Angel's Lake Box Set: Books 1-3 (Angel's Lake Series)

by Jody Holford

  “I think that’s half a minute longer in heaven than you’re allowed,” Lucy joked, happy to see Char smile. Lucy wandered over with her pecking niece. The kitchen was separated from the sitting area by an L-shaped counter. A small, round table sat in the center. Sitting, Char motioned for her to do the same.

  “I think Carmen’s right. She’s hungry,” Lucy said, smiling down at Mia as she sat.

  “She’s good for another couple of minutes. I’m going to switch to formula,” Char told her. Lucy wasn’t sure if she was supposed to have an opinion about that, so she just nodded her head.

  “Everything okay with you and Luke?” Lucy asked tentatively. She had always been able to talk to Charlotte about everything. But right now, she felt like her sister had an invisible, and somewhat impenetrable, shield cloaking her.

  “Things are fine. We’re good. Tired. New parents with a five-year-old tired, but we’re good. Speaking of good—how’s our town protector? Dad says you’ve been spending copious amounts of time with him.”

  Lucy bounced Mia in her arms while Char held her gaze. She wondered, for a moment, why her dad had been talking to Char about her at all. Stop over- analyzing. Still, she felt a twinge of resentment and misplaced jealousy. Why hadn’t her dad talked to her about Alex?

  “You going to answer me?” Char asked, amusement lacing her tone. She twisted her wedding ring as she spoke, and Lucy’s eye was drawn to the delicate platinum bands, one with a diamond in the center.

  “Things are fine,” Lucy replied, throwing her sister’s words back at her with a cheeky grin. “We’re just hanging out.”

  “Alex isn’t really the hang-out type. In fact, I can’t think of him hanging out with any one woman on a regular basis.”

  That information sent a thrill through her but she tried to keep her voice playful. “Well, I am more alluring than most women.” She wasn’t sure what to do with the pleasure it gave her to know Alex might be falling as hard as she was. Or the sickness in her stomach when she thought about leaving before she had time to find out.

  Mia gave a short cry then returned to rooting around Lucy’s neck, which tickled. The moment was enough to remind her she didn’t have to worry about something that wasn’t happening. Right now, she was here with no plans of going anywhere and Alex wanted only her. She’d focus on that.

  “Of course. The one that can’t be tamed is always alluring,” Char said. Her tone was teasing, but the words still cut Lucy’s heart. There was no humor in her voice when she asked. “Tamed? Cause I’m a wild horse? Seriously?”

  Char held up a hand. “Hey. I was just joking. And yeah, you kind of are the wild card of the family. And that’s not a bad thing,” Charlotte said. Lucy bit her lip. If she and Kate only knew how much of a wild card she really was. Still, the hurt in her chest was soothed by Char’s genuine tone. She felt the barrier shift, like there was a chance for them to really connect. Finally. Lucy heard the door and smiled when Luke walked back in with a large jar of peanut butter.

  “This should last us for a while. What do you think, Carmen?” he asked, tossing his keys onto the counter. Carmen looked up and smiled brightly at her dad, making Lucy wish she had her camera out and ready.

  “Can we have peanut butter sandwiches now?”

  “Sure. Come help me make one,” Luke answered.

  Lucy smiled at the way Carmen clutched the photo album to her chest as she walked into the kitchen with them. Luke was a good dad. Alex would be a good dad like Luke. Before she completed the thought in her own head, her pulse tripled. She’d been home two weeks and Alex was one of the longest relationships of her adult life. What the hell was she doing thinking of him as a dad? Or herself as a mom. But something in the way Luke was with Carmen pulled at Lucy’s heartstrings and made her wonder. Wondering was as dangerous as wandering. Both led to uncertain paths.

  “Aunt Lucy took all of these photos,” Carmen told her mom without releasing the album.

  “She’s a very good photographer,” Char responded. Lucy glanced at her with an appreciative smile, warmth multiplying inside of her chest.

  “Speaking of which, I was hoping to do some family shots of you four, now that there’s a new addition. I also want to talk to you, Luke, about posing for the calendar idea I had,” Lucy told them. Standing, she moved toward Char and then put Mia in her arms. Char stood and moved into the living room, making way for Carmen to sit down while Luke continued making her a sandwich at the counter.

