In Memory's Shadow

by Linda Wisdom

  She tsked and shook her head in sympathy. “Poor girl. She had a lot on her plate back then and it seems she has even more now.” She narrowed her eyes. “You find that man, Sam. You find him and I’ll gut him like the animal he is.” With that, she left.

  Sam stared at the sheets of paper. “Whoever said men are more bloodthirsty than women hasn’t met Freda.”

  Chapter I5

  Keely wasn’t sure what was worse—being forced to stay in a house that wasn’t hers or seeing the sheriff’s car conspicuously parked in the driveway. The deputy was polite when she took him some coffee and explained if she wanted to go somewhere he was to go with her.

  In the end, she did what she usually did when she felt out of sorts—she baked.

  “Something smells good,” Steffie commented, walking into the kitchen. Lisa was behind her and the puppy was close on their heels.

  “Go away, this is all mine.” Keely pulled the square baking pan out of the oven.

  “Mom made chocolate pudding cake,” Steffie said with awe.

  Lisa ran for a drawer and pulled out spoons.

  Keely stared at the two expectant faces and sighed. “All right, sit down. But you better realize I intend to get more than my share.”

  “This is so good,” Steffie told Lisa as they all sat around the table.

  The three were soon enjoying the warm cake topped with the rich pudding mixture.

  “I know this might sound kind of crass, but I like having you here,” Lisa admitted shyly as she dipped her spoon into the pan.

  Keely realized Lisa didn’t need any signs of her bad mood. The girl had lost her mother when she was very young and with the age she was reaching, she probably felt the need for feminine comfort that her father wasn’t able to provide. She leaned over and hugged her.

  “If nothing else, I’ll make sure to teach your father more dishes to cook,” she promised.

  Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the two girls exchange a secretive look.

  Keely knew the last thing they needed to hear was that their parents had made love the night before. They’d probably gleefully run for the closest preacher!

  Thoughts of Sam were enough to send warmth flooding through her veins. She knew she had made love with him because she needed to feel again, but it had turned into more. They had connected in so many complex ways she couldn’t even count

  She only hoped it wasn’t all due to the person after her. For someone who vowed she didn’t want another man in her life, Keely was finding out that having someone like Sam around wasn’t all that bad.

  As if he’d followed the train of her thoughts, he called up on the phone.

  “We’re following a few leads,” he said crisply. “Don’t expect me back all that early, so don’t worry about holding dinner for me. Is Joe out front?”

  “He’s not only out front he’s practically parked at the front door. He also told me wherever I go, he goes.” She took a deep breath. “Sam, how old is he?”

  He chuckled. “He’s old enough.”

  “When did he start shaving? This morning? This is nuts, Sam. If I’m cooped up here with Baby Face Badge Boy, I’m going to feel as if I’m protecting him!â€� she demanded.

  “Are you sure you want him trying again when the girls are with you?”

  Keely swore under her breath. “I didn’t need to hear the voice of reason, even if you are right. What do you think will happen now?”

  “Hopefully, nothing. With luck, he’ll figure he has you pretty well spooked and you’re hiding out at my place. He’ll sit back and savor his victory and hope you’ll be chewing your nails waiting for another attack. Once he feels you’ve relaxed enough, he’ll probably strike again.”

  Keely tossed a crumpled piece of paper across the room. It wasn’t as good as breaking something, but it helped lower her frustration level a little.

  “All right, I’m relaxed. I’m happy. My nails are even starting to grow back,” she snapped.

  “Trust me, Keely, it won’t be that easy,” he said seriously. “With this type of situation, all you can do is sit and wait”

  “I’m not a patient person,” she explained.

  “Then I guess we’ll have to come up with a way for you to work off that frustration, won’t we?” With those last words lingering in the air, he hung up.

  Keely stood still, her hand frozen to the receiver.

  “I’d be better off if I didn’t have a vivid imagination,” she whispered to herself, setting the receiver down.

