“Shit,” John said as he quickly tucked his t-shirt inside his jeans and found a pair of socks. “Sweetheart, I have to go.”
“Did you need me to help you with anything?”
Before John could respond, Sam opened the door and glanced from Annie to John. “John, Martinez is downstairs waiting for you.”
John tied the laces on his boots and stood up. “Why the hell is he so early? The call just came in.”
Sam helped himself to an onion ring on the food platter. “He was in the neighborhood.”
Annie located her belongings and quickly wrapped her winter coat around herself. “Ah, John, I’ll see you later. Please be careful.”
John grabbed his gun and badge and walked toward the woman he cared about. “I’ll walk you out.”
John gently placed his hand on Annie’s arm and led her through the exit. Sam called his farewells and shut the door behind them. The couple walked down the stairs and toward the back entrance. Annie noticed a few of John’s curious employees glancing in their direction. Annie waved goodbye to the people she had met earlier.
John stepped outside the back door and the cold afternoon air stung him. He fastened his jacket tighter around his body. “Listen Annie, would you-”
“Get your ass in the car, we have to move!”
John shook his head and carefully eyed the woman he loved. “I’ll introduce you to Martinez another time.”
Annie patted John on the chest. “Be careful today, John. If you need to talk about the case later to anyone, I’m here for you.”
Martinez honked the horn and John turned and walked toward the undercover police car hollering, “Yeah, yeah I’m coming.”
Annie watched as John got into the car and the pair drove out of sight.
It was the darkness that greeted John when he entered the apartment several hours later. John placed his gun and badge on the kitchen counter, like he had done countless times before. The quietness was a welcomed relief. The past seventy-two hours had consisted of so much turmoil. So much blood. So much death. So much anguish.
Now, John just took a moment to stand in the apartment and think. His mind centered around the recent trio of homicides. The bodies had been brutally beaten, nearly unrecognizable. Even now, John could still smell the stench of death in the air.
John leaned against the countertop. He only bothered turning on one small kitchen light. It was after the light flickered for a mere second, that John noticed the pastry box still placed on the kitchen table.
Annie Perry…..
How in the hell did I get involved with Annie Perry?
A strong sense of emotion clogged within his heart. Images of the vibrant young woman solidly developed within his mind. He thought of their morning….making love over and over again. John remembered the softness of Annie’s skin. The woman’s sweet laughter made him slightly grin now. Annie Perry was everything John never knew he wanted…. she was so damn lovely. Intelligent. Sweet. Lady-like. Beautiful. Enchanting.
Sexy. Funny. Kind.
John swore to himself. The lingering sense of frustration began to ransack his body. A lethal combination of guilt and love tore at his ever involving conscience.
Damn it.
Damn it.
Damn it.
Annie Perry….what the hell do I do with you?
John Connell ran a hand through his dark brown hair. Questions lingered within his mind. Could he make her happy? Would he mess everything up? Did he have any right to be involved with Annie?
Shit. She was his sweetheart…..
7
“What are we doing here?”
Nick Station turned and looked at the woman beside him. Annie Perry stood rigidly on the sidewalk in front of the Connell’s Pub entrance. Nick tried his best smile and pointed at the front of the building. “I thought we’d all go in and have a quick drink.”
Annie was confused. “I thought we were meeting Lindsay and Fern at-”
“Maybe Fern and Lindsay are in here,” Nick said.
Annie shivered in the dark, cold night. Her stylish black winter jacket provided warmth during the winter season, but quivered at the thought of entering the pub at this very moment. Annie was quite unprepared to enter the establishment now. The thought alone made her shudder. It had been three weeks since she had seen John and she wasn’t prepared to see him now. Melly Jones stepped closer and Annie glanced at her friend.
“Oh, come on, Annie. We’re just going in for one drink.”
Before Annie could utter a word, she watched as Melly and her date, Todd, walked into the pub. Annie stood on the sidewalk, unsure of what to expect. It was a Saturday evening and Annie could see many occupants inside. Music could be heard through the thick doors and Annie’s stomach growled, as she smelled a variety of mouth-watering aromas.
“Come on, Annie. It’s cold out here,” Nick complained as he opened the doorway and walked inside. Annie saw the door shut behind him and she was left out in the bitter, night air. Shaking her head in bafflement and humiliation, Annie opened the door and walked inside Connell’s Pub. Annie quickly scanned the massive room in a desperate attempt to locate John. When Annie began to walk through the cluttered crowd a few servers recognized Annie and greeted her.
The entire room seemed to pause as if in a standstill. Annie located John behind the bar. He was staring at her intently with an unreadable expression on his face. Annie felt the sudden urge to leave, but Melly grabbed her by the hand and tugged her toward a table.
“Come on, Annie, we’re seated over here.”
Annie stopped in her tracks and examined her friend. “Why are we here? Aren’t we meeting Fern and Lindsay three blocks over? You know this is John’s bar and you know how I feel about him.”
