“I have some equipment to take for the photo shoot that I’ll need to bring along.”
Doing his best to look serious, he grimaced. “That’s a lot to ask of a guy with a truck.” The sound of her giggles wiped the fake expression off his face faster than he had intended and he gave her a lopsided grin. “Of course – I’ll even carry the stuff you need out for you.”
“Why thank you, kind sir. In that case, I accept your invitation.”
The humor in her green eyes made his heart race. It blew him away that she was even remotely interested in him as well.
“I’m sorry I’ve got to rush off. Are you going to be okay getting in?”
“I’ll be fine.” She held up the box containing her new purchase. “I may wait until Sunday to open this so you can make sure I’m doing it right.”
“Sounds good. We’ll get to the range in the next week or so. That way, you’ll feel more comfortable with it.”
“Thanks again, Tuck.”
“You’re welcome.” He reached a hand out and gently pulled one of her curls, releasing it to spring back to its original position. “We’ll keep in touch this week. I’ll let you know when I hear back about the files.”
It felt like the smell of her shampoo was floating all around him. She pulled her bottom lip up between her teeth. It took every ounce of strength he had to not take a taste of that lip himself. Instead, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek near her ear. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
Tuck watched long enough to see her disappear inside before pulling away from the curb. One thing was certain. He was looking forward to spending the day with Laurie more than he had anything else in a long, long time.
~
When Laurie awoke early the next morning, she blinked, trying to figure out why the light filtering through her windows was different. Feeling giddy, she pulled the curtains back. Large, fluffy snowflakes floated slowly past the glass to land on the scene below. Everything was draped in white. It must have snowed all night.
She dressed quickly, grabbed her laptop, and headed down to her studio. She had some processing to do today and didn’t expect to have any customers come through the door with the weather.
That was fine with her. She doubted she was going to be able to concentrate much today. At least she had a great view of the wintry world from her desk.
The chime from her phone announced a text from Tuck.
“Coffee or hot chocolate?”
She texted back, “Hot chocolate, please.”
“You got it.”
Her stomach did a little tumble and she hoped that meant he was coming by sometime this morning.
She had just gotten into her work when there was a rap on the door. Even though she expected Tuck to drop by, the sound made her jump.
Brows knit together, he took a step forward. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you okay?”
Laurie stood, feeling incredibly silly. “I only lose a year of my life about every other time now.” His expression was so serious she shook her head. “I’m fine.”
He looked like he was going to argue. Instead, he held out the drink carrier he had in one hand while keeping his other hand behind his back. “Hot chocolate is on your right.”
“Mmmm, thank you.” She cupped it in her hands, welcoming the warmth as she took a tentative sip.
“That’s not all. And no cop comments, please.” He pulled the other hand out from behind his back, presenting a bag of donuts.
Laurie nearly choked on the hot chocolate and swallowed quickly. “And how am I supposed to not make a comment?” She grinned at him, enjoying the tint of red that reached the tip of his ears. “Donuts sound perfect. Seriously, thank you.” She set the bag down on her desk and pulled one of the glazed treats out, scooting the bag closer to him. “Did you have to work late last night?”
“We shut it down around one this morning as soon as it started to snow.” He sat on the edge of her desk, taking a bite of his own donut. “We got the rest of the folders sorted and together. They should be able to finish the comparison today. We’ll have some answers.”
“Oh, good.” She took another sip of hot chocolate. “I’m impressed you were able to get out and travel in this at all.”
“I put chains on the tires of my truck and drove it.”
“Good thinking.”
“We’ve gotten two inches of snow already. Traffic will only get worse as the day goes on. Especially if it melts a bit today and freezes overnight.”
Laurie regained her desk chair and studied him over the top of her cup. “With the exception of Daisy’s for soup, I’m not planning on going anywhere until this all clears out. My car barely has a working heater on a good day.”
“I’m glad – you’ll be safer here. People get insane when they’re driving in weather like this. If you need anything, call and let me know.” He polished off the rest of his donut in one bite. “I’ve gotta run. I’ll call you when we get results from the files. But otherwise, don’t be surprised if I’m MIA for a while. Weather like this means a lot of accidents.” He stood and dusted his hands off.
Laurie followed suit and set the rest of her donut down. “Be careful out there, okay? Thanks again for the hot chocolate and donuts.”
“Anytime.”
Tuck gave her a wink and left.
He had brought her hot chocolate and donuts. In the middle of a snow storm. It was a winter wonderland outside. Yep, it was shaping up to be a great day.
~
Tuck was in the station, going over some paperwork, when Lance walked up to his desk and slapped his hand on the surface. “They finished going through those files. There are folders missing, all from the same household.”
Standing quickly, Tuck reached for his coat. “The Chief?”
“He said to go talk to the family, make sure everything is okay there, and see if they have any information.”
With a nod, Tuck followed his partner. “Fill me in. We’ll take my truck.”
