Passion's Law

by Ruth Langan

  She pressed a hand to his heart and heard the furious pounding that matched her own.

  And then, because she’d been the one to start this, she decided she ought to be the one to finish it. Pouring all her love, all her heart, all her soul into it, she rolled over him and took him on the ride of a lifetime.

  Thirteen

  Heather stepped from the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Across the room, Thad stood shaving, a towel hanging loosely at his hips. It was such an ordinary thing, and yet so oddly intimate. Maybe that was what she loved about being here. The utter simplicity of it all. A man and a woman going about their daily tasks and taking such joy in them. And the anticipation of knowing that when the day was done they would come together to share a meal, a walk, a bedtime story with a little girl who was such a delight.

  Not to mention the loving they shared. It was, she realized, extraordinary. She’d never known a man like Thad Law. He could be gentle and patient, making her feel like the most cherished woman in the world as he led her through a garden of delights. At other times he could be rough and impatient, taking her to the very depths of darkness and passion, the likes of which she’d never even dreamed.

  He was a constant surprise. Silly or serious. Abrupt or thoughtful. And always so loving and patient with his daughter. It was, she realized, the most endearing of all his traits.

  She bent at the waist, twisting a towel around her hair before straightening. As she did she caught sight of Thad watching her in the mirror.

  There was no denying what she saw in his eyes. Even now, as he prepared for work, he wanted her. It was, to her, more erotic than wealth or prestige or possessions.

  She walked up to stand beside him and saw the way his gaze shifted to her reflection. He wiped the last of the shaving cream from his face before turning to her.

  “It just occurred to me that I was supposed to spend this weekend finding a sitter for Brittany.” He pressed a kiss to her nose. “But I got sidetracked by a beautiful, bewitching creature who stole my brain.”

  She laughed. “And attacked your body.”

  “Yeah. That, too. I should feel exhausted. But strangely enough, I feel like I could lick the whole world.”

  “Pretty dangerous thoughts for a cop. Try not to solve all the crimes of the world in a single day, Superman.”

  “With someone like you believing in me, I almost think I could.” He sighed. “Anyway, here it is Monday and all I’ve done is play. Which means I still haven’t found a sitter for Brittany.”

  “Oh, yes, you have.” She brushed a kiss over his lips. “You’re looking at her.”

  “You can’t keep this up, Heather. You’re here to help Joe, not to help me.”

  “If you can go out and solve crimes, I guess I can manage to answer a few faxes and still watch one little girl.” She turned away and headed for the bedroom, giving him no time to argue.

  Half an hour later, over breakfast, the phone rang. While Heather helped Brittany with her cereal, Thad snatched up the receiver.

  Heather heard him say, “Yeah. I can be there in fifteen minutes.”

  He hung up the phone and turned. “Sorry to run out on you, but I’m needed at the station. There’s been an emergency. I guess this solves the question of what we’ll do about today. Would you mind taking Brittany with you?”

  “Not at all.” Heather poured juice and handed it to the little girl. “But you’ll need to transfer her car seat to my car.”

  He nodded and hurried over to explain to his daughter. “You’re going to the ranch with Heather, honey, while I take care of some business. Then I’ll come out there later and get you. Okay?”

  “Okay, Daddy. Do I get kisses?”

  “You bet.” He lifted her in his arms, loving the way she wrapped her chubby arms around his neck and lifted her face to him.

  When he set her back in her chair she returned her attention to her cereal. Heather walked with him to the door. “Do I get kisses, too?”

  “Yeah.” His smile was that dark, dangerous one she’d come to love.

  He dragged her close and kissed her hard and quick.

  “Thanks.” She touched a hand to her heart. “I needed that.”

  “Not nearly as much as I did.” He started away, then turned back and drew her close for another kiss, this time lingering over her mouth until she was sighing with pleasure.

  Then, before he could get sidetracked, he turned and walked quickly away.

