Coming Back

by Tabitha J Arment

  COMING BACK

  By Tabitha J Arment

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2019 Tabitha J Arment

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address the publisher.

  ISBN: 978-1-7342858-0-2

  eBook Edition

  LCCN: 2019918708

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and events are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or places or persons is entirely coincidental.

  Made in the United States of America

  First Edition: December 2019

  Published by Tabitha J Arment

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my family and friends who believed in me even when I wasn't able to believe in myself.

  Contents

  COMING BACK

  Copyright

  Dedication

  PROLOGUE

  DAY 1

  DAY 2

  DAY 3

  DAY 4

  DAY 5

  DAY 6

  DAY 7

  DAY 8

  DAY 9

  DAY 10

  DAY 11

  DAY 12

  DAY 13

  DAY 14

  DAY 15

  DAY 16

  DAY 17

  DAY 18

  DAY 19

  DAY 20

  EPILOGUE

  Acknowledgement

  About the Author

  PROLOGUE

  Ilove this cafe. What with the fantastic coffee and the internet connection, nobody thinks twice about the amount of time that I spend here. Of course...I’m not here for the coffee. My interest in this cafe has more to do with its location than anything else. The apartment building across the street has been an obsession of mine for a year now. As the waitress walks by I wink to make her think I am here for her. Maybe she’ll be next. First I need to take care of the inhabitant of that apartment. There is a sort of poetry in making her wait a year to end it all.

  Her window is empty right now, but I know that she’s in there. I can imagine her sound asleep in her bed thinking she is so safe. For a year I have let her believe this little myth. Every day I have watched her working to create a new life for herself. She has changed so much it’s almost difficult to recognize her. She thinks she’s created a safe little world for herself. I cannot wait to blow it up just like I did the last one. It won’t end there either. I will not rest until she is begging me to end her life for her. That’ll be the best revenge. She thought she could take my world from me and I will make her pay.

  Crap! Damn car accidents! Why did it have to be here? It looks like nothing more than an inexperienced driver who lost control, but the police will be called anyway. Ah, yes. Here they come. I can already hear them. I’m sure the sound of sirens will wake her up. I hope it reminds her of what I did. Yup, there she is! She’s already at her window watching and I can see her panicking. I love seeing that terrified look on her face.

  Damn! The responding officer is someone I know. I love this cafe, but the giant window is leaving me too exposed. I should go. It doesn’t matter...I know where she will be next and she’s not going to be alone. Time to pay my bill and head home.

  DAY 1

  Veronica woke to the sound of sirens, and desperately tried to quell the panic attack that she could feel tightening her chest and stop the cold sweat that had started to permeate through her skin. She rolled over, seeking the warmth of Nick’s arms only to be painfully reminded that he would not be there. He was taken from her on the same terrible night that left her home in ruins and soul traumatized. She forced the memories of that explosion to return behind the wall she had constructed in the back of her mind. Desperately working to regain control over her lungs, she took a moment to breathe. Then she climbed out of bed and went to the window.

  The walls of her room were already splashed with flashing blue and red lights. She could tell by the pattern of lights that there was more than one squad car in the street, but she could not hear any ambulances approaching. She knew what she was going to see when she looked outside, but she peeked through the blinds anyway. If for no other reason than to give herself some peace of mind. She saw the accident in the street outside and was reassured that this had nothing to do with her past. With this knowledge firmly held in the front of her mind, bracing that wall that she had so carefully built, Veronica tried to go back to sleep.

  Five minutes later she was back up and pacing the room, trying futilely to clear her mind. Veronica decided that this was a fruitless mission and changed into her running clothes. Rather than sitting in bed terrified she was going to try using some of her nervous energy. Veronica slipped on her well-worn running shoes. Feeling how they seemed to mold to her feet, she remembered her favorite running partner.

  “Ace, come here boy!”

  Her German Shepherd plodded around the corner ready to accompany her. This was not an unusual occurrence. All of Veronica’s colleagues wondered how she stayed in shape, but none of them knew about the midnight runs that she had started taking once her leg could support her again. How they managed to miss the gray circles that spread out under her eyes was beyond her, but she liked that they did not ask any awkward questions. She took her usual route to the park near her apartment, and ran a few laps around it. She could easily run this on her own, but having been a police officer, she knew not to go out alone that late at night. Not wanting to bother any of her friends, Ace became her salvation.

  As Veronica ran around the park, she relived some of her favorite memories of Nick. Falling deep into thought, her stride evened out and her breath came easily. The one that always came to mind first was how they met...

  * * *

  “Okay, I can do this. This is what the Academy was training me for, right? How bad could it be?” Veronica repeated this to herself, almost like a mantra while she changed into her uniform.

