Bittersweet: Can she rebuild her life?

by Lyz Kelley

  Friends? Dinner? Who was she trying to fool? One look at Mr. Handcuffs and she got hot and bothered in places she previously thought were on permanent vacation.

  Everyone knew the just-friends notion was a sham.

  Even her nipples protested.

  She bent to chat with Truman. “Wouldn’t it be awesome if he was allergic to cats?”

  Then Truman yawned, as if saying, How pathetic. A mentally strong, brave, highly skilled FBI agent like you, afraid of exposing yourself to love.

  She was afraid.

  Very afraid.

  Chapter 9

  Heath had just put Gunther in his kennel, then checked to make sure El's seat belt was latched, when the sound of crushing metal and a ground-shaking crash sent his adrenaline thundering through his veins.

  He recognized the pitch and tone of the screams and shouts. An abnormal calm took over his system. His senses perked up.

  “Stay here, El. Don't leave this car. I mean it. Do not move,” he said, his admonitions bunched like freight train cars derailing into a pile of rubble.

  He raced toward the riverbank.

  Fifty feet down the steep incline, a car had flipped off the bridge and now lay upside down in the frozen creek. The roof had broken through the thin layer of ice, and running water rushed through broken windows.

  Stay calm. Get help.

  He raced back to his cruiser. “Ellie, there’s been an accident.” He reached for the handheld radio in the front console. “You need to take Gunther back inside and stay with Karly. Okay?” He kept his voice hushed and smooth, but his insides shook with adrenaline.

  Ellie’s eyes darted to him time and time again as she opened Gunther's crate door, then quickly disappeared inside.

  “Dispatch. Watson. 10-41. Car in the creek. Send water rescue.”

  “10-4, 10-79. Ambulance sent. Rescue on standby.”

  Standby? Shit. There’s no time.

  He shoved the radio into his back pocket just as Leza rushed out of the building.

  “What’s happening?”

  “There’s a car in the water.”

  No further explanation needed.

  She sensed the urgency and ran in the direction of the noise.

  Heath extended his stride. The tempo in his ears kept time with his pounding feet. He beat her to the scene by no more than a foot. He didn’t hesitate at the water's edge like Leza, and plunged straight into the thigh-high water and deeper current, struggling against the spring runoff.

  Surprisingly, Leza followed.

  She held her own against the tide.

  He focused on making a plan.

  He could hear the sirens in the distance, but the people in the car couldn’t wait. The car was stuck against the bridge pylon. If enough water flowed underneath the hood, the vehicle might float under the bridge into deeper water and away from help.

  “The driver! Her face is barely above the water.” He braced his feet against the bent metal, but the door didn’t budge. He tried again. And again.

  “There’s a baby inside!” Leza shouted.

  “I know. We have to get the car flipped over.” He glanced at the bridge. “You!” he shouted at the three men gathered above. “I need your help getting this car turned over. There’s a baby inside.”

  The men disappeared from view.

  The baby strapped in her car seat was dangling at an awkward angle. With the car tipped on its side, the child had so far avoided being submerged in the creek’s cold water.

  “Leza,” he shouted above the noise of rushing water and people racing to help. “I need your help.”

  She pushed through the heavy current to reach his side.

  “See if you can squeeze through the window to cut the mother’s seat belt.” He pointed to the driver’s side door window he’d managed to kick in. “Here’s my knife.”

  The unresponsive mother wedged in the driver’s seat had blood running down her face. Additional injuries could be hidden by the running water.

  Leza disappeared below the surface of the freezing water. Seconds later, she emerged inside the car to take a breath before diving under again.

  Heath kept a secure grip on Leza’s legs while she worked, keeping her stable and making sure she didn't float away with the current.

  If anything happened to her. Don't think. Stay focused. She's fine.

  “Got her,” Leza shouted.

  Heath tugged on her leg as she dragged the unconscious mother through the car.

  Careful. That's it.

