Dangerous Temptations

by Kelly Elliott

  He barked out a laugh. “No, that’s my name. Please, call me Mike. I’m only Officer Murphy when I’m in uniform.”

  After this, I needed to have a serious talk with myself.

  “Mike? Is that the name of your dog?” A person should only be allowed so much humiliation in one day.

  I tried out his name, which came out sounding like a question. “Mike?”

  “Yes, Syd?”

  Oh hell, he thought I was asking him a question. What do I say? “Oh, I was just trying out your name to see how it felt on my lips.” Think fast.

  “I was saying it out loud to commit it to memory. You know they say if you say a person’s name while looking at their face, it helps you remember.”

  I mashed my lips together, forcing myself to stop talking. Maybe Mike would walk away, thinking I was too crazy to talk to. Or he’d move away from Salem altogether to save me from remembering these two wretched incidents every time I ran into him in the future.

  But no, he smiled, and dammit if he didn’t have dimples. I was so royally screwed. “I’m glad you want to remember my name. Do you want me to walk you back?”

  “No!” I nearly screamed it, and Mike took a step back. “I mean, no thank you, I’m not done yet. I use my running as time to get my thoughts all aligned. My very, very tired thoughts.”

  Stop digging a hole, Sydney.

  More grinning. “Well, I’ll leave you to sort out your very tired thoughts while running with your sluggish feet. They may need a little caffeine.”

  “Oh, yeah. Maybe that’s what’s wrong. I need to get some caramel creamer. I don’t have any at the house right now.”

  Aaaaand that was random. I wanted to pretend this conversation never happened.

  He shook his head. “I think Salem just got a bit more interesting.”

  “Umm… I guess tired thoughts and sluggish feet can make any town more interesting. Who would have known?” I was grinning now, too.

  Still facing me, he started to jog backward. “Be careful. Until later, Syd.”

  “See ya.” I gave an awkward wave and then sighed when he turned around and jogged the other way. The muscles in his calves contracted. His shoulders were broad and strong. He had perfect form.

  Sigh.

  For a few minutes, I waited in that spot before taking off at a snail’s pace to avoid running into him again. I needed to get my wits about me before the next time I ran into Mike Murphy, the sexy cop.

  No, no, no sexy cop. Just Mike Murphy, town cop. There, that’s much better. Well, not really.

  It wasn’t that I wanted to avoid guys. Things with Henry had ended fourteen months ago as cordially as they had begun nearly two years ago. No fizz. No fire. Just safe and blah.

  Mike Murphy… he was different.

  Mike

  I tried to ignore the buzzing feeling that was still bouncing around in my body after touching Sydney. It only got worse the more she spoke.

  “Mike?”

  My name came out sounding like a question. I had to force myself not to laugh.

  “Yes, Syd?”

  She stared at me again. Her mind appeared to be racing before she finally spoke. Damn, just her voice made my body come to attention after a very long dry spell.

  “I was saying it out loud to commit it to memory. You know they say if you say a person’s name while looking at their face, it helps you remember.”

  She pressed her mouth tightly shut, as if willing herself to stop talking. My God, she was the most adorable woman I had ever met. Not to mention gorgeous. From what I’d been able to tell the night before, she was pretty. Seeing her in the daylight now, pretty didn’t even begin to describe how beautiful she was.

  Smiling, I said, “I’m glad you want to remember my name. Do you want me to walk you back?”

  Sydney yelled, “No!”

  I took a step back, thinking maybe I’d somehow scared her.

  “I mean, no thank you, I’m not done yet. I use my running as a time to get my thoughts all aligned. My very, very tired thoughts.”

  There she went again with her tired thoughts. I couldn’t help but smile. I’d never met a woman who made me want to lean down and kiss her like Sydney Burch did. From the moment she’d informed me she was calling my boss to see if I was a legit cop, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her.

  “Well, I’ll leave you to sort out your very tired thoughts while running with your sluggish feet. They may need a little caffeine.”