  “Come on, Brittany.” Heather lifted the little girl out of the car and turned toward the row of shops in the strip mall.

  Though she’d never shopped here, she’d often seen the familiar sign advertising fine coffees. She would surprise Thad with his favorite tonight.

  “Where are we going?” Brittany asked.

  “Just to that coffee shop. We have time before I have to start work.”

  As she passed the phone booth she was startled by the sight of her Aunt Meredith inside, gesturing as she spoke into the phone. For a moment Heather paused, wondering why her aunt would be here, miles from home, using a public phone when she had a perfectly good cell phone at her disposal.

  Even through the closed door of the phone booth she could hear her aunt’s voice raised in anger.

  Without a word Heather caught Brittany’s hand and hurried past. When they reached the coffee shop she placed her order, then turned and glanced out the window at the figure of her aunt, still gesturing as she spoke into the phone.

  Meredith Colton had changed so dramatically over the past years, she was hardly recognizable. She was so different from the sweet, considerate person she’d once been. There had been a time when she’d been Heather’s favorite aunt. Now Heather dreaded having to be near her. From what she had observed since arriving at the ranch, even Meredith’s own husband and children avoided her.

  She glanced at Brittany, innocently waiting for her to pay for her purchase so they could be on their way. She’d once thought that being motherless would be the saddest thing in the world. But now she had just thought of something even worse. Being a mother whose own children couldn’t stand to come near.

  Patsy’s voice was pure ice. “Just answer me this. Have you found Emily or haven’t you?”

  The voice of Silas “Snake Eyes” Pike was nearly drowned out by static, causing Patsy to mutter a string of curses. “You fool. Can’t you even buy a decent phone?”

  “Yeah. I could.” There was more static before he added, “If you’d pay me enough.”

  That had her clenching a fist and kicking a foot against the enclosure.

  “Now. To answer your question.” Pike’s voice faded in and out. “I’ve narrowed my search to Wyoming.”

  “Why there?”

  “Let’s just say I have plenty of contacts in low places. After all these years, I’ve met dozens of snitches. And they tell me the object of my search is in Wyoming.”

  Patsy paused in her pacing. “That’s it? This is your big announcement? Emily is somewhere in the state of Wyoming?”

  “That’s what I said.” His tone was filled with pride.

  “In case you haven’t noticed, you fool, Wyoming is a very big state. Just where in Wyoming is she?”

  “Hey. Stop your yelling. I got this far, didn’t I? Don’t go getting yourself all worked up in a lather about this. I’ll find her. I just need time.”

  “I don’t have much time left. Some damned fool has been wasting all my time with one clever story after another.”

  “You know what?” His voice turned into a whine. “I’m sick of you calling me a fool. If you don’t like the way I work, maybe you should find someone else.”

  “Maybe I will. Maybe I just will, you little weasel.” Her tone sharpened. “Someone who won’t bother me with phone calls saying he has the whole state of Wyoming left to search. Maybe this time I’ll hire someone who can deliver the goods.”

  She was rewarded with a quick change in his attitude. “Now wait a minute. I d
idn’t say I couldn’t do the job. I can. I will. But it’s going to cost you.”

  “Have I ever quibbled about price?”

  He laughed. “Every time we talk. But hey, who’s keeping score? Just wire me some more money. And while I’m waiting, I’ll be digging up all I can on sweet little Emily.”

  Patsy hastily wrote the address of the town where Silas Pike was staying before hanging up on him.

  Patsy frowned. He always wanted more money. But she never got any results. That’s what she got for hiring such a loser. But what did she expect from an ex-con who’d spent his whole life in the system, first in foster care after his father beat his mother to death, and then in prison for car theft and armed robbery. He talked a good game, but so far, he had yet to deliver. Maybe what she ought to do was hire a hit man to do away with the slimeball, then pay the hit man a bonus to do away with the infuriating little Emily, as well.

