Unbridled Passion: A Riverton Crossing Novel

by Savannah Maris

  Nathan shook his head, and even though she couldn’t see him, he was sure she felt it. “That song had me hard before we even got to Charleston. I had several drinks in a short period of time, and your comments were running through my mind. Diane showed up at the bar with several agents from the ATF and DEA offices. Apparently, she’s been reassigned to the Charleston office. Maybe she could tell I was getting wasted, I don’t know, but she came straight to me. She was flirting. I remember her hand on my thigh. I remember Sam telling me to think about you, and I remembered you told me to be with someone else. I walked out with her on a mission to get relief. Part of me was angry at you for telling me it was okay.”

  He took a deep breath and rubbed his hand up and down her arm. “Dammit, Vanessa, I almost left with her. I was standing outside of her car and said your name. I thought it was only in my head, but apparently, I said it out loud. She asked me who you were. That’s when I came to my senses and told her that you were someone who deserves better than me, but also that you’re someone who didn’t kill our child.”

  He felt his shirt get wet and pushed her away from him. “Please don’t cry.”

  “Nathan, how can I not?”

  “Vanessa, it wouldn’t have meant anything, but you do. I couldn’t do it to you, to us. I’m so fucking sorry that I almost let that happen. I turned from her and walked back toward the bar, called Sam and told him to bring me here. Then I wake up in your bed this morning. I thought I’d really messed up because of your divorce.”

  Tears fell down her face faster than he could stop them. Her shoulders shook, and he was at a loss for what to do. Warring between his head and heart for the right thing, his heart won as he wrapped his arms around her. “No one has ever done that for me. You didn’t go with her. You think I’m worth it.” She continued to sob. “I’m so sorry. It’s not okay for you to be with someone else. I want to be the one you wait for, but I want to do this right, Nathan. I want the fairy tale romance. I want to hold hands and make out. I want to know I make you crazy and that we have to take cold showers. I want to know that the first time you make love to me that it’s actually an act of love. Oh my God, am I making sense?”

  “Yes, baby, you’re making sense.” He kissed the top of her head as his smile reappeared.

  Her sobs seemed to have subsided, but they didn’t release each other. If this was as close as they’d get to be for the next four weeks, then he wasn’t going to waste one-second.

  “Last night you seemed real concerned about your piercing hurting me. When do I get the story on that?”

  He chuckled. “I think that one is better left for another day, don’t you?”

  She nodded. “I think you’re right. I need some time to digest what you just told me.”

  “Agreed. We’ll find our own path, Ness. The one that’s right for us.”

  13

  Tuesday morning, Nathan woke up to start his day rotation. His head was still swimming from everything he and Vanessa had discussed the day before, but at least they were on the same page. A smile spread across his face.

  He walked into the station with a bounce in his step that he hadn’t felt in a long time. He was speaking to Rita when her phone rang. “Looks like the boss wants to see you as soon as you get here.” Nathan nodded and turned toward Evan’s office.

  He tapped on Evan’s door and waited for him to respond. Nathan opened the door and saw Mayor Sinclair sitting in one of the chairs across from Evan. “Good morning, Mayor, Chief.”

  “It’s a morning, but I’m not sure how good it is yet.” Evan didn’t look happy from the conversation he was having with the Mayor as he motioned for Nathan to have a seat.

  Nathan moved to sit as his head was running through any scenario that would cause him to need a meeting with Evan and the Mayor. Did they know he’d spent the night with Vanessa?

  “Nathan, I got word last night that the school board convened an emergency meeting and unanimously voted to remove Charles Harper as school board superintendent.”

  Nathan nodded. “He lost his job.” He should have.

  The Mayor returned a confirming nod. “Yes, he was quite upset when he called me last night.” He cleared his throat and straightened his tie. “It’s not that he was upset, but who he blamed for him losing his job that brought me here today.”

  Nathan and Evan caught each other’s glance. They’d been in this situation before where people blamed them for losing their jobs. This was nothing new.

  “Who’s he blaming?” Evan asked as he leaned into his forearms on his desk.

  The Mayor looked at Evan then held Nathan’s stare. “Vanessa.”

  “What?” Nathan grabbed the arms of his chair. “What the hell, Mayor? Please tell me you defused that situation.”

  The Mayor shook his head. “I tried, but he was adamant saying that she was the one who called the cops.”

  “And he was the fucking asshole that shot her!” Nathan stood and paced in the small space between his chair and the door while he ran his hands through his hair.

  “Nathan,” Evan said, “as Mrs. Harper’s investigating officer, why don’t you call her and make her aware of the situation.” Evan raised his eyebrows, indicating Nathan needed to reel it in before the Mayor suspected anything.

  Nathan nodded before he excused himself and grabbed the doorknob.

  The walk between Evan’s office and his was short, and he ate up the distance in just a few long, purposeful strides. He walked into his office and slammed the door. He sat behind his desk and flipped his phone over repeatedly. He needed to know when the delivery was coming, and he needed to talk to Vanessa. Who did he call first? Vanessa needed the dog now, regardless of his readiness.

  “Littlefield.”

