She left Heather alone with Blake and went into the living room to make the calls in private. Somehow she would have to make up a believable story for Darcie. It wouldn’t be easy. The baby-sitter was too perceptive to accept anything but a very convincing reason why Gail would dump her daughter on her.
Darcie answered the phone right away, and sounded astonished to hear Gail’s voice. “I thought you were in California by now. What happened?”
“I had a...complication,” Gail said carefully.
“Aha. It wouldn’t happen to be a very tall complication, with come-hither gray eyes and a sexy smile, by any chance?”
Gail managed an uneasy laugh. Now that she’d been given an opening, she might as well run with it, she decided. “Something like that.”
“Well, good for you. You deserve a little fun in your life. Go for it, that’s what I say.”
Gail took a deep breath and crossed her fingers. “Darcie, I was wondering...Would you mind keeping Annie for me for a while? I’d like to spend some time...alone with him, if you know what I mean.”
She could feel the warmth creeping over her cheeks as Darcie murmured, “Oh, like that, is it. Of course I’ll keep her. For how long?”
Thank goodness Blake couldn’t hear the conversation, Gail thought, casting an anxious eye at the closed living-room door. “A few days? I’m not absolutely sure, to be honest. I’ll pay you, however long it is.”
There was a lengthy pause at the other end of the line, and she held her breath.
“Uh-oh,” Darcie said softly. “You really are getting involved. Are you sure about this?”
“Never been more sure.”
Darcie chuckled. “All right, it’s okay by me. The kids will love the company. She might even create a miracle and stop them from fighting with each other all the time. Make sure you bring plenty of clothes and some of her favorite toys. Then you can forget about her and have yourself a darn good time. You deserve it.”
“Bless you, Darcie. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for.”
“Hey, this is a business arrangement. No need to get mushy on me.”
She’d sounded gratified, though, and Gail smiled. “There’s just one more thing,” she said, hoping she wasn’t pushing her luck too far. “I’d rather Annie didn’t go to kindergarten while she’s there. I think she might feel the separation more if she’s in school. I don’t think it will hurt her to miss a few days. Do you mind? I’ll pay you for the extra time, of course.”
“No, you won’t. You’ll pay me the usual rate and of course I’ll keep her.”
Thanking her, Gail hung up. She dialed the number of the bookstore, hoping that some day she would be able to repay her friends.
Polly sounded just as surprised as Darcie had been to learn that Gail was still in town.
“I had a change of plans,” Gail told her. “I’ll explain when I get there.” She wondered if Polly would believe the story that she’d given Darcie. Probably not. Knowing Polly, though, she wouldn’t ask questions.
Starting to feel a little better, Gail went back to the kitchen to get her daughter ready to go to Darcie’s. “All set,” she said, in answer to Blake’s questioning look.
She turned to Heather, who was looking at the comic strips in the newspaper. “Honey, you’d better gather up what toys you want to take to Darcie’s house. Just don’t get too many, though, or they might get lost, and you don’t want that to happen.”
“I can’t pick up my dolly’s house,” Heather said, looking hopefully at Blake.
“I’ll come and get it for you when you’re ready to leave,” he promised her.
The little girl ran out of the kitchen, while Gail busied herself rinsing off the dishes.
“What did you tell Darcie?” Blake asked, just when she was beginning to hope he wasn’t going to mention it.
“I told her I’d changed my mind about taking Heather to California and that I wanted her to stay there for a few days, because I wanted some time alone.”
“Darcie didn’t ask why?”
“I think she formed her own ideas about that.” Gail could feel her cheeks growing warm again as a lengthy silence greeted that statement.
“I hope I’m not ruining your reputation,” Blake finally said, his voice sounding strained.
“Darcie’s not a gossip.”
“Well, when this is over, you can tell her the truth.”
And what was the truth? Gail wondered, as she stacked the last plate in the dishwasher. That she’d fallen for a tough, charismatic cop, dedicated enough to his job to be capable of turning his boyish charm on and off whenever the occasion called for it, managing in the process to break her heart? She didn’t think she wanted to confess that to Darcie.
“What about your friend at the bookstore?”
She dried her hands on a kitchen towel before answering him. “I’ll think of something to tell Polly.”
He was silent for a moment, apparently deep in thought. Then he said quietly, “I think you should tell her the truth.”
Startled, she looked at him. “The truth?”
“The whole story. That way she can be on guard, too. Especially if Stevens decides to grab you in the bookstore. At least one other person will know what’s going on. As long as you can trust her not to say anything to anyone else.”
She shrugged. “Why not? It’s not going to make a whole lot of difference anyway, is it? I mean, once you’ve done your duty and captured Mike, everyone’s going to know the whole story. This is a small town. You can hardly go around handcuffing an escaped convict and hauling him back to jail without someone sitting up and taking notice. I’m sure it will make headlines in the local newspaper, at the very least.”
“I’m sorry. I realize this is the last thing on earth you wanted, but I can’t see that we have any other choice.”
