Holder’s gaze drifted over Jessica before he glanced at Ryan and then back to Jessica. He stepped around his desk, his hands outstretched, and took her hand in both of his. His blue eyes twinkled as he gazed down at her. “It’s always a pleasure to meet one of Memphis’s finest police officers.”
The compliment sounded sincere, and Jessica blushed as if caught off guard. “Actually, I’m not a police officer. I used to be, but now I’m a bounty hunter.”
Ryan’s skin prickled a little as Holder’s eyes grew large. “A bounty hunter? How interesting. I’d like to learn more about your profession sometime.”
“I’d be glad to talk with you about it.”
Chip smiled once more before he released her hand and turned to Ryan. “And you are...?”
“Ryan Spencer, a detective with the MPD. We’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Chip motioned to two chairs in front of his desk and walked back around to take his seat. “Of course I’ll do anything I can to help you. What’s this about?”
Ryan pulled out the picture of Lee Tucker and handed it to him. “Do you know this man?”
Chip frowned as he stared at it, shook his head and handed it back to Ryan. “No, I can’t say that I’ve ever seen him. That looks like a copy of a mug shot, so I assume he’s wanted by the police.”
“He is. Among other things, for a convenience-store robbery and for questioning in several murders,” Ryan said.
“Not to mention, he’s a fugitive from bail on another charge,” Jessica added.
Chip nodded. “Sounds like he has quite a criminal history.”
“That’s what we need to determine. You’re sure you’ve never seen him around your headquarters?”
“No, but there are lots of people who come and go.” He stood up. “But if he’s ever been here, Mark would remember him. Let me call him.”
He went out the door and within a few minutes was back with Mark following behind. Ryan rose as Mark came into the room and stopped beside the desk. “Chip said you’d like to ask me some questions.”
Ryan pulled out the picture again and handed it to the young man. “Have you ever seen this guy before?”
Mark stared at the picture for a moment before he nodded. “Yeah, I have.”
Chip leaned toward Mark. “He’s been here?”
Mark shook his head. “No, I didn’t see him here. It was at Senator Mitchum’s headquarters last week.”
Jessica’s mouth gaped open. “What were you doing there?”
“Mr. Stark had called and wanted someone from the staff to come over to their headquarters and discuss the plans for the televised debate. Chip and Mr. Johnson were in Middle Tennessee on a campaign trip. When I called Chip, he asked me to go in his place. I did, and when I walked into Mr. Stark’s office, that man was in there. They shook hands, Mr. Stark thanked him for coming and he left.”
“Did Mr. Stark introduce you?” Ryan asked.
“No, he just said the man was a campaign worker, and I didn’t think anything else about it. We have people coming and going all the time around here.”
“Thank you, Mark,” Chip said. “You can get back to work, unless Detective Spencer has another question for you.”
Ryan shook his head. “No, that’s all. Thanks, Mark.”
They waited until the young man had left before Ryan turned back to Chip. “We appreciate your time today. But we’ll get out of your way for now.”
Chip waved his hand in dismissal. “I wish I could have been more help, but maybe Mark’s statement helped you some.”
“It’s certainly given us a lead we’ll have to investigate,” Jessica said.
Chip walked with them back through the outer office and to the front door. When they stopped there, he stuck his hands in his pockets and frowned. “I’m sure you’ve followed this campaign, and you know the media frenzy it’s created. I’m running for office because I think it’s time we had a change in this state. A change from Mitchum with his special-interest groups and his representation in Washington that doesn’t amount to more than getting himself a raise every year. Nothing would make me happier than finding proof that he’s as crooked as I suspect him to be. He doesn’t deserve to represent the good people of this state, and I hope you can find something that will show him up for what he really is.”
“One thing I promise you,” Ryan said. “We’ll follow where the evidence leads. That’s all we can do.”
Chip smiled. “Then good luck. I hope you’re successful.” He turned to Jessica and glanced down at her left hand before he spoke. “And I meant what I said about learning more about your job. I’d like to get together with you sometime for dinner. I don’t see a wedding or engagement ring, so I hope I’m not out of line.”
Her eyes grew wide, and she glanced at Ryan. He tried to control the scowl pulling at his face, but he knew he failed. She turned her attention back to Holder. “N-no. I’m not married. I would love to have dinner with you.”
“Do you have a card?”
“Yes.” She pulled her business card from her pocket and handed it to him.
He smiled and glanced down at it. “You’ll be hearing from me, Miss Knight.”
Ryan grabbed the door handle and pushed it open with a shove. When they stepped outside onto the sidewalk, he didn’t say a word but stormed to the car and unlocked it. She followed and had barely gotten the door closed before he had the car in Reverse and wheeled around to roar off down the street.
She fumbled with her seat belt and glanced at his profile. “What’s wrong?”
He grasped the steering wheel tighter but didn’t turn to face her. “Have you decided now who you’re going to vote for?”