Lance read over the report as Tuck took them across town. The files that were missing were for the Lewis family. There were six children – three boys and three girls – and all of those files were nowhere to be found. According to the computer, there was nothing remarkable about the medical history of any of the children. All six had received all of their vaccinations and the fourth child had been hospitalized with RSV when she was an infant. There were no red flags indicating why someone would choose those records over any others.
By the time they reached the Lewis home, Tuck was formulating questions in his mind.
Together, they traversed the snow to the front door. Tuck knocked and waited until a woman in her thirties pulled the door open. “Can I help you?”
“Are you Morgan Lewis?”
“Yes. What is this about?”
They both showed her their badges. “We want to talk to you about a break-in that has resulted in some of your records being stolen. May we come inside?”
Morgan looked from one to the other. “Honestly, my youngest are sleeping. I would rather stay out here on the porch, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Lance assured her.
She slipped on some shoes by the door, pulled a jacket on, and stepped outside. Together, he and Tuck told her about the robbery.
“As far as we can tell, your children’s records were the only ones missing. Do you have any idea why that might be?”
Morgan looked genuinely surprised. “I have no idea. We’ve been going to that pediatrician since my oldest was born. I have a lot of friends who go there as well. I have provided copies of vaccination records when needed. Do I need to worry about my kids’ safety?”
“Honestly, Ma’am, I don’t know. I doubt they are in any danger. But if you will give me their school contact information, I’ll go by and let them know about the situation and make sure the kids’ teachers know to keep a close eye on them.” Tuck took the information she provided down on a notepad. “We’ll also see
if we can’t have a squad car make regular passes by your house for the next few days until we get this squared away.”
“I appreciate that.” Morgan paused. “If I feel uncomfortable about sending them to school the next couple of days, can I get some information from you to present to the school?”
“I will make sure that, when I talk to them here shortly, they know that the kids are excused should you wish to take them out for a few days.” Tuck tried to give her a reassuring smile. “Honestly, your kids are likely fine, but I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to keep them close by.”
Lance handed her a card. “If you have any questions, think of anything, or see anyone around that concerns you, please don’t hesitate to call.”
“I will. Thank you again.” Morgan shook each of their hands and closed the door behind her.
“Did you recognize the school?” Lance asked.
“Yes, the same one that was broken into the other night.” This whole case was turning out to be odd. They had to be connected. But, how? His mind went to the robbery at Laurie’s studio. That intruder had disappeared entirely. The truth was, Tuck was starting to get frustrated with the growing pile of incidents and no real answers.
They were in serious need of a break in the case. He prayed God would lead him and Lance in the right direction and keep Laurie and the Lewis kids safe.
~
By the time Sunday morning had come around, all of the snow had melted and so had the resulting ice. The only evidence remaining was the mud that seemed to be everywhere.
Tuck arrived right at eleven as promised. Laurie hadn’t seen him since he’d brought donuts. They were going to be spending most of the day together and she found herself grinning like a school girl.
He loaded her photography equipment into a box in the back of his truck and then helped her inside. As soon as she was settled, a snuffling sound drew her attention to the seat behind her. She laughed when she saw Rogue wagging his tail at her, head bobbing back and forth with the effort.
“Well, hello there.” She scratched behind the dog’s ears. When Tuck got in, she turned to him. “I didn’t realize you were going to bring Rogue along.”
“I leave him alone at the house enough, I hate doing it on the weekends, too.”
“Will he be okay in here?”
“This time of the year, he’ll be fine. He’s got water and I’ll bring him inside at Mom’s house. Do you mind?”
“Of course not!” She wrinkled her nose as Rogue gave it a kiss with his wet tongue. With another pat, Laurie turned back to the front of the truck and the dog moved to watch out of a back window. She motioned to the bag at her feet. “I brought salad and chocolate chip cookies. We might want to put them in with the camera equipment so he doesn’t eat it all while we’re having lunch.”
“That’s probably a good idea. I’m pretty sure he’d turn his nose up at the salad, but the cookies would be fair game.” Tuck started the truck and turned the heater on high. “They say snow is possible again tomorrow. It kind of has that smell, doesn’t it?”
“It sure does.” Laurie rubbed her hands together briskly. “I hope it does. I love snow. I think I should have chosen to live somewhere like Colorado, where it snows more often. Three or four times a year here isn’t nearly often enough.”
Tuck raised an eyebrow. “I, for one, am glad you didn’t decide to live in Colorado.”
Catching his meaning, her cheeks warmed. She looked out of her window as Tuck drove.
“You look beautiful, by the way.” He gave her an appreciative smile. “I like how you did your hair.”
“Thank you.” His words warmed her heart and she no longer noticed the chill in her hands.
~
They decided to have lunch at a little sandwich shop. Tuck ordered a roast beef with chips and Laurie chose half of a turkey sandwich and a bowl of the shop’s popular creamy chicken soup.
“I seriously cannot wait for that soup,” she said, rubbing her hands together. “Okay, so maybe it is good I didn’t move to Colorado.” She laughed. “I guess I like snow and the idea of winter, but not the practicalities of it.”