Melly bristled and stood up straighter in her black high heels. “You have no relationship with John Connell. It’s been three weeks since you’ve last seen him, and he hasn’t contacted you once, Annie. I want you to see exactly what you’re in for if you were to get involved with John. You would be getting a cop and a pub, Annie. Now, I want you to open your eyes and see what Nick offers; a great career, good looks, manners, and someone who is more suited for you.”
Shaking her head in exasperation, Annie continued to stare at her friend. “I will forgive you for saying those words to me only once. Never forget that John Connell saved my life, and you will not insult that man in my presence ever again.”
Melly licked her lips and pursed her mouth. “You’re my best friend and I only want what’s best for you.”
“I realize that, but coming here was a bad idea,” Annie insisted. “We need to go and meet Fern and Lindsay.” Annie turned toward the exit. Melly quickly maneuvered herself and stood in front of her dear childhood companion.
“What about Nick Station? Don’t you want to date him?”
“If you like him so much, you should date him,” Annie insisted and when she turned around she walked solidly into John’s chest. He stood in front of her, and Annie could smell the familiar cologne.
John gently grabbed onto Annie’s shoulders. “Steady there, Miss Perry.”
Annie bristled at the formal tone and sucked in a breath of air. “I, ah, look I need to explain something. I-”
“There’s nothing to say, Annie. Why don’t you take a seat with your dates and I’ll send some drinks over.”
Melly stepped closer to inspect John. “That’s nice. Isn’t that nice, Annie?”
Annie never took her eyes off the man standing close to her, his face expressionless. There was no sign of love. No sign of longing. No sign of comfort.
John motioned toward the table where two men sat in a booth. “You should go and be with your date, Annie.”
“I’m not on a date,” Annie said. “It’s just a group of us going out tonight. We’re meeting up with Fern and Lindsay and-”
“You do as you please, Miss Perry,” John said. “This is none of my concern.” Then John turned and walked to the b
ar, annoyed and pissed off at the same time. He strolled behind the bar and met Sam’s quizzical look. He already knew what his brother was thinking.
“What the hell is Annie doing here with a date? Didn’t you have sex with her a few weeks ago?”
John swore out loud and grabbed some clean glass mugs. “Just pour the drinks, kid.”
“Holy shit. Annie is here with a date…you messed that relationship up.” Sam eyed his brother. “What the hell is going on? Didn’t you ask her out or call her after your intimate exchange?”
John slammed more glasses onto the top of the bar, causing the regular patrons sitting on their bar stools to jump. “Did you really just say intimate exchange?”
Sam glared at his sibling. “You know what I mean.”
John ran a hand through his short dark hair. “I didn’t ask Annie out. I haven’t contacted her since that day we were upstairs.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Damn it.” The hardened and closed off man looked at his brother in disgust and stubbornness. “I just didn’t. There just wasn’t time. I got called to a homicide.”
“Well, you can’t be pissed that she’s here with a guy. It’s not her fault that you’re emotionally closed off and can’t express your feelings.”
John poured a lot of alcohol into the mugs and set several shot glasses on a serving tray. “It’s not just that. Her friend brought Annie here tonight to show Annie that she’d be better off with some fancy wearing suit who works nine to five, and not a cop with a bar.”
Sam shook his head. “Annie’s not a snob like that.”
After placing the alcohol on the tray, John wiped his hands on a small towel. “I know she’s not a snob, but this evening is about Annie opening her eyes and realizing that she belongs with her crowd.”
“So what are you going to do?”
John winked at his brother. “I’m going to get the men piss ass drunk and call them a cab. Then I’m going to talk to Annie and invite her on a date like I should have done weeks ago.”
After shaking his head, Sam continued to pour beer for the massive crowd. “Well, this will be an entertaining evening.”
“Bet your ass it will be,” John said. He glanced up then. With a sense of relief, John noticed Fern and Lindsay entering the pub and striding toward the booth that Annie occupied.
After pouring another pitcher of beer, Sam glanced in his brother’s direction. “It appears Annie isn’t on a date after all. She’s here with friends.”
“Annie was never on a date,” John acknowledged. “And if I have my way, she won’t be dating anyone but me.”
“Glad you finally caught on,” came Sam’s smooth response.
An hour passed, and Annie did not feel any more comfortable in the Connell Pub. John repeatedly sent shots to their booth and while Nick and Todd turned the evening into a drinking game, Annie wanted to leave. After the fourth tray of shot glasses was delivered, Annie stood and eyed Melly, while Fern and Lindsay were devouring their gooey cheeseburgers and fresh cut fries.
“I’m walking toward the bar, I’ll be back in a moment.”
Melly sighed in disgust as she saw the two men say something stupid to each other. “Take your time. It’s my fault that we’re in this mess.”
Grateful that Melly had acknowledged her own error and bad sense of judgment, Annie turned and walked toward the serving area. The bar was long and stationed against the far wall. Several patrons of all ages were seated and watching a variety of TV shows on the various television screens mounted on the wall.
John was pouring a glass of wine and glanced in Annie’s direction. “What can I get for you, Miss Perry?”
Annie resisted the urge to throw the small bowl of peanuts at the hardheaded man. “Please call me by my name.”
