Every law enforcement officer in the world knew what happened to a person’s mind and body when they start doing any kind of drug.
As he scanned the report, an idea formed. “What if we…” Dan walked in, coming off his night shift. Mack stopped and handed Dan the report. “I was thinking that we could follow the cat. If he’s going back to his source, if we follow him, we could find out where he got the drugs, then trace them back to the original source.”
Dan leaned against the counter as Louis leaned forward. “The plane that landed in the field a few weeks ago?”
“I think they’re related,” Mack announced.
Dan nodded. “Makes sense.”
“There’s something else,” he added, turning and looking at both of his deputies. “We’re getting an influx of tourists with the hiking season so close. Eve noticed a couple of guys come into The Bull Frog recently. She mentioned these two men stood out, but she couldn’t really define why. She mentioned something about their clothes not really fitting in, which makes me think that they were here for business.”
“Damn!” Louis whistled. “Eve’s on top of things!”
A chill slid down Mack’s spine at the memory of Eve offering to keep an eye out for these guys. “Yeah, well, she’s going to do some sleuthing herself. I told her not to,” he assured both men when they stiffened in horror. “But we all know that Eve is going to do it anyway. Between the bar’s additional business and the Miller Twins…,”
“And Penny working for the bar now too. That news spread across town like wildfire.”
Mack chuckled. “Yeah, Eve has a soft spot for people in trouble, doesn’t she?” he paused, unaware of the knowing look exchanged between his deputies. “Anyway, Eve is a do-er and she’s going to go after these guys. She said one of them was balding, both of them are big but that’s all we have to go on.”
Louis stood up, his hands resting on his gun belt. “Which means, we need to find him before Eve does.”
He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “Okay, let me head home and get a few hours of sleep. I’ll be back to drive through the area and walk the streets looking for these guys. If they are around here, they’ll need to eat at some point.”
Louis nodded as well. “I’ll increase the patrol area to cover more area. Maybe we can find the source before the cat comes out of sedation. Barring that, can we put a tracker on him? Find out where he goes?”
Mack nodded. “My thoughts exactly. I’ll call Angie.”
“Any other ideas?” Dan asked, looking at both of them.
“Not yet. But let’s meet back here in a few hours once we have more information,” Mack suggested.
They both nodded, Dan heading out to get some sleep. Louis grabbed the emergency bag they all carried that included extra water and food. They all had more in their trucks too, for stranded hikers. Their trucks carried food, water, clothing, sleeping bags, blankets, repelling gear to get down into out of the way places, flashlights, and anything else that a non-experienced hiker might have forgotten.
Mack moved behind his desk, to check in with his counterparts in the neighboring jurisdictions. He did so quickly, then headed out himself. Until this situation was resolved, he and his team would be out looking for evidence of the source of the cocaine. The dispatcher would contact one of them if someone needed them.
Hours later, Mack was exhausted. The mountain lion had been released. Mack and Ryan had stayed close, warding off predators until the lion woke up properly. But anyone tracking a big cat for even a few minutes knows the dangers and the difficulties. Mountain lions could jump and climb and run fast. When the cat was finally up to speed, Mack and Ryan backed off.
And now, all he wanted to do was find Eve and pull her into his arms. Damn, he was tired!
He needed a shower first. He checked in with Dan and Louis, then headed to his cabin for a shower. Thirty minutes later, dressed casually, he parked in the bar’s back area and came in through the kitchen door.
“Hey Mack!” Annie called out.
“Everything okay?” he asked in greeting.
“Just another busy night,” she replied. “Penny is here too.”
Tyler and James swiveled around, grinning up at him. “Hey boys. What’s going on?”
Tyler shoved his homework towards him. “Eve told me I had to rewrite my essay. What do you think? She had Louise from the bookstore help me with some of the words.”