His heart pricked at the sharp tone of his voice, but it was too late to take the words back. All he could do was try to bluff his way through the emotional toll her actions and words with Chip Holder had taken on him.
She swiveled in her seat to face him. “No, I haven’t. Are you all right?”
Despite his intention, he couldn’t remain quiet. He couldn’t pretend she hadn’t hurt him. He pulled into the parking lot of a discount store and threw on the brakes. Then he turned to glare at her. “How could you stand there and let that guy hit on you like that? It was disgusting.”
Her mouth gaped open, and she stared at him. “Disgusting? How can you say that? He was being nice.”
“Nice? He was flirting with you, and you enjoyed every minute of it. I expected you to swoon any minute.”
Her cheeks flamed. “And so what if he was interested in me? Maybe I was interested in him, too.”
“He’s too old for you, Jessica. And he’s a politician. You can’t get involved with somebody like him.”
The crimson flush of her cheeks had spread to her ears, and her hands gripped her knees as she seemed to try to control her anger. “Then who should I get involved with? You? A man who kisses me and then can’t wait to get back to my apartment and apologize.”
He leaned forward until their noses almost touched. “And if I hadn’t come back, Lee Tucker would have killed you just like he intended.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Well, thanks for reminding me how I can’t take care of myself. But I think you’ve just made your position perfectly clear to me. You don’t want me. You never did. You’ve always managed to get rid of me in one way or another. But you’re so selfish, you can’t let go because you’re afraid somebody else will want me. Well, I’ve got news for you. I’ll go out with anybody I want to, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Her words hit him as if someone had thrown ice water on him, and his anger disappeared. What was the matter with him? The last thing he wanted was to argue with her, but maybe it was what he needed after all.
He sighed and rubbed his hands over his eyes. �
��It’s good to know how high an opinion you have of me.” He cleared his throat and turned to look out the windshield. “I’m sorry for what I said. I won’t interfere in your life again. Now, do you want to go home or to Lucas’s house?”
“I need to go home. If you remember, you drove me to Lucas’s house last night, and I don’t have my car there.”
He put the car in gear and without a word drove back into the street. He didn’t say anything else until he stopped at the back entrance to her apartment.
She waited a moment, then climbed from the car and walked to her door.
He drove away without looking back.
By the time he’d driven two blocks, he was berating himself for losing his temper and for talking to Jessica the way he had. He pulled over into a curbside parking spot and closed his eyes as he recalled every angry word he’d said.
How could he have behaved so badly and especially with a woman as wonderful as Jessica? She hadn’t invited Chip Holder’s attention, and even if she had, he didn’t have the right to criticize her for accepting it. From what he’d read about the candidate, he had no special woman in his life, and maybe he’d legitimately been attracted to Jessica.
Ryan sure couldn’t fault him for that. He was, too. But if he didn’t get this argument settled between them, he could kiss any chance he had with her goodbye. And he wouldn’t blame her.
Before he realized what he’d decided to do, he made a U-turn and headed back toward Jessica’s apartment. When he arrived, he jumped out of the car, raced to the back door and pounded on it. “Jessica! It’s Ryan.”
No answer.
He knocked again, louder this time. “Jessica, you have to be in there. Open the door.”
A muffled cry came from inside. “Go away. I don’t want to talk to you.”
The sound of her trembling voice made his heart lurch, and he leaned his forehead against the door. “Jessica, I’m sorry. Please let me in. We need to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk to you!”
He took a deep breath. “I’m not leaving until you open this door. Not if I have to sleep out here all night long.”
He waited, and then the sound of the lock being turned caused him to smile. The door cracked open, and he could see her face. He could tell she was still angry by the set of her jaw and the fire in her eyes.
“What do you want?”
“I want you to forgive me for the things I said. I have no right to judge who you go out with. I should have kept my mouth shut, but I’ve been so glad to have you back in my life, I think I was afraid that might change if you got to know someone like Chip Holder. He’s a war hero, and I’m just a cop, nobody important like him. I guess I was jealous.”
The door opened wider, and her expression softened. “You are important, Ryan. The people of this city depend on you to help provide a safe place for them to live. You’re important to Jamie because he depends on you to guide him to be the kind of man he needs to become. And you’re important to me because I need your friendship.”
Her words stirred his emotions and he felt the tightness in his chest begin to ease. “You’re important to me, Jessica. I couldn’t leave without telling you how sorry I am for the things I said. I won’t interfere in your business again.”
“I’m sorry for the way I talked to you also. Can we please forget all we said and get back to feeling comfortable with each other again?”
“That’s what I want.”
He didn’t know who moved first, but she was suddenly in his arms with her head resting against his chest. He sighed in contentment and pulled her closer. “Oh, Jessica. I don’t want to ever argue with you again.”
“Neither do I,” she murmured. After a moment, she pulled back and stared up at him. “Ryan, what’s happening between us?”
He shrugged. “I think time will tell, Jessica. But whatever it is, it feels so right.”
