me?” she asked after she sat down.

  I had waited a long time to be able to look at her in person again, and for a few moments, I could do nothing but stare. She was more gorgeous than I remembered. Her light blond hair shone as the sun came in through the window. Her eyes were bright and clear as she scrutinized me. I studied her until Troy cleared his throat. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw color start to rise on her cheeks. How cute.

  “Detective Liveon, may I call you Jacquelyn?” I couldn’t tear my eyes from her as Troy spoke.

  “Yes, you may.” Her voice was music to my ears.

  “Thank you. As you now know, you’ve been hired to work for Mr. Palmer. We need your assistance on a sensitive issue.”

  She peeked over at me quickly, but returned her attention to Troy immediately.

  “Someone has been making death threats against him,” he said simply.

  The snort that came out of her mouth was totally unexpected, but her words weren’t. “Why am I not surprised?”

  There were actually a few chuckles from around the room, but I didn’t look at anyone else. “Why aren’t you surprised?” I asked.

  She examined me as she sat back in her chair and crossed her right leg over her left knee. She rested her hands in her lap. “You seem to have a way with people. Who did you annoy this time?” She fought to hold back a smile.

  “Believe it or not, no one,” I replied.

  “Somehow, I doubt that.” She shook her head and turned back to Troy. “But why do you need me? You already have security and this isn’t my usual type of job.”

  I watched as she studied Troy. She was so confident. Now that the surprise was over, she was in control again.

  “You’re a detective.” He shrugged. “We figured you might be able to figure out who is sending the threats.”

  “That doesn’t make sense. If you think the threats are valid, then you should have the State Police or FBI involved in this, not some local small-town detective.” While she directed her comment to Troy, I watched lips move with each word and imagined tasting the soft skin.

  “We didn’t want to make a huge thing of it. That’s why we didn’t call the FBI.” I looked over at Troy as he spoke.

  “You mean I didn’t want to make a big deal about it,” I said while bringing my attention back to Jacquelyn with a shrug. She cocked her head to the side as I spoke.

  “What? You don’t take your life seriously?” she asked.

  “Of course I do. I just don’t think this person is serious.” I shrugged once more and scanned the room for a second.

  Troy started to talk again. “The thing of it is, we think it’s someone who is working the production.” Jacquelyn’s right eyebrow went up.

  “Why do you think that?” She glanced at the three others in the room.

  “Some of the notes have shown up while we’ve been filming and…” Troy stopped talking and looked over at me.

  “And what?” Jacquelyn looked between the two of us.

  “Someone tried to poison me. They actually told me they were going to do it, and I didn’t pay any attention to the threat. But someone spiked one of my water bottles with something. I only had a sip of it and put the bottle down. Someone else picked it up by mistake and drank most of the water. They got rushed to the hospital.”

  She sat there watching me curiously. “Is that person alive?”

  “Oh yeah, he just got really sick for a few days. It was nothing major,” I answered.

  She shook her head, the waves of her hair gently moving back and forth. “Nothing major? You sure don’t hold much value over human life, do you?” She didn’t give me a chance to answer before she looked over at Troy. “How is this supposed to work?”

  Troy grinned at her, and again, I felt a little twinge of jealousy. “You’ll work with me. You will have to move in here for a while, and one of us will be with him at all times. We’re hoping that your investigative skills can help us figure this out before the press gets wind of it.”

  When he mentioned that she was going to move in, I saw her eyes open wider, and
she flicked a glance at me.

  “Why do I have to move in? I have my own house, and it’s not that far away. I don’t need to live here.” Was that an edge of panic or anger that I detected in her voice?

  “All of his personal bodyguards stay at his house. We need it to look like standard practice and not that you are here doing an investigation. Besides, where else would his new girlfriend stay?” His voice lowered as he finished the sentence, I held my breath.

  Her mouth dropped. “What?” She gaped at Troy, and I fought back my laughter. “What do you mean girlfriend?”

  Troy’s eyes flicked over to me once, and I waited to see what he would say. “We figured we would make it look like you and Ryan have been seeing each other secretly for a while. You decided to take some time off from work to spend it with him, and he offered you a job as a bodyguard. The fact that you have saved his life twice now only makes that part more believable.”

  She leaned forward to put her elbows on her knees and stared at the floor. Her blazer stretched tightly over her back while her hair fell forward and hid her face.

  “Please tell me you’re joking?” she said without looking up at anyone.

  It was quiet for about a minute. When she finally lifted her face, she glared at me for a long moment. “Was this your idea?”

  I laughed. The look on her face was a cross between anger and shock. “No, actually, it wasn’t my idea. You can blame this one on Troy and Roseanne.” I pointed casually to each of them as I spoke.

  She faced the floor again. “When does all this start?”

  Troy cleared his throat. “Now. The limo driver is outside waiting to take you back to your house to get your things. He will bring you back, and we’ll get you settled in tonight. Tomorrow, I will go over everything with you.”

  Jacquelyn sat up straight, her jaw locked. I watched a muscle tick on the right side of her face. “Fine. Your limo driver can take me back to the station. I need to clear up a few loose ends there and then I’ll go home to pack my stuff and I will drive back here myself. I would prefer to have my own car.”