His Ordinary Life

by Linda Winfree

  “Enough.” She injected a hefty note of stop-it-or-else into her voice and in the mirror pinned Lyssa with a stern look. Lyssa dropped her eyes guiltily, slumping in her seat. Flexing her fingers around the steering wheel, she took a deep breath. “Tomorrow. He said he’d be back tomorrow.”

  And it couldn’t get here soon enough. She missed him, and hearing his deep voice in the dark late the night before had made the wanting worse. She sighed. Sunday night, when they’d been wrapped around each other on the couch, the kids asleep, they’d laughed and sighed over plans for their future. Driving with one hand, she rested her elbow on the door and her head on her hand. Barbara wanted her husband back.

  She slowed to turn onto their street and massaged her aching forehead with her free hand. A familiar dusty Z71 waited at the curb.

  “Why’s Uncle Tick at the house?” The words quavered as nervousness invaded Blake’s voice.

  “I don’t know.” Barbara squashed a spurt of anxiety. Today had been Mason and Brian’s arraignment. Surely nothing had gone wrong there. But why else would Tick be here, waiting for them?

  She cleared the slight curve with the big oak that shielded the house from view. Her pulse picked up. A gleaming Volvo SUV sat in her driveway. A rush of excitement ran through her and pooled in her stomach.

  “Daddy’s here!” Lyssa’s voice echoed that exhilaration and Barbara barely had the truck stopped before the girls were out, racing up the walk to the front door. Blake followed more slowly, still favoring his side, but Barbara glimpsed a flash of his pleased grin. Pulling the keys from the ignition, she climbed out.

  The front door stood open and she sighed, envisioning waves of air conditioning rolling out. They’d abandoned her to the groceries, too. Stalking to the rear of the 4-Runner, she opened the hatch. A cargo load of blue plastic shopping bags waited for her.

  Oh, heck, forget the groceries. She’d send the kids back after them; then she’d kiss their father senseless. She grabbed a handful of bags and headed for the house, anticipation bubbling and simmering.

  The living room was empty and she pushed the door closed behind her with a foot. Three backpacks lay in a haphazard path between the couch and the kitchen. She stepped over Blake’s and followed the sound of excited voices.

  “Thanks for the help, guys,” she said and dropped the bags on the counter by the refrigerator. Tick lounged against the counter, one foot propped over the other. Standing at the island, an open can of soda waiting, Del grinned at her, an arm around each of the girls. Blake leaned against a stool, shirt hiked up to show his father and uncle his scar.

  Del looked wonderful, his hair neatly trimmed, his jaw smooth, a French blue buttondown making his eyes darker. Her breath stalled and she smiled, heart slowing then speeding up again. “Hi.”

  One corner of his mouth quirked. “Hey.”

  “You’re early.” The inanity drove her crazy. All she really wanted to do was throw herself into his arms, but she remained rooted to the spot, unable to think, unable to do anything but drink in his presence.

  His grin widened. “Is that a problem?”

  “No.” She shook her head, smiling.

  He released the girls and stood. “Y’all go bring in the groceries.”

  Tick straightened. “Come on, Blake. We’ll supervise.”

  In a flurry of giggles and smiles, the girls trooped out. Tick and Blake followed more slowly, leaving them alone. The front door slammed.

  Del crooked a finger at her. “Get over here.”

  Three steps and he enfolded her in his arms, his mouth on hers, and she was burning up, pressing closer, devouring him. Laughing, she pulled her lips from his and buried her face against his throat. The sharp, clean scent of soap clung to his skin. “Oh, I’ve missed you.”

  Laughter rumbled in his chest. “Hey, Barbara Gail, are you allowed out on school nights?”

  Tempted, she sighed and kissed his collarbone. “Hmmm, I don’t know…although all my homework’s done.”

  “Tick said he’d watch the kids.” He tipped her face up and kissed her again. “We can sneak out like we used to.”

  She ran her hands over his chest and around his rib cage, loving the solid feel of him. “Sneaking out got you into a world of trouble, remember?”

  He cut the words off with another kiss. “Sneaking out got me everything I ever wanted.”