  He fisted Leza’s belt, securing his grip, and helped her maneuver through the small space.

  Good. “Just a few more feet and we’ve got her.”

  Movement in his peripheral vision alerted him that help had arrived.

  He pointed at the first person he saw. “Do you know CPR?”

  The guy’s calm expression and nod got him the job. “Good. You take the mother. She has water in her lungs. Clear her airway and start CPR. I’ll stay with the baby.”

  He reassessed and calculated. Options flowed into his mind. He dismissed a few and latched onto the most practical. “We’ll work on getting the car turned over.” More people arrived. “Let’s all push. On my count.”

  “Let’s do this,” came a voice of encouragement.

  “One. Two. Three.”

  His muscles screamed, and then celebrated when the car began to move.

  His muscles tightened. He gritted his teeth and dug deep for more strength.

  The car continued to move. “Keep going,” he encouraged with a loud shout. The vehicle gained momentum. “That’s it!”

  At the tipping point the weight of the engine did the rest of the work.

  Now to rescue the baby.

  He raced to the other side to find fire, deputies, and emergency crews already working to open the door. Too many cooks in the kitchen.

  Plan B. “Back up, folks. Let’s give the crew space to work,” Heath shouted. “Thank you,” he repeated and shook the nearest stranger’s hand. “You did great work,” he offered the praise to anyone listening, then turned to find Leza.

  She stood a few yards upstream on the bank. He opened the first responder’s kit, sitting on the shore and snagged a thermal pack.

  Off at a distance, she stood apart, monitoring the emergency crews efforts, waiting to jump in if needed. Beautiful seemed too soft a word. She had a core of steel, and in that moment he knew she was the kind of person who would make the ultimate sacrifice if called upon. Others might boast, but few knew if they could ultimately pay the price.

  He knew. He’d faced the devil and had won the last time.

  Every day was a new battle.

  Some of the stories the deputies in Elkridge relayed about the FBI events staggered even his military mind. How could such evil happen on US soil? Half the city council, a judge, and several deputies had been arrested for drugs and sex trafficking and a dozen other crimes. She waved off the offer of the silver wrap and returned his knife. “That was quick thinking on your part.”

  A bunch of strangers coming together to help plumped his chest with pride. “Just my Marine training kicking in.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t think so. You quickly assessed, planned, then took action. That’s a skill not everyone has. Others might rush in and botch everything. You think clearly and use all the available resources at your disposal.”

  He considered her assessment.

  Protecting people was what he did, but she had a point. The instinct to assess had come to him early. He’d been the one first to notice his dad was acting a bit forgetful. Months later, his father’s diagnosis of early stages of dementia rocked his world. He could walk into the house after school and tell whether his dad’s day was good, or teetered on the verge of a full-blown panic.

  Dementia had not only taken his dad’s memories, they stole his kindness and replaced his goodness with anger and fear. Heath had become an intruder in his own home.

  He missed
his dad. His support. Like the kind of support Leza was giving him.

  “You didn’t do so bad yourself.” He plucked a dried leaf from her hair

  “We make a great team.”

  The cold blazed her cheeks red. Her hair was plastered to her head, and goose bumps popped up on her arms, but she looked terrific. Her eyes were bright with acute awareness.

  “Yes, we do.” But he’d like to be more than just her team member.

  He wanted to cradle her in his arms and kiss the bejesus out of her. Maybe he could use his adrenaline high as an excuse.

  He leaned in, his face close enough to feel her warm breath on his skin.

  She searched his face, but she didn’t need to try too hard to figure out what he planned. Surprisingly, she leaned closer too.

  Yeeesssssss!

  He hovered over her mouth in anticipation.

  “Heath!” Joe barked his name from a couple of yards up the hill,

  He jerked away. Well, crap.

  “Hold that thought,” he slipped a grin in place. “What’s up, boss?”

  “I see blood on your forehead. Check with the paramedics. And change out of those wet clothes.”

