“Have you heard from Cynthia yet? I got a message from her last week that her mother was improving. Any word on when she’ll come back?”
Eve shook her head. “No. Her mother’s recovering, but it is slow going. Mona is breathing more easily now, so that’s good news.”
“Definitely!” Megan clasped her hands together. “So, what can I do for you today?”
Eve pointed back down the street. “That house down at the end. It doesn’t look like anyone lives there. I was wondering if there was any way to contact the owner and see if it might be for sale?”
Megan’s smile grew wider. “I know the owner personally. I’ll give him a call today and ask if he might be willing to sell.” She clapped her hands together. “Oh, it’s going to be so good to have you stay! We need to get together for lunch one day soon.” She extracted a business card from her desk. “Here. Give me a ring when you have some free time. If all goes well, Cynthia can join us as well!”
Eve took the card, charmed and warmed by the generous offer. “That’s so nice of you!” Eve tucked the card into her pocket and nodded. “I’d like that. I’ll call Cynthia tonight and find out when she might be coming back, but I don’t want to rush her. If her mother needs her…”
“I completely agree,” Megan replied, holding up her hands. “But soon!”
Eve left, feeling even better about her decision. She turned and looked back at the house, relieved that John had vanished. She didn’t want to talk to him. Not even to tell him that she was over him. John mattered too little for her to waste her time trying to convince the jerk that he was nothing to her now.
But she still wouldn’t serve him if he showed up tonight. Knowing John, he’d still try. Eve made a mental note to warn Annie and Penny about him.
Even still, she felt wonderful. As she walked back to the bar, she looked around at the town. She’d spent so much time in the bar, working on recipes and cocktails, trying to create advertising through the social media channels, that she hadn’t really gotten out and looked around. Automatically, her gaze moved across the street where the sheriff’s station was.
But he had a job to do. Every night, he’d waited until just before closing before coming by, respecting that she had a business to run. Eve knew that she owed him the same respect. He was running an investigation about the drugged mountain lion. Everyone was still talking about that, marveling that a mountain lion had actually gotten drugs in the first place.
So instead of heading towards his office, she turned and headed past the other stores along the street. There was a bookstore, a diner, fish and tackle shop, a hunting place that had a giant bear standing outside that had been carved from a massive piece of wood, a coffee shop, bakery, and a few other businesses that were down some of the side streets. Eve knew that there was a grocery store in the other direction and a gas station, and several homes. But most of the houses were tucked up in the mountains.
It was a good place to live, she thought. A good place to put down roots.
If her eyes drifted back to the sheriff’s station, Eve just thought it was because she was worried about Mack. Not because she was thinking that he might want to settle down with her.
Chapter 14
“Cyn? How are you doing? How’s your mother doing?”
Eve waited, wondering why there was silence on the other end. Panic hit her and she looked at Mack who was standing next to her. They were in The Bull Frog and she’d just ushered the last patron out of the dining area.
A sniff and Eve’s tension increased. Curling her shoulders, she knew that something was really wrong. “Cyn. Talk to me. Did…” she stopped, unable to even say the words. She felt Mack’s hands on her shoulders, guiding her to a chair. She sat down gratefully and held his hand as she listened.
“My mother is fine. She’s recovered beautifully.”
Eve released a relieved breath, closing her eyes as it surged through her. “Thank goodness.” Opening her eyes, she frowned at the wall, wishing that her friend was here with her. “What’s wrong then? Why am I getting the feeling something is wrong?”
Another sniff and Eve knew she nailed it. Something was seriously wrong with her friend.
“I’m booked on a flight early tomorrow morning.” Another sniff and Eve glanced at Mack, needing support. He took her hand again, squeezing her fingers gently. “Could you meet me at the airport tomorrow? Someone drove me there when I flew out, so I don’t have my car.”
“Absolutely. I’ll be there. Text me your flight information and I’ll be there. But Cyn,” she paused, squeezing Mack’s fingers, “tell me that you’re okay.”
Another pause and Eve squeezed her eyes closed.
“I’m okay, but…well, I have a big favor to ask of you. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”
“Fine. Tomorrow. But you’re not sick or hurt or anything?”
“I promise, I’m fine. And thank you!” she whispered the last three words as if she was fighting back tears.
Eve swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I’ll be at the airport tomorrow. And here for as long as you need me, Cyn.”
“Thanks.”
They hung up and Eve turned to Mack. “What’s going on?” she asked in a choked, worried voice.
“I don’t know,” he told her, wrapping comforting arms around her. “I’ll go with you tomorrow to pick her up.”
Eve leaned her cheek against his chest, listening to the reassuring thump-thump of his heart. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do.”
She closed her eyes, thinking that this man was more than wonderful.
“So, this is why you wouldn’t serve me?”
The voice came from the direction of the kitchen and Eve jumped, pulling out of Mack’s arms.
“John? What are you doing here?” she demanded, outraged that he had dared invade her space, especially after closing hours.
“You told all those waitress bitches I wasn’t to be served!” he snarled, stalking into the main area.
