by Tara Randel
Hiding a smile as Lyle flinched, Grace watched him try to divert attention from the truck by lifting John onto his shoulders. The little boy cried out in glee.
Her mother came out of the cabin as soon as they walked up, a frown creasing her brow. “Faith called to tell us Lyle would be here to collect John.”
Lyle sent her a told-you-so smile.
Deke crossed strong arms over his broad chest, his voice ringing with authority. “I’m assuming you have the appropriate child car seat in the truck?”
Lyle frowned at Deke. “What are you, some kinda cop?”
“Actually, I am.”
Lyle’s face paled a shade. “I got the car seat. Stop hounding me.”
Grace recognized the ornery glint in Lyle’s eyes and laid her hand on Deke’s muscular arm. Faith had given her husband permission to pick up their son. No one here might like it, but he wasn’t breaking any laws.
She held out her arms, taking John from his father. Cuddling him close, she inhaled sunscreen and little boy, raining kisses on his face.
“Ew. Aunt Grace, stop.”
“What? You don’t like my kisses?”
He pushed her away, breaking into peals of laughter.
“We gotta go,” Lyle cut in.
Deke nodded. “Memorized your license plate,” he said, ruffling John’s hair after Grace set him down.
“Got it,” Lyle grumbled.
“We’ll go out in the canoe another time,” Grace promised.
John’s face fell. “No boat?”
“Not today, son.”
“But I want to.”
Lyle tried to lead him back to the truck. “C’mon. We’ll get some ice cream.”
Feet planted firmly in place, John crossed his arms and pouted. “No.”
Grace had seen his temper tantrums. This wasn’t going to be pretty.
“Let me get the truck,” Lyle said, taking off in a sprint.
Deke knelt beside John, said something low in his ear. The boy nodded. When it became apparent John wasn’t going to pitch a fit, the truck arrived and they made sure Lyle strapped John safely into the car seat. What had started out as an idyllic afternoon was now marred by a rumbling engine and gas exhaust. The riotous clatter didn’t fade until Lyle turned onto the main road, tires screeching as he hit the asphalt.
Grace winced and slipped her arm over her mother’s shoulders. “He’ll be okay.”
Her mother patted Grace’s hand. “I’d best call Faith and tell her that Lyle did stop by.” She stepped from Grace’s arm and stared down Deke. “Don’t usually have much use for cops,” she said, “but you’ll do.”
Deke choked on a laugh. “Thanks?”
“High praise,” Grace said as she watched her mother limp back into the cabin, needing the cane only for longer trips.
“I get that your family didn’t like your dad being arrested, but really?”
She held up her hands and shrugged. “What can I say? The Harpers know how to hold a grudge.”
“Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
“Keep doing a good job and you have nothing to worry about.”
He sent her a wary look, to which she responded with a big smile.
“Now that we’ve established you’re scary, let’s get that canoe in the water.”
Grace did a double take. “Wait. We don’t have to go now that John can’t come.”
“You backing out on me?”
“No. I mean...we were doing this for my nephew.”
“And it’s a shame he’s going to miss out, but we don’t have to.” He tilted his head. “It’s a beautiful day. You’ve already left the office. Why not enjoy a few hours of relaxation?”
“I appreciate the offer, but I...uh...think I’ll go hang out with my mother.”
She started to walk away when his next words stopped her in her tracks.
“Afraid to be alone with me?”
Yes. She composed her features and turned. Threw a little sass into her voice. “Why would you think that?”
“John’s gone and you’re walking away. That leads me to the conclusion that you don’t want to spend time with me.”
“It’s not that.”
One brow rose.
“Okay, maybe it is.”
“Because I kissed you?”
Her face grew hot. “Wow, that was quite a leap.”
Deke’s perceptive gaze captured and held hers. The truth lingered in the depths, along with a dare.
She squared her shoulders. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
He sauntered in her direction, his long legs eating the distance between them. “What if I promise to keep my lips away from yours?”
The dimples that appeared when he smiled so confidently did her in. Her stomach dipped and her heart protested. Problem was, she wanted to taste his lips again. Wanted the jolt of adrenaline that came only from his touch. The intensity of her feelings for the man scared her way more than paddling out into the middle of Golden Lake.
“Look, we’ll make this a kiss-free zone. What do you say?” He lowered his sunglasses over his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.
She cleared her throat, excitement mixing with dread. “Fine.”
He swept out one arm in the direction of the dock. “After you.”
Jutting her chin, she marched back to the ramp next to the canoe enclosure. “You can do this,” she said under her breath, swearing she heard Deke’s chuckle behind her. All she had to do was put one foot in front of the other. She’d faced down determined, hard-line prosecutors and won her cases. Surely she could handle one afternoon on the lake with her handsome employee.
Working together, they had the canoe half on the shore and half in the water. He tossed her an orange PFD, and after securing it in place, she took her single-bladed paddle to store at her end of the boat until they slipped completely into the water. Grace carefully duck-walked down the middle of the canoe, hands gripped to the sides as the boat swayed.
