“That’s for sure. My mom thinks I should go to Philly. Get a job and an apartment there.” He rubbed his chin. “Could, I suppose. My sister and my brother left Heaven the moment they graduated high school. But heck, I like it here.”
“You like it, you should stay. Not everyone needs the excitement of a big city.” Ian sat down in the leather chair and fired up the computer. “Go have a few beers tonight. Hit one of those taverns with the line dancing. Got to be some single ladies around with all the tourists in town.”
“I just might do that.” He opened the front door, allowing a rush of cold air to enter. “See ya, Chief.”
After he left, Ian sat back and reflected on the prospects for people like Finn and Ally. The bartender Byron seemed to make out okay—according to the local gossip—and the pretty young waitress, Charlie, worked most nights. Most likely, she’d stay a year or two then move on. But a guy like Finn, born and raised in these woods, well, it could get in your blood. Nick Ryan returned to Heaven to open his restaurant after traveling in his younger years. Different strokes for different folks.
Before his divorce, and the betrayal from his dead ex-partner, Ian would never have been happy in a place like this. Now, it suited him just fine.
* * *
When Ally showed up at Nick’s, Charlie was working the tables, and the bar was hopping. It was only half past five, but with Christmas around the corner, and all the festivities in town, every night would be busy until the holiday was over. They already had a large waitlist for Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve too.
She swung into the kitchen, popped her coat on a hook, and greeted Nick. He was singing to Christmas music, sipping on a glass of red wine, and stirring up something that smelled wonderful on one of the hot plates.
He nodded at her with a smile on his face. Ally was pretty sure he was happiest in the kitchen, but now with his beautiful new bride and two adopted girls, he was just happy all the time.
“Hi Nick. Sorry, I’m late again.”
He turned down the burner and shot her a look of concern. “No problem. Everything okay at home?”
“If you mean any more dead skunks, the answer is no.” She grinned, and grabbed a pad and a pencil, sticking the latter into her spiked hair. “Got myself a dog. Just for a little while.” She’d been angry at Ian at first, but now she accepted the fact that the dog would make her feel safer. “German Shepherd mix. Kind of puny though. He’s still growing.”
“Well, puny or not, I’m sure he’ll be good company for you. Makes me feel a little better about you living alone, too.” He wiped his hands on a towel and turned his back to the stove so he could give her his undivided attention. “Jennie and I were talking about it again this morning, and we’d both like for you to come and stay with us. Just until things settle down.”
“Nothing else has happened, Nick. I haven’t seen anyone lurking around, and I probably over-reacted to the skunk. It could have been dragged there by a coyote. Or a wolf. Who knows?” She hadn’t told him about the light bulb, and wanted to keep that unhappy news to herself. She had enough people worrying about her. “Besides, I’m good at taking care of myself.”
“You know the girls love you. Katie has been bugging her mom about coloring the tips of her hair purple like yours.”
Ally laughed. “What did Jennie say?”
“She said, not now. Told her that when she’s sixteen she could color her hair any shade she liked.”
“Good answer. Smart wife you’ve got.” She pushed through the revolving door and went to work.
Hours passed, and Ian still hadn’t shown up—she was getting a crick in her neck from having one eye on the entrance. Must have been after eight when she finally spotted him at the front door, chatting with Byron and Charlie.
He glanced in her direction and gave a small wave. Her heart gave a sharp thud.
The restaurant had emptied out some, but his favorite table was taken. She gestured him toward another table with a window seat, and put down a place setting. Her pulse was beating double time. Why was he affecting her this way? He never had before—until she saw him naked in her shower.
Now her darn hormones were acting up, getting all riled over nothing. Not that he was nothing. Body wise, he was well, very nice indeed. Big, solid. Manly.
She bit back a silly grin. “Hi, Chief. How did the rest of your night go? Arrest anyone? Give out any speeding tickets? Jay-walking? Gum chewing or spitting? Anything?”
