Everyday Hero

by Jo Leigh

  Just as Kate was about to open the fridge, T.J. came in from the back. He’d changed into a pair of worn jeans and a western shirt. His hair was damp from a shower and his cheeks freshly shaved. “Going on a date?” she asked.

  His brows went up and he turned to Molly. “Hey—”

  “It’s a surprise,” Molly said, cutting off T.J.’s question. “You and Captain Marvel here are going to dinner. On us.”

  Kate leaned back against the fridge. “That is a surprise. May I ask why you’ve suddenly become so generous?”

  Molly smiled and shot a conspiratorial glance at Bobby. “It’s been a tough day. You deserve a break.”

  “So you’re sending us to McDonald’s, right?”

  “Nope. The Charthouse.”

  “You mean she didn’t know about any of this?” T.J. walked over to Molly and scowled at her. “You little—”

  “Chill, Cap’n,” Molly said, patting him on the arm in the most patronizing way possible. “This is a nice thing. A good thing. Just think. Real plates. Matching silverware. Dessert.”

  T.J. caught Kate’s gaze, then shrugged. “What do you think?”

  She turned to her protegee. “What are you two going to do?”

  “Don’t worry,” Molly said. “I won’t let him out of my sight. We’ll eat all our spinach and we’ll do our chores.”

  Kate shook her head. “Bobby? Do you promise to stay here tonight? To take it easy and go to bed early?”

  His smile had just enough mischief in it for Kate to add, “Alone?”

  “I promise. Jeez. Can’t even do a nice thing for people around here.”

  “Well, then. I guess that’s that. I best go change.”

  “You’d best,” Molly said, mocking her gently. She walked Kate to the kitchen door and into the halfway. “I really do have things under control. So don’t you worry and come back early. Go to a movie. Take a walk on the beach. Go to a motel.”

  “Molly!”

  She grinned. “It’s not healthy, you know.”

  “And just how would you know this?”

  “Cosmo, of course. You don’t think I would ever—”

  “I think you have entirely too much free time.”

  Molly laughed and twirled in a complete circle, both hands high over her head like some demented ballerina.

  Kate shook her head and went on to her bedroom.

  Sipping her wine, Kate stared out the restaurant window at the night sky. The cool liquid turned warm in her throat and all the way down, filling her with an amazing sense of well-being.

  “Should I get another bottle?” T.J. asked. “We’ve done this one in.”

  She turned away from the window and smiled at the view right across from her. He’d been on his best behavior tonight. She’d laughed a lot, learned a few things and even more than that, she’d felt like a girl. A flirty, feminine, pretty girl with batting eyelashes and pink cheeks. The moment he’d held her chair for her, she’d decided she was on a date. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t really. She needed a date and a guy paying attention to her and damn it, she’d even giggled. She might even giggle again, if she felt like it.

  “Sure,” she said. “I’m in no rush.”

  He signaled the waiter and asked for another bottle of Chablis, then turned his attention fully on her again. That was part of the magic. He’d listened to her all evening. Every word. He’d asked questions, paid attention.

  “So, you were telling me about your brothers,” he said. “Five of them, right?”

  She nodded. “All super-jocks. You ever hear of Caleb Dugan? He’s with the Houston Rockets.”

  “basketball? Can’t say I follow the game.”

  “Smart man. Stay clear of those pro sports.”

  “Had enough of them growing up, huh?”

  “Morning, noon and night. It was a religion in my family. We said our nightly prayers to Vince Lombardi. Everything we did, we did for the Gipper.”

  “It must have been hard for you.”

  The waiter brought the second bottle of wine and made a production of showing the label, pulling the cork and pouring that little taste for T.J. After his nod, the waiter filled their glasses, bowed and left.

  “It wasn’t hard. It was all I knew. My father did a hell of a job raising us on his own. Believe me, we were a handful.”

  “You’re the youngest?”

