by Tawny Weber
“Probably not. But it never hurts to have as many details about the people you’re dealing with as possible.”
Almost as confused by the paternal affection Applebaum treated him with as he was wondering about Jade, Diego decided that a mental-health break was mandatory.
“I’ll be outside,” he told the mayor. “Gotta check in with Kinnison, follow up on a few loose ends back in Fresno.”
“Uh-huh.”
Shoulders stiff, he took his time sauntering out of the room. No point in confirming that knowing look on the old man’s face.
Forty minutes later, Diego deemed it safe enough to go back into the hall. He’d had enough time to check in with his boss, confirm that he’d be in court in January and give himself a nice long lecture on the need to live in the real world, how life in Podunk, Nowhere, was just fogging his brain and that sex was sex—not a golden ticket to the magical world of happiness.
Figuring he had himself lectured into shape, he stepped into the hall. And winced. It was like walking into the BART station when the train was pulling through. Crazy loud, he saw Applebaum hadn’t been kidding when he said everyone came to these meetings.
This was it. His chance to get a solid lead and solve this damn case. Before he ran out of lecture material.
“Detective.”
He returned the greeting with a nod. And the next one, and the ten after that. He turned down three offers to save him a seat, two plates of cookies and a chance to hold someone’s baby.
Still shuddering at the last offer, he approached the refreshment table.
“Coffee, black,” the woman behind the table said as she handed him a large mug. “And I saved you a slice of gingerbread. Fresh this afternoon and still warm.”
Nonplussed, he stared at the plate and mug for a second before taking them. “How’d you know—”
“Doesn’t take more than two visits before I figure out someone’s tastes,” Lorna said with a big laugh that made her round belly jiggle. “Since you’ve eaten in my diner every night for the last week, I figure I’ve got yours down pat.”
Not sure if that was a good thing, Diego muttered his thanks.
“Not that I’m trying to run business away,” she continued, talking as she laid cookies out on plates, her hands as dark as the chocolate filling. “But there are plenty of people who’d be happy to have you to dinner. To show appreciation, you know. And, of course, to pump you for information.”
Figured. Nine out of ten people who talked to Diego wanted something. Information on their case, something to fuel their gossip, dirty little secrets, tips on skirting the law. Or sometimes it was simple—they just wanted him to sign off on their traffic ticket.
“Appreciation for what?”
“Those obnoxious panty thefts have stopped since you came to town.” Before Diego could deny credit for that, she continued, “As for information, well, you’re the hottest catch in town, Detective. The married women want to know your romantic history and if you’d like to date their daughters, nieces or cute neighbor. The single women are wondering a whole lot more.”
His jaw dropped.
Before he could figure out how to process that image, someone jostled his elbow.
“Oops, sorry, Detective. Lorna, give me one of those snickerdoodles, please, before my boy gets here and tries to eat them all up.”
Mind still reeling, he stared blankly at Marion Kroger. The librarian frowned back, then gestured to Lorna for more cookies. “Well, this can’t be fun for you. I’ll bet you want to get home to your family, start celebrating the holidays. Have you given up on finding the silly pranksters yet?”
Brow creased, he watched her take a plate, piled high with a dozen glistening cookies. “I’ll be here until the case is solved,” he said.
“Oh, dear,” Lorna exclaimed. “Even through the holidays? Not that I don’t admire a man doing his job, but this is the time for family. Can’t you come back after the first of the year? I’m sure people will still have panties missing in January.”
“Nope. No family, so no problem seeing the case through. I’ll solve the case before January, no problem,” Diego assured Lorna.
Marion and Lorna both stared. Then, dark color washing her cheeks, the diner owner cleared her throat. “So, Marion. I see you have more family visiting. A whole truckload, from the looks of it. Are they all here for the holidays? Or to help you harvest your Clementine crop?”
“Oh, a little of both,” Marion said before eating two cookies in rapid succession. “I wish you’d share your recipe for these, Lorna. They’re about the best in the world. Detective, have you tried one?”