  The front door creaked open, querulous voices filling the silence. Del pulled back with a rueful grin. “We might better make a quick getaway before that fussing gets on Tick’s nerves.”

  Blake dropped two bags on the floor. A jar of spaghetti sauce rolled across the polished tile, and he grinned. “Uncle Tick says we’re ordering pizza and watching a movie.”

  “No olives on the pizza.” Anna made a face. “Or banana peppers.”

  Lyssa poked Blake’s shoulder. “And you don’t get to pick the movie.”

  “Who says?” Keeping his injured side well away from her, Blake wrapped an arm around her neck and rubbed his knuckles across her head. She tried to stomp his foot and he laughed.

  “Y’all stop before someone gets hurt.” Del’s voice lowered to a stern note. He jerked his chin at Tick and held up a hand. “Keys.”

  With a grin, Tick dug in his pocket. Metal jingled as he tossed his key ring in Del’s direction. “Don’t be too late. Some of us have to be on duty early in the morning.”

  “Put the groceries away.” Barbara glanced among the kids. “Make sure homework is done before—”

  “Mama.” Blake’s expression was long-suffering. “School’s out after tomorrow, remember? We don’t have any homework.”

  “Be good for your Uncle Tick. No fussing. Blake, you might want to go to bed early. And if we’re not back before—”

  “Barbara.” Del sighed and grabbed her hand. “Tick can handle it. Come on.”

  She let him pull her outside. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and bypassed his SUV for Tick’s truck. He tugged the driver’s door open and stepped back with a courtly flourish.

  “Why are we taking your brother’s pickup?” She smiled and slid across the seat.

  “Because.” He settled behind the wheel and reached out to tow her close to his side. “Trust me, Barb.”

  With a giddy sense of anticipation burbling in her veins, she relaxed and did just that. He took her to dinner and she laughed over his choice of restaurants—the little local burger-and-ice-cream joint they’d frequented as young lovers. She curled into his side in the booth and they lingered over dessert, a caramel sundae. When they stepped outside and walked across the parking lot, the sun was dipping behind the trees.

  She dug her elbow into his ribs once he turned onto the rural highway leading out of town. “I suppose now you think we’re going parking.”

  He laughed, pure happiness in the sound. “That’s the plan.”

  “Del, you’re not serious—”

  “Barb.” He moved to lay his arm along the seat, steering with one hand. “Trust me.”

  He took a right onto a long-neglected red clay road and her breath caught. She laid her hand above his knee and he grinned, teeth flashing white in the dimness of the cab. He negotiated around a couple of deep rutted wash-outs and swung into a grown-over path. Underbrush swished along the sides of the truck.

  The path opened up on a small clearing and the headlights picked out the gaping miniature canyon of the abandoned lime mine. Del braked, shifted to park and killed the engine.

  Memories and expectancy mingled in Barbara’s heart, anticipation fluttering through her stomach. He turned sideways, the fine cotton of his shirt whispering against the truck seat, and brushed his mouth over hers. “Come on.”

  Crickets chirped in the falling night, a couple of frogs joining in the chorus. Muggy humidity lingered in the air, but the promise of cooler temperatures hovered. She watched as he vaulted onto the truck bed and spread out a sleeping bag, the sweetness of the past overlaid with the promise of the future. When
he extended his hand to help her climb up, his engaging smile held a hint of the shy one worn by the seventeen-year-old boy who’d first stolen her heart.

  Once they lay on their backs, the starry night opening above them, he wriggled his shoulder blades. “I don’t remember this being so darn uncomfortable.”

  Laughter lurked in his voice, and she giggled, resting her head on his shoulder, her hand on his abdomen. She entwined her foot with his calf. In the depths of her mind, she could hear the boy and girl they’d been, talking in soft voices under a sky just this sparkling and fine.

  Del brushed a long finger along her cheekbone. “This is where we started, isn’t it?”

  She nodded, loving the warmth of him against her. “Once upon a time…”

  “As long as it ends with happily-ever-after.” He touched the curve of her mouth. “You’re the story of my life, Barb, you and those kids.”

