Shall We Dance?

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  He believed these interactions were important, and they were. Just like a lot of other police departments, Bridgeport’s motto was Protect and Serve, and he saw that as looking out for the people in small ways, too.

  But Traci? Well, it was obvious she was still getting the hang of not being busy every minute of the day. Sometimes he felt the need to remind her that just because they weren’t dealing with homicides, impaired drivers, and lots of domestic violence cases didn’t mean their work wasn’t important.

  She pulled out onto the street and drove along slowly. “Freedom Park first?”

  “Sure. It’s right around the corner.”

  “I remember.”

  Just as he was about to ask how she was feeling, getting used to the slower pace, she spoke again. “So, I’m just going to say it. I think Shannon likes you.”

  Well, that little tidbit came out of nowhere. Ignoring the burst of happiness that ran through him at the news, he spoke carefully. “She told you that?”

  “Not in so many words. She and I might not be super close yet, we’re close enough for me to see the way she looks at you.”

  “And?”

  “And it’s affectionate. Maybe more like longing.” She drew to a stop, flipped on her turn signal, and then made a right. “I think you need to take her out on a real date.”

  Glad he wasn’t driving, he gaped at her. When she smiled, he coughed. “Are you pulling my leg?”

  “No, sir, I am not.” She pulled into the park. It was going on eleven thirty, overcast, and about thirty-eight degrees. The park was empty. “Want me to drive to the back?”

  “Yeah.” He scanned the area, hoping that they wouldn’t see anyone. And, luckily, they didn’t.

  After Traci made a loop, she pulled out onto the street. “Palmer Park now?”

  “Yep.”

  Just as she was turning left, a white Chevy pickup truck zipped by, going easily thirty miles over the speed limit.

  “Yee-haw,” Traci said with a grin. She turned on the siren and picked up speed. While she tailed the truck, Dylan pulled out the computer to enter in the plates.

  Dylan shook his head in dismay, but he couldn’t really disagree with the way she felt. Pulling over speeders was far easier to deal with than the ghosts that were pulling at him over Jennifer’s attack.

  When the pickup pulled over and they noticed that the driver was a kid who looked to be about sixteen, Traci grinned. “Looks like somebody might be loving his new driver’s license just a little bit too much.”

  When Dylan noticed the boy had just rested his forehead on his steering wheel, he inwardly groaned. Tears and drama might be on the way.

  Traci opened her door. “I’ll be back.”

  “Go get ’em, tiger. But don’t forget that you are in Bridgeport not inner-city Cleveland. Kid gloves, remember?”

  She waggled her fingers. “I’ve got ’em on,” she said as she headed toward the truck.

  Deciding to join her at last, he almost smiled when he approached. Officer Traci Lucky had affected a perfect stance of all business and motherly manner while she was giving him what-for for speeding. The kid looked contrite and nervous but not scared stiff. All in all, the exchange seemed to be going as well as it could.

  Dylan made a mental note to praise her for that when they went to lunch later. A lot of cops from the big city never seemed to be able to find the right way of talking with the suburban residents of Bridgeport. Traci wasn’t one of them.

  Lots of things in his life were up in the air, but this new partnership? He couldn’t have asked for anyone better.

  CHAPTER 22

  “Dancers have a very hard job. We must take our ugly, callused, blistered, and bruised feet and present them in a way so that they are mistaken as the most beautiful things on Earth.”

  As she headed up to the third floor of Backdoor Books, Jennifer felt a little self-conscious. She knew she was avoiding everyone, but she preferred to look at it as taking a moment to care for herself. Shannon and Kimber were nice, and their hearts were huge. She couldn’t think of another pair of women willing to drop everything in order to give someone they hardly knew a few minutes of happiness.

  So she was grateful to them. She really was. But her mind was in such a mess, she knew she needed a few minutes of silence or she was going to lose the last bit of composure she was clinging to.

  The best way to find that was in the middle of a stack of cookbooks.