Tuck thought she looked adorable with the smile that reached her eyes and the slightly red nose from the cold air outside. He reached across the little table they were sitting at and covered her cold hands with his. “You need to get some gloves,” he commented, marveling at the way her small hands fit perfectly in his.
“I have some, I left them at my place.” She dipped her chin a little, looking at him through her lashes. “Is this something your boss would frown upon, seeing as I’m still part of the case you’re working on?”
“I don’t care.”
She burst out laughing. “Well, okay then.” She seemed to study him for a minute, her expression growing serious. “So it was your fiancée who actually broke off your engagement?”
He raised an eyebrow at her bold question. “Yes, she did. I think there were a lot of problems leading up to it and I didn’t see the signs somehow. It’s not like my job is a real incentive. Odd hours, on call all the time, danger lurking around every corner.” He made it sound like he was exaggerating, but it wasn’t by much. “There’s not a lot of people who can put up with that kind of thing.” He shrugged, letting go of her hands when the waitress brought a bowl of soup and set it down in front of Laurie. “If you ever come to your senses, I won’t blame you.”
“You want a family someday, then?” She picked the spoon up and used it to collect some of the soup. Blowing tentatively, she placed it in her mouth and closed her eyes in appreciation.
Tuck wondered if there was anything she did that he wouldn’t find cute. “Yes, I do.” He studied her, but she didn’t meet his gaze. “What about you?”
Chapter Thirteen
“I always hoped a husband and two or three kids would be in the cards for me one day.” Laurie looked up from the bowl and found Tuck watching her. “I have my parents and my sister. We all love each other very much but we didn’t do that much together. They had their lives and I had mine. They made sure I didn’t need anything physically, but I always missed out on the family togetherness. I want to experience that with my own kids someday. You’re lucky to have that here.”
His stomach growled and he opened a package of soup crackers, hoping the salty squares would tide him over until they brought his meal. “Yes, I am lucky. Heaven knows they can drive me insane, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world.”
“Have they always been supportive of your being a cop?”
“Mostly. Mom would have preferred it if I had chosen a profession that was a bit safer. Or that made it easier to find a wife.” He laughed. “But they are supportive. She worries about me sometimes, but does a decent job at trying to hide it.” He took a swig of his ice water. “And at least Lexi is a year older than I am. She usually gets the brunt of the ‘It’ll be fun when there’s more grandkids running around the place’ comments she throws out on occasion.”
Laurie could totally picture Patty saying that and it made her chuckle. She pointed her spoon at him. “Hey, it could be worse.”
“That it could.”
Their sandwiches arrived and neither of them talked much while they ate. She was content to focus on her meal. Her sandwich was incredibly good, but it was the soup that hit the spot.
“Do you want something for dessert?” Tuck asked.
“Honestly? I’m stuffed.” She put a hand on her stomach. “But you feel free if you’re still hungry.”
“No, I’m good. But I thought we could swing by Daisy’s and see if she has any pies available. I shouldn’t show up empty-handed.”
“Did she give you a piece of her apple pie when you went to get her statement?”
He looked at her quizzically. “Yes…”
Laughing, she folded her napkin and placed it on the plate. “I knew she would. And be honest – you’re hooked now, aren’t you?”
“I admit that I’ve been craving a
pple pie ever since.” A grin stretching his lips. “She must bake something besides apples and cinnamon into them.”
“One would think.” She looked at her watch. “How about I call Daisy’s and see if she’ll hold a pie back for us? Then it looks like we’ve got about an hour to kill before we need to go pick it up and head over to your mom’s house. With the food I brought, we should be set.”
“Sounds good.”
Laurie made the call while Tuck paid their bill. “Daisy said we were lucky, that she usually is sold out by now, but that the cold weather seemed to be keeping more people at home this morning.”
He helped her with her jacket before donning his own. Both of them tugged on knit hats. “How about we go down by the duck pond. We can walk for a few minutes and talk before we head over?”
“Sure.” She suddenly felt shy. She thought about what he said; how most women wouldn’t be interested in a man with the kind of job that he had. She could certainly see where they might feel that way. She had to admit that, when she thought about her future family, she pictured a husband who came home for dinner every night. And she hadn’t imagined a husband who went to work at a job where his life could be in danger. The thought of that made her feel as though the meal she had eaten had turned to lead. “What made you want to pursue a career in law enforcement?”
Once they were in the truck, he gave Rogue a small piece of sandwich he had saved and looked at Laurie. “The police aren’t what they were when we were kids. I remember seeing a police officer as someone safe to run to if I were lost, or the hero that would save my family if they needed it. The sad thing is, the way the world and the government is today, it felt to me like there were as many bad cops out there as there are good ones. Not a lot of kids see the police as a friend anymore.” Tuck shrugged. “Maybe that’s true and maybe it isn’t. But I decided that I wanted to become a police officer because I was determined to make sure that at least one cop out there was going to fight for the residents of this town. I want to be one of those cops that a kid can run to if he or she is in trouble.” He gave her a half smile. “I suppose that sounds pretty hokey.”
Finding Peace (Love's Compass #1) Page 10