  As it grew late and shadows deepened around the house, Keely was grateful for the deputy out front. Joe had been replaced by Dave, who was thankful for the thermos of coffee and plate of food she brought out.

  A tour of the house had her discover a deck off the master bedroom and Keely sat out there after dinner while Steffie and Lisa watched television. She was smart enough to keep the outdoor lights off so she couldn’t be seen. Ignoring the two chairs out there, she opted for sitting on the step just outside the room where she could enjoy the clear evening sky.

  But Keely couldn’t remain feeling lazy for long. She rested her elbows on her knees, her chin on her cupped hands as she cast her mind out over the past few months. Who could it be? Who would hate her so much?

  The low rasp of the sliding door opening had her turning her head. Sam looked down on her.

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea for you to be out here?” he asked, stepping down beside her and sitting on the step.

  Even in the dim light, Keely could see the lines of weariness on his face and tracked the way his hand rubbed the back of his neck in a tired gesture.

  “I can heat something up for you if you’re hungry,” she offered.

  He shook his head. “I ate at Sissy’s earlier. Still feeling antsy?”

  She shrugged. “I worked it off cooking dinner.”

  “Yeah, the girls said it was pretty awesome.” He smiled. “You’re spoiling my kid. She won’t want to go back to my cooking.”

  “Don’t worry, I made them help.” She smiled back. “I told Lisa it was a good learning experience for her. She said she’s afraid if you learn to cook, it will be all healthy food.”

  He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I think I’d rather have you tempt my taste buds.”

  She slanted him a look that fairly sizzled. “Really? I thought I’d already done that.”

  Sam took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “You sure know how to go about it when you want to raise a guy’s blood pressure.”

  Keely smiled, looking extremely pleased with herself. Her smile started to dim. “Did you find out anything?”

  “Three stores in town carry that brand of cigar I found by your house. And no one can remember any one person buying them. I never knew so many people smoked them. Even women.” He exhaled a heavy sigh. “No fingerprints were found in your house.”

  Keely narrowed in her eyes in thought “Could he have been wearing gloves? His hands brushed against my bare skin a few times and they felt strange.” She shuddered at the thought

  “It looked as if he was clever enough to do that. There was nothing on the CD he left in your system. No tags on the case to indicate where it had been bought. We couldn’t even lift a print off the disk.”

  “There’s a reason why that song upsets me,” she said softly, speaking to herself as much as to him. “And the house. Why would I become almost ill when I go inside?” She turned to him. “Sam, I want to go back to the house tomorrow.”

  “I don’t want you staying there,” he argued.

  She shook her head. “No, I mean my parents’ house.”

  He hesitated. “That might not be a good idea, either.”

  “I need to,” Keely insisted. “I need to make myself remember why it all bothers me so much and what the nightmares mean.”

  Sam stared at her for a long time. He grimaced. “You won’t go without me.”

  She laid her hand on his arm. �
�I’d appreciate that.” Using him for balance, she stood up. “I need to know, Sam. But I’m glad I won’t have to be alone.” She dropped a kiss on top of his head and walked back inside.

  Sam remained out on the deck, allowing the quiet to seep into his pores and soothe a tired spirit Today hadn’t been a good day for him. Everything came up a blank. No fingerprints. Not one clue had been left behind except for the CD and that seemed to have been left there more as a taunt to everyone. Entry had been through Steffie’s bedroom window, which had been broken and the screen had been propped up against the side of the house. All he had was a traumatized victim who couldn’t give anyone a description of the intruder because it was dark.

  He didn’t like the idea of Keely going into her parents’ house and fighting to bring her fears to the surface. But he knew if he had argued with her she would have gone without him and there was no way he was letting her go anywhere by herself.

  He was still outside when he heard sounds of the girls getting ready for bed. The light in Lisa’s room soon winked out, but their muted voices could still be heard from the open window. He smiled. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his daughter so animated and happy. She’d always had friends, but it seemed Steffie was someone special. It didn’t surprise him. Not when the mother was pretty special to him.