  “Yep. You wouldn’t believe how they spoiled me. I think they all felt responsible for me, after Mom died. You should have seen them. I remember my grammar school graduation. It was no big deal, I mean, everyone passed. But when they called out my name, this huge roar came from the back of the auditorium. It was my family, of course. Shouting and hollering as if I’d just won the Heisman.”

  “It must have been great.”

  She studied T.J.’s eyes for a minute. She saw pleasure there, interest. And a little sadness, too. “Not like your family, eh?”

  He laughed. “You could say that.”

  She sipped again and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “You are a very fine looking man,” she said. “Despite the fact that you know it.”

  T.J. leaned forward too, until they were eye-to-eye. “I think you’re drunk.”

  She shook her head. “Maybe. But that doesn’t change anything. You really are gorgeous.”

  His smile sort of blossomed and it was contagious, because then she had to smile, too.

  “You’re pretty gorgeous yourself.”

  “No I’m not, but thanks anyway.”

  “You calling me a liar?”

  She put her glass down. “Yeah. But a polite liar.”

  He reached across the table until his fingers touched her arm. Then he drew a lazy line all the way up and back down again. She shivered with the contact, the closeness, the warmth in her belly that wine had nothing to do with.

  “Maybe we should get out of here,” he whispered. ‘Too many people, you know.”

  “Uh-uh,” she said. “Don’t forget the rules. Just because I think you’re pretty, doesn’t mean I’m going to jump in bed with you.”

  “We need to talk about that decision. I think we were a bit hasty.”

  She laughed. “That’s the wine talking. And the moon.”

  “I don’t think so. Very specific body parts clearly share this opinion. Important body parts.”

  “I make your toes curl, do I?”

  He blinked a few times. “That’s an interesting way to put lit.”

  “Don’t forget,” she said. “I have five big brothers. You have to be careful with me, Detective. Or else.”

  “They’ll come after me, huh?”

  “Yep. And if you aren’t perfect, they’ll make sure you hit the road.” She leaned back, breaking that silken bond between his fingers and her flesh. “They’ll chase you right out of town and I’ll think you left because of something I did” She turned to the window again and watched the cold, dark ocean.

  “The guy in the picture, right? That’s what happened?”

  “Hmm?” She turned to T.J. again. The room had grown chilly and she rubbed her hands over her arms. “It’s late,” she said. “We’d better be getting back.”

  He didn’t move. He looked at her so intently she had to lean back.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “It must have been hard.”

  “Do we have the check yet?”

  “Kate.”

  “Hmm? What?”

  “Can’t we talk about it?”

  She got her purse from the back of her chair and put it on the table. “There’s nothing to talk about. It was nothing.”

  “If it was nothing, why do you want to run?”

  She sighed, the tightness in her chest making her more uncomfortable than she cared to admit. “It’s all ancient history. I don’t know why I brought it up.”

  “Go on.”

  She almost demurred, but then he gave her a smile. It wasn’t much, just a little grin on one side of his mouth. What the hell.<
br />
  “His name was Kevin Anderson. I met him in college. We fell in love and I thought everything was great up until the day he disappeared. A few days later, I found out why he split. My brothers had made it very clear that he wasn’t up to snuff. They told him to get lost and he did. I yelled at my brothers and they yelled back. I mourned for an appropriate amount of time, then moved on. It’s all better now. There. That’s it. The whole ugly story.”

  T.J. let out a long breath. “So why haven’t there been others?”

  “There have been others. Lots of them.”

  “Yeah? How come I didn’t see their pictures?”

  “They weren’t photogenic.”

  “Your nose is getting longer, Pinocchio.”

  “Can we just leave? This isn’t fun.”

  His look made her feel like a coward. “Okay, sorry,” she said. “You’re right. I am avoiding the real issues, but it’s been a long, hard day. All I want to do is forget the rest of the world and take a walk on the beach. I promise, we can talk about this tomorrow. I’ll even cry, if you like.”

  “I don’t want to see you cry. I want you to be happy.”