Mack stepped in front of Eve and she could feel the fury vibrating through his body. “The bar is closed. You need to leave. Now.” The last word was uttered with The Voice of Doom.
John had never been one to care about others’ feelings. When she’d first met him, she’d interpreted his arrogance as confidence. But now, she realized that he was just a bully. And bullies were generally insecure jerks.
Unfortunately, John didn’t register Mack’s tone. John puffed up, belligerence emanating from every pore. “And who the hell are you to tell me what to do?”
Eve shook her head, trying to step out from behind Mack. John might be almost as tall as Mack, but she knew that Mack had more muscles than John could even hope for. And Mack had a badge. Badge and muscles always won over stupidity.
“I’m…”
John sliced his hand in the air, cutting off Mack’s explanation. “I don’t care who the hell you think you are. Get out of my way. I have things to discuss with Eve and you are interrupting.”
Mack stepped back into John’s path. “Sir, you’re trespassing right now. I repeat, leave now and there won’t be any additional consequences.”
“Screw you!” John rushed Mack, his fist pulled back, ready to punch.
Basically, that was the end of the event. Mack grabbed John’s raised fist, twisted him around and slammed him to the floor, face down with a knee to John’s back. Handcuffs were pulled out of a back pocket and slapped onto John’s wrists. “You have the right to remain silent…” Mack began, reciting the Miranda warning.
John writhed on the floor, yelling expletives at Mack and trying to pull free of his hold. But Mack was really good at his job and restrained John with little effort. With the handcuffs on and Mack’s knee still holding John down, Mack pulled out his cell phone. “Hey Dan, I need you to come over to The Bull Frog and pick someone up for me.” He was silent for a long moment, then nodded. “See you in three.”
And then Mack stood up, pu
lling John to his feet as well. “Come on. Now I have a lot of paperwork to do, which means you’ve pissed me off .”
John was sputtering mad, telling Mack to get his hands off of him and take the handcuffs off. Mack ignored it, even dodging the spit that John flung Mack’s way. When they were out in the parking lot, Eve held her breath, praying that John wouldn’t hurt Mack. She had no concerns for John.
There were still a few stragglers in the parking lot, all of whom watched the spectacle with quiet amusement. Minneville was a small town, so they didn’t get a whole lot of action after hours. So when action happened, everyone knew about it.
Eve leaned a hip against the wood railing as she watched Mack guide John down the stairs. Every few minutes, John would fight Mack’s grip but Mack was strong and knew how to handle the idiot.
Seconds later, the flashing blue lights of Dan’s Bronco appeared. Dan parked right next to the sidewalk leading into The Bull Frog and got out, shaking his head at John’s antics. “What happened?” he asked, watching John try to pull away from Mack’s hold.
“Initially, just trespassing.”
Dan reached to take possession of the prisoner. That’s when John really freaked out and tried to kick Dan and, when that didn’t work because Mack anticipated the move, John lashed out and tried to head butt Mack. In that split second, Mack had John up against the side of the Bronco, leaning heavily against him to restrain him.
“But now we can add assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest to the charges. Perhaps I’ll even add breaking and entering, since you came in through the back door without permission, just for kicks.”
“Excellent!” Dan agreed, taking John’s arm and stuffing him into the back of the Bronco. “I was pretty bored tonight anyway.”
Mack chuckled. “Happy to lighten up the dreary night for you.”
The men laughed, slamming the door closed while John continued yelling expletives and threats. Mack and Dan just leaned against the door for several moments, as if taunting their prisoner.
Eve walked up to the two men, smirking and shaking her head. “You know he’s going to be a really annoying prisoner.”
Dan chuckled. “You’re kidding right?”
“Why?”
Mack took her hand, lifting her fingers to his lips. “There’s no such thing as a non-annoying prisoner, honey. They’re all pretty pissed off. Being arrested really messes up one’s night, not to mention a person’s life and usually their career.”
Dan grinned. “Yeah, assaulting a police officer is a pretty heavy violation. The judge will release him tomorrow morning, but with the warning that he appear in court at a later date.”
Eve tilted her head slightly. “Why are you grinning about that? It just means he’ll be back in your area again, causing problems.”
“Nah. By the time his court date rolls around, his lawyer will have explained the facts of life to him,” Mack explained. “He’ll behave. They usually do.”
“He lives in San Francisco. I have some friends on the force that will ensure that the message is reinforced before then,” Dan added.
Eve didn’t understand so Dan continued. “Assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest really piss off law enforcement officers. After I give the word, any officer that is bored will trail him around town. If he goes even a mile over the speed limit or forgets to use a turn signal, he’ll be ticketed.” Dan chuckled darkly. “It’s great!”
Eve giggled, delighted with the possibilities. “Can I get a record of what they ticket him for? Because he won’t go down without a fight. He’ll taunt the police officers for a while.”
“Excellent! That only makes it more fun.”
“Better get him into a cell and processed. I’ll follow you and do the paperwork.” Mack smirked at the still yelling John.
He turned to Eve. “Go to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
Eve thought about that for a moment, wanting to tell him to come back when he was finished. But the words, and the fear, lodged in her throat. All she could do was nod.
