by Emma Easter
He smiled and then he couldn’t resist anymore. He tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ears and said, “I love the way you look right now. You take my breath away.”
Her eyes softened, and she placed her palm on his cheek. “I love how you love everything about me.”
He kissed her palm, his pulse quickening. Since their date at her house, their usual flirting had evolved to deep-hearted confessions of their feelings for one other. Unfortunately, they’d not had time to do more than that. Their work schedules had been hectic. They’d been working hard to solve the youth center case, to plan this conference which half the Rosefield police officers attended, as well as a host of other things. Now that their schedules had calmed down a bit, he wanted to move forward with a relationship with her and see where it took them.
He gazed at her lips, and his heart raced with desire. He’d been dreaming of kissing them every day. He couldn’t hold back anymore. He pulled her close with his eyes planted on her lips and leaned down to kiss her the way he had been longing to.
Just then, someone walked onto the balcony, and they reluctantly pulled away from each other. She groaned softly, and he caught the look of regret in her eyes. He smiled ruefully at her.
“Baylor, they are about to start,” Nolan, one of his buddies from the MPD said. Nolan looked at him and Audrey and then added, “Everyone should go in now.”
Ken nodded, and he left.
“Do you want to go on a date with me after the conference?”
The smile she gave him melted his heart. “I would love that. Where do you suggest?”
“A cozy restaurant, somewhere we can talk and,” he smiled and focused on her lips, “maybe continue where we stopped.” He heard footsteps approaching and said, “We’d better go in.”
They went in together but sat in different parts of the room to avoid speculations about their relationship.
A man stood in front of the hall, a police and public safety instructor. He talked about new techniques for public safety. After a while, when he started repeating himself, Ken lightly drummed his fingers on the desk, feeling bored. He looked across the room, caught Audrey’s eyes, and smiled discreetly at her.
She smiled back; a smile that clearly told him she couldn’t wait for their date.
*****
Audrey looked up to thank the driver as he opened the car door for her. She stepped down and then smiled as she took Ken’s hand. Ken had hired a chauffeured limo for their date, and she felt special. She was glad that she had decided to bring along the outfit she was wearing now -- a floral skater dress with open-toe heels. She had brought it hoping he would ask her out again, and thankfully he had.
They threaded their fingers together as they walked into a restaurant that was barely visible as it was covered with flowers. Inside, she smiled. It was dimly but pleasantly lit. The soft blue lighting and marine-inspired décor made it appear as if they were floating in water and gave off a romantic ambiance. The place was quiet, as there were only a few guests.
Ken grinned. “Do you like this place? When I lived in Boise, every time I drove past this restaurant, I always told myself I would bring a special woman here one day . . . once I found her.”
Her pulse raced, and she breathed, “I love it.”
“I knew you would,” he said.
A host showed them to a table at the far end of the restaurant. They sat facing each other and Audrey smiled. “This is a fancy place.”
The waiter came to take their orders and then she turned back to him. “I love the way you make me feel special every day.”
He took her hand, kissed it and beamed at her. “I love the look in your eyes . . .” He suddenly stopped mid-sentence and looked up. “Did you hear that?”
She shook her head and then her eyes widened. “Was that a gunshot?”
They stood and went out cautiously. Neither of them had their weapons, but they were eager to get out and find out what or who was causing the loud bangs. The evening sky was alighted with sparks of multihued lights, and people stood on the road, looking up at the sky. It was probably from a wedding or some other party. It was the most beautiful fireworks display Audrey had ever seen, and she smiled widely at Ken. “It’s gorgeous,” she said.
Ken smiled back. “Not as gorgeous as you.”
Her heart lit up like the fireworks in the sky when he cupped her face, looked into her eyes, and said, “What better time for a kiss than now.”
Jolts of electricity ran through her body as he claimed her lips and kissed her passionately. She pulled him closer and returned his kiss with fervor. She trembled, relishing the feel of his lips on hers.
When they finally came up for air, her heart thudded in her chest.
He gazed at her and said softly, “I’ve fallen in love with you, Audrey. I love everything about you.”
She smiled up at him. “And I have fallen in love with you too, Ken. Every inch of you.”
He held her in his arms again and kissed her softly, filling her with a sweet sensation. They held on tightly to each other while they watched the fireworks. After a minute, Ken said, “I wish we could stay here forever.”
She laughed. “Who knew a date on the street would be more romantic than in an expensive restaurant?”
He kissed her hair. “I guess we have to start heading back. We have an early day tomorrow.”
“Yes, we do, but not before this. “She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him again and again until she was sated.
On the third and final day of the conference, Audrey entered the hall early. She took a seat in the front row, near the window. A few minutes later, police officers began to troop in. Ken entered, and his eyes went around the conference hall. When he saw her, he smiled before heading in the other direction to find a seat. She sighed wistfully, touched by his gesture. It was as if he wanted to be sure she was okay before he could relax and find a seat for himself. They were staying at the same hotel, but they’d both decided to keep their room numbers from each other to avoid temptation.