  She was about to make a snide comment, but something about his voice, or maybe his eyes, made her stop. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  He didn’t acknowledge her. He just picked up the check and reached for his wallet.” Come on. Let’s blow this Popsicle stand.”

  She let him pay the bill and walk her outside, all the while thinking about Kevin and the pain she’d gone through when he’d left her and her devastation when she’d found out why.

  Was he so different from T.J.? Kevin had seemed like a nice guy. Funny, athletic, almost as handsome as the detective here. It never crossed her mind that he could be so ugly. Everything they’d said to each other had meant nothing. The fact that she’d loved him, had made love with him, turned out to be as unimportant as the old T-shirts he’d left behind.

  “I thought you wanted to walk on the beach?”

  T.J. stared at her quizzically and she realized she was just standing on the sidewalk. “Sorry, I was somewhere else.”

  “Well, be here, okay? With me? My ego is just big enough to insist that I be the center of attention.”

  She smiled, knowing his words were meant to perk her up, to forget that little trip down memory lane. “Right,” she said. “Let’s go.”

  He took her hand in his. She stiffened, almost pulled away, then forced herself to calm down. This was a friendly walk, nothing more. Holding hands was not a commitment, no matter how you sliced it.

  They reached the pier, but she shook her head and pointed to the beach. “I need to feel the water on my toes.” She led him to a bench and she took off her sandals while he removed his running shoes and socks.

  “Did I tell you how pretty you look in that dress?”

  She almost argued. “Thanks.”

  “I mean it. You’re something of a knockout, you know.”

  “Are we going to talk, or go to the beach?”

  He stood up and pulled her beside him. “You’re right. What was I thinking?”

  “No offense, Captain Marvel. I just want some quiet time, okay?”

  He nodded. In the dark, she couldn’t see the details of his face. All the same, she knew his expression, the consideration in his eyes, the slight, almost sad smile. She didn’t want to think about that. It was dangerous territory and she wasn’t up for it.

  They went down the steps and onto the cool sand. He led her past the pilings, right to the breakwater. Then they walked. Slowly, silently. Holding hands like lovers. She was grateful for the night. He wouldn’t be able to see the tears in her eyes.

  By the time they got back to the center, T.J. was beat. He wanted to fall into bed, preferably with the lady, but barring that little miracle, to go right to sleep. He’d wanted to ask her more questions, of course, but he’d kept his promise. They’d walked a long time without talking. He’d enjoyed being next to her all the same. She felt good there. Her strong hand in his, her long legs keeping up with his strides. Her bare feet more erotic then he cared to admit. He found himself thinking of ways to bring her out of her mood. It wasn’t the time for jokes, that was clear. Talking about himself wasn’t the ticket either. Just being there for her, letting her set the pace, the mood, seemed to be all she wanted of him.

  And damn, he wanted to please her. Not just tonight, either. He’d realized, halfway back to the car, that he wanted to be the kind of man this woman would not only like, but respect. He wanted her to look up to him, to seek his advice, to turn to him in a crisis.

  He might want it, but that didn’t mean it was going to happen. There was still the matter of who he really was to contend with. Ed Russo’s son. Teresa—

  “Thanks for everything, T.J.”

  Kate was looking at him, holding the back door to the center open.

  “It was my pleasure,” he said. “It was nice to get out, wasn’t it?”

  She nodded. “I’m awfully tired. I’m going in. Don’t hurry on my account.”

  He leaned forward to kiss her, but she ducked inside, leaving him alone, feeling a little foolish, in the parking lot. He grabbed the door just before it closed.

  “Hey, police man.”

  T.J. spun around, reaching for a gun that wasn’t there. Danny Arcola. He would recognize that voice anywhere.

  The light from the center was perfect for Danny. It made T.J. an excellent target. He closed the door, unlocking it first. Once it was shut, he struggled to adjust to the darkness.

  “What do you want, Arcola?”

  “Just thought I’d let you know something the cops didn’t. find out ”

  T.J. searched the space behind his car, the dark next to the Dumpster. Arcola’s voice seemed to be coming from there, but he couldn’t see, damn it. “And what would that be?”