  For the first time in more than an hour a smile touched her lips. Oh, how she’d love to follow through on that dream. But the whole thing was simply too preposterous. With her luck, the hit man would probably turn out to be an FBI informant. And then where would she be?

  No. She paused and crossed her arms over her chest, staring out the window, tapping a fingernail on her arm. As much as she wanted to be done with this place and be on her own, for now she’d have to sit tight and hope that Pike found Emily soon.

  Otherwise, she just might hire a hit man. One who could be counted on to get the job done right. Or, if Pike made her mad enough, maybe she’d even do the job herself.

  Joe Colton studied his niece as she walked toward his desk, holding little Brittany’s hand.

  “Well, don’t you two look bright-eyed this morning.”

  Heather flushed. “I hope you don’t mind that I brought Brittany with me. Thad had to go to the station. He’ll be by later to pick up his daughter.”

  “Now why would I mind two pretty women sharing my office?” Joe winked at the little girl. “I was hoping you’d come for a visit. I picked up another bottle of bubbles over the weekend.”

  “Bubbles.” Brittany clapped her hands. “Can we do it now?”

  “How about if we wait until lunchtime? It’s such a pretty day we’ll eat in the courtyard, and you can chase all the bubbles you want.”

  “Okay.”

  Heather set the little girl down before tearing off a fax and placing it on Joe’s desk. Then she handed Brittany a pad of paper and several colored markers to play with while she and Joe went over some of the correspondence he wanted answered.

  Joe looked up. “I’m going to need a couple of financial reports, sweetheart. Thank heavens they’re your specialty. You can do in half an hour what it would take me the whole day to do.”

  Heather smiled. “That’s not a problem. Do you need them right away?”

  He nodded. “As soon as possible.”

  “I’ll run them up on the computer now.”

  “Good girl.” He gave her a wink before glancing over at Brittany and announcing loudly, “I was thinking I’d like to go to the kitchen for a bowl of strawberries. But I hate to go alone. Do you think anybody would be interested in going with me?”

  A little voice chirped, “I’ll go with you, Uncle Joe.”

  “What’s that?” He held a hand to his ear. “Did somebody say they’d like to keep me company?”

  He felt a tug on his sleeve and looked down to find Brittany smiling up at him. “I’ll go with you, Uncle Joe.” She took his hand and said solemnly, “It’s okay if you don’t want to go alone. Sometimes when it’s late at night and really dark, I don’t want to be alone, either. And sometimes even in daylight I’m afraid. My daddy says everybody feels that way sometimes. Even him. And it’s okay to ask for help.”

  Joe walked with her across the room and yanked open the door. “Your daddy’s a very smart man, Brittany. And you’re a lucky little girl to have someone like him.”

  As their voices faded, Heather thought about what little Brittany had just revealed. What an amazing man Thad was to deal with all his daughter’s fears and all her questions in such a forthright manner.

  Brittany may not have two parents, but the one she had was a special man indeed. And more than qualified for the task of raising a bright, lovable and thoroughly delightful little girl.

  Heather and Brittany were just going in to dinner when Heather’s cell phone rang. She let the little girl go ahead with Teddy and Joe, Jr., as she paused in the doorway to answer her phone.

  “Thad.” At the sound of his voice she felt the quick flutter of her heart. “I’ve missed you.”

  “Yeah. I’ve missed you, too.” His voice lowered. “How’s my girl?”

  “She’s just fine. She’s just sitting down with the boys in the dining room.”

  He chuckled. “I was talking about you.”

  “Oh.” Her smile grew radiant. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “Then I’m glad I can still catch you by surprise. Now how’s Brittany? Getting to be a handful?”

  “Don’t be silly. She’s been having such a good time. You won’t believe it. My uncle bought a fresh bottle of bubbles over the weekend, just so he could see her eyes light up when she chased them across the courtyard.”