  “Oh, yeah. Maybe that’s what’s wrong. I need to get some caramel creamer. I don’t have any at the house right now.”

  This woman was unlike any other woman I had met before in Chicago, and I wanted to get to know her better. “I think Salem just got a bit more interesting.”

  “Umm… I guess tired thoughts and sluggish feet can make any town more interesting. Who would have known?”

  Then she smiled, and I felt a weird flutter in my chest. I needed to leave before I really did lean down and kiss her. “Be careful. Until later, Syd.”

  “See ya,” she called out with a wave.

  I turned and started back to my house. My mind swirled with thoughts of Sydney. No woman had ever had this effect on me. My father had always told me, “When the right one comes along, you will know it immediately because they’ll constantly occupy your thoughts.”

  Laughing to myself, I took the steps up to my front door two at a time. “That’s insane. The right one,” I muttered to myself as I unlocked the door to my house.

  “Morning, Officer Mike!”

  With a wave, I called out to my neighbor, “Good morning, Mrs. Nelson. How are you today?”

  “I’m doing well, thank you! You know, you don’t have to lock your doors. This isn’t California you’re in anymore.”

  I smiled politely. No matter how many times I’d told the older woman I was from Chicago, she kept saying California. I’d stopped correcting her about three weeks ago.

  “Heard you met Sydney Burch last night.”

  My jaw dropped. “Um, where’d you hear that, ma’am?”

  Mrs. Nelson gave me a smile that said I really should know this by now. “Oh, word gets around in a small town, Officer Mike. She’s an awfully pretty little thing, isn’t she?”

  Oh no. I’m not getting pulled into this.

  I gave my door a push, and as it opened, I said, “Yes, ma’am, she is. If you’ll—”

  “Did you ask her out? I’m sure she’d like a nice evening out with her grandpa passing and all.”

  I stopped halfway into my house before I retreated and looked at my sweet neighbor.

  “Um, no, ma’am, I did not ask her out.”

  She frowned. “Well, that’s a shame. Next time you’ll get her, sweetheart.”

  And with that, she turned and walked back into her house.

  After a quick look around at the other houses, I laughed and walked inside. I locked the door after I shut it—a habit I would probably never break—and headed to the bathroom. I needed a shower and something to eat before I headed into work for my shift.

  Once the hot water hit my body, I relaxed some. I’d been in Salem for two months and had to keep reminding myself that it was a small town. It wasn’t Chicago. Back home, if my neighbor had spoken to me, it was only because they wanted me to arrest the guy next door for having another party with music that was, in her opinion, too loud. No one had cared if I was or wasn’t dating. And my elderly neighbor would never have thought of trying to play matchmaker.

  Laughing, I soaped up and couldn’t help but think about Sydney. The way her blue eyes had sparkled when she smiled at me earlier. The cute way her lips pressed together when she forced herself to stop talking. Damn, they looked soft. I let myself wonder what they would feel like when I kissed them. What she would taste like. Would she twist her fingers in my hair while I kissed her or would she place her hands on my chest and moan into my mouth?

  “Jesus, Murphy, knock it off and stow the damn th
oughts,” I said as I reached over and turned the water over to cold.

  Once I was in my squad car and heading to the station, I was able to clear my thoughts of one Sydney Burch and concentrate on my shift. That was until I was stopped at a red light and saw her hugging Wesley Youngsten outside his office building. As I waited for the stoplight to turn green, I watched them carefully. They looked like they knew each other well. Very well.

  An instant rush of jealousy zipped through my body. With a nod of my head, I tried to shake away the intense feeling.

  “You’re being ridiculous,” I said, my eyes locked on the two of them. No matter how hard I tried to look away, I couldn’t.

  When they walked into the building, his hand on her lower back to guide her, I faced straight ahead again and gripped the steering wheel.

  Are they an item? I needed to find out.

  When I walked into the station, I went right up to the one person I knew would have all the answers I needed.