  “Your little brother is in this up to his neck. He’s mine, police man. All mine.”

  “Why don’t you come say that to my face, instead of hiding like a girl?”

  Arcola laughed. “Check it out. The old man had a cross on his neck. It wasn’t there when he died.”

  “You want me to believe Bobby took it?”

  There was no response and T.J. knew Arcola was gone. He waited another few minutes, still searching the shadows for the son of a bitch, but it was no use. Danny had come on his own terms and T.J. had been helpless to stop him.

  There was only one question now. Had he told the truth about Bobby?

  Chapter 10

  The alarm startled him, but didn’t wake him. T.J. hadn’t slept much. His thoughts had him by the throat and wouldn’t let up. The problem was those thoughts hadn’t been about Bobby, but Kate.

  What was he going to do about her? Last night, they’d crossed a line. They’d moved to new ground where the stakes were damn high. If it had been any other woman, now would be the perfect time to jump ship. But it wasn’t another woman. It was Kate.

  If he screwed things up now, he would hurt her. It didn’t seem to matter that they hadn’t slept together. She’d given him a secret and, in a way, that was more intimate. The smart thing to do was nothing. To act as if they were still pals. Joke around, flirt a little, then get the hell out of Dodge.

  After all, she knew he wasn’t staying after the summer.

  He flipped the covers back and got up, anxious to get the day underway. He wanted to talk to Bobby, to find out once and for all if he’d been involved with the fire. T.J. would even follow Kate’s advice and listen to the kid, no matter what. But Danny’d had a reason for coming last night. Maybe it was just to make T.J. wonder, to put a wedge firmly between him and his brother. On the other hand, the visit could have been a victory announcement.

  He slipped on his robe and grabbed his toiletry kit, then walked quickly down the hall. Kate’s door was closed, so was Bobby’s. No one was in the bathroom and, heaven be praised, there was hot water.

  By the time he was dressed and aching
for coffee, the others had all gotten up. The bedroom doors were open, the rooms empty. T.J. thought Bobby might be in the shower.

  Taking no chances, he went to the kitchen. Kate was eating cereal and reading the comics. Peter found a word in his puzzle. Molly poured herself a cup of coffee. No one noticed T.J. He ducked back out and headed for Bobby’s room. There would only be a moment.

  His brother’s room was a mess, which actually comforted T.J. in some weird way. It was so typical of a teenager. Magazines and cassettes littered the floor next to dirty T-shirts and pants. Several soda cans lined the windowsill. The bed itself was a jumble of sheets, pillows and a comforter.

  He began the search with Bobby’s discarded jeans. He patted them down one after another and, for the first time in a long while, he felt like a cop. It felt lousy. He didn’t want to suspect Bobby, but what were his choices?

  After he’d checked the four pairs of jeans, he moved to the head of the bed and the junk beside it. Two more minutes and he would have to leave, even if he hadn’t searched everything. He moved aside an empty pizza box, knocked over a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. And there it was. A gold crucifix on a gold chain. T.J. had never seen it before. He lifted it slowly, the metal cool in his hand. It wasn’t ornate or inscribed, except for the eighteen-karat stamp on the back.

  A door slammed shut. T.J, closed his fist around the necklace, and darted into the hall. No one was there. He went back to his room and put the crucifix in his top drawer. He would hold on to it for a while, think about what he was going to do. Kate had made him promise not to jump to any conclusions, although this didn’t seem like a jump to him, just a hop.

  He would talk to her about it. Listen to her advice. When all that was done, he would confront Bobby. The game would be over. Danny would win.

  “You want to tell me what’s wrong?”

  T.J. looked up at the sound of Kate’s voice. She stood in his doorway, leaning against the frame.

  “I thought you had to meet with the city council tonight,” he said.

  “I did. I’m back.”

  He looked at his watch. It was after eight-thirty. He’d been sitting here, staring at the walls, for over an hour “How’d it go?”