  And he was the story of hers. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to begin living each ordinary, wonderful moment of it. She levered up, resting on her elbow.

  “I love you,” she murmured against his mouth.

  “Oh, baby, I love you, too, so damn much it hurts.” Even in the dark, she could see his eyes glowing. He shifted, trying to get a hand into his pocket, and laughed at the awkwardness of their position. “I have something for you.”

  She stared at the small gray velvet box he placed in her palm. He grinned at her. “Open it.”

  With trembling fingers, she lifted the lid. A familiar gold band winked at her, nestled against a small, equally familiar diamond solitaire. She blinked away tears. Her rings. “Oh, Del.”

  “And this goes with them.” He slid another ring between them, a thin gold band with channel-set diamonds glinting in the starlight.

  “I…” Her throat closed and she wrapped her arms around him. “I love you.” She laughed against his cheek and he hugged her close. “You’re wonderful.”

  “Give me your hand.” He moved to sit, cross-legged, and Barbara followed. She laid her palm in his and watched as he slid the bands on, his hands shaking visibly.

  With the rings in place, she folded her fingers around his. “Perfect fit.”

  His grasp on her was almost painful in its intensity. He delved his free hand into his pocket again and she caught the glimmer of gold before he placed his wedding ring in her palm.

  She brushed away the tears dampening her face and reached for his left hand. They laughed as she fumbled with the band. It slid smoothly over his knuckle into place. She turned it once, twice, her chest tight with a crush of emotion.

  “I love you. Cherish you. Honor you.” He cradled her head and brushed a kiss across her lips. “I’ll be what you need. I’ll be your partner. I promise.”

  She touched his chin, swallowing a sob of pure joy. She looked at him and he stared back, his eyes deep and dark and serious. “I love you. I need you. Want you by my side, always. And I’ll be—”

  He dipped his head, catching her words with his mouth, but she didn’t miss his reverent whisper.

  “My life.”

  About the Author

  How does a high school English teacher end up plotting murders? She uses her experiences as a cop’s wife to become a writer of romantic suspense! Linda Winfree lives in a quintessential small Georgia town with her husband and two children. By day, she teaches American Literature, advises the student government and coaches the drama team; by night she pens sultry books full of murder and mayhem.

  To learn more about Linda and her books, visit her blog at http://lindawinfree.blogspot.com or join her Yahoo newsletter group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/linda_winfree. For more fun information on her Hearts of the South series (including free reads!), visit the Hearts of the South blog at http://heartsofthesouth.blogspot.com.

  Look for these titles by Linda Winfree

  Now Available:

  What Mattered Most

  Truth and Consequences

  Coming Soon:

  Hold on to Me

  Anything But Mine

  Memories of Us

  A Formal Feeling

  When deceit and desire collide, the results can be deadly…

  Truth and Consequences

  © 2007 Linda Winfree

  For undercover FBI agent Jason Harding, coming face to face with the grown-up version of his adolescent dreams is a nightmare. Kathleen Palmer sees him as a despicably corrupt small-town law officer and a murder suspect. Trapped in a web of his own making, he must see his mission through to the end and bring down the crooked cops who’ve run Haynes County for decades. To do so, he must betray the only family he’s ever known and fight his growing love for Kathleen, a relationship that could get one, or both of them, killed.

  Determined to uncover the truth, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Kathleen struggles with her attraction to the one person who’s awakened her since she buried her heart and emotions in her son’s tiny grave. Listening to her heart could destroy all she has left in life—her career and reputation. When the truth about Jason’s identity surfaces, they both face unimaginable consequences: Jason may lose his life and Kathleen the man she loves.

  Book One of the Hearts of the South series.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Truth and Consequences:

  Anger set up camp in Jason’s gut, reaching out tentacles that smothered the thrill he’d gotten from blowing two hundred bucks of his oh-so-convenient tax refund on food.

  What did he care what she thought of him? It wasn’t like he stood a chance, anyway. Her mind was made up, and any opportunity he’d ever had of her seeing him as something other than just another corrupt cop was long gone. He resisted the urge to shove the cart toward the truck and create another dent in the pockmarked side panel.