  Louise. She was one of the station’s dispatchers.

  “Hey, Lou, how are you today? I brought you your favorite iced coffee.”

  She glanced up at me and smiled. Her husband, Bill, was also a police officer and worked the same shift as I did. He was a nice guy, born and raised in Salem, as was Lou. They were trying to have a baby, and he wasn’t shy talking about the… positions… they had tried while attempting to make that happen. I quickly learned what not to say to avoid that topic.

  “I’m doing well. Heard you ran into Sydney Burch last night.”

  My jaw fell open in shock.

  Small town, Mike. Small. Town.

  “Um, yes I did.”

  She smiled. “She’s a sweet girl, and we’re all happy she’s back in town. It’s a shame, though, she won’t be practicing with her grandpa. It was a dream of his.”

  I nodded, remembering my conversations with Virgil about his granddaughter. We’d met the first time I went into Brewer’s Coffeehouse. We’d hit it off and talked almost every morning. He’d said he couldn’t wait to introduce me to Sydney. My heart broke for her. My grandfather had been like a second father to me growing up. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about him. I missed him like crazy.

  “You should really get to know her better. Maybe ask her to lunch.”

  My brow rose.

  She winked. “I’m just saying she’s a pretty girl; it wouldn’t hurt you to get to know her. After all, she is running Burch Animal Clinic now. You said yourself you need to meet more of the business owners in town. Did I mention she’s a sweet girl?”

  I let out a chuckle. “I believe you did mention that. Sydney isn’t seeing Wesley Youngsten?”

  Laughing, Lou waved her hand at me. “Goodness, no. They’ve been friends since they were little. Thick as thieves, those two.”

  I smiled, and Lou leaned in closer to me. “You are interested in her! I knew it! That smile tells me that little bit of information is what you were looking for, coming over here and buttering me up with iced coffee. Have you no shame?”

  With my hand to my heart, I said, “Why, Lou, you got me all wrong.”

  “Mmm-hmm. I’m sure I do. You better get yourself on out of here, Officer Murphy, before I stick my nose in more.”

  “We wouldn’t want that.”

  She flashed me an evil little smile. “You clearly haven’t been living in Salem long enough, Mike. It’s my duty to butt into other people’s business and pass it along.”

  “That’s my cue to leave.”

  “I thought so. Have a safe shift, Officer Murphy.”

  Smiling, I waved good-bye to Lou and attempted to push Sydney Burch from my thoughts.

  Sydney

  At the conference table, I pushed my burger to the side, completely stuffed. Wesley sat across from me with a healthy salad. He had always been my sensible friend, talking me out of things that might get us into trouble. I’d often wondered if he’d ever done anything without thinking about it. He always had a plan. And his plan had a plan.

  “I’m glad you’re living in Salem now. I’ll have my best childhood friend near to keep out of trouble.”

  I rolled my eyes at his words and laughed. “You make me sound like I’m reckless. I simply like to live life to the fullest. It’s too short to second-guess everything. Then second-guess the second guess. And have a contingency plan to the contingency plan.”

  It was Wesley’s turn to roll his eyes. “You make me sound like a stuffed shirt.” On cue, he adjusted his perfectly pressed navy, pinstriped, three-piece suit.

  “You’re not a stuffed shirt. You like order and purpose to everything you do. It’s what makes us the best of friends. I’ve never seen someone outline details like you.”

  Seriously, his outlines had outlines. It was a headache to read through them when he detailed something out.

  “True. My job requires it. It’s important I stay prepared. In the end, it can mean someone’s life or death.” Considering the crime rate in Salem wasn’t high, that seemed to be taking his job a little too seriously. However, that was how Wesley was.

  He moved his plate to the side and pressed a button on his phone. Within seconds, Margaret appeared to whisk away our lunch.

  Margaret had always been like a second mother to Wesley after he lost his own in a freak accident twenty years ago. His father had left as soon as Wesley went to college. The man had always been cold and distant. I had a feeling he hadn’t approved of our close-knit friendship.