“Doing good,” Deke praised.
“I think I know how to get into a canoe,” she scoffed, then stood and turned to face him, nearly losing her balance in the process.
“Whoa. Watch it there, Captain. Keep your center of gravity low so you don’t tumble overboard.”
Embarrassed, she lowered her stance, stepped over her seat and sat, facing forward. She looked over her shoulder to see Deke don his PFD and then toss a pack into the boat. One foot in the canoe and one on the ground, he pushed off before getting settled in his seat. They were paddling in perfect coordination in no time. It had been years since Grace had been in a canoe. It took some time to balance her weight, sway with the motion and remember just which stroke to use. All while she felt Deke’s eyes on her back.
They settled into a steady rhythm, Grace setting the pace. As the boat skimmed the lake, water sprayed around them, cool on her heated skin. Minutes rushed by as all Grace thought about was the sun on her shoulders and the water around her, as far as the eye could see. The muscles in her arms protested quickly, reminding her that she had to get back to the gym. She wasn’t sure how far they’d traveled, but they were in the middle of the lake when she heard Deke’s voice call out, “Let’s take a short break.”
“No, I’m good.”
“Grace, we could use some water. It’s pretty calm right here so let’s stop.”
“Fine.”
Pulling her paddle from the water, she rested it beside her, then swung her feet over the seat to turn and face Deke. He was rustling inside his pack. After removing a bottle of water, he tossed it to her. Her fingers slipped on the slick bottle and she fumbled, afraid it might go overboard. Her movements rocked the boat, and as soon as she caught the bottle, she immediately dropped it to brace her hands on the sides of the canoe.
; “Just calm down, Grace. We’re okay.”
She cracked open the cap and glared in his direction. “Do not make fun of me.”
“I wouldn’t even consider it.” He took a long swig of his water. Grace watched the muscles in his throat work and swallowed hard. He lowered the bottle and nodded to her.
Oh. Right. Water break. She lifted the bottle and nearly moaned out load as the cool liquid slid down her parched throat.
“Remind me again why you don’t like the outdoors?”
She pointed the bottle at him. “Wise guy canoe mates like you.”
He chuckled and took another drink.
Grace scanned the shoreline. Cabins and vacation homes dotted the landscape. Various watercraft scurried over the lake in the distance. Tree limbs canopied the water at the shore, leaves spread out to create a natural umbrella.
“It’s peaceful out here,” she finally said. “I couldn’t tell you the last time I was out on a boat.”
Deke nodded, keeping his thoughts to himself. She’d noticed the way he would change the subject to focus on her instead of revealing any tidbits about his life.
“So tell me, what did you say to my nephew that took his attention away from the lake?”
“I reminded him that big boys are polite and listen to adults.”
She practically snorted. “I can’t believe he went along with that.”
Deke shrugged. “I also told him his dad came first.”
“Is that some guy code?”
“No.” He paused. “Spending time with one’s father is important.”
“Let me guess, like you did with your dad?”
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything. He guided me into the man I am today.”
Grace took another sip of water, watching the emotions play over Deke’s face. How she wished she’d had a father like his, had the knowledge that her father loved her. She’d never been quite sure how her father really felt about his family.
A shout went out as a catamaran sluiced by, a bunch of rowdy boys waving at them.
“Did you go boating with your brothers?” she asked as the waves rippled around them, gently rocking the canoe.
“Grew up on the coast in Florida. Pretty much lived in the water.”
“Explains your expertise.”
“Like you had any doubts? I told you I could canoe when you hired me.”
“No doubts. You seem to be a man of your word.”
“Seem?”
She shrugged. “Okay, are. As far as I can tell.”
“You keep contradicting yourself.”
“So sue me.”
That one lifted brow said so much.
Time to turn the tables. “You seem to know a lot about me. Tell me something about you. You mentioned you didn’t have a lot of friends. Why not?”
“I ended up escaping into books instead of running around outdoors with my brothers. I guess that’s when I got used to being alone.”
“Or lonely?” she asked.
“I never really equated being solitary with being lonely. I’m comfortable being by myself. Never needed a bunch of people around to make me feel whole. Guess I’m just wired that way.”
She pointed to his oar. “Well, it looks like you caught up to your brothers. You can paddle a mean boat.”
“I’m also a fast learner.”
“I can see that. But what I really want to know is what brought you here. Not a vague answer but the real story.”
He rested his elbows on his knees and gazed over the water. Was quiet for so long Grace didn’t think he’d answer. When he looked at her, she couldn’t decipher the expression in his eyes, but heard the pain in his voice when he said, “I blew my last case and Britt died because of it.”
* * *
HE IGNORED GRACE’S sharp intake of air, determined to soldier on with the story. It had been haunting him for weeks now, keeping him awake at night, flashing into his mind at different times during the day. He didn’t want to be the sole owner of the truth any longer.