His intuition was zinging, the tiny hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Why? While his mind replayed the last few minutes, he automatically accepted the proffered cookie.
Before he could hone in on what’d flipped his intuition switch, or even take a bite of the cookie, there was a loud commotion by the door. Gasps and yells, the sound of chairs banging together, skidding across the floor.
Diego ran toward the back of the hall. Jade, Beryl and Neal all chased into the room after a streak of black fur.
Snorting, Diego took his alert system down a notch. This town had a crazy idea of just what constituted an emergency. His eyes locked on Jade, who resembled a fashionable butterfly. She looked totally out of place in her body-hugging sweater dress, the cherry-red knit hugging her slight curves from shoulder to knee. Paired with knee-high suede boots and a matching black vest, she looked totally rock-star-does-Christmas. Except he didn’t figure too many rock stars entered a room crouched low to the ground, trying to catch a cat.
“I’ve got her,” Neal yelled, sprinting toward the raised dais, leaping and damn near landing on the frantic feline. He landed on his knees. The cat launched itself into the tall Christmas tree, scurrying through the branches. As she got higher, Diego could see something dangling from her mouth. Eyes narrowed, he tried to make out what it was.
“Neal, be careful,” Beryl pleaded breathlessly, bending low to rest her elbows on her knees and pant.
Apparently his idea of careful was to grab for the cat, who growled, gave a spine-shuddering howl and reached one paw out to take a swipe at him.
“You...” Face screwed into an expression of anger, his mouth tight with embarrassment, the younger man grabbed again. He missed the cat, but got hold of whatever was in her mouth. He yanked. Hissing, the cat yanked back. He pulled harder, making the whole tree lean ominously as onlookers yelped and cried out warnings.
“Don’t hurt her,” Jade yelped. “Just let her calm down. Then I can coax her out of the tree.”
“You get her out now,” Marion Kroger demanded. “Those are real cookies hanging there. Food products. They can’t come into contact with a dirty cat.”
Diego slanted the woman an ironic look. “What? And after hanging a few weeks from a tree that spent most of its life outside, they’re gonna be edible?”
“That’s not the point,” the librarian said gruffly, red washing over her cheeks as she glared at the cat, who was now mewling pathetically about a foot over Diego’s head.
Neal pulled again, snagging the white fabric away from the cat. Her mouth now empty, she tried to take a bite out of his hand instead. Cussing, he shook a bough.
“Neal!” Jade yelled, shoving at him so he let go of the tree. He stumbled. His fingers caught the ribbon of a dangling gingerbread man and yanked the tree sideways so it tilted precariously. The cat hissed, giving him a slit-eyed growl that made the hair on the back of Diego’s neck stand on end.
“Enough,” he commanded. “Jade, calm down. I’ll get your cat.”
A cat that was now perched somewhere around the ten-foot mark in that tree. Diego looked around, then pulled the heavy podium forward. He couldn’t get it close enough to the tre
e, though, because Neal was in the way.
“What’re you doing?” the guy asked, scurrying out of the way at Diego’s arch look. Diego didn’t bother to answer.
“Be careful,” Jade said. He smiled at her. A mistake, since she smiled back.
“Here, son,” the mayor said, holding out a broom.
“He gonna swat the cat out of the tree?” Neal asked, laughing.
“Balance,” Diego said, wondering if he’d been that stupid at twenty. Since Jade was looking as if she might shove him again, Diego figured he’d better get the cat fast, before he had to arrest her.
Great. Just what he needed before he did a balancing-act cat rescue in front of half the town. The vision of Jade, in handcuffs.
Naked.
* * *
JADE WATCHED, her hands clenched against her churning belly, as Diego effortlessly vaulted onto the tall podium. She should be too worried for Persephone to be turned on over the way his biceps flexed. Tell it to the tingles, she decided since she didn’t seem to have any control over her body’s reactions when it came to the sexy cop.