  “Craig, how are you?”

  “Cox, I was just getting ready to call you. Max is ready. I’m loading him up, and we’ll be at your place tomorrow. Or am I taking him to the lady?”

  “No, bring him to me. I’ll text you my address. This is perfect timing as her threat level may have just gone up.”

  “We’re on our way. See you tomorrow.”

  Nathan disconnected the call, and a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding rushed out of his body. Vanessa. What was he going to do about her? Inhaling a calming breath, he pressed her speed dial number. On the third ring, her sweet voice came through the phone.

  “Nathan? Is everything okay?”

  “Hey, beautiful. Why would you ask that?”

  “You started your day rotation, and unless something is wrong, you don’t call me during your shift.”

  He silently chuckled because she knew him better than he thought. “I don’t know if anything is wrong, but I do need to tell you something.”

  “You aren’t calling on the burner phone, so that makes this an official call.” Her voice was soft, almost a whisper by the time she finished that sentence.

  “That’s true.” He needed to stay calm for her sake as well as his. “I just left a meeting with Mayor Sinclair and Evan. It seems the school board unanimously voted to replace Charles. He called the mayor last night, and the mayor said he was upset.”

  “Oh.”

  He ran his hand down his face. “He’s blaming you for it.”

  She gasped. “What? Why?”

  “Because you called for help.” He closed his eyes, imagining what would have happened if she hadn’t called. “Listen, beautiful, I really need you to stay vigilant over the next couple of days. I’ll see you as soon as I can when my rotation is over.” A smile crossed his face. “And I’ll have a delivery for you when I do.”

  The happiness in her voice couldn’t be mistaken. “Really? What do I need to get him?”

  “I’ve got a list of stuff he needs. I’ll bring it with me. Craig is bringing his bed, so you need to decide where you want him to sleep. I’d prefer close to your bedroom door.”

  “Okay. Why there?”

  “So he can hear everything throughout the house
, and because someone would have to get past him to get to you. I want you safe.” Nathan couldn’t hide the protectiveness in his voice.

  “I’m being careful.”

  “I know, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe. Ness, I can’t be there with you to make sure, so I worry.” He closed his eyes imaging her in front of him. “I want to touch you.” The words fell out of his mouth before he could stop them.

  “Nathan…”

  A knock sounded on his door. “Vanessa, someone is at my door. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

  He heard her sigh. “Okay.”

  14

  “Is she all right, man?” Evan walked into Nathan’s office and closed the door behind him.

  “Hell no, she’s not all right. At least Craig is on his way with the dog. I’ll feel better once I know she’s protected.”

  “Yeah, the mayor is concerned. He tried to call Charles before he left my office, but he didn’t answer his phone. The monitor has him at Linda’s address, so maybe he’s just asleep.”

  “Maybe. I’m heading out to check on things. Have you heard from the lab in Columbia?”

  “Not yet. I came in at midnight, so I’m going home to catch a few hours of sleep. I’ll see you before you leave this evening.” Evan stood with Nathan as they walked out of the office.

  “Have you gotten the forensics back on the bullet? The blood on the sofa cushion?”

  “We recovered the bullet out of the sofa cushion. It matches the gun and has Vanessa’s blood on it, same with the cushion. Just waiting on the food report.”

  Nathan went back to the Harper’s house. Slipping on a pair of gloves as he opened the door, he went straight for the kitchen. He opened cabinets and drawers, not really knowing what he was looking for, but the cabinet where they kept the spices was the first place he wanted to look. Everything looked normal, but what did he know? He bagged them all. Next, he found a cabinet with medications in it. He looked at each bottle and who it was prescribed to. Anything over-the-counter, he opened. In the back of the cabinet, he found a brown glass bottle with no label and a top like a spray bottle. He held it up to the light to see if he could tell how much was in the container. The bottom was barely covered to the point that the sprayer may not work. He bagged it. With this and the breakfast foods Evan and Rodney already took, they should find the culprit.

  Nathan took the evidence back to the station and handed it all over to Rita. “Please have someone take this to Columbia. I want everything tested.” He held up the small bag. “This one first.”

  Rita’s eyes widened. “For anything in particular?”

  “Something that’s odorless and can easily be camouflaged. Anything you can think of.”

  “You know, there was a woman down by the swamp that used to make natural remedies. We haven’t heard of anyone using it in years, but I’ll add it to the list.”

  “Is this woman still around?”

  “No, her ass naturally died in prison for conspiracy to commit murder. The Prosecutor said she was an accomplice.” Rita called a courier before she turned back to Nathan. “Granted, that was before all the assisted suicide stuff. Her defense was that an elderly couple came to her because one of them was dying and the other wanted to go too. This way they could guarantee they went together.”

  “What happened?” Nathan was curious.

  “One of their children came for a visit when they were sick. He took them to the hospital, and they found traces of a plant in their blood and bowel. They told their son why, and he pressed attempted murder charges. She was convicted.” Rita shrugged.

  “Do you think there’s someone still selling natural remedies around here?”

  Rita shook her head. “Like I said, I haven’t heard about it in years. The bushes are still around here, but most people know to leave them alone.”