  He brushed a hand over the stinging skin and glanced at his bloodied fingers, but all he wanted to do was be naked, wet or not. Images of wrapping his body around Leza to keep warm came to mind.

  “You had better go.” Leza backed away. “I’ll see you for dinner. Thursday.”

  “You don’t have to wait for an invitation. Stop over before then if you need a cup of sugar, or possibly a beer.”

  Her brows reacted, but the rest of her remained still.

  He waited while she debated.

  Something new graced her eyes, but hell if he could figure out what she might be thinking.

  Respect, maybe?

  The intensity in her eyes burned, but he stood in the heat. He wanted someone to see him, understand him. She understood his need to protect and help people. After all, she’d put her own life on the line.

  “That gash needs to be looked at,” her voice poured over him like honey. Thick and sweet and slow.

  The sting on his forehead had settled into a dull ache, and he fought the urge to stay with her, create the illusion that they were the only two people on the planet, but responsibility jabbed at his conscience.

  “Yeah. I need to make sure El’s all right.”

  “She’s safe. I took her to see Karly before coming outside.”

  A protector. Just like him. Honorable and brave…and sexy as hell.

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  He loved her response. He got this woman, and, more important, she got him. She was a full-body buzz after drinking a three-fingered glass of whiskey. He imagined she would go down the same way, with a touch of sweetness, a swirl of spice, and everything so naughtily nice.

  “Never mind,” he leaned in again.

  “Heath!” Joe barked. “Get up here. The paramedics need to clear you.”

  Christ. I’m coming already.

  She touched his arm and held on for a moment longer than she should. “You need to go.” She gave him a laser stare, then trudged up the hill.

  Man, she was one helluva woman. She reminded him of a perfectly seasoned steak, cooked to perfection, with a nice glass of burgundy wine.

  Which meant he was pretty much screwed, because he wanted to trail after her like a dog panting for dinner. Only he didn’t want the scraps.

  He trudged up the hill. Fifteen minutes later he’d been checked by the paramedics and had given his report, but the whole time all he could think about was her body, her mind, her reluctance.

  Man, her goodness was plain sexy. He liked her freestyle attitude—her “take me as I am or get the hell out of my way” approach to life.

  Every time he came in contact with the bombshell, she made his day.

  She might not want a badge-wearing buddy, but she and he matched. They both wanted to save the world using their unique skills and individual styles.

  “Watson, what are you grinning about?” the sheriff demanded. “You look like a jackass standing here at an emergency scene all smiles.”

  Yeah, but damn, no way could he wipe the feeling of bliss away. “Joe, do you mind if I take off? I left El with Karly and Thad.”

  “We’re good. Thanks for jumping in.”

  He gave Joe a two-fingered salute and then trotted back to see Karly, waiting patiently with El.

  “Hey, kiddo,” he nudged her shoulder. “You good?”

  “Karly said you saved a lady and her baby.”

  “I guess I did,” he winked, then glanced at the time on his cell phone. “We’re late calling grandma. Let’s load Gunther in the car and then give her a call.”

  El's shoulders lifted then dropped. “Okie dokie smokie.”

  Heath made sure she was secured in the back seat before dialing and putting his phone on speaker so he and El could both talk, and it only rang once before his mother picked up. “What happened?” she puffed out. “You’re late calling.”

  “I had something I needed to take care of first.” He pressed a shhh finger to his lips before Ellie spilled the beans.

  “As long as everyone’s all right.”

  He closed his eyes to concentrate on keeping his tone easy and level, to create the illusion of calm. “El’s here,” he said.

  “Hi, sweetheart. I miss you.”

  “Miss you too, Grandma. Will you come visit us?”

  “Soon, dear. Real soon.”

  Soon? His heart dropped into free fall. His mom wouldn’t leave his dad. Soon meant there wasn’t much time left.

  Heath rested his head against the leather headrest instead of reminding his mom he didn’t want to give El false hope.

