Behind the Red Doors

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Stephanie Bond

“Good for you, Grayson. But I’m not about to put you back out on the street until we’ve had a chance to talk.”

  Carter winced. With the security assignment at The Diamond Mine scrubbed, he was looking at an endless, mindless stack of paperwork on a light-duty desk. “Fine, Chief. I’ll come by the station to see you tomorrow.”

  “Can’t. I’ll be in city council meetings tomorrow and Wednesday. Make it Thursday—” papers rattled in the background “—at four, but don’t be late. I’m taking off early to buy my wife something nice for Valentine’s Day.” The older man sighed. “I plain forgot last year, and I thought she was going to shoot me with my own gun.”

  Carter frowned into the phone. “I know that feeling.”

  “Well, what can I say, son? Some things are worth the trouble. See you Thursday, Lieutenant. Oh, and stay out of jewelry vaults.” The man belly-laughed and disconnected the call.

  Carter dropped the phone into its cradle and walked to the kitchen for a beer. The robbery attempt had been all over the news, with much being made about the fact that he and Faith had been locked in the vault all night together. The guys at the station had been ribbing him mercilessly.

  On the way to the kitchen, he heard his next-door neighbor’s stereo blast on. A teeny-bopper song thumped through the walls at decibels loud enough to send Trudy under the table. Carter pounded on the wall. “Turn down the music, dammit! Other people live here, you know!”

  In answer, the volume was turned up a notch. Carter gritted his teeth and considered citing them for disturbing the peace, but next month it would simply be a new renter with a louder stereo and probably even worse taste in music. He cracked open a beer and looked at Trudy, hunched under the table with her head on the floor and her paws crossed over her nose.

  “You know,” he said, pointing his finger, “we should buy a house.”

  Trudy lifted her head.

  Carter shrugged. “Why not? I can’t rent forever and, frankly, this place is a dump.” He crouched to rub her ears. “Maybe a little backyard so you won’t have to wait on me to come home to do your business.”

  She licked his hand, and the tightness in his chest eased a tiny bit. He didn’t miss Faith—really, he didn’t. It was only the proximity in the vault and robbery scare that had thrown their emotions into overdrive. And so what if he’d replayed their lovemaking over and over in his mind? He hadn’t slept with a woman in months; it was a natural response.

  Although he never remembered it being quite so…memorable.

  He pulled out a chair at the table and fingered the blue Tiffany’s ring box he’d set next to the salt and pepper shakers and Tabasco sauce. After another swallow of beer, he opened the box and stared at the diamond his great-great-grandfather had bought for his great-great-grandmother as a token of their undying love. The great joke of the Grayson family was that the ring had fallen to him, a confirmed bachelor. A stunning, rare stone, and no finger to put it on. He knew he’d be hard-pressed to find a woman who would truly appreciate its heritage. Unless it was someone like Faith. And the irony was that every time he looked at the ring, he pictured it on Faith’s hand.

  He pulled a hand down his face. How scary was that? Faith made no bones about the fact that she was looking for a lifelong commitment, and as much as he admired her and was physically attracted to her—okay, that last part was an understatement—could he truly promise her forever? Forever was a long time to a man who didn’t even own a watch.

  Let’s face it, Carter, you are not commitment material.

  Faith was right. And if he waited for this…attachment to wear off, everything would be fine. He had the perfect excuse not to call her again—she thought he was going to marry another woman.

  He propped his legs on the corner of the table and tipped up his beer for another swallow. Yep, everything was going to be just…fine.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Wednesday, February 12, 2003

  Dear Ms. Sherman,

  As a token of our incalculable appreciation for preventing the loss of the priceless Valentino diamond, enclosed is a cashier’s check to be allocated in whatever manner you deem appropriate among your security staff. And as soon as the diamond is ready for public viewing again, we would very much like for The Diamond Mine to be our first host.

  THE LETTER WAS SIGNED by an executive of the company that owned the diamond, a name Faith recognized from her many conference calls with the company and its insurers. She unfolded the check and lifted her eyebrows. Nice.

  And rightfully Carter’s, every last cent. Jamie, she knew, would agree.

  She picked up the phone to call directory assistance for Carter’s home number, but the likelihood of his live-in lady answering the phone changed her mind. The last thing she wanted was a sweet, little voice to go with her visualization of the Barbie doll.