Two days of avoiding him hadn’t impacted her reaction one bit. Nor had the endless lectures. The man might be off-limits and out of her league—although she could get used to a dozen orgasms a night pretty easily—but she still wanted him.
Good thing she lived in the “you don’t always get what you want” world.
On the edge of the podium, teetering dangerously, Diego stretched his arm up toward Persephone. The cat gave him a long look. Then she let go of whatever she’d been hauling around in her mouth to issue the saddest, most pathetic meow Jade had ever heard out of her.
Sniffles and sad awes filled the room. Someone rubbed a supportive hand over Jade’s shoulder. Recognizing her sister’s touch, she reached up to take her hand.
“Be careful,” she cautioned Diego again, this time in a whisper. As if thinking the same, the entire room had hushed. She didn’t have to glance behind her to know they were all staring, breaths held, as if their tense waiting would keep Diego from falling.
As Diego stretched higher, Neal scurried forward to grab whatever Persephone had dropped.
“They’re just doll panties,” he said with a laugh, holding up a pair of tiny cotton drawers with lace trim. “Looks like the cat probably dragged them off one of the Victorian carolers in front of the church. Guess we didn’t need a fancy city cop to figure out who the Panty Thief is.”
There was a scattering of laughter, but it died quickly. Jade was too afraid for Persephone to spare a glare to toss at Neal. But her growl elicited another shoulder pat from her sister. Whether Beryl’s gesture was to keep the growl from growing into a threat or in sympathy, Jade didn’t much care. She’d deal with the smart-ass who’d scared her cat up the tree later.
The fancy city cop was now standing on top of the podium, stretched dangerously high with one hand anchored on the broom handle the mayor held for balance. The other was lifted overhead, holding a small piece of cookie as bait for the terrified feline.
“Let’s try for some quiet, please,” the mayor requested, sounding his usual calm, controlled self. But his knuckles were white on the broom, a furrow of concern creasing his brow.
As usual, his loyal constituents fell in line, quieting the roar to a sibilant whisper punctuated by the occasional comment or cough. Jade, standing at the base of the dais, could now hear Diego’s murmured encouragement.
“Aren’t you the pretty kitty,” he said softly, his words not carrying beyond Jade, Applebaum and the cat. “Did that dumb guy chase you? Aren’t you uncomfortable up there? Bet you are. Come on down here. I’ll give you a cookie.”
As he soothed her cat, Jade finally tore her terrified gaze away from the hissing fur ball to look at Diego. His face was tense, his body pure muscled control. She recognized his cop mode, but beneath it was actual concern. For her cat.
Jade pressed her hand to her belly, promising herself the sinking feeling there was worry. Nothing crazier than that. Diego Sandoval was inspiration, eye candy and entertainment. But that was it.
“This is stupid. Can’t we start the meeting already? The cat will be there when we’re through. Probably come down on her own if we get on with things, instead of standing around like a bunch of dorks watching some hotshot cop show off.”
“Neal!” A loud smack accompanied the exclamation.
It could have been the sudden noise, or maybe Neal’s obnoxious comments, but Persephone started. With a loud growl, she scurried even higher up the tree, now teetering precariously at the very top, her paws wrapped around the gold star. The bough, slender and green, bent sideways. Ornaments crashed to the floor in a loud, shattering clamor.
“See what you did.”
“Smack him again, Beryl,” Jade muttered as her sister’s admonishment was echoed through the room.
“Just saying it’s stupid,” Neal said, sounding as if he was pouting. “The cat’s safe. She climbs trees all the time. I figure she must be happy up there, surrounded by all those decorations and stuff.”
Diego ignored it all. Hand still stretched so high Jade figured he must be getting a shoulder cramp, he continued to murmur sweet endearments.
Suddenly the cat jumped. With a loud, miserable-sounding moan, she launched herself from the star toward Diego. Jade ran forward. The mayor bobbled the broom. Gasps and warnings chorused around the room.
