by Naomi Niles
I had come to realize that it wasn’t because he didn’t care about her. It was because he was scared himself. He was searching for someone to save him, even though he hadn’t known it at the time. In some ways, I was his savior, and in other ways, it was Madison.
I pulled up outside the police station and headed in after taking a deep, steadying breath. The station seemed a little quiet as I pulled in, but I thought nothing of it. It was only when I turned the corner into the arena of desks before me that a chorus of cheers went up and I froze in place.
There was a huge Welcome Back banner that had been hung up at the back of the room, and my entire department was crowded into the space, clapping and cheering my arrival. In the front line stood the chief, and next to him stood Sam and John.
“What the?” I said, in astonishment.
The chief came forward and wrung my hand. “You didn’t think we’d let you get back to work without celebrating your comeback properly, did you?”
They were sentimental words from an unexpected person and I couldn’t help but be touched. I shook his hand and thanked him before he threw me to the crowd.
“Looking good, Burbank!” Tennessean said as he clapped me on the back.
“Couldn’t even wait to get back to work to nab a burglar, huh, Pete?” Ellington winked.
“That uniform’s looking a bit snug, Burbank,” Josephs teased. “Have you been enjoying your break a little too much?”
“Please,” Sam said, cutting in. “He’s in great shape, mostly because he’s been working out a lot…with our new neighbor underneath the sheets.”
I shook my head at Sam as the boys howled with laughter. “I knew there would be a catch to the compliment.”
“There always is, brother,” he said, as he came forward and gave me a massive hug.
After he pulled away, it was John’s turn. As Sam mingled with the other officers in my department, I turned to John and lowered my voice a little bit.
“How’s he been?” I asked. “He’s been a little quiet lately, ever since you revealed that picture of Mom.”
John shot Sam a careful look before he turned back to me. “Her leaving affected him more than he cares to admit,” John replied. “I think it just took him off guard.”
“Has he spoken to you about it?”
“Nope,” he said, shaking his head. “He’s been tight lipped as ever. You know how Sam is; he doesn’t like being too serious and he doesn’t like being too vulnerable in the eyes of others. He’d rather make a joke than have a serious conversation.”
“I’ve noticed,” I nodded. “Still, maybe I should try talking to him.”
“I wouldn’t,” John said. “We all have our own ways of dealing with Mom’s departure. Maybe we should respect the fact that this is Sam’s way.”
I gave that some thought and nodded. “Okay, if you say so.”
John and I turned back into the crowd. Sam, as usual, was right in the center of everything and it looked like he was getting a hard time from all the police officers he was surrounded by.
“I saved five families from a burning building in a single day, just the other week,” Sam was crowing. “I don’t think you guys can do that in a month.”
“You know we have jail cells just downstairs, don’t you, kid?” Williams said sweetly. “As well as handcuffs just lying around.”
“Please,” Sam said, waving away the friendly threat. “You’d have to catch me first.”
“There’s fifteen of us and only one of you.”
“Well, luckily one fireman is worth a hundred policemen.”
The department roared with laughter at the absurd nature of that statement and Sam nodded in conviction and repeated the claim. “It’s true,” he insisted. “Ask anyone.”
“By that he means ask all the many women he’s slept with,” I piped up. “If you were to ask them, they’d probably agree with that statement.”
“That’s only because they haven’t slept with a police officer,” Williams said, with a wink.
“Huh!” Sam scoffed. “It would have to be a pity fuck.”
“Would you like a tour of the cells, you little turd?” Josephs asked with a laugh.
“Doesn’t matter; even if you stick me in one,” Sam said confidently, “I’d just break out. I’m resourceful like that.”
“Don’t get too cocky, little boy,” Samson said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You might find your balls missing all of a sudden.”
“I’ve got people,” Sam said, as the rest of the group laughed.
“Who are these people?” John asked, raising his eyebrows.
“People,” Sam said, with a shrug. “People in high places.”
“People like me?” I asked. “You realize that I am a police officer, as well as your brother, right? And if it comes to choosing between the two, then I’m going to have choose…”
Sam raised his eyebrows.
“My profession.”
Everyone roared with laughter as Sam rolled his eyes at me. “That’s what he says now. He’s just trying to make himself look good on his first day of work.”
“All right, all right,” Chief said, cutting through the crowd and coming up to me. “Enough roughhousing; it’s time for cake.”
The boys parted to reveal a small table on which was set a large cake with white frosting. In the middle was a realistic-looking bullet hole that appeared to have cracked through the top layer of the cake. The moment I saw it, I laughed aloud.
“Nice touch,” I said, shaking my head.
“We thought you might like it,” Thornton smiled.
“Thanks, Chief,” I said, looking at him gratefully. “This is more than I expected.”
“You’re a valuable member of the team,” Chief replied. “And, a valuable member of society. Welcome back, Burbank.”
I was forced to cut the cake while the boys chanted out a chorus of “He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” After I had distributed slices, the group broke off into smaller groups to chat and mingle. I gravitated towards Tennessean, who I’d worked with closely before the bullet had put me out of action.
