Friendly Fire

by Lorhainne Eckhart

  “Oh, shit,” she muttered as she dropped to her knees and grabbed the container holding the last of her chicken. Then she just looked up at Logan from where he stood above her, looking at her amid the mess.

  “Are you okay?” he asked in a light, teasing way.

  She wondered for a minute whether he was making fun of her. She grabbed at the chicken on the ground and stood up, dumping the rest in the sink and then wiping her hands on a dishcloth, trying to steady her nerves enough to look up at him.

  Maybe he already knew how much he had unsettled her, because the next thing she knew, he was setting his fingers under her chin and lifting. His thumb was rough and calloused, and it felt so good.

  “Are you okay?” he repeated. This time, he was serious, and she set her hand over his, strong and steady, something she could really lean on. She wondered whether he’d try to kiss her again.

  “I’m fine, really. I’m just…”

  “You’re a beautiful woman, Julia.”

  She had to stop him, so she shut her eyes as she set her hand on his chest, which was a mistake. She could feel the hard muscles, the heat, and she longed to run her hand under his light shirt and touch his bare chest. He wore no coat today, just his jeans and a light button-up shirt. She wanted to undo each one of those buttons and take her time exploring that magnificent chest and every other inch of him.

  “No, I can’t do this,” she said. “You’re dangerous…”

  “I’d never hurt you,” he said, setting both hands in her hair, holding her face so she had to look up at him. She wanted him to kiss her, to taste her. She wanted a lot more.

  “You just say that, but you don’t really know what’ll set you off. I can’t go through it again. I won’t do that to my daughters.” She made herself step back, pulling her hand away.

  Logan rubbed his thumb over her ear, cupping her cheek, and she leaned in, fighting the urge to whimper. “There’s something between us,” he said. “There’s no way you can say you don’t want me. I can see it in you. You can’t hide something like that, Julia.”

  “Well, maybe that tells you how screwed up I am, because I shouldn’t want you,” she said, trying to convince herself, though her body wasn’t getting the message.

  The door dinged, and she didn’t have to turn around to guess who was there, as Logan’s face darkened. She stepped back again, letting his hand fall away. Brent stood in the doorway, taking in Logan beside her as if he knew what she was thinking and what was sizzling between them. She lowered her gaze, but Logan made no move to step away.

  “Good morning, Brent,” she said, forcing a stiff smile to her face. Unfortunately, she just wasn’t able to pull off anything genuine. She was embarrassed; feeling awkward after last night and how Brent had behaved.

  He glanced over to Logan. “Just wanted to apologize for last night, Sheriff. You were absolutely right to see that I was driven home, and thank you for seeing that Julia got home safely, as well.”

  Wow, she hadn’t expect that, considering she’d seen a side of Brent last night that she didn’t quite like. Then again, Logan had been pretty heavy handed, as well.

  “Thought I’d stop in for lunch and an espresso,” Brent added, shaking off his jacket and pushing up the sleeves of his mustard-colored turtleneck, which really looked sharp on him. He was so trendy and clean cut. “So, Sheriff, do you have any kids?”

  “You know what? I have to get these sandwiches done,” Julia interrupted. “Brent, just let me finish up this order, and then I can take yours.” She turned away and had to take a breath to get her head together so she could finish her order, hoping there was enough chicken left.

  She listened as Logan said to Brent, “No, I have no kids. Haven’t been lucky enough to meet the right woman.”

  “Ah, but there’s still time, really, Sheriff. Meet a great lady and settle down,” Brent said. Julia didn’t know why he was trying so hard, because after the head-butting of the night before, she was pretty sure the two men could never be civil to one another.

  “Maybe,” Logan said. He set his hand on Julia’s shoulder lightly to get her attention. “I’m going to go. If you need anything…” He didn’t finish, but the look he gave her made her turn all soft inside. He walked away, and she didn’t have time to analyze and wonder, because the man who had phoned in the order arrived.

