by Reina Torres
Aylin gave her a shoulder bump as she passed and went back to chopping with her mom.
Inside the dining room, with its moveable tables and colorful children’s art all over the walls, was Jake McGowan. He got to his feet as soon as he saw her, unfolding his muscular body from the cafeteria-style table. “Hey there.”
She walked into his arms and looped her arms around his neck, leaning into his kiss. It felt like heaven. When she pulled back a moment later, she felt the telltale blush on her cheeks. It had only been a little over a week since Jake had saved her life in a San Antonio courtroom, but there had been so many changes in that time.
Before that life-changing day she’d come home on the nights when she hadn’t let Sloane talk her into going over to their house, but that had become difficult. Not for Sloane and Vicente. They were always happy to have her over, but she just didn’t want to be a third wheel.
All of that had changed in a short time. Less than two weeks.
When their schedules worked out, Jake would go to her place or they would meet somewhere to have a meal or a few drinks. And if their schedules didn’t work out there were always phone calls or texting.
But this… having him in her arms was as good as it got.
Except for carrot cake on her birthday.
No, even better than that.
“You missed me enough to come over to the Center today?”
“Today,” he nodded. “Yesterday and the day before, I just didn’t have time to get away.” He gestured to the plates on the table. “I thought I’d bring you something to eat on my dinner break.”
“Oh?” She looked at the clock on the wall and back to him. “How long do you have?”
“I have at least an hour to spend time with you, and then I have to get back to the office. We’re building a case on the men that Joe Merrel is working for so we’re up to our elbows in reports.”
He gestured for her to sit first, and then he sat beside her on the bench seat.
“It’s not what most people think of when they hear the words ‘Texas Ranger.’”
“I bet most people expect you to look like Chuck Norris.”
He took out both plates from the bag and set them down on the table. “Sometimes, and then they seem a little disappointed. It’s hard on a man’s self-respect.”
“I find it hard to believe that you have any trouble in that department. You’re too grounded.” She grinned as she popped open the top cover of the boxed lunch. “Sushi, huh?”
He opened his, and she saw the same assortment in his take-out box. “It took me awhile to get up the courage to try this kind of food, but I had a partner for a while in SAPD who introduced me to this little place down near the warehouses. I found out that I liked most of what they served except for that green clump they put in the corner.”
She had to think about it for a moment. “Wasabi?”
He cringed. “I think that’s it.”
Hildie pulled her chopsticks out of the paper wrapped, and pursed her lips. She loved Japanese food, but chopsticks had always been the bane of her existence. Sloane had tried in vain to teach her, but even Sloane had conceded that it was probably impossible to get Hildie’s fingers to hold the thin pieces of wood in her fingers.
Setting down the chopsticks, she looked over at Jake. “Do you mind if I just use my fingers?”
His expression was curious. “You don’t have to ask me. Go ahead and eat it how you want to eat it.”
Her nose wrinkled a little. “I didn’t want you to think I was… a complete dork.”
He nodded and set his own chopsticks down. “I know.” He opened the little covered cup of soy sauce and set it aside. “You’re just a partial dork, but I’m willing to overlook it.”
Picking up a piece of the sushi with his fingers, he touched it to the soy sauce and gave her a little smile.
“And you’re a beautiful dork, so that gives you extra points in my book.”
Stunned, she struggled to come up with something snappy to say in return, but all she could do was chuckle softly to herself. “Good to know.”
“Hildie?”
Aylin ran into the room, her face pale.
“Hildie! Outside!”
She didn’t have time to think, not when Aylin’s face was a mask of fear.
Hildie stepped over the bench seat of the table and ran for the door.
She could hear Jake following behind her and coming up alongside as they reached the doors.
“Let me go first, Hill.”
Her steps came up short beside him, and she let him step outside a moment before she did.
“Over there, by the street!”
Aylin’s voice reached them, but it was muffled. She was probably standing up at the big picture window in the children’s play area.
Hildie scanned the area, and her gaze landed on the sign near the street.
“Oh my… What are they doing?”
Drawing his gun from his shoulder holster, Jake preceded her down the stairs and headed into the parking lot.
“Texas Ranger. Drop what’s in your hands, and raise your hands in the air.”
Hildie swore she could see two figures near the sign, but she couldn’t tell what they were doing.
“I said put your hands up!”
She followed behind Jake as he made his way through the sparse smattering of cars in the parking lot. Another half hour and the place would be teeming with clients and their children.
“This is your last warning.” Jakes voice sounded like it was echoing off every flat surface in the immediate area. “Drop whatever’s in your hands! Hands!”
The two men looked at each other and took off running.
Jake was after them like a shot, and it was only when he got to the corner of the street that they saw what they were up against. One man jumped on a motorcycle and the other got on behind him. They were too far for her to hear exactly what they said, and when the engine roared to life all she could hear was that.
And still, Jake was running, stopping out of sight around the corner and coming close to giving her a heart attack.
She reached the street as he was coming back into view. Turning to look at the sign, Hildie felt her stomach twist and turn.