  Having the check couriered to his home was a possibility. She sat back in her chair and pursed her mouth. But seeing him face-to-face would give her a chance to clear the air about what had happened between them. After all, she wouldn’t want him to think that she was pining for him. And she wouldn’t want him to carry a guilty conscience down the aisle. The night in the vault was an impulsive mistake, and she had already put it out of her mind.

  Or so she would tell him.

  In truth, she had thought of little else, to the point that she had to force herself to concentrate at work. Her assistant, Stacy, was starting to suspect something was wrong. Jamie and Dev called her what seemed like every fifteen minutes to “check in.” And Dixie had developed the most annoying habit of handing her a napkin every time they passed in the halls.

  Then another option occurred to her: she could hand deliver the check to Carter at the station. She pulled out the phone book, dialed the main number for the Chicago Police Department, then asked to be transferred to Carter’s precinct. When she asked for Lieutenant Grayson, she was told he was expected in tomorrow, around four. She thanked the person and hung up, her heart tripping faster at the mere thought of seeing him again.

  She had it bad.

  But she would play it cool. She was planning to take off tomorrow afternoon, anyway, to help Jamie pick out a dress for Valentine’s Day dinner with Dev—at least she had someone to be happy for. In spite of their differences, her brother and her best friend made a great couple, and there was no one she’d rather have for a sister-in-law than Jamie.

  And she still had a tiny bit of shopping to do for her trip to Captiva. When she had booked the trip, she couldn’t have known she’d have so much more motivation to leave town, but now she was doubly glad she’d have somewhere to escape to when she closed the store on Friday.

  But first, she had to bluff her way through her final meeting with Carter. And this time he’d never suspect that she cared more than he did.

  “I’M GOING AWAY,” Faith said.

  “Why?”

  “Because, Carter, I’m looking for something you’re not prepared to offer.”

  He watched helplessly as she climbed into the cab. His feet were cemented to the ground. Don’t go, he wanted to shout. Give me a chance. But his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth.

  “Goodbye, Carter.” Slam.

  “Goodbye, Carter.” Slam.

  “Goodbye, Carter.” Slam.

  Rain started to fall, first in droplets, then in large wet slices.

  Slowly, Carter blinked himself awake to find Trudy licking his face as if it were a salt block. He moved, and his muscles protested. Arrggghh, he’d fallen asleep on the couch…again. He was beginning to think he might never get another good night’s sleep. The woman was haunting him, day and night.

  Trudy licked him again. He winced and wiped his cheek. “All right, I’m awake.” He gingerly sat up and stretched his cramped neck and arms. Trudy picked up her leash from the floor and held it in her mouth.

  “I’m looking more and more forward to that backyard,” he said.

  She wagged her tail, as though in agreement.


  He pushed himself to his feet and walked to the kitchen, washed his face and hands at the sink, and toweled off. He shrugged into a heavy coat, and when he walked back through his apartment, Trudy was sitting by the front door waiting. He had to smile—as much trouble as the mutt was, she was worth it.

  What can I say, son? Some things are worth the trouble, his captain had said.

  He rubbed at the tightness behind his breastbone, but was starting to suspect that whatever was in there wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Sure, he had feelings for Faith…but love?

  He hooked Trudy’s leash to her collar and opened the door to a leaden day, bitterly cold and with the promise of snow. He walked across the parking lot to the common area set aside for a dog walk, and strolled behind Trudy a few feet while she went through her normal routine of sniffing and stopping, sniffing and stopping.

  Love. Someone should come up with a euphemism for the word that didn’t have such momentous expectations attached to it. Even if he did love Faith right now, he could never foresee living up to her expectations for the future.

  He squinted as the light of truth glared back at him. Dammit, he did love Faith right now. And if he were honest with himself, he had been well on his way to falling in love with her last year when she dumped his ass for being such a moron. He’d taken the breezy bachelor bit too far, showing up late and taking her to places more suited to hanging out with his buds than romancing the classiest woman he’d ever known. And being so clueless as to forget Valentine’s Day? He would have dumped his ass.

  He puffed out his cheeks in a purifying exhale. But just as one weight lifted from his shoulders, another one settled upon him like a yoke. Okay, he’d admitted to himself that, for reasons still not completely known to him, Faith Sherman was the woman he wanted in his life. Everything was better when she walked into a room, when she smiled, when she laughed. She was sexy as hell, and the earth had moved when she’d climaxed in his arms, but this…love was more than a physical connection. It was emotional. Risky. And stuck in his heart like a wedge.