  That night Keely lay in bed, listening to the soft night sounds. She noticed Sam was still up when she went to bed. The faint aroma of cigarette smoke wafted in from his deck and she could hear sounds of him moving around She knew the girls were asleep. She’d checked on them a few minutes ago when she went to the kitchen for a glass of water. Now she could hear sounds of Sam obviously getting ready for bed. Keely thought of the night before when he thrust her into the shower where she was able to warm the chill that had crept into her bones. The way he’d dried her and even made sure her hair was dry. She considered these thoughts the warm fuzzies. Then she thought of later on. Their lovemaking had been quick and explosive and she knew she wouldn’t mind doing it again, but at a much slower pace. She smiled in the dark.

  “Oh, Keely, what a bad girl you are,” she murmured to herself as she sat up.

  She crept down the hallway, holding her breath as she passed Lisa’s room. She rested her fingers on the doorknob that would let her into Sam’s bedroom, took a deep breath and carefully twisted it and pushed the door open. A faint slice of moonlight allowed her to see Sam lying in bed. Keeping hold of her courage, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, resting back against the wood.

  “It’s about time you got here.” His voice cut through the silence.

  A smile curved her lips. “You had the gall to think I’d come in here?”

  “No, I’d hoped.” He raised himself up on one elbow. “Are you going to stand there all night?”

  Keely pushed herself away from the door. She glided across the floor, raising her arms and pulling off her nightgown at the same time. When she reached the bed, the nightgown was on the floor and she was slowly slipping into bed.

  Sam blew a low whistle of appreciation. “Very nice.”

  She smiled. “Honey, tonight, you’re going to get something much better than nice,” she purred, running her palm across the breadth of his chest, pausing to tease a copper-colored nipple with her fingertip. With her palm flat against his chest, she could feel the moan that began deep down and moved up his throat. “I always wanted to seduce a man, Sheriff,” Keely whispered, caressing the hair-roughened skin with slow circular motions that soon had him moving against her hand. “And there seems to be something sinful in the idea of seducing a man of the law. What do you think?”

  He cleared his throat several times. “I think you’re doing just fine,” he finally rasped, trying to turn toward her, but she effectively kept him prone on the bed.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Keely said throatily, looming over him looking like any red-blooded man’s idea of a fantasy. She dipped her head and gently sucked on his earlobe. “You inspire me, Sam,” she whispered in his ear as she delicately touched the inner shell with the tip of her tongue. “I think my ideas started the first time I saw you. A cop without an attitude. A cop who’s obviously a good father and a cop who just happens to be extremely sexy.” She twisted around to tease his other ear.

  Sam drew in much needed air. “I never thought of myself as sexy.”

  She shifted so that she was straddling his hips while nibbling along his jaw.

  “Trust me, you are,” she said in a breathy voice. “I can feel it” She swept her hand down his side, lingering on his bare hip. “Oh, yes, I can feel a lot.” She delicately licked the curve of his throat as her hand trailed down even further and encircled his heat.

  Sam hissed a curse that could have been a prayer. He wasn’t sure if she was a witch or an angel as she moved her hand in a leisurely manner that soon had his hips moving in the same rhythm. Her skin had been cool at first but quickly warmed as he swiveled his hips against hers. She enticed him with her body. Sang a siren’s song with her lips and performed more magic with her hands.

  He inhaled the languorous scent of her skin that brought to mind a wooden front porch with rockers, jasmine climbing up trellises and women wearing white cotton and lace gowns that brushed against their ankles. A woman who

  would smile demurely at her suitor and offer him her hand or cheek. And if he was lucky, she would prove to be a lusty lover in the bedroom. Keely Harper was very definitely a lusty lover.

  When she settled herself over him and engulfed him, he felt as if he’d died and gone to heaven.

  “Shall we dance, Sheriff?” she whispered, as her lips covered his, her tongue tracing the seam of his lips before slipping inside.