  I stood to give Margaret a hug. “It’s good to see you. I hope Wesley hasn’t been giving you too much trouble.”

  With a flick of her hand, she responded, “Of course not. If he did, I’d bend him over my knee, even though he’s twice my size.”

  That earned a chortle from me.

  “It’s good to have you here permanently, Sydney. I know Virgil was looking forward to when you moved here for good.”

  I pushed past the lump that formed in my throat. “It’s good to be here.”

  “I’ll let you two finish. You have another appointment in thirty minutes, Wesley.”

  “Thanks, Margaret. We’ll be done by then.”

  After the plates were taken away, Wesley pulled out a file folder. “To finalize everything, I need a few signatures.”

  With perfectly efficient precision, he explained all the papers, and I signed where he indicated. Grandpa having taken care of everything made it easy. I had to choke back tears as Wesley restated all my assets. I had already been set because of my parents’ estate, and now this made my future even more secure. My father had been a successful computer programmer in Silicon Valley. I’d never have to worry about money. But I would trade it all to have my family back.

  I laid down the expensive fountain pen after I scrawled my last signature.

  “So, what are you plans now, Sydney?”

  “I think I’m going to go through with the clinic expansion next spring. In the meantime, I’ll work on getting quotes. I ran the numbers, and as long as I can stay within the budget, the new area will be turning a profit within six months. As a fairly new vet, it’s going to be stressful.”

  For a year, I had been working on expansion plans to include boarding, grooming, a boutique, and a doggie day care. The change in business model structure would make Burch Animal Clinic a one-stop shop for all animal needs. The other clinic in town had opened in the last year and had more of a corporate feel. The people of Salem wanted to have the small-town, personal feel when bringing their beloved pet to a vet.

  Wesley opened the file I’d sent him to get his feedback on my analytics. “I looked it over and agree with your projections. Have you started working with any contractors?”

  Running a business alongside treating animals was easy to talk about. I loved the thrill of an uphill battle. “No, I plan to tackle that after I determine a few more things. I don’t want to rush any decisions since I’m several months out from starting.”

  “Sounds good. I
f you need any recommendations, let me know.” He closed the file folder and placed it to the side.

  “Of course I will.”

  He slid another file toward me. “This is something your grandfather dropped off at my office to add to his will about two months before he passed.”

  I opened the manila folder to find a large sealed envelope with my name scrawled on it in Grandpa’s writing. It was heavy, and something slid around inside when I picked it up. “Do you have any idea what it is?”

  “No, I figured it was a letter to you.”

  Curiosity piqued, I opened the cream-colored envelope with the Burch Clinic logo on it. A medallion on a thin chain fell out. The coin spun on the table a few times before settling. The side facing up had an odd symbol on it, and there was an A in the middle of the coin.

  Pic of medallion with an A inside of a circle.

  It was a beautiful light gold. I picked it up to get a better look at it. It definitely wasn’t a government-issued coin. It was a little larger than a half-dollar and looked almost handmade. On the back was an inscription in a circle around the name Alchemist.

  Insert pic of medallion.

  I read the words aloud. “We are united with no beginning and no end.”

  “What did you say?”

  I must have mumbled the words as I read the old coin. “It’s on the inscription on this medallion. Does it sound familiar?”

  Wesley reached across the table, and I handed him the gold coin. With a furrowed brow, he examined it closely, flipping it over a few times to get a good look. “This looks like an antique for sure. I haven’t heard of anything like this. It looks like it could be a collector’s item.”

  He handed the coin back to me, and I flipped it over again as I considered what I knew about alchemists. Primarily, an alchemist was a person who who were able to transform something through a seemingly magical process.

  Interesting.

  I opened the note from Grandpa.

  Here’s an adventure I found for you. It seems like the ultimate scavenger hunt. I miss you, punkin pie. Remember to live each day with no regrets.