  “I want you to meet Gunther,” El continued. “He’s our new dog.”

  “You have a new dog?” The accentuated pause spoke volumes. “All that fur and mess and work. You have to walk a dog every day. Why would you get a dog?”

  “Because he was lonely.” El’s voice became soft and small.

  “It’ll be fine, Mom.”

  “I know it will. You take care of everyone. You always have. I just hate seeing you take on more work.”

  “I’m fine,” he slid his fingers across the throbbing gash in his head. “I should let you go, Mom. There’s nothing else here to report. Love you, Mom. On Dad’s next good day, tell him I miss him, okay?”

  “I will. Love you both,” she said, and then disconnected.

  He inhaled a long, deep breath before he released the frustration and rotated toward the backseat to place a hand on El’s knee. “Don’t worry about what grandma said. We made the decision together. You and me. Remember?”

  “I like Gunther, but he chewed up my tiger, and he likes to chase squirrels.”

  Poor El.

  Gunther had disintegrated her favorite stuffed lion. With eyeballs missing and the outer shell shredded, the no-longer-stuffed toy repair became impossible. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t put a Band-Aid on her comfort buddy.

  “But…Gunther likes to cuddle with you, and he keeps you company when you do your homework. Best of all, he loves you unconditionally.”

  She didn’t say anything, but he could see the happy emotions tap dancing around her eyes.

  “Who’s ready for pizza?”

  “Me. Me. Me. Me. Me,” she clapped while Gunther’s ears perked up.

  He shoved the key in the ignition to start the car.

  Life was good…albeit a bit lonely.

  Chapter 10

  Leza’s heart jumped at the knock on the door. The Marine was right on time.

  She shouldn’t be surprised. She scanned the open space, from the kitchen to the living room to the door, making sure everything was in place. Earlier she’d done a walkthrough to kidproof the cabin, tucking the electrical and blinds cords away, and covering the firewood to prevent Ellie getting splinters in her hands.
/>   Ellie leaned more toward a little adult than child, but one could never be too careful.

  Leza tossed her apron over the back of the kitchen stool and headed for the door.

  A large bundle of flowers with a pair of eyes peering over the top greeted her.

  “These are for you,” Ellie thrust the oversized bouquet toward her midsection. “I picked them out because Heath doesn’t do flowers.”

  Heath set a hand on Ellie’s back. “No, but I do sweet and salty, if that counts,” he held up a gallon of salted caramel ice cream and winked, accompanied by that seductive little smile.

  “Both are wonderful.” She stepped back to let the two wander into the room. “Make yourselves comfortable.”

  Ellie unzipped her coat. “Truman!” The pounding of feet echoed as Ellie raced across the room and ducked under the kitchen table.

  “Hey. El. What did we talk about?”

  Already two-thirds of the way under the table, Ellie paused to glance over her shoulder. “That I was supposed to say please, thank you, and eat my vegetables…even if they are disgusting.”

  “And what else?”

  Her face deflated and her mouth limped into a frown. “Oh, yeah. Leza, may I please play with Truman?”

  “That’s up to Truman. He’s still not convinced humans are good playmates. He might feel threatened if you trap him under the table.” Leza grabbed the bag of treats off the counter. “Here.” She dropped a few kibbles in Ellie’s hand. “Hold your hand flat and see if Truman will come to you.”

  “Okay.” Ellie shoved her hand closer.

  “Glad you approve,” Leza winked, allowing the joy of seeing child and cat interact settle into her barren heart. She set the flowers on the counter, then opened the freezer to set the ice cream inside, then grabbed a vase for the flowers.

  Heath watched her from the corner of the room.

  The oven-hot fervor in his gaze made her burn. She opened the refrigerator and allowed the blast of fresh air to cool. “Would you like a beer?”

  “I’d love one.” He waited for her to twist off the top. “Whatever you’re cookin’ smells good.”