The conference soon started. A firearms instructor talked about new methods of police combat and marksmanship skills. After that another talked about criminal investigations. The Boise police chief then spoke about the national police budget and general police welfare for what seemed like an eternity.
The entire conference took nearly three hours. When it finally ended, Audrey remained at her seat, waiting for everyone to disperse so she and Ken could head out of the hall together. They had made plans yesterday to spend today together. First, they would have lunch at a café near the conference hall. After that, he’d promised to show her around the city he’d lived in for years. She felt giddy with excitement. I get to spend a full day with him, she thought.
When the hall was nearly empty, she looked back, saw Ken, and walked toward him.
A booming voice behind caught her off guard, and her eyes widened in surprise. She turned around, already knowing who it was.
“Chief Baylor and Assistant Chief Gardner! I’m glad I caught you two at the same time. I have something important to tell both of you.”
“Mayor Stanley!” Audrey exclaimed. “What are you doing here?” He was standing beside the Miami police chief, looking from her to Ken.
Audrey’s heart drummed as she walked toward both men. She glanced discreetly at Ken who was right beside her. She wanted to ask if he knew what the mayor was doing here, but she couldn’t. Not with the mayor so near.
Maybe the mayor found out about our relationship, she thought guiltily. There was a rule about not dating fellow officers in the Rosefield Police Department, but surely no one took it seriously, she thought. She’d never heard anyone get into trouble for breaking that rule.
That’s because apart from you, the Rosefield Police Department is populated with only male officers. She thinned her lips. As the only female officer, she had never been attracted to any of the men, until now. Were she and Ken in trouble?
&nbs
p; She shook off the thought as she reached both men. She was being silly. Even if the mayor knew they were dating, it wasn’t like he could fire them because of that. And he definitely couldn’t stop them from seeing each other.
She squared her shoulders. Being in a relationship had not affected her and Ken’s jobs or productivity in any way, nor would it ever. Besides, that didn’t explain why the mayor was here.
Ken shook hands with his former boss, and then the mayor cleared his throat. He looked between her and Ken and said, “Well you both look pretty friendly.” He smiled. “You are probably wondering why I’m here at your police conference in Boise.” He faced Audrey. “After the case of the burglary was solved, I called Chief Baylor to my office to thank him, but he clearly made me know that you were the one who actually discovered the identity of the burglars. Amongst other things, he told me what a fine officer you were, which I already know.”
Audrey glanced at Ken and faced the Mayor again.
He turned to Ken. “I know you love your former job and weren’t initially keen on coming to Rosefield. I came here to make everything right. I just finished talking with Police Chief Renner here, and we came to the same conclusion.”
Audrey bit her lips. Please, don’t say what I think you are about to say.
“I’m going to honor both your requests. I’m appointing you chief of police, Gardner. And you, Baylor, can go back to your old job.” He looked at Audrey and Ken with a triumphant expression, as though he had just announced that they’d won the lottery.
Audrey pressed her lips together, trying to feign off the dizziness coming over her. Her heart cried out as she turned to look at Ken. Some months ago, she would have been thrilled, but now, all she felt was terrified. She didn’t want Ken to move away from Rosefield. He was the only man she’d ever loved, and she wanted him close.
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Ken.
Mayor Stanley frowned. “Did you both hear what I just said now? I’ve just given you both what you wanted. Why then are you looking at me as if I just fired you?”
Ken spoke. “Thank you so much, Mayor. I am excited, and I know Assistant Chief Gardner is too. She just needs to let the news sink in.”
Audrey’s eyes widened in shock. “What are you saying, Ken?” she blurted out as she stared at him. She turned to the mayor. “I don’t want him to leave anymore! I’m good with being the assistant chief of police for now.”
The mayor shook his head. “I’m sorry. The paperwork has already started, and Chief Baylor has already stated his desire to return to his old job here.” He turned to Ken. “Am I right, or do you want to remain in Rosefield?”
“No, I want to come back here.”
Audrey stared at him in horror, her head pounding.
“Well, it’s decided then,” The Miami police chief said. “Congratulations Chief Gardner, and it will be great to have you back, Ken.”
Mayor Stanley and Police Chief Renner left together, and Ken faced her.
“How could you, Ken! You told the mayor you wanted to go back to Miami, and you didn’t tell me?”
“I knew you would resist, Audrey.”
Tears filled her eyes, and her heart ached. “Yesterday, you told me you loved me. Now, you can’t wait to leave?”
He gazed into her eyes. “I do love you, Audrey. I love you with everything in me. That’s why I am leaving. I know how much you’ve wanted to be police chief; how much work you put into fulfilling that dream. I just couldn’t go on living with myself, knowing I took that away from you. I had to let the mayor know you deserved to be police chief and not me. There is only one thing I want more than to stay in Rosefield with you.”
“She sniffed as the tears fell down her face. “What?”
“I want you to have your dreams.”
Audrey shook her head. “I don’t want to live without you.”
He held her hand. “You are not going to.”
“But we won’t get to see each other again.”