“Isn’t Miss Perry your name?”
Immediate defiance coursed through Annie’s rigid body. “Stop this nonsense and please call me Annie!”
John motioned for another bartender to take his place and he gently grabbed Annie’s arm. John lead her toward the stairs located near the back of the building. Once John had taken two steps out of eyesight, he took Annie in his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. He needed to kiss her then, more than he had ever needed anything before.
With John’s lips touching hers, Annie wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled closer. Her own lips parted as she surrendered herself to John’s affection. Heat exploded between them, and Annie was certain she would die from the sheer pleasure of kissing the man she loved. After a few tantalizing minutes, Annie leaned back and eyed John most appreciatively.
“This is-”
“Amazing.” John kissed the top of her forehead, his arms locked tightly around Annie’s torso. “Kissing you is amazing. I’m sorry for not contacting you after we made love. I regret that more than you’ll ever know. ”
Confusion and hurt etched across Annie’s pretty features. “Why didn’t you contact me?”
John ran his hands up and down Annie’s back. The gentle caress caused Annie to nearly hum with the potent mixture of happiness and love. “After I got home from the case, I noticed I had blood on me. It’s a long story, but I realized that I didn’t want you near that aspect of my life….I didn’t want you to be involved, Annie.”
With a sense of defiant courage, Annie gazed at the man she loved beyond reason. “Do you want me out of your life?” Asking those words nearly ripped Annie’s soul apart.
John knew he needed to answer honestly. Annie deserved that much from him. “I thought I did. When I got home and saw the blood, I started thinking and that’s why I didn’t contact you. I thought you deserved someone better than a cop-”
“I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions, John.”
John heard the pride in her voice and loved her for it. “I know that. I just thought you needed something different from me.”
“I’m happiest when I’m with you, John. If you were any kind of detective you’d realize that.” There was still hurt within her. “I’m still upset with you, John. It has been three weeks and every once in awhile I thought that I had done something wrong before I realized that you were being a jerk.”
John could not help but grin. “I love you and I take my coffee black.”
“John…” Pleased by his words, Annie’s entire soul beamed with a sheer amount of radiance. The love she had for John intensified her sense of happiness. “I take my coffee with sugar and lots of cream until the substance barely resembles coffee.”
John grinned in pure male delight. “I’ve missed you and I have wanted you since we were last together.” He paused for a moment before he added, “And not just for the sex. I mean you. I like having you around me, Annie.”
“I thought I had done something wrong…you know…sexually,” Annie whispered near John’s ear, so that only he could hear her deep confession. “I know I’m not that experienced. The one time I tried it before was just plain awful….and I’m not entirely certain it was even sex because it was such a fiasco-and you’re smiling. Are you laughing at me, John Connell?”
“No,” John was quick to point out. “No. I’m not laughing at you. Look, me not contacting you had nothing to do with you. I was just being a complete dumbass.” John inched closer to Annie, her floral perfume making him feel a desire of comfort. “You were absolutely spectacular every time we made love, don’t ever doubt yourself, sweetheart.”
Annie stood on tiptoe and placed her lips over John’s. She heard the low groan of approval in his voice. It felt so incredibly right to be held safe and secure in John’s arms.
After a moment, Annie leaned back and looked directly at John with a small smile on her beautiful face. “You purposely got Nick Station drunk tonight.”
John didn’t care. “I can’t help it that the man couldn’t hold his liquor.”
Annie lightly pinched John’s rear, causing him to laugh.
And now, John did what he should have done weeks ago. �
��Would you please go to the art exhibit at The Hardin with me next week?”
Coyly, Annie kissed John’s cheek. “Well, I would have to check my schedule.”
John chuckled and kissed Annie again, feeling her love. “Well, while you’re checking your schedule, how about if you reserve the second weekend of December?”
“Oh, really?” Annie smiled as she rubbed her hands on the back of John’s neck. “What are you planning during the second week of December?”
“Our wedding,” came John’s serious reply as he bent his head and placed his mouth over Annie’s. “So Miss Perry….will you marry me?”
8
Margie Perry stirred the cookie batter in the large metal mixing bowl and decided to add more chocolate chips. It was early in the morning and Margie knew it was going to be a chocolate kind of day. She had already made chocolate bread and chocolate dessert lasagna.
Milt entered the massive kitchen and took a seat at the counter. He noticed the goodies that his wife had baked and shook his head. The kitchen was quiet on this peaceful November morning and Milt glanced out the large breakfast nook windows to see a fresh layer of white snow covering the acreage. Three pumpkin scented candles burned on the far kitchen counter and Milt noticed the coffee pot was half full.
“Good morning, honey. The chocolate bread sure looks delicious.”
Margie nodded her head and Milt was trying to gauge his wife’s mood. Since John and Annie had announced their upcoming wedding that would be taking place in less than a month, Margie had been what one of their children had referred to as “stress baking.”
“Good morning,” Margie replied and placed a large slice of chocolate bread in front of her husband. Without saying a word, Margie handed her husband his usual mug of coffee.
Humping Her Hero Page 7