  Sitting down in the chair she’d occupied just a couple of days earlier, she picked up a Joy of Cooking hardcover and placed it on her lap. The book was serving as her makeshift security blanket, and that was pretty sad.

  What was she ever going to do with herself? When was she ever going to be normal again? Was it ever possible to be normal when one was the victim of a violent attack?

  The patter of steps brought her attention to the doorway—and to Harvard. The German shepherd puppy peeked around the stacks of books, spied her, and then approached with a fierce tail wag.

  She laughed as he scrambled closer, his four big paws practically tripping over each other. “Hey, buddy. Where’s your owner?”

  The puppy just wagged its tail again.

  She leaned down and gave him another pet, then laughed when he artlessly attempted to nudge her book and hands out of the way so he could sit on her lap. Unable to resist, she did as he requested. The cookbook went back to its place. Next thing she knew, she was holding the pup in her arms, cuddling him close and inhaling that wonderful puppy smell.

  Harvard wiggled with pleasure, making her chuckle.

  Huh, maybe the cure for the blues wasn’t a stack of cookbooks but a warm, affectionate puppy.

  “Harvard? Harvard, where are you, buddy?”

  When Harvard just gave her another lick on her face, she answered. “He’s up here with me. In the cookbook stacks.”

  After she heard a couple of heavy steps on the wooden staircase, Jack appeared, looking just as gorgeous as he had the first time she’d seen him.

  “Hey,” he said. “Looks like you’ve got some company.”

  “I do,” she said smiling at the dog. “Harvard found me.”

  “I can see he found your lap,” he said as he strode forward. “Sorry. German shepherds are usually pretty independent dogs, but not this one. I don’t know if it’s because he’s a mix and not a purebred, but he’s as cuddly as some kind of fluffy lap dog.”

  “I think he’s perfect.” She ran a hand down Harvard’s side, silently coaxing him to stay a little bit longer. After Harvard peeked at Jack, he snuggled closer to her.

  Jack grinned. But instead of coaxing the pup down, Jack pulled out a chair next to her. “Would it be bad to say that I’m kind of glad he found you for me?”

  “You were looking for me?”

  “I got here about ten minutes ago. Mom waved me over and introduced me to your friends. They, of course, became fans of Harvard here.”

  “Of course.” Jennifer smiled at him, loving how much he loved his dog.

  Jack looked down at his thick work boots before meeting her eyes again. “Anyway, it took me a minute to put it all together. But after I realized that they were friends with you, I started trying to think of a way to ask them where you were without sounding completely rude. Or, um, stalker-like.” Looking pleased, he added, “My buddy Harvard here solved that problem.”

  He’d been thinking about her! Hoping she didn’t look as excited by this information as she felt, Jennifer kept her attention on the dog. “Well, Harvard is a pretty smart pup.”

  “He is, since he found you.” Studying her closely, Jack said, “So, how are you doing?”

  She guessed he was still thinking of her freak-out last week. “Hmm. Well, I’ve been better, but worse, too. So, I guess that means I’m all right. How’s that for an answer?”
>
  “Good enough.” He pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. “Do you get those anxiety attacks a lot?”

  “They come and go.” Hearing her counselor’s voice in her ear, she continued. “They’re a lot better than how they used to be, which is a good thing.”

  “I know we hardly know each other, but I’m great at listening. Do you want to talk about it?”

  Did she want to share that she’d been beaten and raped two years ago and just last night had received a note from one of the men who’d been there watching? That seeing that note in the back of her car had done such a number on her that she’d practically gone into shock?

  Uh, no. No, she did not. “There’s nothing really to say.”

  “Sure?”

  “Positive.” Reaching for Harvard, she ran her fingers along the scruff on his neck. “So, how are you?”

  “Me? Oh, I’m good.” He kicked out one denim-covered leg. “I’ve been working at a job site just three blocks away all morning. I came to check on my mom and then was going to grab some chili for lunch.”