  “Is your calendar featuring geeky accountants?” he joked, a wide grin in place. In jeans and a T-shirt, he didn’t look like any other accountants she knew.

  She gestured to him. “Right, because you fall into the geeky category. Hey, how come you’re not at work?” she asked, taking a sip of juice and watching Carmen look through all of the photos again.

  “You didn’t tell her, Char?” He glanced at his wife, who was snuggled into the corner of the couch, discreetly nursing Mia. Looking over at Lucy, he placed a sandwich in front of Carmen. “What do you say, Carmen?”

  Carmen continued to turn the pages. Luke placed his large hand over hers, but she pulled away and tried to turn the pages again. “Carmen.” His voice was sharp but low. Carmen looked up at him. Her brows pinched together, and her small mouth puckered in a frown. “This is mine.”

  “And you can look at it when you finish your sandwich. What do you say?”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Luke’s face became less strained when Carmen uttered the words grumpily and began to eat her sandwich. Lucy didn’t know what to make of the exchange or the family dynamics. She was hardly an expert—on anything, really—but she had spent the last ten years of her life surrounded by people of all walks of life, all ages and abilities. No one spoke of Carmen’s behavior as anything out of the ordinary, and her sister and Luke—and the rest of her family—were wonderful with her, but Lucy couldn’t help wondering what good it would do any of them to pretend everything was status quo.

  “Tell me what?” she asked, redirecting her thoughts.

  Luke poured Carmen a glass of milk while Char made herself more comfortable, tucked her feet under her on the couch, and stroked the bits of light brown hair on Mia’s head.

  “I’m going back to work. Luke is going to work from home. We’re feeling the strain with me being off. And we’re looking into getting some help.” Char’s eyes moved to Carmen when she said help, lightening Lucy’s heart with the realization that they were confronting their daughter’s challenges. The bang on the table when Luke placed the glass of milk down startled Mia and Carmen. Luke’s face colored slightly. He grabbed a cloth to wipe up the spilt milk.

  “It just makes more sense for me to stay home since Char can’t exactly fix teeth here.”

  “I think it’s great. All of it. As long as you guys are happy and doing what you need to do for your family, that’s all that matters. Maybe I can help out a bit? Give you a break one day a week or something?” Lucy suggested to Luke, bringing her glass to the sink and rinsing it.

  “For what? A few weeks while you’re home?” Char asked. A sharp, quick pain stabbed Lucy in the chest. So much for connecting. But she smiled around it and pushed back the hurt at the sarcasm in her sister’s voice.

  “Char. That’s a really nice offer, Luce. We’ll take you up on it anytime,” Luke replied, smoothing things over with a less-than-subtle glare at his wife.

  “Sure,” Lucy said too brightly, avoiding eye contact with either of them. She picked up her camera case, unhooking the latches as Char finished up with Mia.

  “Well, if you guys are okay with a few candid shots, I’ll do some of those now. I’ll let you know when I need you for the calendar, Luke.”

  Chapter Ten

  Alex put his hand on his gun, not something he had to do often in Angel’s Lake. He and Cam, one of his younger deputies, walked to the door of the pub on the outskirts of town. The Catfish was basically the only place
within fifty miles that people could go to dance, and it was usually crowded with twenty- somethings. Alex shook his head when he realized that he still fell into that category. Sure doesn’t feel like it most days.

  “Keep your hand on your weapon, but keep it holstered, alright, Cam?” he said, pulling the heavy, scarred door open. Cam was only a month on the job and showed a lot of drive and enthusiasm. But he also looked downright scared about going into the Catfish to deal with the drunk and disorderly call they had received about ten minutes ago. Cam nodded his head, his eyes wide; his military haircut made his forehead seem too big.

  The sound of country music rang out into the starless night. The waft of colognes and perfumes, sweat, and beer raged out at them as if opening the doors had been the escape hatch for the combined scents. A couple—probably a little too young to be there—clung to each other, kissing, the girl giggling as they moved past Alex and Cam. Alex could hear shouting over the din, laughter that was too loud and too phony.