He was a few years older than I was, and a head shorter, with bright blue eyes and a moustache that he took great pride in.
“How’s Fiona?” I asked.
“She’s doing great,” Tennessean nodded. “I’m not sure I’ve told you yet, she’s pregnant.”
“No way!” I said, clapping him on the back. “Dude, that’s amazing news. You’ve been trying for a while, haven’t you?”
“Almost a year,” he nodded. “We were starting to lose hope when the pregnancy test came out positive.”
“You must be over the moon!”
“Oh man, you have no idea,” he nodded, with a huge smile on his face.
“How far along is she?”
“Almost four months now,” he replied. “She’ll be born right after our third anniversary.”
“She?” I asked, with raised eyebrows.
Tennessean smiled. “Oh, we don’t know yet… I’m just hoping.”
I laughed. “Well, you have a fifty-fifty chance.”
“What about you?” he asked. “I’ve heard that you have a lovely new lady in your life?”
“I do,” I nodded, thinking fondly of Madison. “She’s my neighbor, actually. That’s how we met.”
“Sam’s been filling us in,” Tennessean nodded. “Apparently, she’s a looker.”
“She’s beautiful,” I nodded, with pride. “But she also happens to be an amazing person.”
“I’m glad for you, man,” he said sincerely. “How serious is it?”
“Pretty serious,” I replied. “For me, at least.”
“You’ve been alone for too long. I always told you, didn’t I? Nothing is as fulfilling as finding the right woman to spend your life with.”
“Here’s hoping she wants to spend her life with me, too,” I said, feeling a little tug of doubt in the back of my mind.
“Oh,
I wouldn’t worry about that,” he said, waving his hand in my face. “You clean up pretty good. And you’ve got a good run. Women like that.”
“Is that a fact?” I asked.
“I’m speaking from personal experience,” he replied. “That’s how Fiona fell in love with me – she saw me running. Up until then, she was on the fence.”
We laughed together, and I felt at last as though the world had been righted, except it was better this time around because I had Madison in my life. I loved my job, but it was nothing compared to the joy of knowing I had a woman like her in my corner. I wished she had been here, but I knew she had to get back to work today.
I spent the next two hours talking and laughing with the guys. They caught me up to speed with all the cases that had been circling around in the months I’d been away, and I was forced to show them my healed bullet wound. They cheered me on as though I’d come back from a foreign war.
Later, after my brothers had left and the party had died down, I slipped behind my desk and turned on my computer.
There had been something stirring in my mind for weeks now and I was starting to realize that it wasn’t going away. Her face blossomed in my mind’s eye and I was painfully aware of all the unanswered questions floating around.
Too many things had come up lately, and I knew I couldn’t put them out of my head any longer. The signs were pointing me in one direction. I wasn’t a particularly superstitious guy, but some things were too obvious to be ignored. My only reservation was about what my brothers would think. I knew that we all had our separate opinions on the subject, but I was fairly certain I knew where John stood on the matter.
I hadn’t run my thoughts by him, but we were close enough that I was sure he would approve. For my own part, my feelings were not as confused or as bitter as they had been when I was a teenager. Age and maturity had given me some clarity and Madison’s presence in my life had given me purpose. I wasn’t looking for a way to complete myself anymore; I was simply looking for answers. I was looking for an ending to an incomplete story.
I stared at the screen on my computer and typed in her name: Alice Burbank. Then I hit search.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Madison
We had agreed to meet at eight o’clock by the dancing fountains outside the restaurant walk. When I turned the corner, Peter was already sitting there waiting for me.
He was dressed in dark jeans and a crisp white shirt. His dark hair was casually windblown and he looked unbelievably handsome. I took a moment to appreciate how perfect he looked silhouetted against the streetlights.
I noticed other people were watching him, too. Or to be more specific, other women were admiring him, too. A group of teenage girls were hovering by the fountain, casting him little glances, hoping he would look up and give them a smile. Then there were a few older women, who seemed to cast furtive looks in his direction.
I was smiling to myself at how oblivious Peter was to all the attention he was getting, when he finally looked up and noticed that I was standing there. His face broke out into a wide smile, and he rose immediately and walked over to me.
“Hi,” he said, with a sweet smile. “What are you doing standing over here?”
“I was casually observing,” I admitted.
“What?”
“You,” I said honestly. “You have a lot of female admirers.”
Peter looked positively baffled by that statement. “I don’t know what you mean,” he said, in all seriousness.
I laughed. “I know.”
He gave me a questioning frown, and I leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek as I took his hand.
“You look handsome today,” I smiled. “That’s all.”
Peter’s expression smoothed out into an embarrassed smile. “Me?” he said. “You look breathtaking. I like the dress.”
I gave my dress a cursory glance. It was new; I had bought it with Whitney a few hours ago. It had been an impulse purchase, but I was glad I had gotten it in the end. It was flowing slip dress that was made out of the softest, silkiest material. It had been pieced together with several different patterns that all went together in a cohesive whole. It was colorful, vibrant, and young.