Mack quickly skimmed the essay, his gut tightening as the message became clear. Tyler wanted to build a roller coaster. Because the near-death experience of the zip line last week wasn’t a good enough lesson? But the essay itself was clear and well written for a fourth grader.
Nodding, he handed the paper back to Tyler. “This is good. I like how you describe the sun coming through the slats that hold up the ‘take off’ point.” Turning to James, he glanced at the boy’s paper. “How is your essay coming along?” The pair were in the same class at the elementary school. Minneville wasn’t big enough to have multiple teachers for each grade. In fact, last year’s high school graduating class had only twenty students.
At James’ hesitant expression, Mack knew his essay wasn’t finished. Sure enough, James pulled a sheet of paper filled with math problems out of a ragged folder. “I’ve finished my math homework!” he replied hopefully. “Want to check it? I did good!”
“James, where’s your essay?” Mack repeated, thinking that maybe it would be a good idea for him to read all of their essays going forward. It would give him a clue as to what to save them from next.
At the repeated request, James deflated. “I’m still working on it,” James finally admitted, his nose squinching up slightly. “Are you here to see Ms. Eve? She said we had to eat vegetables before we could have bear mud.”
Mack laughed, amused by the latest appetizer name. “Bear mud, huh?” He mussed James’ hair. “She’s right. No bear mud until you finish your essay. I want to read it when you’re finished.”
The twin looked up at Mack oddly. “Really? You want to read it?”
“Absolutely. I really want to read it,” Mack told him. Damn, he thought. He should have been doing this for years.
James’ face glowed with excitement. “Okay!” He pulled out a fresh piece of paper, confirming Mack’s suspicion that he hadn’t even started. “I should be done soon.”
“Check your spelling before you bring it to me. Any misspelled words and you’ll owe me ten jumping jacks.”
James surveyed the paper in front of him. “Got it,” the boy immediately started erasing a word, his tongue peeking out between his teeth in concentration.
Mack chuckled as he moved past the table. He needed to see Eve. It wasn’t just that he wanted to see her. Seeing her was a physical need. An ache in his chest that wouldn’t ease up until he found her. Held her in his arms, for just a moment.
He moved through the tables until he found a position where he could put his back to the wall and observe.
Then he counted. One. Two…she was speaking with a customer but at that moment, she stopped mid-sentence and turned around. Their eyes met and held. It was as if he could feel her heartbeat in that moment.
Damn, she was beautiful! Her hair was all mussed, her lipstick completely gone. There was a curl trailing down her neck and another sticking out sideways somehow. She was beautiful. Gorgeous!
And such a free spirit. Could she ever think of a place like this as home? As he watched, she turned away from him to help Burt who owned the tackle store on the opposite side of town. Eve laughed and Mack could feel the soft pull of that sound all the way to his core. He wanted to stand up and take her into his arms, pull her close for a kiss. He wanted to claim her as his woman and he wanted the world to know that he was her man. He wanted all of it.
His eyes moved lower, drinking in the view of her body. Jeans and a long sleeved shirt covered her adorable butt today. Jeans or leggings - he wasn’t sure which he liked more. Probably leggings, be
cause they were easier to get off. Or maybe the jeans, because of the zipper. Hmmm…an interesting question. One that required additional investigation.
And speaking of investigations, Mack forced his eyes away from Eve’s enticing derriere, glancing around the room. No one out of the ordinary here tonight. He recognized at least half of the people here as locals and the other half as tourists. But he recognized some of the tourists as well. The town hosted several people who returned year after year, sometimes month after month. The town wasn’t far from Denver, so it was an easy weekend or even a day trip.
That’s when he noticed the difference. The pictures! There were big photographs decorating the walls tonight. Pictures of the place he’d taken Eve on that first hike. But…these were amazing! As he admired one picture, he could almost feel the drop-off, that dizzy sensation when one got too close to the edge. But Eve was afraid of heights. How the hell had she gotten that shot? The angle was incredible! And another one…the focus had dimmed the outer edges of the photograph, so that the snow-capped peak in the distance was crystal clear! The ice and the sunshine peeking over the edge of the mountain seemed almost magical!