  Walking in, he noticed it was not as crowded as it had sounded. The stained, carpeted floor was some sort of geometric pattern meant to hide the nasty things that happened to spill nightly. A long, scuffed, and well-used bar took up almost the whole back wall. Two steps led up to a few pool tables that always had a line of quarters waiting. Through the dim lighting and the cloud of needy desperation that filled the room, Alex saw Davey Morgan towering over a woman, his arm raised to strike. Alex lengthened his stride and nodded to Fast Eddie, the bartender and owner who was anything but fast. Grabbing Davey’s wound up arm, Alex swung him around, placing his foot behind Davey’s heel. The other man turned sharply, and he tripped and fell back onto his ass. Letting out a stream of curses, some of which Alex was sure Davey had invented, he looked up and glared at Alex.

  “What the fucking hell?” Davey sputtered, a slur elongating his enunciation. Eddie meandered over, his large stomach peeking between his T-shirt and jeans, crossed his arms over his wide chest, and frowned.

  “He’s been cussing and screaming like that at all my customers. Won’t go home. Won’t settle down,” Eddie drawled out. The music switched to a slow number, and the pool table balls smashed together as if to emphasize the shift in tone. Davey started swearing again, and Alex kicked him with his boot.

  “Shut up,” Alex instructed over the noise. He looked toward Cam and nodded, which brought Cam shuffling closer to pull Davey up by the arms. “Get your hands off me, boy! You know who I am?”

  “This here is Davey Morgan, Cam. He’s our town drunk and all-around loser. Davey, this is Cam. He’s our newest deputy and the one who’s going to escort you to our fine establishment back at the sheriff’s office,” Alex introduced, hiding his grin. Hell, maybe he wasn’t being professional, but there were some perks to this part of the job.

  “You okay, ma’am?” Alex asked the wide-eyed blonde watching them, still looking a little frazzled.

  “I told him we should go. I told you we should go, Davey,” she replied, her voice low and breathy. Alex wondered if she was scared of Davey or of ending her night in a cell.

  “Did you come here with Davey?” Alex asked. She nodded. Alex looked back at Davey, who had stopped talking altogether. His ragged, whiskered face made Alex wonder if he looked anywhere near that old. Time had not been a friend to Davey. Correction. Davey has not been a friend to Davey. The man’s plaid shirt was untucked, and his jeans rode low on his thin hips. He was truly the definition of disheveled. His hair looked like it hadn’t been combed in a week and was sticking up at odd angles. Stepping a bit closer, Alex squinted to see what was making Davey’s hair stand up.

  “What the hell is in your hair?” he asked, reaching out. Davey tried to swat Alex’s hand away, but Cam held both his arms strong and steady. “You gonna take him out of here?” Eddie interrupted after being called by one of the waitresses.

  “Yeah. Thanks for phoning, Eddie .”

  “No problem, Sheriff. Davey, you know you’re welcome in here when you can behave yourself.”

  With that, Eddie shuffled his large girth back behind the bar, tucking his shoulder-length, curly locks behind his ears before grabbing a glass to pour some beer.

  “What’s in your hair?” Alex asked again.

  “Nothin’ man. How do I know? Shit, can this punk-ass kid let me go now? My arms are fallin’ asleep,” Davey whined.

  Alex looked down at Davey’s date. She was probably a couple of years younger than them, and even in the deceitful glow of the bar lights, Alex could see she was relatively attractive.

  “You can do better. Do you have a ride home?”

  “Yes. I have a friend here. She’s dancing. I’ll see you later, Davey.”

  Muttering under his breath, Davey didn’t say bye as the girl made her way to the other side of the bar where people were crowding the dance floor. “Let’s take him in,” Alex said.

  Looks like Cam was going to get taught quite a few things tonight, He took a breath of the fresh, crisp air and felt thankful that he didn’t see the need to spend his nights off in places like The Catfish.

  Alex rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands after he dropped his keys onto the hallway entry table. Shrugging off his jacket, then tossing it on a chair, he toed his shoes off and left them in the middle of the hall. He was tired. Not sleep tired—though he was that, too—but he hated not being able to put all of the pieces together. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and shuffled toward his bedroom. His breath caught as he stepped through the doorway, and every other thing slipped away.