He slipped into the booth, and once seated he lifted his eyes to hers. They were like dark brown Bing cherries, and made her insides flip.
“Didn’t see anyone spit, but if I did he or she’d be locked up right now.” He lightly pounded the table with his fist. “Won’t have any of that going on in my town.”
She smiled and rubbed her hands together. “That’s what I like about you. You’re a man who gets things done. Won’t put up with any nonsense. No sirree.”
He relaxed back in the seat. “How’s Speed doing?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t we phone and ask him?”
He chuckled. “Always got a quick answer, don’t you?”
“Better than a late one.” She put a hand on her hip and tilted her head. “Speaking of which. I thought you were coming in for dinner. It’s getting late. What are you having?”
“Has Nick got anything keeping warm? I don’t want to trouble him at this late hour.”
“It’s not that late. Even for this sleepy little town. But he does have a yummy venison stew. Also a turkey pot pie.”
“Stew sounds good. Got any sourdough bread with that?”
“Pretty sure we do.” She didn’t race off as she usually did. Instead, she wanted to linger and flirt a little more. Flirting with Ian Brown was becoming a pleasant pastime. She knew it wouldn’t go any further, so it was a safe, fun thing to do. It also made her happy, and feeling happy with all this crazy stuff going on, was pretty darn nice.
“You want a coffee?” she asked.
“I drink too much of that stuff. How about an iced tea? It’s plenty warm in here with the fireplace.”
“Coming right up.” She added double lemon to his glass, dropped it at his table, then checked on her other customers. Charlie had her butt hitched on a bar stool and was talking with Byron. She wondered if they’d done it yet, from the way their gazes lingered on one another, she’d bet the answer to that was yes.
Not that it mattered one way or another. None of her business either. Just because she wasn’t getting any, didn’t mean other people shouldn’t. Heck! The last time she’d had sex was six months after she’d dumped Jimmy. It hadn’t been a stellar experience—considering she’d been uptight the entire time. Afterwards, she’d tried talking to her date about it, but he hadn’t been interested enough to call her again.
Asshole.
She couldn’t imagine Ian acting like that. He’d want to know why the woman underneath him was unresponsive, and he’d probably make an effort to resolve the problem. She wondered what his wife had been like, and why she’d let him go.
Maybe she hadn’t. Maybe she’d fought hard to keep her man, but Ian had lost interest or found someone who interested him more. Whatever. Not likely that she would ever ask him, or that he’d volunteer the information.
She cleared a table after a foursome left, then mopped it clean and added fresh cutlery for the following day, or a late drifter. With all the new people in town celebrating the holidays, they had people coming in at all hours. Sometimes she didn’t get out before ten or ten thirty.
“Ally?” Ian called out to her. “You look lost in thought. Did you forget about my stew?”
“No. I didn’t forget,” she said quickly, although in fact she had. “Nick had a take-out order he was preparing, but let me check on yours.”
Nick had nuked the stew for her, and now it was steaming hot with two large slices of sourdough bread on the side. He wouldn’t lose weight eating like this, she decided, but the man
looked good with some meat on his bones.
“Here you go,” she plopped it down in front of him. “Fresh bread too.”
“Thanks. Wish I could ask you to join me, but you’re still working. I purposely waited, hoping the place might be empty.”
“Really? That’s the reason you’re late?” She grinned and batted her eyelashes, in mock flirtation. “Why, sir! Did you come in here to see little ole’ me?”
“You might be my favorite waitress, and for sure this is the best food in town.” He dipped the bread in his piping hot stew, and bit into it.
She stood there watching him for a moment. He put his bread down, looked up at her with a raised brow. “What?”
“Nothing.” She glanced around at the other tables, and no one needed her immediate attention. Her heart raced. Did she dare ask him?
“What is it, Ally?”