  “Thanks, Rita. Put whatever you can think of on the list, but please put a rush on those, will you?”

  The sooner he knew what the hell he was looking for, the sooner he could go see Vanessa.

  15

  Vanessa spent the day getting ready for Max. She couldn’t wait to meet him.

  Never having had a pet before, she didn’t know what he’d need. Hopefully, Nathan would take her to the pet supply store when he brought Max. She wanted him to have chew toys and treats and a cool collar.

  Her late afternoon walk on the beach was filled with visions of her and Max playing on the beach. She could see her and Nathan walking hand in hand while he threw a tennis ball for Max. Her thoughts drifted to the conversation they’d had a few days ago. He should be a father. From the bitterness in his voice that morning, he wanted to be a dad. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of giving him a child, and her hand rubbed over the spot on her chest that ached. I want to be the mother of his children, and I want him to be the father of mine. Tears stung her eyes as this realization hit home.

  Nathan’s words came back to her. “I want you healthy, baby.” Healthy, was she healthy? She’d gained a few pounds, her body was responding to good food, and she wasn’t falling or tripping over stuff anymore. Maybe she was becoming healthier. She needed to have a physical, but her doctor was in Riverton Crossing, and she wasn’t ready to go back.

  She’d just walked in her back door and locked it for the night when her burner phone rang. “Hey, handsome.”

  “Wow, I like that greeting. How are you, beautiful?”

  “I’m good. I just walked in from the beach.”

  “How was your day? Your walk?”

  “I cleaned the house so I can give all my time to you and Max when y’all get here. And my walk was good. I daydreamed about the future.”

  “Please tell me you paid attention to your surroundings. Baby, until you have protection with you, you’ve got to be alert.”

  She giggled. “Always the protector.” She sighed. “Yes, I paid attention, but my thoughts were of a bright future.”

  “I will always protect you. So was I in that future?”

  “One of the starring roles.”

  “Who were the others?”

  “Max and me in the near future.”

  “Is there something after the near future?”

  She felt her face flush. “I sure hope so.”

  “I like the way that sounds. I’ll see you this weekend. We’ll get Max all set up.”

  “I can’t wait. I miss you, and I’m ready to learn more about your piercing.” She was playful but serious.

  “I’m ready to tell you everything about me. Listen to your song tonight and know I’m the one who’s going to make your dreams come true, baby.”

  16

  The following morning, Nathan sent Vanessa a quick text:

  “Good morning, beautiful. Got an early meeting, so I’ll talk to you this afternoon. Enjoy your day.”

  Craig was due today with Max. He didn’t know what time, so he found their last contact and placed the call as he walked out of his apartment.

  “Hey, Nathan. You’re up early. You on days?”

  “Yeah, man. I’ve got a conference call regarding some evidence this morning. What time do you think you’ll be here?”

  “By lunchtime. We stopped on the road last night.”

  “I’ll text you the address to the station. You can just bring him there.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Before Nathan pulled out of his parking spot, he sent the address to Craig then looked at the time on his dashboard. The department of motor vehicles didn’t open for another hour. He made a mental note to stop by there and pick up a driver’s handbook. Even though she’d had a license before, she would have to take the test again, and he wanted her to be prepared. She needed to have a license and a way to get around. Once she passed the test, he’d help her find a car.

  He was laughing to himself when he stepped into the police station. In a million years, he never thought he’d be thinking of a future with a woman, especially after the stunt Diane had pulled. But Vanessa, she w
as different. She was beautiful inside and out even though she’d lived in hell for nine years. She was almost too kind. He wondered if it was because she didn’t have friends and was afraid of offending someone? She was brave beyond her years and wasn’t easily rattled. Again, was that because she never had choices, so she’d learned to go with whatever anyone told her to do? And she was sexually innocent. She’d never been given the opportunity to relax and enjoy that ride with someone. She’d never been given the choice to say no. She’d never had the freedom to flirt and initiate anything. Her words from the last time they saw each other came back to him. “I want the fairytale romance. I want to know that the first time you make love to me it’s actually an act of love.”

  Love, could he say that he truly loved her? He thought so. He’d never felt this way about someone before, but how did he know for sure it was love and not lust?

  A hand slapped him on the back. “Nathan? Did you not hear me?”

  “What?” Nathan turned to Evan’s smiling face.

  “Damn, dude. You were deep in thought.”

  Nathan wiped his hand down his face. “Yeah, sorry. Did you need something?”

  “Are you all right?”

  Nathan nodded. “I was just thinking about Vanessa.”

  Evan smiled. “Wanna talk about it?”

  Nathan looked at his watch. “We’ve got a conference call with the forensics lab from Columbia in about five minutes. After that, there’s something I’d like to run past you.”

  “Sure. The call coming to your office or mine?”

  “Mine. I’m going to hit the head. I’ll see you in there in a few.”

  Evan smiled, and Nathan knew he was going to give him shit when he asked what he needed to know. Nathan stopped in the restroom to splash cold water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. Get your shit together, Cox. He slapped himself on the face because he needed to focus on this call and not a certain woman sitting in a beach house.