  Lucy lay curled on her side, her hair falling into her face like it was a blanket for her cheek. Her hands were up near her chin, and Furball was nestled against her, curled into Lucy’s stomach, purring loudly. His ears pricked up when Alex gulped in a breath of air. He moved to the other side of the bed and put his water down on the nightstand. Chucking his shirt off, Alex tossed it into the corner, somewhere near his laundry hamper. His pants were thrown in the same direction, leaving his boxers on, and he lay down on the bed. He curled into her, his hand on her hip, and breathed her all the way in until he felt like she was nestled inside of him. He would never be able to get her out. She stirred and Furball stopped purring. Alex moved closer, wanting to just be near her, to feel her breathe in and out, which she did with a shuddery sigh.

  “Hey,” she whispered, turning her head to look up at him in the dark. His eyes had adjusted, but even if they hadn’t, he’d know her face, every line, every crinkle, the way her lips barely moved when she spoke in her sleepy voice.

  “Hi, sleepyhead.”

  He kissed her cheek and felt it move in a smile. She was warm even though she was on top of the covers … or maybe that was him. He felt overheated. “I fell asleep.”

  “I noticed. I’m pretty observant like that. Looks like Furball took advantage of you.”

  She laughed quietly, and stroked the cat’s back. Furball gave one meow and, clearly offended at the intrusion, jumped off of the bed. Lucy shifted herself around, almost kneeing him where he really didn’t want to be kneed, and snuggled into him. She ran her hands over his arms as he kissed the tip of her nose.

  Pressing her lips to his bare chest, she asked, “Aren’t you cold?”

  “Nah. I’m good. Were you waiting for me?”

  “Maybe. How was your night?”

  “Long.” He pulled her tighter against him and she straightened her knees. The tip of his nose touched hers, and she continued to slide her hands up and down his body like she was soothing him, or maybe herself. “You okay?”

  “Yes. I spent some time with my sister and Luke today. And Carmen.”

  “They’re a nice little family.”

  “Yes. But I’m worried about them,” she admitted, biting her lip and shifting her face. Her eyes almost glowed in the darkness. “Because of Carmen or because of them?”

  “Why would you ask me if it was because of Carmen?” She asked, surprised.

  Her body didn�
��t stiffen, so he didn’t think she was offended; still, he didn’t want to say the wrong words. He rolled onto his back and pulled her with him so she was lying across his chest. The heat in the house kicked on, making the radiator stutter a few times. It’d be time to turn that off soon, he thought idly.

  “She’s a great kid. Sweet. Smarter than any kid I’ve met her age,” he replied. “Have you met a lot of kids her age?”

  “We do visits to the elementary schools—me and some of the deputies. Sam’s fiancée, Anna, teaches grade two. She does this whole thing on community helpers. Not a lot, I guess. But enough.”

  “Enough to know she’s different.”

  He hated that it wasn’t a question and that her voice sounded sad when she spoke. He turned his face to her, but she was staring at his ceiling. When she turned to meet his gaze, her eyes were damp, but she smiled at him and then leaned in to kiss him.

  “You arrest any bad guys tonight?” she asked.

  Lucy held Alex’s gaze, but her stomach wouldn’t settle. She had started the conversation, but she didn’t want to finish it now. His eyes watched her closely, like he could see too much.

  “Actually, yes,” he finally said. His eyes were tired but his voice hardened. “Our old pal Davey Morgan. He was causing a bunch of trouble out at The Catfish.”

  “Geez. The Catfish. I forgot that place was there. I guess some things never change,” she murmured, moving so she was on her side again, her head resting on his bicep. Despite the warmth in the room, she shivered a bit. Now that she wasn’t sleeping, she felt a bit chilled.

  “Yeah. Davey hasn’t changed at all. We ended up throwing him in a cell for the night. He’ll sleep it off and be at it again within a day or two. He had paint in his hair.”

  “What?” She sat up, pulled her knees up to her chest, and looked down at him. His hand came to rest on the small of her back as he continued.