“Britt died at the hands of a recently acquitted criminal who’d been released when his slick lawyer discovered a technicality. The case where I was the lead forensic investigator.”
“Oh, Deke. I’m so sorry.”
He nodded, his throat too thick for words.
“What happened?”
He took another long drink. Stalled a few more moments. He’d opened the door, might as well keep going.
“We got a call to a murder scene. We were short-staffed and I’d just worked a double shift.” Deke’s hands fisted. He’d been so sure he had all the evidence needed to convict the criminal who had forced his way into a home and brutally killed the occupant. After all, nearly every crime scene he’d been at brought a conviction. Why would this time be different? “My team and I worked the scene like we normally would.”
“But?”
He focused on the sparkling water. “The case was pretty contentious. When we got to court, it came to light that the latent fingerprints extracted from the scene had been mislabeled by a member of my team. It became a technicality that was exploited unfairly.” He ran a hand over his head, his hair damp from the splashing water while they were paddling. “I’ve gone over that night in my head hundreds of times, run through all the standard procedures, positive we did everything by the book.” Yes, he’d been overworked when he caught the case, which was no excuse. The perp practically admitted to wrongdoing, but had Deke thought he was tougher and smarter than everyone else? The possibility taunted him day and night.
“I know that extenuating circumstances come into play during a trial,” Grace said. “Granted, I haven’t known you for long, but you seem like a very competent individual, so I imagine your work as an investigator is solid. Maybe it was just a fluke.”
“I don’t believe in flukes. We messed up. And I accepted responsibility for it.” As he admitted the truth, the weight on his shoulders lifted for the first time in weeks.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. The defense attorney noticed the mistake and jumped all over it.”
“It’s not like your team meant to make a mistake.”
Tone grave, he said, “But we did.”
Anyone else looking at the situation might suggest that Deke had no control over what happened next. He would disagree. “If the murderer hadn’t gone free, he wouldn’t have shown up at the bureau to exact revenge at the same time Britt was leaving work to head home to her family.” He glanced at Grace. “She’s gone because of me.”
“Oh, Deke.”
A speedboat zoomed up, preventing further conversation, which suited Deke just fine. The canoe rolled in the violent wake. Grace yelped, gripping the sides with white knuckles. He used the diversion to blink away the heat welling behind his eyes. Once they’d ridden the wake, the boat settled down, as well as his emotions.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Better than you, I’d imagine.”
“Look, I’m not entirely sure why I dumped all that on you, but we don’t need to dwell on my life’s mistake.” He’d said what he needed to say. Didn’t want to rehash the memory over and over.
A slight smile curved her lips. “You’re welcome.”
That’s what he liked about Grace. She got him enough to know he was finished spilling his guts. That, and she knew when to introduce humor into the conversation.
He felt a reluctant grin work its way over his lips. “Thanks.”
Add kissing to the list of things he liked about her and it pretty much summed up his growing feelings for Grace.
“Anytime.” She took her paddle in hand again and glanced at him. “But, Deke?”
He swallowed a groan.
“You can’t hold on to the guilt forever. You had no idea how the court decision would set the se
ries of events in motion.”
“Easy for you to say.” The guilt rose up and tackled him, just like it had the day he’d learned Britt had died.
“It is. It took me years to realize I wasn’t the reason my father got arrested. He was guilty. He would have been caught eventually, whether I mentioned where he was going to my uncle or not. And that perp? The one who got away? He was a murderer. You didn’t push him over the edge. He was already there.”
He wanted to believe her words. He truly did.
“Time, Deke. Trust me, it takes time to let go of the guilt.”
He nodded, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. He watched Grace swivel to face forward in her seat. They both placed their paddles in the water at the same time.
“Ready?” she called over her shoulder.
Was he? Somehow the answer seemed way more weighty than just the okay to get the boat moving again. “Let’s go.”
They glided over the water, evading speeding vessels and sailboats with folks yelling out happy greetings, making good time back to the dock. He could have spent the entire day on the water, letting the sun and waves take his cares away. But he’d noticed Grace straining, her arms probably jelly after the nautical miles they’d covered. “Slow down,” he yelled, earning a thankful grin as she turned her head toward him.
“How much longer?” she called.
“Couple hundred feet.”
“I’m starved. How about dinner tonight? My treat.”
Deke’s stomach rumbled. “I’ll take you up on that.”
“Great, you fire up the logs in the pit and I’ll make burgers.”
“Sounds like a plan.” A plan he could live with. Spending the day with Grace had lifted his spirits in a way he’d never imagined possible. Had him thinking maybe he could find the means to forgive himself.
They hadn’t moved much farther when Deke noticed Grace struggling.
“I think something’s snagged my paddle.” As Grace began to panic, her actions became jerky.
“What are you hung up on?”
“Can’t tell. Maybe if I stand—”
“No,” he shouted as she lifted herself from the seat and tugged on the paddle. The canoe dipped precariously, but she quickly sank back down, keeping them from tipping over.