  As she quickly threw on her utility belt she checked to make sure that she had everything on it and attached her radio. When she finished, Veronica joined her fellow rookies, Cheyenne, Jennifer, Andrew, and Tyler in the hall outside the locker room.

  They all turned to walk to the briefing room together so they could receive their assignments for the day. They were joking and talking as they walked down the hall so none of them noticed when another man in uniform came around a corner, also headed to the briefing room.

  Veronica had turned her head to say something to Tyler, so she accidentally bumped into the officer. She dropped her eyes and began apologizing profusely. When she finally managed to pull her focus back up, she was met with a wide smile and unnerving dimples. Ripping her attention away from his mouth, she was trapped by brilliant blue eyes. As her stammering came to a halt, she jolted free and dropped her gaze back to her shoes.

  He spoke to the whole group, but his eyes were busy taking her in. “So...you must be the new rookies. Well, I guess you’ll do.”

  His words finally managed to bring Veronica back to herself. She stood to her full height and gave him the most unabashed smile she could manage while looking straight into his eyes.

  “Thanks for the assessment. I’m sure we’ll meet your standards.”

  As she spun to leave, he leaned in and said, “You know you’ve got that on the wrong side, right?” He took one look at her mystified expression and knew she did not understand. He let his gaze drop to her radio and then fastened it on her eyes as understanding hit her.

  She tried to quickly switch it, but became flustered and it fumbled from her grasp.

  He smirked at her and bent down to pick it
up. While fastening it to her belt he said, “Oh, yeah...I can already tell you guys are awesome.” With that he turned and strode into the briefing room.

  Veronica turned to her friends and asked, “Is it too soon to transfer?”

  Ten minutes later, Veronica was sure that she had done something to piss off God. That, or she had the worst luck on the face of the planet. When it had been announced that her Training Officer would be Officer Nick Randle, she had looked around the room to see if she could identify him. She had been met once again by brilliant blue eyes and that dimpled grin that told her she was being laughed at.

  This is going to be a very long day.

  When Nick stood and beckoned her to follow him out to the car, she became aware of how handsome he was. Standing at just over six feet with strong arms and thick, dark brown hair, Nick Randle could make any woman melt.

  Strike that... This is going to be a very long year.

  ◆◆◆

  It did not take long for Nick to warm up to Veronica. Within a few months the entire precinct was watching them.

  After their shift ended one night, Veronica and the rest of the rookies were at a local bar having a beer. Then Nick walked through the door. Their eyes met and held as he walked across the room to sit with his best friend, Ben and their buddies.

  “Earth to Veronica.” Cheyenne’s voice cut through her reverie.

  Blushing, Veronica turned to her friend. “Sorry, what was it you were saying?”

  Cheyenne shook her head, causing strands of blond hair to fall in her face. “Never mind that, we need to talk. I get what you see in him, but you know you can’t go after Randle, right? He’s your TO. TO’s and rookies cannot date. It’s against all the rules.”

  Veronica smiled and rolled her eyes. “It’s not like that. He is my partner and my friend. That’s all.”

  Cheyenne blew her hair out of her eyes and gave Veronica a knowing look. “Yeah, well, make sure it stays that way. At least until our probation is over. After that, you can do whatever you want, as long as you give me all of the details so I can live vicariously through you.”

  Veronica snorted, “Whatever.”

  ◆◆◆

  Almost a year after they started, the rookies were deemed fit to perform their duties without a training officer. There was a short ceremony at the station. A moment for their staff sergeant to be able to discuss with them how much they have grown into their jobs, and formally acknowledge the end of their probation. The real party took place at Tim Finnegan’s, the bar they all frequented after shift. Surrounded by the now familiar sounds of their colleagues’ voices and the dim lights of the bar, the rookies partied well into the night. There were drinks all around and for once they were not the ones paying.

  Amidst the festivities, Nick quietly pulled Veronica out of the fray and backed her up until she felt the wall behind her. “So, I’ve been thinking. You aren’t my rookie anymore. So according to the rule book that Andrew seems to love quoting...we’re free to do whatever we like.” He had subtly shifted closer to her while he was talking, so that they were nearly touching.

  Veronica’s eyes darkened as she responded, “You know...I’ve been thinking the same thing.” Having said that, she wound her fingers into the hair at the back of his neck, pulled him in and hungrily pressed her lips to his.

  It only took a moment for Nick to respond and deepen the kiss. Pushing her more forcefully into the wall, he dragged his hands up her sides to tangle in her hair. It was only when both of them had become desperate for air that they finally pulled apart. The sound of their gasps was nowhere near loud enough to drown out the uproar of their colleagues behind them. Cringing, they separated and turned to face their friends.

  Expecting to be told off by the other men and women in the bar, they were pleasantly surprised to see smiling faces and hear cheering.

  Nick’s best friend, Ben Becker, pushed through the crowd, “It’s about damn time!”