Other than letting go of the broom so he had both hands outstretched, Diego didn’t move. Which meant he was right there, in bull’s-eye position, when Persephone landed on his chest.
Jade’s knees almost gave out. Tears sprang to her eyes, relief pouring through her in a hot wave. Babbles, laughter, cries of relief all rang out. Bodies surrounded Jade, pushing her backward, farther away from the dais, her cat and her hero. On tiptoe, she could see Diego take someone’s hand to get down from the podium. He kept the cat curled tight against his shoulder, though.
It took Jade a solid five minutes to make her way through the admiring throng. As soon as she was close enough, Jade’s gaze raced over Diego, looking for scratches or punctures. He didn’t appear to have a single one. Frowning, she shifted her look to the cat. Purring, Persephone’s eyes were slatted, her tail curled around Diego’s forearm and her paws resting comfortably on his chest.
She was safe. Unharmed. And so, so smug.
A gurgle of laughter, part relief and only slightly hysterical, escaped. Diego’s eyes met hers.
“Thank you,” she said, easing between a few more people so she could run her hand over the cat’s silky fur.
“It was nothing.”
Nothing? Neal had chased her cat through the streets, up a tree and Diego had saved her. That was hardly nothing.
Her mouth trembled. Her lips parted, just a bit, as she sighed. Then, forgetting that they had an audience, she stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
“You really are my hero,” she whispered.
“I’m not anyone’s hero. Never have been, never will be.” His words were stiff, uncomfortable.
Maybe it was her ego talking, but to Jade, he sounded as if that fact might cause him a little bit of regret. Not enough that he’d bothered to call, though. Not that she cared. That’s how things were in the big city. Itches got scratched, needs got met. All it added up to was a really good time.
“Don’t try to tell my cat that,” was all she said, though. Then she added, “I’m pretty sure she thinks you’re her hero, too. Big-tree rescue, keeping the mob contained and stopping them from chasing her. And didn’t I see you feeding her cookies? She’s going to be yours for life now.”
Diego ducked his head, making a show of glaring at the cat. Jade’s lips twitched. He looked so cute when he was embarrassed. Whether it was the hero reference, or because he’d shown her mul
tiple glimpses of heaven two nights ago, then spent the last couple of days trying to avoid her. Given the size of Diablo Glen, she’d been impressed with his success.
She supposed she should have been hurt, too. What girl wanted to be avoided like an STD after a hot, sexy night with a gorgeous guy? But she’d seen the fear on his face after the first time they’d made love on her hallway floor. And she’d seen the intense desire that’d replaced it. If she were a loner, hell-bent on going her own way without commitments or ties, she’d have left before sunup and played the avoidance game, too.
So what if she’d felt a little rejected when she’d woken up alone. And if she’d rolled over to tightly hug the pillow he’d slept on, it’d just been for a second. Just long enough to remind herself that he was her motivation. A role model to study, to figure out how to emulate so she could find a way out, too. What would that say about her if the instant she found someone who embodied everything she’d been wishing she herself could be, she started wishing he would change?
A heavy heart and empty bed? No big deal, she assured herself. To prove it, she gave Diego a friendly smile.
His frown deepened.
“Your cat is a menace,” he told her, handing over the purring bundle of soft fur. “Do you always bring her to town meetings?”
Gathering Persephone close, Jade buried her nose in the purring cat’s fur for a second before giving her a fierce look. Despite cats’ fabled ability to land on their feet, she’d been terrified that her beloved pet was going to end up a splat on the podium.
“I try not to let her out of the house from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. I came straight from the library, but she was locked up safe and sound when I left this morning.”
His frown shifted in an instant, going all cop.
“Someone was in your house? Let’s go.”
Still holding the cat close, Jade laid one hand on his forearm. He froze. Went rock-still. Was that a good thing or bad? Without permission, her gaze dropped to his jeans. Did her touch turn him rock solid everywhere?