She wondered if he would realize that her bitterness was directed as much at him as it was the situation she found herself in. “Well, I’m not sure how Polly will feel about having a possible target for a killer working with her, but I know she will do everything she can to help. And she won’t say anything to anyone else. I can assure you of that.”
“Good, that makes me feel a little better.”
He sat drumming his fingers on the table, and she stole a glance at him. If only she could forget how he’d made her feel in his arms. If only she hadn’t spent all those wonderful hours getting to know him. If only she hadn’t met him at all, and had remained ignorant of what she could be missing.
But then she would never have known some of the most precious moments of her life. For a little while he’d made her feel like a desirable, attractive woman, instead of a mere possession to be owned, used and abused. For a little while, she’d known what it was like to really want a man.
“I left my car down the road a block or two,” Blake said, disrupting her unsettling thoughts. “I came in the back way yesterday afternoon. I’ll watch you leave this morning with Heather, just to make certain no one is following you, then I’ll wait for you to call before I pick up the car and take it back to the hotel.”
Gail’s heart skipped nervously. “You’ll be staying at the hotel?”
“No, I’ll be staying right here until this is over. After you’ve dropped off Heather at Darcie’s, I’d like you to swing by the hotel and pick me up. I’ll go with you to the bookstore, and then find some place to hang around without being too conspicuous.”
“All right.” He was issuing orders in the same dispassionate tone he might use for his fellow officers, instead of the woman he’d kissed so passionately the night before.
Damn, she thought fiercely. She had to forget all about that. It was nothing more than a moment’s weakness on his part, and it was unlikely to happen again. In fact, she would make darn sure it didn’t happen again.
For the first time in her life she’d felt the intense, sensual urges of an aroused woman. His rejection had been subtle, but it was rejection all the s
ame.
She may have been the one to call a halt last night, but he’d made it crystal clear that he regretted what had happened. He’d been driven by impulse, the way any man would respond to a woman who’d made it pretty obvious she enjoyed his company. Now that she was cooperating with him, he no longer needed to put on the charm.
Even so, she couldn’t quite stop the shivery spasm of anticipation she felt at the thought of being alone with him in the house all night. It was just as well he was indifferent. She had the distinct feeling that if she ever made love with Blake Foster, it would be an experience from which she might never recover.
Her nerves twitched when she bundled Heather into the car a few minutes later. It took all her willpower to keep from looking around over her shoulder. Act naturally, Blake had told her. The more normal things appeared, the more likely they would catch Mike off guard. Even so, she couldn’t help staring into the rearview mirror as she drove away from the house, half expecting a car to come careening around the corner in hot pursuit.
Blake, she knew, was hovering behind the drapes in the living-room window. He would watch her all the way down the road until she turned the corner.
If she thought she saw anyone following her, he’d told her, she was to double back to the house. Otherwise, she was to call him the minute she got to Darcie’s. Then he would leave the house and meet her back at the hotel.
To her immense relief, no one followed her on the way to Darcie’s house. But Heather, to her dismay, became tearful when she got ready to say goodbye.
“I promise I’ll call you, honey,” Gail said, as she hugged the little girl tight. “And you can call me any time you want, either at the bookstore or at home. Darcie will help you, won’t you, Darcie?”
“Of course I will. And I have a special treat for Annie after you’ve gone.”
Heather’s face brightened. “Really? Can I have it now?”
“Not until your mommy’s gone.” Darcie held out her hand. “So you’d better say goodbye to her real quick, now.”
Heather clung for a moment longer, then let go. “I’ll miss you, Mommy.”
“I’ll miss you, too, honey. Be good, okay?” Gail hurried down the path, feeling as if she were abandoning her child. Reaching the sidewalk, she turned and gave her daughter a quick wave, then climbed into the car and took off before she could change her mind about leaving her alone with Darcie.
Driving into the hotel parking lot a few minutes later, Gail began to feel a nervous fluttering in her stomach. All this time Heather had been there to act as a buffer between her and Blake. Except for those few brief moments last night, there had been no opportunity to be alone together.
Now there would be no one to defuse this somewhat volatile situation. Although Blake had chosen to ignore what had happened between them, the memory would still be there, hovering over them like a thunderbolt just waiting to strike when they least expected it.
No matter how much he wished it hadn’t happened, the fact remained that things had changed between them. There was no going back. The memory was bound to increase the tension between them. She shivered, wondering what would happen, should that tension break.
The foyer was empty when she went inside the Alpine Inn. Sam had disappeared, and after waiting a moment or two, Gail decided just to go on up to Blake’s room.
Tapping on his door a moment or two later, she looked furtively up and down the hallway. She felt as if she were engaging in a secret meeting with an illicit lover. The thought brought a flush to her cheeks and she jumped when Blake flung open the door.
“All clear?”
She nodded. “So far.” She was trembling, but whether it was from the cold, or fear, or simply the thought of being alone with this man unchaperoned by her daughter, she wasn’t sure.
“Okay, let’s go.”
He was carrying an overnight bag with him, which intensified the feeling of being involved in a clandestine arrangement. She tried not to look at it as they entered the elevator and rode it down to the ground floor.
