“What do you think about parking on Main Street? We could take a leisurely walk together and maybe we’d work up our appetites for a visit to the ice cream parlor.”
“That sounds nice.” So, he wasn’t in a hurry to end their time together, either. That warmed her in a way she hadn’t been warmed in a long time.
They left the Red Wok, and he drove to the middle of Main Street, where they got out of the truck and began to walk. Within minutes he reached for her hand.
He had a big hand that swallowed hers in a pleasant grasp. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had held her hand. It felt good, like a promise of something nice to come.
If he wanted to see her again, if he wanted to build something with her, could she allow it? There was a part of her that wanted it, but there was another part that told her it was foolish to continue to see him.
It was a beautiful September night, warm enough not to need a jacket or sweater. It was just after seven, and the people on the streets were starting to thin out.
Still, the people they passed greeted Hunter and offered friendly smiles to Ainsley. They talked about the various shops they passed, many of them Ainsley hadn’t been in yet.
They finally came to the ice cream parlor. “Now could you eat some ice cream?” he asked.
“Maybe a cone.”
He smiled. “Good, let’s go inside.”
Within minutes they were seated at one of the high round tables inside the shop. She had a chocolate ice cream cone in her hand, and he had a banana split.
“I have to confess, ice cream is one of my weaknesses,” he said.
She smiled at him. “My daughter and I have been in here several times since we moved here. Ice cream is one of her weaknesses, too.”
“Maybe sometime the three of us could come here together.”
“Maybe,” she replied. The idea that he saw them being together sometime in the future thrilled her more than it should. In fact, she liked Hunter more than she should.
He was funny and charming, and when he looked at her there was not only an interest, but also a bit of flame in the depths of his eyes that excited her, that made her feel pretty and desirable. He felt dangerous to her in a decidedly delicious way.
Once they’d eaten their ice cream, they headed back to her apartment. It was almost nine, and not only did she still have to go and pick up Melinda, she also had an early morning the next day in the café.
“Thank you, Hunter, for such a nice evening,” she said once they stood in front of her apartment door at the back of the café.
“I really enjoyed it, Ainsley.” He took a step closer to her, invading her personal space just a bit. “I’d like to see you again.”
“I’d like that,” she replied, half breathless with his nearness.
He smiled. “I’d also like to kiss you. May I do that?”
She was surprised and pleased that he respected her enough to ask her permission. She did not hesitate in giving him an answer.
“You may,” she said and raised her face to him.
His mouth covered hers in a kiss that lasted long enough for her to know his lips were soft and warm. He didn’t wrap his arms around her or pull her into him. It was just a sweet, soft kiss that, when it ended, made her want more.
He stepped back from her. “So, when can we do this again? Do you have any days off coming up?”
“I’m off on Sundays, but I reserve that day for time with my daughter. Other than that, I’m always off on Thursdays.”
“What do you think about pizza?”
“I love pizza,” she replied.
“Then how about next Thursday night I pick you up and we go to Antonio’s Pizza? Same time as this evening?”
“That sounds good to me,” she replied. Once again his eyes held that glow that warmed her from her head to her toes.
“In the meantime, I’ll see you in the café.”
She nodded. “Good night, Hunter.”
“Good night, Ainsley.”
She watched as he got into his truck and then pulled away. She went inside, shut the door and then leaned against it. She raised her fingers to her lips, remembering the thrill of Hunter’s kiss.
There was a part of her that had hoped she wouldn’t like him and the date would be a total bust. But that’s not what happened.
She dug in her purse for her keys so she could run over to the Burwell residence to pick up Melinda. Minutes later as she drove across town, her thoughts lingered on Hunter.
Was it wrong for her to wish for a healthy relationship with a man? Was it wrong for her to be hungry for love in her life? A love she’d once hoped for but hadn’t found in her first marriage?
Surely it was time for her to be able to breathe, to stop her constant vigilance and relax. It had been a little over a year since he’d last found her.
Enough time had passed that she was starting to feel safe for the first time since she’d escaped from him. But if she was wrong, if she somehow let down her guard and he found her again, she knew he would kill her and not break a sweat.
* * *
“TELL ME WHAT’S going on today, George.” Hunter shot a quick look at Sheriff Wayne Black, who stood some distance away with his gun drawn, and then he looked back at the man who held a large butcher knife at his own throat.
George Calvert was a big man who suffered from chronic depression. He did pretty well when he was taking his meds, but Hunter could usually figure out how long he’d been off them by how dirty and how many stains rode his T-shirt.
They all stood in the front yard of George’s attractive ranch house that was located only a block away from Hunter’s own home.
As Hunter studied George’s filthy shirt and greasy hair, he figured the man had been off his meds for a week to ten days. When he went off his meds, he medicated himself with booze, and it was evident now that George was drunk.
“I got nothing to live for,” George said, tears streaming down his face.