She tightened her arms around his back and snuggled closer to him. “I think so, too.”
ELEVEN
Two hours later, Jessica scooped the last bite of cheesecake from her dessert plate and popped it in her mouth. She closed her eyes in ecstasy as the creamy morsel slid down her throat. Across the table Ryan raised his eyebrows in mock surprise and grinned.
“It’s good to know you still have a healthy appetite,” he said. “You always could hold your own with any of the guys at the precinct when it came to eating.”
She wiped her mouth on her napkin and nodded. “It comes from growing up with two brothers who were always hungry. I don’t know how my mom was able to keep enough food in the house for them.”
Ryan laughed and took a sip of his coffee. “I haven’t seen Adam in a long time. I wonder if he’s going to dislike me as much as Lucas does.”
“Lucas doesn’t dislike you. It’s just that he feels extra protective of me because we’re twins. He always took care of me when we were in school, and he thinks he still has to do it. He doesn’t realize that I’m all grown up.”
Ryan let his gaze drift over her. “Yeah, you’re certainly a grown-up lady. With a mind of your own and a tongue that can make a guy’s ears curl.”
She laughed and propped her hands on her hips. “And what about you, mister? If I remember correctly, you had a lot of things to say earlier today, too.”
“Yeah, I did, and I hope you’ve forgiven me for that.” He swept a hand over the empty dishes on the table in front of them. “After all, I did feed you.”
“You did, and it was a delicious meal.” She looked down at the jeans she wore. “At least you could have given me time to freshen up some, though. I’ve had these clothes on since this morning. They’re not exactly what I’d wear to go out to a restaurant this fancy.”
“Quit worrying about how you look. You’re the prettiest woman in this place. All the guys keep looking this way, and it’s beginning to bother me. Especially that guy over there.”
He cut his eyes to the side, and she glanced in that direction. A man who appeared to be in his late thirties sat alone at a table, staring at her. When he realized he’d been caught, he dropped his gaze and directed his attention back to the steak in front of him.
Something about the way in which he’d been staring at her sent cold chills down her back, and she shivered. “Do you know him? I’ve never seen him before.”
Ryan shook his head. “No, but if he’s not careful, I’m going to have to go over there and have a little chat with him. Maybe he needs to be reminded it’s not nice to stare at people in public.”
She laughed then, and he grinned in reply. “This is the way I like it between us,” she said. “It’s so much better than fighting.”
“I know. And I promise I’m not going to argue with you anymore.”
She tilted her head to one side and frowned. “Are you sure about that?”
He shrugged. “Well, at least not until you make me angry again.”
They both laughed at that, and her gaze strayed to the man sitting alone across the room. He looked back down at his plate when he realized she had caught him staring again. Jessica started to say something to Ryan, but they were having such a good time together she didn’t want to spoil the mood.
Before she could say anything, Ryan pulled his cell phone from his pocket and frowned. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
“Jamie still hasn’t called me. I don’t know whether to be worried or angry with him.”
Jessica frowned. “Did you let him know that Lee Tucker is still at large?”
“I did. You’d think he would be more thoughtful of my feelings and let me know where he is.”
Jessica reached across the table and grasped his hand. “He’s still a kid, Ryan. He’ll become more concerned with other people’s feelings as he gets older. He seemed like a really nice guy when
I met him the other day.”
“He is, most of the time. But sometimes he drives me crazy. And he really liked you. A lot better than Lucas likes me.”
She threw up her hands in protest. “There you go again. I keep telling you my brother likes you. It’s me that he gets aggravated with.”
Ryan stroked his chin and directed a smirk at her. “Well, I can see how that would happen. I’ve had my share of aggravation, too.”
She swatted his arm and frowned. “There you go criticizing me again. You’d better watch out or you’re going to find yourself in big trouble with me.”
He cringed as if afraid of her and laughed. “I certainly don’t want that. Maybe I’d better take you home while I’m still ahead.” He glanced at his cell phone. “And maybe Jamie will be back before I get home.”
“I’m sure he will be.”
Ryan signaled for the waitress to bring the check, and a few minutes later they were making their way through the dining room to the front door. When they stepped outside, Jessica was surprised to see that it had begun to rain while they were eating.
The rain beating down on the metal awning that ran across the front of the restaurant sounded like a drum line pounding out rhythms for a drill team. Jessica inhaled the scent of the rain as the downpour grew stronger.
They stood waiting for the rain to slack up, but it continued to fall hard enough that the water puddled in the street. After a few minutes, Ryan turned the collar up on his jacket and pulled his car keys from his pocket. “There’s no need for you to get wet. I’ll get the car and bring it around front to pick you up. Wait for me right here, and I’ll pull up to the awning.”
She nodded, and he ducked his head down in his collar as far as it would go before he took off at a run toward the parking lot. Behind her the restaurant door opened just as an SUV pulled up to the awning. The car’s back door opened, as if waiting for someone to enter. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to look over her shoulder to see who had exited the restaurant.
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