  They were joined physically and mentally. It was as if their minds communicated to each other on another plane, telling the other what felt good.

  Sam knew instinctively that suckling her breast would bring a gasp of pleasure to her lips. He knew that the line of her spine was ultrasensitive to his touch and as he reared up under her to fill her fully, she would moan his name.

  As before, their climax was explosive, leaving both of them exhausted yet exhilarated. Keely nestled herself in Sam’s arms after she adjusted his alarm clock.

  “Why did you change the time?” he asked, content to have her body curved against his side.

  “I need to get out of here before the girls wake up,” she replied, pressing a kiss against the curve of his shoulder. “Let’s not give them any ideas, shall we?”

  As far as Sam was concerned, he was more than willing to allow the girls to get any ideas they wanted. He also knew this wasn’t the time to think about getting involved. There were too many dark clouds hovering overhead and he needed to clear them before they could think about themselves. For now, he’d be selfish and take what he could get.

  “What perfume are you wearing?” he asked suddenly.

  “I’m not.” She yawned. “Just powder and body lotion called Southern Nights. Steffie gave it to me for Christmas last year.”

  He fell asleep realizing why the mental picture of Keely wearing nothing more than powder and baby lotion popped into his head. He made a mental note to buy several gallons of the lotion.

  The alarm had barely begun to bleep when Keely shut it off. She had meant nothing more than to kiss Sam and sneak back to the guest room, but Sam soon showed her he had other ideas. Luckily, while it was some time later that a smiling and satisfied Keely made her quiet trek back to the guest room, the girls were still in bed sound asleep.

  “We have to have a baby-sitter now?” Lisa burst out after her father explained she and Steffie could not leave the house without one of his deputies accompanying them.

  “Until this is taken care of, yes,” he said firmly. “I don’t want to scare you girls, but this person might take it into his mind to grab one or both of you in order to get back at Keely. This guy is pretty sick in the head. We don’t want to give him any more advantages th
an he’s already taken.”

  Steffie leaned over and took Keely’s hand. “Oh Mom,” she said with a soft sigh. “You don’t deserve junk like this.”

  She smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you, sweetheart. I don’t want the two of you to feel as if you’re prisoners kept in the house. As long as you make sure the deputy can see you, I would feel better. Or if you’re with a group of friends, I would appreciate your not leaving that group with anyone but that same deputy. I don’t care who the person who approaches you is or what they say.”

  Both girls turned to Sam who nodded his agreement.

  “I know this is a lot to ask of you, but this person might be someone we all know,” he said grimly. “Someone we wouldn’t even suspect We can’t trust anyone right now. If I had my way, the two of you would be staying with

  someone out of town, but—” he held up his hand as the two burst into argument “—I knew that was one option you wouldn’t agree to. So you’ll live by the rules we’ve set down. And if either of you veer from them, you’ll both be packed off to Lisa’s grandmother in Sacramento.”

  “Gee, Dad, why don’t you just send us to San Quentin or Pelican Bay,” Lisa muttered before turning to her friend. “Grandma still lives in the dark ages when girls our age didn’t wear makeup, didn’t talk to boys and didn’t wear shorts even in the house. She also has a nine o’clock bedtime we’d have to keep, too.”

  “Gee, and I thought my grandmother was bad.”

  “Louise isn’t bad,” Keely cut in. She glanced at Sam. “Jay’s mother thinks she’s a reincarnation of Auntie Mame. I won’t even tell you what she served for dinner the last time we were there.”

  “It was from Tibet and it was disgusting.” Steffie made a face. She quickly sobered. “Okay, we’ll live by whatever rules you guys put down because we know it’s for our own good.”

  “I worry when she’s this agreeable,” Keely said.

  “They know that if they don’t do what they’re told, they’re packed off to Grandma’s, and if you knew this lady you’d walk the straight and narrow, too,” Sam told her. “She was the reason they say someone has iron in their backbone.”