  Chapter 12

  “Clinton,” Logan called out when he stepped into the bullpen, where Clinton was hunkered down at his desk, reading something from a file.

  “Yes, Sheriff?” He slid back his chair and stood up. “You know, I’ve found nothing on Brent Maloney, that new teacher. Frankly, that bothers me, sir. Maybe we should speak with the principal at the school to find out more? After all, he has to have provided a resume and a teaching certificate.” Clinton clicked his pen, his expression serious. Maybe his concern stemmed from being a parent himself.

  “That’s probably a good idea, but let’s hold off right now,” Logan said. “I don’t want Maloney wondering why we’re checking him out.”

  “Well, why are we?” Rose asked, stepping up behind him.

  Logan should have been startled, because Rose hadn’t been at her desk when he came in, and no one ever snuck up on him. “No reason in particular, just a feeling,” he replied.

  “And would this feeling have anything to do with Julia Cooper?” she asked.

  He couldn’t believe Rose would bring that up, even though she was absolutely right. “Let’s just say that something about him doesn’t ring quite right. Like you mentioned, Rose, he’s from Chicago, has a big family and was a teacher there, yet Clinton can’t find anything on him in the entire state of Illinois. Julia said he’s from Boise, with only an aunt and a sister, who died. So, Clinton, start in Boise. If nothing comes of that, I’ll be inclined to go have a chat with the principal.”

  Logan took in the air confusion around Rose. She glanced away as if considering something before shaking her head and saying, “No, Sheriff, he told me plain as day that he was from Chicago. If there’s one thing I do well, it’s finding out everything about people. I’m not some scattered old woman who can’t remember what she had for breakfast. Julia must be mistaken.”

  Logan took in the determination in her expression. “Maybe so, but the fact remains, Rose, there’s something not quite right here. There’s one thing I don’t like, and that’s a missing piece in the puzzle. Right now, I bet you anything that Brent Maloney is hiding something; so I mean to get some answers,” he said, taking in the shared glance between Rose and Clinton.

  “Sheriff, you let me know where I can help,” Rose said before she was interrupted by the telephone ringing. She hurried away, and Logan listened as she answered in the background.

  “Clinton, start in Boise,” he said. “I think I might just go pay the principal of the school a visit right now.”

  “Her name’s Sue Griffin, Sheriff,” Rose called out over her shoulder, phone stuck to her ear, still talking to someone and listening to him at the same time. He glanced back at Clinton, who shrugged as if this was normal behavior from Rose.

  Logan would have to remember to be careful around her. Ears that could pick up anything could be useful; but they could also be a problem, if he wasn’t careful.

  ****

  Logan parked in front of the new, single-story, brick schoolhouse. He remembered hearing that the old one had burned down ten years back. The kids had been bussed to another district, for quite some time, until portables were brought in and a new school could be built. The building was first class, too; with a fancy playground and climbing apparatus that must have set the county back a dollar or two. The office was clearly marked at the front door along with a sign for visitors to check in.

  Logan stopped at the long counter. A woman with long gray hair was looking at the desk, writing something down with the phone to her ear. She glanced up and noticed Logan, and her blue eyes widened when she took in his gun and the sheriff badge pinned to his c
hest.

  “Sheriff, I’ll be right with you,” she said.

  Logan didn’t say a word as the woman hung up and then set a bright smile on her face. He could tell that beneath the surface, she seemed a little on edge. Maybe she was worried he’d shoot up the place.

  “I’m Logan Wilde, the new sheriff,” he began. “I was wondering if I could have a moment to speak with your principal.”

  Her eyes widened. “You want to speak with Sue? Is everything all right?” she added with way too much interest.

  “Everything’s fine. Is Sue in right now?” he asked.

  “Oh, yes.” She slid back her chair and hurried around the desk, tapping on an open door around the corner. She poked her head in and whispered loud enough that Logan could still make out what she was saying. “That new sheriff is here, the one—you know, who shot up Julia’s cafe? He’s cute, too.”

  Logan leaned on the counter when the secretary hurried back to her desk, a bright smile on her face.