Had she really taken all these? And how the hell had she blown them up like this? He realized that Eve was an incredible photographer. She had real talent and skill. The angles were different and eye-catching, the colors vibrant. As he admired each of them, he realized that she’d captured his special place and made him see it in a whole new way.
And something else occurred to him. What if he…there was that cabin he’d just bought on the edge of town. Lyle Munez had finally moved out, vacating the place. It needed a lot of work, but he’d bought it at a really good price. He hadn’t started plans to renovate it yet, but…what if…?
The idea might just work. Lyle’s place was big enough and long enough. Yeah, with the street front, it was an ideal place.
“Here you go, Sheriff,” Penny said, putting a big glass of something in front of him. “It’s just lemonade. Eve made it fresh with real lemons, just for you and my boys.” She blushed slightly as she walked away to help her other customers.
Mack watched her, thinking she looked…pretty! Penny usually appeared worried and exhausted, but for the first time since Penny’s husband left town years ago, the woman seemed to have gotten a full night’s sleep.
Sipping the lemonade, he nodded at the amazing sweet and tart blend. Perfect! Looking up, he found Eve watching him and he lifted the glass slightly, nodding his appreciation. The smile on her face made him want to laugh. And kiss her. But she moved off, helping customers and he didn’t disturb her. Besides, he was here for another reason. Not to ogle the woman he was going to pull into his arms later tonight.
Chapter 13
Eve sighed as she stood in front of the building. The long front area would be perfect, she thought. Crossing her arms over her stomach, she considered the idea. Buying a place seemed so…frightening, so permanent. And yet, she didn’t want to leave Minneville. Even after Cynthia returned, Eve wanted to live here. She wanted to stay and be with Mack, but…was that possible? He’d stayed at the bar last night until closing, then pulled her into his arms. They’d made love until the early hours of the morning, but he’d left by the time she woke up this morning. A note on her bedside told her that he was still out looking for the people she’d mentioned. So her feelings hadn’t been hurt when she’d discovered him gone. In fact, a warm sensation enveloped her because he’d taken the time to tell her what was going on.
And now, seeing this cabin, thoughts of building a life here excited her.
“Eve?” a familiar voice called.
Turning around, she pasted a smile of greeting on her face. But the man standing several feet away was not someone she ever wanted to see again!
“John?” she blurted. Then shook her head. Of course it was John. Her ex-fiancé stood on the sidewalk, looking as tall and handsome as ever. And seemingly ready to head out into the woods. “What are you doing here?” she demanded.
He laughed and moved closer, ready to take her into his arms for a hug. Eve stepped back, not wanting John to touch her. He’d lost that right when he’d had sex with someone else only weeks after proposing to her!
“I remember you talking about visiting this town when you lived in San Francisco. So I decided to try hiking with Minneville as a starting point.” He looked at her curiously when she stepped back, avoiding his touch. “Is your friend, what’s her name, still here?”
Eve crossed her arms over her chest, irritated that John-The-Jerk had invaded her life. “Cynthia. And yes, she lives here.” Eve didn’t elaborate. She didn’t want to continue the conversation, needing to get away from him as quickly as possible.
“Are you just visiting her here?”
“No.” Nothing else. He didn’t deserve anything else. Stepping away from him, she nodded politely towards him. “Have a nice hike.”
“Hey,” he stepped in front of her. “What’s the rush? Don’t have time for me anymore?”
She stepped away again, cringing at the thought of him touching her. “No. I really don’t.”
He laughed, thinking she was just kidding. “Look, why don’t we have a drink tonight? There’s a bar on the other side of this tiny town that I hear is really good. Probably putting your friend’s bar out of business, from what I’ve read.” John laughed, thinking that someone going out of business was hilarious. “Meet me there tonight and we’ll talk about old times. It’s called The Bull Frog and I hear it’s a really hopping place.”