I had paired the dress with strappy nude wedges and done up my hair in simple crossed braids. I had applied my makeup carefully, too. I wanted something simple, but elegant and so, to that end, I had gone with the faintest touch of eye shadow, eyeliner, and some colored lip-gloss.
“Thank you,” I said. “Whitney convinced me to get it.”
“Why did she need to convince you at all?” Peter asked. “It looks gorgeous on you.”
“It was expensive,” I admitted. “More than I should have spent on a dress.”
“You deserve it.”
“That’s what she said.”
“Then she’s right,” Peter nodded.
I smiled. “This is strange for me.”
“What is?”
“Having people like you and Whitney in my life,” I explained. “Telling me I deserve things.”
Peter’s eyes went soft and sad for a moment. Then he leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. I felt that tingle in my extremities, before they slowly spread upwards, through my entire body. He had that effect on me. He could make me freeze, he could turn me into jelly, and he could make my stomach dance with butterflies all with just a touch of his hand.
“Shall we go to dinner?”
“Sure,” he nodded. We walked to the restaurant hand in hand, and within minutes, the waiter showed us to a secluded table next to a window from where we could see the city lights and the rest of the world pass by.
“How was your first day back at work?” I asked the moment we were alone together.
“Pretty great, actually,” he nodded. “It wasn’t really my first day back at work so much as an excuse for the guys to throw me a welcome back party.”
“No way,” I said. “They did that? That would have been so lovely.”
“It was unexpected,” he replied. “But I appreciated it all the same. The chief was there, and so were Sam and John.”
“And Talen?” I asked cautiously.
“Talen…is a wild card,” Peter said. “And in any case, he hasn’t always felt comfortable around cops. Keeping in mind that he has spent a night in one of those jail cells, he might have wanted to avoid coming.”
“Right,” I nodded.
“And, how was your day?”
“I kind of had the same experience,” I replied. “Well not exactly, but similar at least. I thought I was showing up to work, only to find that Whitney had decided to close the salon for the day and just play hooky.”
Peter laughed. “So you had time to shop…hence the dress.”
“Exactly,” I nodded. “We went to lunch, we shopped, we got our nails done…and we did one other thing I’ve been dying to tell you about.”
I was interrupted when the waiter when he approached our table to take our orders. We ordered quickly and then Peter turned to me with interest. He took my hand. “Tell me,” he said.
“Whitney took me to the Colorado State University just before we got our nails done,” I told him. “She pointed out to me that I can have my credits transferred and I could finish off my degree right here.”
“Oh my God,” he said. “That’s a brilliant idea.”
“I thought so, too,” I nodded. “In fact, I think that once I’m done with this degree, I might even try another one.”
“Madison, that’s amazing,” he told me. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
“I’m glad.”
“You know that I’m willing to support you a hundred percent, right?” he said hesitantly, as though he were scared he might offend me in some way.
“Support me?” I repeated.
“In any way you need,” Peter continued, trying to be a little clearer. “Emotionally, mentally…even financially.”
“Oh, Peter.”
“I
’m serious.”
“I know you are,” I nodded. “And, I love you for it.”
I stopped, shocked by my own use of words. My face colored instantly even though I tried desperately to hide the furious blush that took over my face. We hadn’t used those words yet, and even though I hadn’t really used them, it was leading somewhere dangerously close.
My blush, combined with my awkward stumble gave me away immediately. I tried to recover, but Peter silenced me as he kissed my hand.
“Madison,” he said slowly. “You don’t need to be embarrassed.”
“I don’t?”
“I’m falling in love with you.” The simple and straightforward way he said it made my heart flutter, as though it were suddenly free of my body and separate from me entirely.
“Really?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Completely,” he said confidently. “Trust me, I would know. I’ve never said that to any other woman before you. And for someone like me… Well, let’s just say, you really have to feel it to say it at all. And I can’t deny it any longer. I love you, Madison. I believe that I always will.”
I felt my eyes tear up, but I managed to hold the tears at bay. They were words I’d always longed to hear. They were fueled by such emotion and such sincerity that it took my breath away.
Once I’d managed to get a hold of myself, I blinked away the tears. “I know exactly how you feel,” I said. “Because I feel the exact same way.”
His smile was relieved and dazzling. “I love you, Peter Burbank. You’ve saved me in more ways than you know.”
We looked at each other for a moment; it was a silent communication that didn’t require words. A few minutes later, the waiter arrived with our meals and we were forced to let go of each other’s hands.
“I had one more thing I wanted to talk to you about,” Peter said, over our meals.
“Tell me.”
“It’s about my mother.”
“Your mother?” I asked, with raised eyebrows.
“Yes,” he nodded. “Lately… I’ve been thinking about her a lot, more than usual. And because of that, little things have come back to me – memories, pictures, conversations that I’d almost forgotten. It’s made me think that maybe there’s more to her story, and I want to find out what that is.”