  “Sue will be right with you,” she said.

  A second later, a woman with cropped hair strode out of the office. She appeared to be in her fifties and wore a light blue, knee-length skirt and matching suit jacket. She held out her hand. “Sheriff, I’m Sue Griffin, the principal here.”

  Logan took her warm hand. “Logan Wilde. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time.” He waited a second, and both women exchanged a glance.

  “Yes, of course. What can I do for you?” she asked, not moving but resting her hand on the desktop.

  Logan gestured to her office, and she took on a startled look.

  “Of course,” she said, leading the way.

  Logan followed her, very aware of the secretary watching him. He shut the door behind him and watched as Sue stood behind her desk. He held the doorknob and said, “I want to see every file you have on Brent Maloney—his teaching certificate, his resume, and the last school he taught at.”

  Chapter 13

  Julia had been kicking herself for two days, wondering what was wrong with her. Brent had stopped by her cafe to ask her out again, this time to see a movie. She had wanted to say yes, but in the end, what had slipped out was a no. She felt horrible, as he had seemed so disappointed; but the fact of the matter was—she just wasn’t feeling it, and she was having trouble getting the taste of Logan Wilde from her mouth—not that it was a bad taste. It was a taste she now believed she wouldn’t be able to survive without. She dreamed of it, reliving the kiss and remembering how it had sent every one of her senses into heaven.

  “Oh, man, I am in trouble,” she muttered, leaning back against the counter and taking in the new espresso machine, which she knew darn well had cost Logan a small fortune. He was an amazing man, but at the same time, he was unstable, which made him dangerous. He had not only put the bullet through the first coffee machine, but she had recognized that glazed look in his eyes. He had been yanked into some other reality. Of course he was sorry, she knew that, but she had to remind herself that he could have shot her. He had flashbacks, and what soldier didn’t have some trigger? It wasn’t something she could hate him for, after what he’d been through. She believed him to be an amazing man, but she couldn’t have that kind of instability in her life. She needed dependable, sane, stable—and Brent was all those things.

  She shut her eyes. What if she called Brent and just said she wanted to reconsider, to get to know him? Yes, that would work. She just needed to try harder, with no wine this time, just the two of them out together. Maybe a movie was a good idea, after all. She just needed to get to know him, and then maybe her walls would come down. She wiped the tables and glanced at the clock. The girls would be done with school by now and would be clambering through the door at any time, raiding her baked goods and wanting hot chocolate.

  She decided to celebrate her decision by treating herself with a latte, and she sat at one of the counter stools, sipping at it and picking at a lemon ginger scone she’d made that morning. It was peaceful and quiet in the empty cafe. When she finished, she glanced up at the clock and realized the girls were late, which wasn’t like them. Had they planned something with a friend and forgotten to tell her? She reached for her bag under the counter and rummaged for her day timer, but there was nothing written there.

  The girls were never fifteen minutes late. That never happened, not in this town. Julia reached for the phone and dialed the school number, tapping her fingers on the counter as it rang four times.

  “MacKay School, Darlene speaking.”

  “Darlene, this is Julia Cooper. Is there something going on after school today?”

  “No, nothing that I know of.”

  “Well, the girls aren’t back yet,” she said. Other kids from the school were walking past the window, but no twins.

  “Do you want me to check and see if they’re still in Miss Mills’ class?” Darlene asked. “Maybe they stayed to clean up.”

  “Yes, could you call me back?” Julia replied, trying to keep the worry from her voice. This just wasn’t like her girls.

  “Sure, honey.” Darlene hung up, and Julia gripped the phone as the knot tightened in her stomach. Then she spotted Dawn skipping over the sidewalk. Relief washed over her—along with anger. She was ready to scold them both for scaring her like this. Julia pulled open the door and stared down at Dawn.

  “Where were you? I was starting to get worried,” she said before realizing Trinity was still missing. “Where’s your sister?”