“It’s just…just a silly question,” she stammered. “I was wondering, if you’re not doing anything later, would you like to come visit Speed?” She sucked in a breath, and let it out in a rush. “I enjoyed sharing the burger and fries with you. I could bring home another pot of that stew.” Why was she trying to entice him home with good food? The way to a man’s heart? No. Surely not. She just wanted some good sex. That’s all.
He dropped his fork on the table and his eyes held hers for a long moment. “So you’re inviting me over?”
“That’s what it sounded like. But I won’t be upset if you say no.” She shifted her feet, annoyed at herself. Sure, she wanted to get laid as much as the next girl, but with the chief of police? Couldn’t she find some nice guy in town who could do the job, show her a good time or two, and then they could both go their separate ways? Made sense, but she didn’t know any nice boys in town. And she wanted a man. A real man and she knew Ian Brown was all that and more.
“Why would I do that?”
“Do what?” Come visit her? Was it that bad of an idea?
“Say no.” He picked up his fork and stabbed a piece of meat.
“Well because…you might have better places to go. People to meet,” she added with a self-deprecating smile.
“In this town?” He grinned. “Your place sounds like the number one hot spot to me.”
Her stomach jumped, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from his sexy smile. “I’ve got to finish up. Stop looking at me like that. You’re making me nervous.”
“Why? I want to protect you. Make you feel safe.” His deep brown eyes were steady on hers. “Me and Speed. That’s our job.”
“I’m not sure how safe I am with you around. It’s probably not a good idea.” She fled to the kitchen before her big mouth confessed anything more.
CHAPTER NINE
Ian hung around until closing time, then he followed her home. She knew she might be starting something that would be difficult to stop, but truthfully she did feel unsafe going home alone. She’d never felt that way before, but she was unsettled, her stomach jumpy ever since the skunk incident. Her gut was usually dead on, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that even if she didn’t see him, Jimmy was near.
How he could have found her after all this time, she had no idea. And maybe she was wrong, but she didn’t plan to let her guard down. Ian made her feel safe. His protection would allow her to sleep better. And if they shared the same bed…well…who would know and who would care? They were both grown adults and could do whatever they pleased. They didn’t owe anyone an explanation. Not even each other.
She told herself all this as she drove back to her place, and it was with a sense of relief when his cruiser parked behind her and she didn’t have to enter her home alone.
“Ya know, I could give you a speeding ticket,” he told her as she unlocked the side door.
She could hear Speed on the other side of the door. “Careful,” she told him. “Talking about speed, I put the dog’s bed in the laundry room. He might try to get out.”
She pushed the door open, keeping her foot out to keep Speed from escaping. Then she flicked on the light, happy to see it was still working.
“Hi, Speed.” Ian bent to scratch the dog behind the ears. “You like your new home?”
“I’m sure it beats a rescue shelter,” she told him, checking to see if his dish had enough food. “And it’s temporary, right?”
The pup jumped up on her, his paws on her chest, eager to lick her face. “Get down, mutt.” She pushed him off her. “So, back to the speeding ticket. How could you give me one when you obviously kept up with me?”
“A police officer has the right to tail any vehicle that appears to be breaking the law, which in your case, you were.”
She kicked off her shoes, and hung her coat on a hook. Ian did the same. Speed picked up one of Ian’s boots and ran off with it.
“Come back with that,” he called to the dog, who stopped running, looked at him, then took off again.
Ian dashed after the dog and wrestled the boot out of his mouth. He carried it back to the laundry room, found the other one and set them on the dryer—out of reach.
When he returned to the joint family room and kitchen area, she continued the conversation. “You wouldn’t have known how fast I was traveling if you weren’t following me,” she said, shaking her head. “So the way I see it is you don’t have legal grounds to ticket me.” She swirled to look at him. “But just in case, how about if I bribe you with a glass of wine?”
“Can’t take a bribe, ma’am, but if you’re offering me a friendly drink, well, I’ll be pleased to accept. Don’t want to see a young lady drinking alone.”