She was relieved when Blake told her to go out ahead of him, and even more relieved to notice that Sam was still away from his post behind the counter. He was probably taking a lunch break, she thought, surprised to discover it was already midday.
Blake joined her in the car a few minutes later, and she drove quickly into town, parking in her usual spot opposite the bookstore. Polly’s car sat a few feet away, next to the two cars that belonged to the women in the antique store next door.
“I’ll stay here for now,” Blake said, when she sent him a questioning look. “What time will you leave this evening?”
“Around six, when Polly closes the shop.”
“I’ll be waiting for you here in the car.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “All right. I’ll need to stop at the store on the way home.” Already she was worrying what she should cook for dinner.
“Tell me what you want and I’ll pick it up for you. That way, we can go straight home.”
Home. This entire conversation sounded so domestic, and disturbingly intimate. She couldn’t look at him as she said, “I don’t know. What do you like to eat?”
Again she heard that odd note in his voice when he answered, “Why don’t I pick up a couple of steaks?”
“Sounds good to me. Can you grab some salad?”
“Sure. French bread?”
“Please.” She put her hand on the door handle.
“Gail.”
She paused, dreading what was coming, certain she wasn’t going to like it.
“You don’t have to be so nervous of me.”
“I’m not,” she said quickly. “I’m scared that Mike will hold up the store or something when you’re not around.”
“I’m not going to be that far away.”
She risked a glance at him. His face was carefully guarded, and she wished she knew what he was really thinking. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“Gail...I’m sorry about last night. I just want to reassure you that it won’t happen again.”
She felt a sudden spurt of resentment as she looked at him. How could he be so damn insensitive? How could he not know how she felt about him? Now, all at once, she wanted to hurt him back. “I’m glad to hear that, too,” she said coolly.
The swift sting of hurt pride reflecting in his eyes brought her no pleasure. Angry at herself, at him, at Mike and the world in general, she opened the door and climbed out. “I’ll see you tonight,” she said, and slammed the door.
The wind caught her hair as she crossed the road, blowing it across her face. She was glad of the excuse to brush it away. Now he would never have to know that she’d brushed a tear or two away with it.
Seated straight-backed in the car, Blake watched her until she’d gone inside the bookstore and closed the door behind her. He counted to twenty, his gaze fixed on the shop window, until he saw Gail appear briefly and give him a wave of her hand. Then he relaxed his tense body with a long, slow breath.
He still smarted over that well-aimed barb she’d delivered just before she’d scrambled out of the car. He recognized the tension she was under, and no matter what she said, he couldn’t quite convince himself that he wasn’t at least partly to blame for it.
He’d promised himself he wouldn’t get emotional over what had happened the night before. He’d done everything he could to get it out of his mind, but the memory persisted. It didn’t help that every moment he was with her, his body ached to hold her. He wanted to kiss her again, to feel the delicious curves of her body rubbing urgently against his, to run his hands over all the intimate places he hadn’t gotten to last night.
He couldn’t believe how much he still wanted her. No woman had ever aroused him like this. He was in deep trouble—far deeper than he’d first thought. It was going to be damn near impossible to walk away from her when all this was over.
He rolled down the window, needing the cool touch of the wind on his heated face. He had
to get through the next day or two without losing his head. The latest report he’d been given when he’d called headquarters earlier had said that someone fitting the description of Mike Stevens had held up a gas station a few miles south of Mellow Springs four days ago.
Which meant that either Stevens had been here in town for a day or two, or he was lying low until things quieted down before making his move.
Narrowing his eyes, Blake scanned the street in both directions. A middle-aged woman stood looking into the window of a jeweler’s shop three doors down from the bookstore. Farther along an elderly man stood talking to two young boys, while a woman with a dog crossed the road a few yards away.
He studied the rest of the people on the street. A kid on a bike, a couple of cars cruising down the road, both with women drivers, a delivery van pulled up in front of the hardware store—that was about the extent of it. Nothing suspicious, nothing out of place, nothing to make the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
Even so, he waited another half hour before climbing out of the car. He left the parking lot, walking at a fast pace, his gaze raking both sides of the street. Twice he stopped and checked out the area behind him in the reflection of a storefront window.
Finally satisfied that Mike Stevens was not in the vicinity, he walked down to the diner. He chose a table at the window where the checkered curtain hid him from view yet gave him a clear shot of the street, and settled down for a long, long wait.
Inside The Book Nook, Polly listened in silence, puncturing it now and again with a sympathetic murmur as Gait briefly recited the story of Frank’s murder and Mike’s part in it.
“I had no idea,” she said, when Gail finally finished the horrifying account. “You poor woman, no wonder you’ve been acting like a cricket with hiccups. Why didn’t you tell me all this before?”
Gail shrugged. “Well, first of all, I didn’t think you’d hire me if you knew I was a suspect in a murder case.”
“Rubbish,” Polly said briskly. “I’m a great judge of character. Anyone only has to look at you to know you couldn’t possibly have anything to do with murdering your husband.”
Every Waking Moment Page 13