  Insects flirted and danced against the halogen security lights, casting weird shadows on the parking lot. The spot next to his truck sat empty now, devoid of the massive blue Cadillac parked there earlier. A familiar white and wood-paneled Wagoneer was two spaces away, and Kathleen moved bags from cart to the cargo area with economic speed.

  He began unloading his own purchases, aware of her glances in his direction. She slammed the cargo area door closed. After a moment’s pause, she approached him, her shoes clicking on the pavement like angry castanets. Jason settled the bag holding his milk and ice cream in the corner of the truck bed and watched her approach.

  The bright security light glinted off the elegant silver studs in her ears. Anger glittered in her eyes and he stiffened. She marched up to him, her hands resting at her hips. “It’s probably not my place to say this, but I’m going to anyway. This job in Haynes County and your loyalty to your cousin are going to ruin your life. You need to get out, Jason, before you get sucked in.”

  “Didn’t we have this same conversation last night?” He nestled a bag of canned goods in front of his milk. “I need this job. I need the money.”

  Her gaze flickered toward the bags of groceries and he could sense the thoughts tumbling through her mind. She thought he was already selling out, taking payoffs.

  Sadness settled over her features, tugging the corners of her mouth down, wrinkling her brow. “There are other jobs out there. You don’t have to do this.”

  If she only knew. He rubbed the tightness at his nape. “Yeah, I do.”

  “Why?” She threw her hands skyward. “Just tell me why. Make me understand. And don’t give me that crap about family loyalty. The only person Jim Ed has any true loyalty for is himself.”

  He shrugged. “He’s faithful about visiting Billy up at Reidsville.”

  “Do you really think he’s going to look out for you?” She shook her head, dragging her fingers through her hair, the short wisps standing out, begging him to smooth them. “How do you know he’s not setting you up to take the fall for some of his shenanigans?”

  A bark of laughter escaped him. “Shenanigans? Did anyone ever tell you, Miss Palmer, that you have an old-fashioned vocabular
y?”

  She muttered a word sure to have offended the old-fashioned English teacher they’d shared in high school.

  He lifted his eyebrows and muffled his laugh this time. With a quick shove, he sent the cart into the buggy corral and turned to face her again. “Why do you care? Does it matter whether you’re slapping cuffs on me or Jim Ed?”

  The question brought her up short. He could tell by her rapid blinking. Finally, she nodded. “Yes, it does. I don’t want to see him bring you down, too. You deserve more than that.”

  The quiet words ricocheted through his brain. She thought he deserved better. No one—no one—had ever said that. While he tried to digest the idea that the girl who’d always been out of his reach thought him worthy of more than he had, she stepped forward, a hand gentle on his arm. “You have to get out now. Before it goes any further.”

  I can’t. The words refused to leave his lips, his brain short-circuiting since all he could focus on was the warmth of her hand against his bare skin. He stared at her, her eyes dark and luminous. The muggy air pressed in on them, enveloping them in the silence of the deserted parking lot. Heat radiated from her skin on his, desire invading his blood stream, traveling through his body.

  Don’t do this, man. Step away. Get in the truck and leave her alone before one of you gets hurt. Or dead.

  I can’t.

  “Jason?” Her lips parted on his name and the desire hit him hard, even weakening his knees for a split second. God, he wanted to taste his name lingering on her full bottom lip.

  With a hand on the truck to steady himself, he bent his head and covered those parted lips with his own. Her soft mouth moved against his and her hold tightened on his arm. Making a small noise in the back of her throat, she swayed closer and he drank in her unique taste—mint mingled with something sweet and wild.

  The destruction of a historical landmark sparks a treacherous chain of events…and Reed Harris’s life isn’t all that’s in jeopardy.

  Dirty Little Lies

  © 2007 Tawny Taylor

  Tall, dark and sinfully seductive, Bain Kavanagh won’t stop until he gets his ex-fiancée, Reed Harris, back in his life and his bed. Danger and unbridled desire keep her there, for now. But with gun-toting treasure hunters thwarting their search for answers, Bain’s resolve, his strength and his love will be tested.