  “Sounds good. It’s cold out.”

  He groaned. “It’s miserable and about to snow again.”

  “Winter.”

  “Yeah.” He looked at her another second, then said, “Hey, how about I take you to lunch?”

  “Really?” To her surprise, she was actually thinking about it. Lunch with a cute guy like Jack sounded so much better than sitting in her empty house reliving the last twenty-four hours.

  “There’s a Skyline Chili Parlor just a mile away, over on Snider. We could grab some lunch, and then I’ll bring you back here. I’ll need to take Harvard home first, but that won’t take long. What do you say?”

  Just as she was about to say yes, she remembered that Shannon and Kimber had picked her up. “I’m sorry. I just remembered that I didn’t drive here. If I left, I wouldn’t have a way to get back home.”

  “You just live in Bridgeport, right?” After she nodded, Jack said, “I could drop you home. It wouldn’t take but a minute.”

  That didn’t sound quite as easy. But . . . wasn’t it time to do a little bit of trusting? She’d trusted Shannon and Kimber enough to go to this store with them.

  Jack offered a charming smile. “What do you think, Jennifer? Ready to do something besides chat in my mother’s bookshop?”

  Jennifer couldn’t help smiling back. He had a puppy who was a sweetheart. He checked on his mother. And even though he’d met both Shannon and Kimber the model, he’d still asked her to lunch.

  After putting Harvard down, she stood up. “You know what? I’d love to go to lunch. Thanks.”

  “Thank you, Jennifer. You made my day.” Bending down, he clipped a red leash to Harvard’s collar. “Let’s go, then. I’m starving. Are you?”

  “You know what? I am. I just realized I never ate breakfast.”

  “I’d say this was perfect timing, then. A lunch date meant to be.”

  His words echoed in the passage as he led her down the stairs.

  CHAPTER 23

  “A star danced, and under that I was born.”

  —William Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing

  “What do you think about that?” Kimber asked as Shannon pulled out of the Backdoor Books parking lot.

  Shannon laughed as she paused for traffic before pulling out. “Think about what? The fact that I just bought eighty dollars’ worth of books that I hadn’t budgeted for . . . or that our girl Jennifer just went on a lunch date when we were supposed to be babysitting her?”

  “All of it.” Kimber waved a hand. “Well, not the book-buying part. I knew I’d buy too many books the moment we stepped through the door. That’s a great bookstore.”

  “I liked it a lot, too. It’s got the best selection of romances and mysteries. And that Camille is a peach. She was so personable and made some good recommendations, too.”

  “What do you think Dylan is going to say about our visit?”

  “I don’t know.” Though she feared he was going to freak out on her. Dylan really did provide a perfect example of an overprotective brother. Frowning at the light snow that had just started to fall, she continued, “I half thought that I should call him and give him a heads-up that we were taking Jennifer out, but it really isn’t my place.”

  “It sure isn’t.”

  “That said, I have a feeling he’s not going to be happy about Jennifer going on a lunch date with Jack.”

  “I thought the same thing,” Kimber said.

  “Do you think I should call him about that?”

  “Nope. Nobody is going to be happy if you decide to interfere like that. Jennifer will get mad at you for tattling on her, and Dylan will get pissed because you didn’t stop them.”

  Shannon could see that happening. “You’re right. I’m just going to keep my mouth shut. It wasn’t like Jennifer asked for my opinion anyway.” That was the truth and did give her some reassurance.

  “I’d be surprised if she even remembered that you were in that building.” Kimber gave her a sideways look. “Jennifer Lange wasn’t thinking about you, doll.”

  “You aren’t wrong about that. The girl only had eyes for Jack.”

  “It was romantic.” Kimber stretched her hands over a knee. “That guy was a hunk, and he looked like he’d just won the lotto when he walked her out the door.”

  “He really did, didn’t he?”

  “And then there was his mom,” Kimber said, her voice still soft and dreamy sounding. “She looked like she was about to cry, she was so happy her son found himself a good woman.”