  The rest of the bar started laughing as Ben patted Nick on the shoulder.

  Ben spun around and put his hand out. Barring his impeccably straight teeth, he yelled, “Alright! Pay up bitches!”

  More laughter engulfed them, this time Nick and Veronica joined in.

  As more and more money was grudgingly thrust into Ben’s hands, Veronica stepped forward. “Did you have the entire station betting on us?”

  “Yeah, pretty much.” When he saw the ire enter her eyes he began to laugh. “Any idiot who bet against you two getting together tonight deserves to be fleeced.”

  Veronica began to laugh, but was quickly silenced when one of her friends, Mark, arrived in front of her.

  His dopey face was being forcibly held in a disappointed frown. “Seriously, you couldn’t have waited one more day? One more day and I would have been a rich man!”

  Veronica was going to respond, but was interrupted when Nick pulled her aside and said, “Let’s get out of here.”

  While their friends were distracted by Ben’s antics, the two of them managed to sneak out the side door and into the night.

  As she walked out, Veronica received a text from Cheyenne. “Details. First thing tomorrow.”

  ◆◆◆

  Three years after her probation ended, Nick and Veronica were living in a home that he had inherited from his grandmother. He had put the property in both their names when she moved in.

  But now she was worried. He had been acting strangely the last couple weeks. She knew that he was hiding something, but she could not fathom what it might be. In their entire relationship, they had never kept things from each other. Even when she was his rookie, he had always been honest with her.

  The anger she felt, knowing he was keeping secrets, helped her to focus during her recertification at the firing range. She had always been a good shot. Today she was exceptionally good. After earning top marks on the range and securing her certification for another year, she decided that it was time to go to Nick and demand to know exactly what was going on. She knew that he would never do something to intentionally hurt her, but she also knew that he was over-protective enough to try to hide bad news.

  When she pushed into the hallway he greeted her with his warmest smile. As always, his dimples managed to etch away at the worst of her annoyance. “You really know how to use those don’t you.”

  Nick gave her his best “who, me?” look and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Then he flashed the dimples one more time. “So...how was your shoot? Do I get to keep my partner or are you going to be strapped to a desk?”

  She could not help but laugh at the question. “Do you even need to ask? My TO would expect a perfect shoot, and I wouldn’t let him down.”

  Nick let out a deep, belly laugh as he slung his arm over her shoulders. “Your TO would expect perfection in general...and he wouldn’t be disappointed.” He pulled her further into him and spoke again with his voice rasping. “You are perfect.” Before she could respond he pulled her to a stop and then moved to kneel in front of her.

  “Nick...what are you doing?”

  His eyes shone with a sincerity she had never seen before. “I know this means that we can’t ride together anymore, and I’m sorry for that. But I’m not sorry I fell in love with you. You are the best thing that could have happened to me. The way that you always look for the good in people, even now that you’ve been on the job awhile...it amazes me. If you let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life learning from you and making sure that that you’re always happy.”

  He pulled a ring out of his pocket and held it up to her. His voice seemed to drop octave as he continued on in a deep, breathy whisper. “I’ve been carrying this around for two weeks.” He gave a quick, obviously nervous laugh. “It's been burning a hole in my pocket. I can’t carry it anymore...I have to know. Will you marry me, Veronica?”

  Veronica opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a barrage of gunfire.

  They both flinched bef
ore they remembered where they were.

  As it stopped, Veronica began to laugh, “Only you would think it's romantic to propose with the sound of gunfire in the air.”

  Fear and deep seeded hope filled his eyes as he spoke again with gravel in his voice. “Please, tell me that means yes.”

  Veronica’s eyes glistened with unfallen tears as she nodded her head, her curls catching the light as they bobbed with the motion. “Yes! Of course!”

  Nick expelled a breath as he slipped the ring on her finger. Standing up, he pulled her into a rib cracking hug and spun her around. “Come on. Everyone’s already waiting at the bar to buy you a round. Let’s tell them the good news. I think Ben might even win another bet off of this.”

  * * *

  As Veronica started coming to the end of her happiest memories with Nick, she began to lengthen her stride and push to move faster. There was a familiar burning in her chest, telling her she should stop, but as per usual she ignored the feeling. She left the park and kept running with everything she had. Eventually she made it back to her apartment, but she did not go inside.

  Instead, she loaded Ace into her car and drove to the cemetery. Once she parked, Veronica got out and ran on autopilot to Nick’s grave, falling to her knees. Ace sat next to her and nuzzled her shoulder. He knew this location almost as well as she did, and he definitely knew what it meant to her.

  Veronica would never doubt the intelligence of dogs. On nights like this, Ace was the only person that kept her breathing. Well...maybe not the only person.

  Suddenly Veronica became aware of footsteps behind her.