Mack walked over to his Bronco, pulling the door open. Someone called out to him and Eve watched as he patiently listened to the man.
She glanced over at John. He was still red faced and screaming expletives, even as Dan opened the driver’s door and got in.
Why was she hesitating? Why would she let Mack assume anything less than what she really felt for him?
With that in mind, she rushed over to Mack’s car, stopping him just as he put the Bronco into reverse. He quickly rolled down the window and she leaned in, pulling a key out of her pocket. “I know that you’ll be exhausted when you finish with him, but come back to me.” She slipped the key into his pocket. “I don’t care what time it is. Just…” she paused, seeing his eyes heat up. “Just please come back, okay?” she whispered.
He reached to put the truck in gear, but then paused and shook his head at himself. Turning back, he wove gentle fingers into her hair and pulled her in close for a kiss. A long, thorough kiss that had her mind spinning and her body throbbing with hope and desire.
“I’ll be back.”
She smiled slightly, stunned by his kiss.
For a long time, she stared at the place where he’d driven away, long after the night had swallowed up his tail lights. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she wondered if she’d done the right thing. Eve knew she could have played it safe and let him go home to his cabin instead of coming back her. She could have just let him drive away, ignoring the fact that she loved sleeping with his arms around her at night.
No, she thought as she waved to the small group of locals still lingering at the edge of the parking lot, she wasn’t going to play it safe any longer. She’d found the man she wanted to be with for the rest of her life. She had a plan. John was her past and, if she was going to be fair to herself, then she had to move forward. She had to be honest with Mack.
If that backfired on her, then she’d deal with it.
Chapter 15
Eve woke the following morning feeling warm and cozy. Peeking over her shoulder, she found Mack in bed behind her. Smiling, she snuggled into her pillow, savoring the moment.
Mack was here! He’d come back to her. She had no idea when, although she’d tried to stay awake until he arrived. At some point after midnight, she’d lost the battle against sleep.
But he was here! Snuggled up next to her! Oh my, he felt good!
And naked!
He must have had the same thought because she felt him move, his hand tightening around her waist. “You’re not naked, Eve,” he grumbled, sleep making his voice thicker and more gravelly.
She laughed softly, pressing back against him. “I wasn’t sure if you’d come.”
“You asked me to. You gave me a key.” He lifted his head to look down at her. “You should be naked.”
Eve laughed, delighted with this teasing side of him. “Yes, well, you should have woken me up when you came to bed and given me a reason to be naked.”
He laughed, but then turned serious. “You know John Crenshaw, don’t you?”
Eve’s amusement faded. She nodded solemnly. “I was engaged to him when I lived in San Francisco.”
There was a muttered curse and then he jerked out of the bed. Reaching down, Mack grabbed his jeans, pulling them on. Eve watched him, terrified that the news would ruin everything.
Thankfully, he didn’t pull on his shirt, which Eve thought was a good sign. “Did you love him?” he asked, staring out the window.
Eve swallowed, not sure how to answer him. “I thought I did,” she replied honestly. “But now I know that I wasn’t in love with him, so much as being in love with the idea of being in love. I wanted to get married and have kids. I wanted the fantasy.”
He swung around, glaring daggers at her.
Mack wanted to hit something. Eve had been engaged? To the asshole he’d arrested last night? What the hell? How could she have…and she’d been in love with the ass
? He had no idea what the ‘being in love with being in love meant’. That was probably a phrase that only another woman could grasp.
“How long?”
Eve shook her head and he had to turn away from the image of her sitting against the pillows, the sheets rumpled around her. She looked so beautiful and alluring. All he wanted to do was go to her, pull her into his arms and tell her that he could love her better.
“We dated on and off for about two years before he asked me to marry him.”
Eve got out of the bed, the satin of her nightshirt shimmering. He muttered another curse and turned away.
“I’m going to make some coffee. Would you like some?”
“I want answers, Eve. I want to know how you felt about him!”
She sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears before she padded into Cynthia’s tiny kitchen. She started making coffee, more to have something to do with her hands than because she really wanted coffee. It was a stalling mechanism and they both knew it
When the coffee maker started percolating, she turned back to face Mack.
“I met John when I was working in an art studio. I taught photography to teenagers for a couple of years. He was nice and charming, nothing like what you saw last night.”
He hated hearing this. But he had to know. He’d been about to propose, so he wanted to know if he’d made a complete fool of himself, or if there was still hope. How badly had she been hurt?
“He took me to all of the hottest restaurants in town, was able to get tickets to the best shows, and even took me dancing at the nightclubs around San Francisco. Things I’d never really done before. It was nice.”
“So, you had a good time with him.”
She shrugged. “I had a good time. Some of those restaurants served amazing food.”
He watched her, trying to understand the distinction. “What happened?”
“We sort of…fizzled out. He stopped calling me and I didn’t even notice.”
Mack wasn’t sure what she was saying. “Okay, so how did you get from there to being engaged?”
Taming Mack (Sinful Nights Book 3) Page 11