  “That’s great.” He was genuinely touched by the way Heather’s family had accepted his daughter. He paused, reluctant to ask a favor. Finally he blurted it out. “Would it be too much trouble to keep her there a while longer?”

  “Of course not.”

  “I don’t know how late I’ll be.”

  She heard the underlying tension in his tone. “Rough day?”

  “Yeah. A homicide across town. Listen, I might not be able to get there until pretty late.”

  “Then why not let Brittany spend the night?”

  He paused, considering. “You wouldn’t mind?”

  “Of course not. She’ll sleep with me. I’ll tell her outrageous stories, and we’ll giggle together.” She lowered her voice, so she wouldn’t be overheard. “And we’ll both miss you.”

  “Not as much as I’m going to miss you. I hate going home to an empty apartment.”

  “You could always climb up to my window and stay here tonight.”

  “Yeah. And be videotaped by half a dozen security cameras. That would certainly create a buzz around town. I can hear the teasers now. ‘Top cop caught in security violation at Colton estate. Juicy details of the scandal at six.’”

  “I think you’ve missed your true calling, Detective Law. You should have been a reporter.”

  “Yeah. Or maybe a fiction writer.” She could hear some of the tension seeping out of his voice. “Hold a good thought, Ms. McGrath.”

  “You, too, Detective.”

  “With any luck I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She smiled. “Good night, Thad.”

  She tucked her phone into her pocket and watched as Brittany proceeded to charm everyone at the table. The little girl would be disappointed when she learned that her father wasn’t coming to get her tonight. But she was quite a little trooper. Heather had no doubt they’d both get through the long night and would greet the coming morning with high excitement at the thought of seeing the person they both loved.

  The person they both loved.

  What an amazing feeling. It was shocking to realize how completely, how utterly she loved Thad Law.

  But there it was.

  She’d thought she was in love before. But, she realized now, being in love, and loving, weren’t the same thing. She was grateful that she’d been able to step back all those other times, because now she was free to appreciate just what she’d found with Thad.

  Everything that had gone before in her life had simply been a prelude to now. A series of steps, leading to this man, and this time in her life.

  She couldn’t wait to see Thad again and to tell him just how special he’d become.

  Fourteen

  The streets were dark and deserted
as Thad drove home. He parked the car and glanced at his watch. Nearly three o’clock in the morning.

  The homicide had been grisly and messy. It was the kind of scene that sickened even seasoned police officers. The worst part, as always, was afterward. It took hours, and sometimes days, to wash away the stench of death. But nothing could erase the images that were seared into his memory.

  He unlocked the door and stepped inside, turning on lights as he headed down the hall. By the time he reached the bathroom, he’d managed to peel off his jacket and tie, tossing them on the bed as he passed. He kicked aside his shoes and tore off the rest of his clothes before stepping into the shower. He stood under the hot spray for as long as he could stand it, then stepped out and wrapped himself in a towel.

  He hadn’t eaten since early the previous morning, but he found he had no appetite. He sank down on the edge of the bed and ran his hands through his hair, thinking about the woman and two little children whose bodies had been tagged and taken away.

  As a professional, he ought to be immune to such horrors. But as a father, he would never get used to it. Every time he saw it, he had to deal with the darkness all over again.

  He’d told Heather that there were places inside himself that she could never go. And it was true. But he’d glossed over the depth of the darkness. It lay like a cloud over his heart, blotting out the sun. It gripped him with sharp, vicious teeth, dragging him down into a depression so all-consuming, he felt as though he might never climb out.

  And it played with his mind.

  Unable to sit still, he padded barefoot to the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. As he popped the top he turned and stared around the empty room. Without Brittany’s presence, it seemed so empty. Too empty to bear.

  And then there was Heather. He’d known, of course, that he’d need her here. But he didn’t want her around him when he was like this. He knew he needed to shake off this feeling, before it brought him all the way down, but it had taken hold of him, and in his present mood he didn’t have the strength to fight it.