The men had dropped what was in their hands, but even if they’d taken the canisters with them, she would have recognized their paint of choice from a distance, with the metal cylinder containers and the acrid smell of propellant in the air.
The words that they’d sprayed across the Helping Hearts sign were as crude as they were misspelled, but they got their point across. Someone had made these men angry enough to spur them into action.
And with Sloane out of the office to take care of herself leading up to the birth of her baby, the person who had rocked someone’s boat… was Hildie. Jake jogged back to her side and read the additions to the sign. Thank goodness he’d done it under his breath, she really didn’t want to hear the words spoken aloud.
With one last look up and down the street, Jake holstered his side arm and took out his phone. “I have to call this in.”
She nodded, but didn’t speak. What was there to say?
The police would come out and make a report, but even she knew the kind of situation that investigators were up against. There weren’t many working security cameras in the area. So whatever footage they could get wouldn’t tell them much. Even the system that Vicente had installed focused around recording events inside the center, rather than the parking lot.
She just had to believe that things were going to work out all right.
Her food was all but forgotten almost an hour later as she struggled to understand how a world which had finally been showing her a little happiness was on the verge of stealing it away.
Chapter 6
As it turns out, trying to date in the middle of a major drug smuggling investigation was like trying to lick your own elbow. Difficult in the extreme, not that Jake had ever tried. Sure, there had been
times in college when some of the guys got drunk enough to try reaching their elbows, but Jake had never been one to drink that much. Just like he’d never been one to date much, leaving him horribly out of practice with the ‘rules’.
Dax sat down next to him at a meeting and set a cup of coffee down in front of him.
Jake looked at the cup and then up at his friend. “Thanks.”
Shrugging, Dax gave him a look. “I wanted to come over and say hello. Well, that was one reason.”
Jake turned slightly in his chair, set his elbow down on the table. “And the other reason?”
Dax’s smile was an easy one and full of mischief. “You were either deep in thought or asleep with your eyes open. If you didn’t react to the cup, I was going to draw a mustache on your face with a sharpie.”
Jake’s laugh was almost a snort. “Yeah, right.”
Holding out his hands in a vague gesture, Dax’s gaze stayed fixed on Jake’s face. “You were promoted into the Rangers in the middle of a big investigation. Otherwise, we would have had a little fun with some practical jokes.” He dropped a hand into his lap and picked up the coffee cup with the other. “Some a little less practical than others.”
“Well, I’ll count myself lucky that I came in while the investigation was in full swing.”
“And part of it fell into your lap. Who knew that one of their street dealers was involved in a case the day you were at the courthouse?”
Jake nodded and fiddled with the handle of the mug. “I was there to get a warrant signed and bumped into Hill while I was there. I’m glad I was able to help get Joe into custody without any serious injury.” He took a sip and as he set the cup down, he noticed that Dax was staring at him, his eyes narrowed. “What?”
“Hill?”
Jake set the cup down and sat up a little straighter in his chair. “You know. Hildie Faraday? She works with-”
“I know who she is, but I don’t know anyone who calls her Hill. Except you.” Dax’s smile lifted at the corners. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
Jake gave his friend a pointed look. “I don’t… I’m not going to comment.”
“You don’t kiss and tell? Well, I’ll just have to sic Mack on you. She’ll get the information out of you.”
Jake couldn’t hold back his own laughter. “Are you really going to make Mack do your dirty work?”
“Oh, make no mistake. When Mack heard that you were going to be here for the meeting, she told me to pry information out of you. She authorized the use of instruments of torture, up to and including wedgies.”
Sitting back in his chair, Jake folded his arms across his chest. “I don’t buy that from Mack. She’s the sweetest thing. I bet you added that last bit on.”
Dax held up his hands in surrender. “Okay. You got me. I admit it. I’m the one who wants to torture you for information.”
“Yeah, if you’re trying to get information from me that’s the last way to do it, but I will tell you that we’re dating. Sort of.”
Dax narrowed his gaze at Jake. “How do you ‘sort of date’ Hildie?”
“Finding time together is a stretch most days. At first, we thought it would be easier since my schedule is a little fluid along with hers, but we both have those last minute, off hours calls. And I may carry a gun, but she walks into tense situations with her wit and her heart on her sleeve.” He shook his head. “She’s ridiculously brave, and it drives me nuts thinking about her during the day and not knowing what she’s up to.”
“You haven’t tagged her phone with an app so you know where she is at all times?”
Jake opened his mouth to shoot down the idea, but when his mind turned it over, he had to admit that it would make it easier on him to know where she was.
“I’ll talk to her about it the next time I see her.”
Other Rangers were walking into the room and taking their seats for the meeting. Dax lowered his voice when he spoke again, and Jake was happy to keep it just between them.
“And that would be?”
Jake shrugged. “It depends on our schedules. She has tonight open for dinner, but they put me on the surveillance team tonight. Maybe the weekend?”