  “Hold on, now. You’re making it sound like they’re on their way to the altar. They’re going to eat chili.”

  “I know. But there’s something there. I know it.”

  Even though the snow had returned, the roads were clear and traffic was light. As they headed back toward the heart of Bridgeport, Shannon sneaked a glance at her sister. “Kimber, I had no idea you were such a romantic.”

  She looked affronted. “I’m not.”

  “Really?”

  “All right,” she added after a slight hesitation. “I kind of am.”

  Those answers hinted that there was a story there. “Have you ever been in love?”

  Kimber stayed quiet for a moment, then said, “Almost.”

  “I knew it! When?”

  “When I was just a kid. In high school.”

  When Kimber didn’t add another detail, Shannon groaned. “Come on. You can’t just leave me hanging like that.”

  “Calm down. It’s not that exciting.”

  “Come on, Kimber. Give me a bone. What happened? Who was it? How long did y’all date?”

  “Uh-oh. Your drawl is back.”

  “I’m excited. And you’re hedging.”

  Kimber chuckled low. “Maybe I am, I don’t know. I’m sure your relationships back in the day were just as filled with drama.”

  “They might have been, if I’d had a boyfriend in high school.”

  “Wait. You didn’t?”

  “Nope, not a one. I was too busy trying to be a famous dancer.” A thought occurred to her as they drew up to the front of Dance with Me. “Wait, weren’t you working all the time? I thought you started modeling when you were a little girl.”

  “Oh, no. I didn’t start that until the middle of my senior year. Before that, I was all about trying to fit in and spend time with Tyler.”

  Shannon couldn’t help but grin. Kimber probably didn’t realize it but even now her voice softened when she said his name. “Tyler, huh?”

  Kimber rested against the headrest. “Oh, honey. He was so fine. He was the running back on the football team, and he played basketball, too.”

  “He sounds athletic.”

  “Oh, he was all that.” She crossed h
er legs. “But more than all the sports, there was something more important that I couldn’t shy away from.”

  “Which was?” Shannon was fully invested now.

  “Tyler thought I was amazing.” Kimber kind of sighed under her breath. “That counted more than anything to me.”

  Shannon couldn’t believe that Kimber sounded so insecure. “But you are, Kimber.” She not only was beautiful, she was fun, and she uprooted her whole fancy New York life to live in a run-down loft in southern Ohio.

  “I didn’t feel that way. I was constantly trying to figure out why my parents weren’t all about me. I knew I was adopted, of course, but half the time they kind of acted like they wished they’d picked a different baby.”

  “I’m sure that isn’t true.” She really hoped not, anyway.

  “Probably not, but I was a disappointment. They had goals, and I didn’t meet them. I know that to be true.”

  “Oh, Kimber.”

  “Hey, now. It’s time to redirect this conversation. I sure didn’t want to go down that road. My point is that I had Tyler, and for a time, we were in love.”

  “And then you weren’t?”

  “And then . . . he found somebody else to love.”

  “Ouch,” Shannon said as she parked the car.

  “Yeah. I’m not gonna lie. That hurt . . . Bad.” She sighed. “I swear I was the last to know. One minute I was feeling like Tyler and I were so tight we were going to plan a whole future together. Then, next thing I knew? Tyler had found Madison, and I was yesterday’s bacon.”

  “Guys are pigs.”

  “Not all of them, but that boy sure hurt me bad,” Kimber said as they unlocked the front door and entered the warm building.

  Turning on a couple of lights, Shannon said, “I bet one day you’ll meet a man worthy of you.”

  Kimber shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know if it really matters. I found two sisters. I’ll take that.”

  Putting down her purse and her bag of books, Shannon let herself really take a good look around her new home. There was their Addams Family couch in the entryway. Her pretty desk in the corner of her dance studio. A stairway with carved spindles that Traci had polished the other night when she’d been bored.