“Come on, George, put the knife down and let’s talk,” Hunter replied. Although the sheriff stood ready to protect his deputy, Hunter was grateful he didn’t try to interfere. Wayne didn’t have a rapport with George like Hunter did.
“I’m not going to put the knife down. Just shoot me.” He took an unsteady step forward and pointed the knife at Hunter. “Shoot me or I’m going to stab you.”
Sheriff Black took a step forward, obviously concerned for Hunter’s safety. “Come on, George. I’m not going to shoot you,” Hunter replied, keeping his voice calm and steady. “Hell, George, I like you too much to shoot you.”
George turned the knife back to his own neck. “I just need to die.”
“Has Marybeth been around to see you?” Normally George’s daughter kept a close eye on her father.
“She’s gone...took the kids to visit their other grandparents in Kansas City.” George looked even more miserable. His knife hand trembled, and although Hunter didn’t fear the man would really cut his throat, he did fear he might accidentally hurt himself.
“When is she coming home?” Hunter asked.
George frowned thoughtfully. “I think maybe tomorrow.”
“Now, George, you know she wouldn’t be happy to find you like this. Why don’t you drop the knife and we’ll go inside. You can get cleaned up, and I’ll make you a pot of coffee so you can sober up.”
To Hunter’s relief, he dropped the knife. Hunter hurried forward and kicked the knife far enough away that George couldn’t pick it up again.
Hunter could have arrested George, but a little time in jail wouldn’t help this situation. So instead, for the next forty-five minutes Hunter helped George get into a shower and change into clean clothes. He found the bottles of his medicine and got George to take it and promise that he would take it again in the morning.
; Hunter sat and drank a cup of coffee with the man, then got him settled on the sofa so he could sleep it off. Finally, as George began to snore, Hunter left the house.
Depression was a crappy thing, he thought as he headed back to the station. Hunter had definitely suffered situational depression when he’d lost his son, but thankfully as time had passed and with a few counseling sessions, he’d managed to climb out of the darkness that had stolen all the joy from his life.
He had a couple more hours of work, and then he’d get to eat lunch and see Ainsley. After last night’s date, he was really looking forward to spending more time with her.
He’d found her refreshingly authentic. She was also intelligent and funny and the type of woman he could see himself with for the long-term.
Of course all those were first-night impressions—they certainly needed to spend more time together and see how things went. Still, for the first time since his divorce, he was excited about the possibility of a relationship with a woman he found warm and exciting.
Although he’d wanted to wrap her up in his arms last night and give her a real, deep kiss, he’d restrained himself. Her lips had been so soft and incredibly hot. Kissing Ainsley again was definitely something he was looking forward to.
It was just after one when he entered the café. His gaze immediately found Ainsley taking orders from a group of four. He sat at one of the other tables that he knew she worked and waited for her to turn around and see him.
When she did, her lips curved into a smile that seemed like it was just for him alone, and her cheeks flushed with a charming shade of pink. God, she was so gorgeous.
She’d looked incredible the night before. He had been used to seeing her wearing the red-and-black apron that all of the waitresses wore. But last night the pink blouse had hugged her curves and her jeans had fit tight on her long, slender legs.
Within minutes she stood at the side of his table. “I heard you had an exciting few minutes this morning talking down a man with a knife.”
He looked at her in surprise. “Where did you hear that?”
“Sheriff Black was in here earlier extolling your patience and great police work.”
Hunter felt his cheeks warm as a wave of embarrassment washed over him. “I was just doing my job.”
“Maybe so, but according to Sheriff Black you went above and beyond today. Therefore, your lunch is on me,” she said.
“Oh no, I can’t allow you to do that,” he protested.
“Please, Hunter, I insist. It’s the least I can do to thank a member of law enforcement who keeps us all safe. Now, what can I get for you this afternoon?”
Although he didn’t like the idea of her paying for his lunch, he also didn’t want to argue with her. “I’ll take one of Big Ed’s big burgers with cheese and fries on the side.”
“And what about to drink?”
“A cup of coffee,” he replied. “I’ve still got a long night ahead of me, because one of the guys called in sick and I’m picking up his shift.”
“That’s good of you,” she replied. Her blue eyes sparkled with such brightness. He wanted to fall into the crystal clear depths.
“Yeah, well, Zeus isn’t very happy about me being gone all night.”
Her gaze turned quizzical. “Zeus?”
“My dog,” he replied.
She laughed. “I was wondering why the god of thunder and lightning would be mad at you. I’ll be back in a minute with your coffee.”
Once again he was struck by her intelligence. He could ask a half a dozen women on the streets of Dusty Gulch who Zeus was, and they would probably think he was some kind of new dress designer.
He found himself even more curious about Ainsley’s background. As he thought back to their date the night before, he realized for the amount of time they’d spent together, he’d really learned very little about her.