“We will call and text each other every day. Besides, it’ll be great, you’ll see. You can come and visit me at any time. And when I’m able to get away, I’ll come to Rosefield, and we will spend whole days together.”
Audrey felt drained. She bowed her head, her emotions mixed up. On the one hand, she was moved by his selfless act, but on the other, she was mad at him for it. At last, she raised her eyes to his and said, “You are the kindest person I know. I’m really grateful for what you’ve done for me . . . it’s just that I don’t want to be apart from you.”
He took her in his arms. “We won’t be apart. You’ll be in my heart, and I will be in yours.”
She smiled sadly, and he wiped the tears from her face with his thumb. “We still have a week to spend together,” he said. “Let’s make it the best week of our lives.”
Chapter Nine
Trisha smoothed down her red dress and opened the door to let her husband in for their date. As usual, he looked handsome, dressed in a plaid shirt and black denim. He’d suggested this date. “So we can try to fix our relationship,” he had said. Since Audrey wasn’t in town and she didn’t feel up to going out with him yet, she had decided to invite him to the house. Today, she would let him know if she was coming back to him or filing for a divorce.
“Take a seat, Stan. I’ll be right back.”
He looked around the living room. “Where is your sister?”
“She is in Boise for a police conference, but she will be back tomorrow.”
“I’m glad she’s not around, Trish. She doesn’t like me, and she’s been against our relationship from the beginning. I know she’s hoping we get divorced.”
Trisha shook her head. “It’s not that she doesn’t like you. She just doesn’t trust that you are good for me, and you have managed to prove her right time after time.”
“I told you I have changed, Trish. I’m not that guy anymore.”
She shrugged and went to the kitchen to serve their food on a plate. She had already decided on what to do about their marriage. This dinner date was only a formality.
She dished out the food onto ornate oval plates that had been her mom’s pride and joy. She smiled to herself as she remembered her mother scolding her for breaking one of them. After placing the plates of food on a silver tray, she carried it to the dining table.
“The food is ready!” she called to him.
As they ate, they talked about the early days of their relationship, and Stan was quick to remind her how they had loved each other and stood through every test.
“Remember when your parents died, how we clung to each other. You made it through . . . we both did because our love was so strong. I still love you so much, Trish. I don’t want our marriage to end.”
She looked at him and said, “Stan, you don’t have to say all these things to make me feel good. I’ve already decided to come back home to you.”
He gave a jubilant shout, stood and lifted her into a tight hug. “Thank you, Trish. Thank you.”
She smiled at him, and then they talked about their unborn baby. They dreamt about baby names, and she howled with laughter as he suggested the silliest names she’d ever heard.
She shook her head. “I’m not naming my baby boy Wednesday just because you think that’s the day he’ll be born! Besides, I think it’s a girl.”
He gazed tenderly at her. “Whatever the sex of our baby is, I know we’ll love him or her very much.”
His phone began to vibrate, and he ignored it.
She said to him, “Won’t you answer that?”
“No, there is no need.”
She shrugged, and they went back to their conversation. A minute later, his phone started to vibrate again.
“Just answer it, Stan.”
He glanced at it and then turned it on its face, but not before she saw the small guilt that passed through his eyes. She shut her eyes as her heart sank. He’s still cheating.
“Who is that?” She asked angrily,
pointing to the phone.
He picked it up from the table. “It’s no one important.”
She narrowed her eyes and grabbed the phone from him. Quickly, she checked his call log and found the call was from Carla. She smiled coldly. “You are still seeing that girl.”
“It’s nothing. She just wanted . . .”
“Don’t lie to me!” She scrolled down the screen and found recent calls from him to the girl. “You’re a compulsive liar!” She glared at him, fire blazing in her eyes. “I want you to leave. Right now!”
“Please, Trish! It’s not what it looks like.”
“Go now!” she screamed. “Now!”
He stood and scrambled out the door.
She put her head down on the table and bawled.
*****
After his classes, Bryan carried his textbooks and went out of the hall with the other final year students. He walked back to the chapel and went into his tiny office. He sat at his desk, his emotions roiled, and as usual, his mind raced with troubling thoughts about Sienna.
He shut his eyes and sighed wearily as her face appeared in his mind. He saw her eyes, sad and full of fear, the way they had been the last time he’d seen her. Almost every night, her face filled his dreams. Always, her eyes looked haunted. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound ever came out.
For the past two months, he’d been trying to find her. A girl he asked about her near the girl’s dorm had said she saw Sienna leave with her suitcase, but didn’t know where she’d gone.
He’d continuously prayed, asking the Lord to protect her, but still, he feared for her safety. It wasn’t like he could go to the police and say she was a missing person. She was an adult who had left the college of her own volition. He didn’t know if she was in physical or spiritual danger, but he knew that what he felt was real. She was in some type of trouble, and he didn’t know how to help her. And that alone left him heartbroken. In spite of all he’d done to avoid falling for her, he had fallen hard, just in the short time he’d known her. Her face would continue to haunt him for a long, long time.