Eve winced and shook her head. “No thanks.” Darn it, he would probably come by tonight and realize that she ran The Bull Frog. Ick!
He smiled and Eve wondered why she’d ever thought his smile was charming. It seemed sleazy and patronizing now. “Why not? Don’t tell me that you still have hard feelings over what happened. I said I was sorry and the sex didn’t mean anything to me. It was just…a fling. An experiment, sort of.”
Eve looked at him with fresh eyes, irritated with him and the power he’d had over her. Not that she loved him anymore. In fact, she didn’t think she’d ever been in love with him. He’d just been…convenient. The swiftness with which she’d gotten over her feelings for him indicated that she’d never truly been in love with him. Besides, the way she felt for Mack was exponentially more powerful than anything she’d ever felt for John which, at the most, was mild affection.
It was his cheating that had really gotten to her and messed with her head. His cheating had given her a distrust of all men. And then something occurred to her. She knew that Mack would never cheat on her. He was good and honest. Their relationship might not last, but she had absolute confidence that he wouldn’t cheat on her. He had integrity and morals.
Unlike John The Jerk.
“John, you cheated on me. I walked in on you naked, in bed with someone else only a few weeks after you proposed to me.”
He didn’t even cringe. “Yeah, but that’s in the past. No hard feelings, right?”
Eve rolled her eyes, disgusted with him. “Yeah. I have hard feelings. I don’t trust you. You’re slime. I’d bought my wedding dress that day. It was a happy day until I came back to tell you about it only to find your naked butt in the air as you screwed someone else! So yeah, I have hard feelings. Now get out of my way. I have work to do.”
“You work here? I thought…”
“And don’t bother trying to get a drink at the bar you mentioned,” she glared up at John. “You won’t be served.”
“How do you know that?”
“I’m running The Bull Frog at the moment.”
He shifted, huffing a bit in outrage. “You can’t deny me service.”
She smirked. “There’s a sign explaining that management reserves the right to deny service to anyone, for any reason.”
He fisted his hands on his hips. “Are you really that devastated by our breakup?”
Was she really that broken up? Was she still hurt by his
betrayal? And when the answer came to her, she laughed, delighted. “No. I’m not, actually.”
He blinked, realizing that Eve was serious. “So, have a drink with me tonight.”
She shook her head. “Nope. Sorry. Not only am I not upset about your lack of any sort of moral integrity, but I’ve moved on and am madly in love with someone else.”
Wow! Madly in love? Was that right? Was she in love with Mack?
Absolutely! And yeah, it was pretty crazy. She’d fallen in love with a man who might never return her feelings. But…she didn’t care. It was liberating to love someone. She’d shied away from any sort of emotion for so long, never willing to really embrace life or a home. Because she didn’t want to be hurt again.
But now, standing here in front of John, she realized that she’d only been hurting herself by holding off. She’d been homeless and drifting for too long. Glancing behind her at the pretty cabin, she knew what she wanted. A house. A home. And if Mack was in that house, good. If not, then she’d figure out how to move on.
John opened his mouth to say something else, but Eve lifted her hand. “I have to go,” she announced, interrupting him. She’d forgotten how much John hated being interrupted.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me, Eve!” he snarled after her. “We’re not finished with this conversation!”
Eve didn’t even bother to acknowledge that he’d spoken. She kept moving down the sidewalk towards the only real estate agent in Minneville.
She pushed through the doors, smiling at the woman standing behind the desk.
“Good morning!” the smiling woman said. “You must be Eve. How are you?” She extended her hand. “I’m Megan. We haven’t met yet, but you’re a good friend of Cynthia’s, so you’re a good person.”
Eve warmed to those words, having heard it from others regularly over the past few weeks. “Thank you!”
Taming Mack (Sinful Nights Book 3) Page 10