The only thing he really knew was that she was originally from Nevada, divorced from an uncaring, uninvolved husband and father, and she loved crime dramas and old rock and roll music.
They hadn’t really started to get into the meat of each other’s lives yet, but hopefully that would all come in time. He smiled as she returned to his table with the coffeepot.
“So, you know all about my morning, but I don’t know anything about yours,” he said as she filled his cup.
“Let me think...I served about twenty people for breakfast, double that for lunch and all I can think about is in half an hour or so I can take my break and get off my feet for just a few minutes.” She gave him a charming grin. “What can I say? It’s another normal day at Big Ed’s.”
“Have you always worked as a waitress?”
“I was a stay-at-home mother until my divorce, and then I went to work waitressing because I knew how to hustle for tips and I could pretty much pick my schedule.”
“Are you telling me after all this time you’ve just been hustling me for tips?” he teased.
She raised a hand up to her lips as if she’d just let a big secret escape. “Oh, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that part.”
He laughed and then held her gaze for a long moment. “Have I told you today that I find you really attractive?”
“Hush, you’re making me blush,” she replied. Sure enough, that pink hue leaped into her cheeks.
“I find your blushes utterly charming.”
“Ainsley?” Big Ed’s voice boomed from the pass-through window.
“Maybe that’s your order up.” She whirled away from the table and headed to the back.
She returned a moment later with his burger and a deeper blush on her cheeks. “I picked up your order, along with a bit of a scolding.”
“Scolding?”
Her gaze didn’t quite meet his. “Big Ed said we can flirt with each other a little less and I need to work a little more because I have other patrons to attend to.”
“So basically what he’s saying is we have to flirt faster,” Hunter replied with a grin.
She laughed. “And on that note, I’m leaving your table now.”
He watched her scurry away to another table and enjoyed the slight sway of her hips. He looked over at Big Ed, who grinned at him and then shook his head.
Sure to her word, she didn’t give him a check when he finished eating, so he tipped her not only the cost of the meal, but also his usual twenty-five percent.
When he left the café, he was even more excited for their next date. He had a feeling that Ainsley Meadows just might be the right woman to help heal the pain of his past.
* * *
BINGO.
Peter Waverly closed his computer down and leaned back in his chair in his spacious home office in Portland, Maine. Success...it tasted even better than the thousand-dollar bottle of wine he’d opened to celebrate.
It was true that money could buy you almost anything, and he’d thrown a ton of money out on the dark web to find the answers he’d needed.
A big help in achieving what he needed was the fact that his father had passed away eighteen months before. Jeffrey Waverly had been a very successful businessman worth millions, and upon his death Peter had become a very wealthy man.
Peter now took another sip of his wine and then rose from his desk. He walked down the hallway to the master bathroom and stared into the mirror over the sink.
A stranger stared back at him. Gone was the blond hair, replaced with a dark brown color. That had been only the beginning of his transformation.
In the last year and a half he’d had a nose job, cheek and chin work done, and implants to fix two crooked front teeth. If his parents were alive right now, they wouldn’t recognize him...and neither would she.
She wouldn’t see him coming. Tomorrow he would begin arrangements to arrive in Dusty Gulch, Kansas. It was past time he have a reunion with his ex-wife, Colette.
He had to teach her a lesson for leaving him. He had to teach her an even bigger lesson for taking his daughter away from him.
He grinned at the man in the mirror. Thoughts of Colette rushed through his head...the intense love he’d felt for her, the all-consuming passion and utter need of her. She had been his entire world, and when she’d given him his daughter, he’d been over the moon with happiness.
Sure, there had been times he’d needed to discipline Colette because she broke one of his rules, but he always told her exactly why she was being disciplined.
And then she’d left him.
The last night they had been together, he’d admit, he lost it. She had made him so angry he’d almost killed her then. Luckily, he had friends in high places, and he’d managed to escape an attempted murder charge. He’d assumed he and Colette would pick up where they’d left off, but while he’d been locked up for a day, she had run.
He balled up his fist as a white-hot rage gripped him. He slammed his fist into the mirror, shattering it into a million pieces.
That’s what he was going to do to Colette. First he intended to break her...and then he was going to kill her.
CHAPTER THREE
“What is this? Date number three?” Juanita’s dark eyes twinkled.
“Officially it’s date number three, but I kind of feel like we’re been on one extended long date,” Ainsley replied. “When he comes in for lunch every day, it’s like we’re having mini-dates.”
Once again Juanita was keeping Melinda for the evening so Ainsley could go out with Hunter. The two women were seated at Juanita’s kitchen table, and the sound of children’s laughter drifted in from the living room.
“You like him.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement of fact.
“Oh, Juanita, I do,” Ainsley confessed. “Tonight he’s grilling steak for me at his house.”
“If you’ve already eaten Chinese and pizza together, other than the café you’ve hit all the hot eating spots in town,” Juanita said with a laugh.
Harlequin Intrigue March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Page 38