Dax held up a hand. “Give me a minute.” Pulling his phone from his coat, Dax sent a quick text and set it on his thigh. It vibrated with an incoming message a moment later and from the smile on Dax’s face, Jake knew it was from Mack. Grinning from ear to ear, Dax turned the phone around for a moment so Jake could see the screen. “Mack says to enjoy dinner. I’m going to take your surveillance shift tonight.”
Shaking his head, Jake sighed. “I don’t want to ruin your evening.”
“Ruin it?” Dax laughed. “You subbed in for me when I wanted to take Mack away for a romantic weekend. You can have tonight easily.”
Jake didn’t want to feel like he was taking advantage of his friend, but before he could ask Dax about it, the other Ranger dropped his phone back into his suit coat pocket.
“Relax. I’m offering to do it.”
The meeting room door closed noisily, and the meeting was called to order.
Jake had no option to do anything else but hold out his hand and thank Dax quietly. As soon as they could take a break, he’d call Hildie and find out where she wanted to have dinner.
It was good to have friends like Daxton Chambers. He was a standup guy with an amazing woman, and Jake was hoping that he’d be in a situation like Dax’s very soon.
Hildie stared down at her phone with a wince. One Wednesday night a month she had a standing date to have dinner with her parents. More if she could work out her schedule, but definitely one. And it was ‘that’ Wednesday night.
She’d forgotten it at first, but her mother had sent her a text to remind her that they would be happy to set a fourth place at the table if she wanted to bring a friend over for dinner.
Her parents, Harold and Georgia May Faraday, were always happy to see Sloane at dinner. And until she met and married Vicente, Sloane had been a frequent guest at dinner.
She’d been so busy with her duties and Sloane’s as well, that the simple passage of time had stumped her. It really was a miracle that she hadn’t worn the same clothes two days in a row by accident. With Jake scheduled to work a surveillance shift that night she wouldn’t have been able to take him anyway, but-
Her phone rang and she could only stare at it for a moment before she saw the Caller ID on the screen. “JAKE M.”
Swiping her finger across the screen she held it up near her ear. “Hey you.”
“I love the sound of your voice.”
Her face felt hot, blushing all the way to her temples. “I was going to say the same to you.”
“Good to know.” His laughter felt like a physical touch along her skin. “I just found out I have the evening free. Dax is going to take my surveillance shift so that leaves me free to take you out to dinner.”
She hesitated and knew that he’d read into the silence when he spoke again.
“Am I too late? Did someone sweep you off your feet while I was at the office today?”
“No,” she wasn’t sure how much to say in response, “I was just realizing that I forgot a dinner invitation that I have for tonight.”
“Hmm… maybe I can catch Dax and tell him he doesn’t need to sub in for me-”
“Jake, wait.” She could hear the disappointment in his tone, and she didn’t blame him. She wanted to see him too, but she wasn’t sure if he was ready to find out where she got her unique personality. “If you’re free-”
“For you? Absolutely.”
“You might just live to regret that.” Her words caught in her throat. “I have a standing dinner night with my parents, and they always tell me to bring a guest along, so I’m asking. Do you want to come to have dinner with my parents? And me. All three of us.”
“Sure. Sounds good to me.”
Panic settled into her chest. “You don’t have to go.”
“I sai
d, I’d be happy to go and-”
“If you have something better to do, like walking on hot coals, or sleeping on a bed of nails, you don’t have to come and ruin your evening.”
“Hill?”
She loved the way he said her nickname. Soft and gentle, and still it felt like there was something stronger underneath. But she had a feeling she was testing his patience. So, it was best to be straightforward. Dear Heavens, why was she doing this?
“Look, meeting my parents is like jumping into the deep end of a wave pool surrounded by sharks on one side and cushy sea cucumbers on the other. My parents are great! I mean I love them to bits, but like I told Sloane before she met them the first time, they’re an acquired taste.”
“Come on, Hill… they’re your parents. How bad could it be?”
She swallowed, hard. “I’m just giving you fair warning. My mom is a sweet thing from Georgia, but under that perfect make-up and hair is a panicky Pitbull who will grab onto your arm and shake your teeth loose.”
His laughter gave her stomach a twist. “Okay, now I have to meet them. Where are you? I’ll come pick you up.”
“At the Center. I just finished another tutoring session with some of the kids.”
“Got it. I’ll be there within the hour, is that good?”
“Sure!” Her voice was a little too bright, but it might have been because her breath was caught in her throat. “I’ll be here. And feel free to come armed for your protection.”
“Hill. With this kind of a buildup, I can’t wait to meet them. See you soon. Bye.”
Hildie made the sign of the cross over her chest and said a silent prayer. “Please don’t let him run away.”
In the car, Hildie had been mostly quiet as they drove along. After she’d given him the address to put into the GPS, she’d reclined the passenger seat just a hint and looked out the window. It really was just a short distance outside of San Antonio, but it felt like an arduous hike through the desert.
The only time she really moved was when she reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a pair of nondescript shoes and changed them out for her designer shoes.