“Good. Would you mind opening it? I want to freshen up and change out of my work clothes.”
“I can handle it. Where do you keep the corkscrew?”
“First drawer on the right of the dishwasher.”
“Any particular bottle?” He eyed the rack with six quality wines. “Nice selection,” he said viewing the labels.
“Working at Nick’s I’ve learned a few things about the importance of good wine and good food. Help yourself,” she told him as she headed down the hall.
She quickly brushed her teeth, took a two-minute shower, then put on a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeved tee. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was warm and cozy, and she felt fresh and clean. What happened next was debatable.
Ian was sitting on the couch, his feet on the coffee table. Speed sprawled next to him on the floor. Two full glasses of red sat waiting on the side table. “You look comfortable,” she told him, thinking how easily she could get used to coming home to this.
He patted the seat next to him and handed her a glass.
“Thanks.” She sat down, tucking her feet under her, and leaned against the arm so she could face him instead of the TV. She raised her glass in a toast. “Cheers. Thanks for being here.”
“I live to serve and protect,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, then clinked glasses with her. “You have a nice place here, but I wish you’d close your damn curtains.” He nodded toward the big picture window that faced the lake. “Great view, but also for seeing in. Aren’t you worried?”
“Not during the day, and not when you’re here.” She sipped on her wine.
“Ever have bears coming around, scrounging for food?”
“Sure. Bears don’t bother me. People do.”
He had an arm flung over the back of the couch and turned to face her. His eyes lost their sparkle, and his brow crinkled with worry. “That’s an odd way to think. One bad experience shouldn’t turn you against the whole human race.”
“Not the whole human race. Just men. Most men.” She sucked in her bottom lip and glanced at the wine, instead of his face. “They scare me.”
“And I don’t?” he asked, a question burning in his dark chocolate eyes.
“No. At least not yet.” She shrugged her shoulders, and burrowed further into the corner. “You kind of remind me of a big, ole bear. Fuzzy, furry…and…strong,” she answered lamely. “Not just strong, but
dependable. You know what a bear’s going to do, and if he attacks it’s for a good reason. That’s how I think of you.”
He mulled that over for a minute. “I don’t attack.”
“But if you did it would be for a good reason.”
“I guess you’re right on that. But a bear?”
“Sort of.” Her lips curved into a smile. “But I say that fondly. In the best possible way.”
He laughed. “Fuzzy and furry. Really?” He scratched his chin, which had a twenty-four hour shadow. His belly hung over his belt, and his shirt was stretched over his massive chest. He noticed and sat up straighter.
“Well, kind of. You have dark curly chest hair all the way to your naval. And your legs are hairy.”
He’d just taken a sip of wine, and now sputtered his drink. “Sheesh. Not very attractive image you have of me.”
“Oh, it’s attractive enough.” She lifted the glass to her mouth and sipped, eyeing him over the glass.
She liked making him laugh. It was a deep rumbling sound—like that of a bear.
“Bet you had teddies as a kid,” he said, stroking the stem of his glass.
“Yup. Still do. I have a chest full of them. In the bedroom.”
“You brought them with you when you moved?”
She shook her head no.
“Did you leave Connecticut and come straight here?”
“I’d never heard of Heaven, Pennsylvania until I stumbled upon this place.” She tilted her head back and closed her eyes for a sec. “And as far as teddies, I started collecting them during my travels. I moved around a lot the first couple of years. I was frightened, lonely, and couldn’t call my parents—or go home. Couldn’t even keep in touch with my friends.”
“That must have been tough.”
“It was. I was all alone—really, really alone. Not like now. Here I have Nick, and Byron, and now Jennie and the girls. Before coming here I had no one I could talk to or confide in. Never stayed anywhere for more than six months. I couldn’t risk it.”
“What changed your mind when you got here?” His eyes were kind as he watched her and she knew he’d never judge her harshly.
A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION Page 24