  Dawn dumped her backpack behind the counter. “I don’t know. I waited for her, but she dumped me at lunch today for stuck-up Kari Richards, so I figured she took off on me. I finally left. I didn’t want to worry you.”

  “Oh, that was thoughtful,” Julia said, immediately regretting her sarcasm. “Sorry, honey.” What was going on with Trinity? She would have to have a talk with her about ditching her sister. That was never okay.

  The phone rang.

  “Tree’s cafe,” she said.

  “Julia, it’s Darlene. The girls aren’t here.” The secretary sounded breathless, as if she had raced to the phone.

  “Dawn just showed up here, but not her sister. She said Trinity was hanging around with Kari Richards. Are any kids still on the playground? Maybe Trinity is still there with Kari.”

  “Ah, well, I can see the playground from here, and I don’t see either of them. Did you want me to start checking the school?”

  “Well, if you could maybe give me the Richards’ number, I’ll call them and see if Trinity went to their place.”

  “Sure, here it is. Do you have a pen?” There was rustling in the background.

  “Yeah, uh-huh.” Julia scribbled down the phone number Darlene rattled off.

  “I can have a look around the school, check the girls’ washroom for you. If she is at Kari’s, call back and let me know.”

  “Thank you, Darlene. I’ll call you when I find her. This is so unlike her. She’s never not shown up with her sister.” Julia was counting the ways she was going to ground Trinity for pulling a stunt like this. She was ten, for the love of God. She hadn’t even gotten into the teenage years! Julia wondered what that was going to be like. Would she be pulling out her hair, or what? She hung up the phone and then dialed Kari’s house. The phone was answered by a woman with a high-pitched voice. “Can I speak with Missus Richards?” Julia said.

  “This is Missus Richards. Who’s calling?”

  “This is Julia Cooper. I’m Dawn and Trinity’s mom.”

  “Oh, hi, Julia. We’ve met before a few times. You have that lovely cafe on Main Street. I just love your sandwiches.”

  “Thank you,” Julia said quickly. “I was wondering if Trinity is there with Kari. Dawn said they were hanging around together today at school.”

  “Why, no! Kari is home, dear, but she didn’t bring a friend with her. Just a minute. Let me ask if she’s seen her.”

  Julia could hear her call out to Kari and ask about Trinity.

 
She came back on the line. “Kari said she last saw her at lunch, but not after school.”

  Julia was feeling the knot tighten in her stomach again. “Okay, thank you,” she said before hanging up. She stared at the phone, her hand now shaking, feeling as if the floor was softening beneath her. She stared down at Dawn. “Tell me again what happened and when you last saw your sister,” she ordered.

  Dawn was worried, wearing the expression she took on when she knew she was about to get in trouble—but Dawn was the worrier, while Trinity was the risk-taker and challenger.

  “Well, at lunch she called me a baby, and her and Kari were both laughing at me. She made me cry. She wouldn’t even sit with me after lunch in math class, so I left without her and went to music.”

  “Did you see her in music class?”

  Dawn had tears in her eyes, and Julia knew she was scaring her. She couldn’t help it, because she was freaking out. She wanted to shake both of them. They were sisters! They should have been looking out for one another. They were all each of them had, with no other family around.

  Dawn was shaking her head. “I was so mad I didn’t want to see her. I didn’t look for her.”

  Julia dialed the school again. “Darlene, it’s Julia. I called Kari’s mom, and Kari hasn’t seen Trinity since lunch. Dawn said she doesn’t remember seeing her after math class. She went to music next, but she wasn’t looking for her there, either.”

  “Just a minute, Julia.” There was a rustling and muffled talking in the background, and then Darlene came back on the phone. “I’m going to let you talk to Sue. I’ve already spoken to her, and she sent a few of the teachers to look through the school. Just a minute.”

  Julia was put on hold, and the line clicked.

  “Julia, it’s Sue. Darlene filled me in on Trinity. Listen, I think we should alert the sheriff so they can keep an eye open, as well. I’m going to check with Mister Reynolds, the music teacher, to see if he remembers whether Trinity was in class.”