  Now what?

  He rubbed his hand over his unshaven jaw. He’d painted himself into a tight corner with his lies. If he came clean with Faith, he was going to look pretty ridiculous. After she stopped laughing, she’d probably tell him to get lost for good. But he had to try—he certainly couldn’t go through another year like the last one, pretending he didn’t miss her, didn’t need her. Failure, he could live with, but regret…regret was a far colder prospect.

  Romance wasn’t his strong suit, but even he knew his only chance to convince Faith that he was commitment material where she was concerned was to come up with something…memorable.

  He jammed his hands into his pockets against the biting wind and looked to the sky. He could usually tell by the position of the sun what time of the day it was, but today the sun was a no-show. For all he knew, it could be 10:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. Damn, he had to get his act together.

  “Trudy, let’s go,” he called, jiggling the leash. “I need to go shopping—for a watch.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Thursday afternoon, February 13, 2003

  FAITH WALKED into the police station on rubbery knees and stomped the snow off her boots. The weatherman had predicted snow all week. There’d been a light snow on Wednesday but this morning the flakes were falling pretty thickly. She prayed the weather would improve by tomorrow, not just for the sake of Valentine’s Day sales, but so her flight to Florida wouldn’t be canceled. Although she’d given up on her fantasy of someday having a magical Valentine’s Day, she couldn’t bear the thought of spending it in Chicago, alone. Again.

  While Carter proposed to another woman.

  Her nerves danced as she stepped up to the information desk and asked for Lieutenant Grayson. She’d been a wreck all day just thinking about seeing him again. Guilt plagued her—poor Jamie had thought she was bored watching her try on dresses for her big date with Dev, but she had covered up by saying she was just worrying about whether their Valentine’s sales had been what they’d hoped for.

  She had arrived early, but someone was kind enough to take her to Carter’s desk and told her to have a seat while she waited. His work area was small, but neat, although a layer of dust had settled over everything, presumably in his absence. She pulled out his chair and sat, feeling a sense of loss that they hadn’t gotten to know each other better. She scoured the pictures on his desk with no small amount of curiosity. They were group photos of older people and small children—his extended family? It seemed likely, considering the resemblances. Curiously, there wasn’t a single shot of a beautiful, petite blonde, or a picture of Carter and his girlfriend together.

  A bump at her knee startled her, then she smiled down at a beautiful Labrador retriever carrying a baseball in her mouth. “Hello, there,” Faith cooed, and reached down to scratch her ears. “Where did you come from?”

  The dog dropped the ball at her feet, and Faith dutifully rolled it into an empty corner. The Lab scooped it up and brought it back, again and again. When she showed no signs of tiring, Faith laughed and turned to a female officer sitting nearby. “Do you know whose dog this is?”

  The woman scoffed. “That stray wandered into the station a few months ago and pestered us all to death.” She turned and yelled across the room, jerking her thumb toward the Lab. “Hey, Jimmy! Do you know who wound up taking the mutt home?”

  A man turned from his computer keyboard and craned his neck. “Oh, that mutt? I think Grayson took pity on her, didn’t he?”

  Faith smiled. “Carter Grayson?”

  “Go figure,” the woman said. “Maybe he’s a softy under all that machismo.”

  Hmm. Just one more thing she didn’t know about him. For some reason, Carter didn’t strike her as a man who’d take on a pet, and certainly not one with the energy level of this Labrador. She scratched the dog’s ears again and noticed her nametag: Trudy. Well, that explained a lot. “He must have given her to his girlfriend.”

  The woman stopped and squinted. “Girlfriend? Are you sure we’re talking about the same Carter Grayson? Honey, that man hasn’t had a girlfriend since the Reagan administration.” She laughed. “Hey, Jimmy, this lady thinks that Grayson has a girlfriend.”

  Jimmy slapped the top of his desk. “That’s a good one. I’ve never met a man so commitment-phobic. Whatever gave you the idea that Carter has a girlfriend?”

  Faith opened her mouth to explain, then closed it again. Either Carter was extremely private about his personal life around his co-workers, or…

  How did you and Trudy meet?

  She…came to the station.

  What does Trudy do for a living?

  She…works from my—our—place…fetching and…running around…. She’s small. Blond. Finicky eater…. She likes baseball.

  Trudy, the small, blond Labrador dropped the baseball at her feet.

  She’d been played for a fool.

  Cold mortification swept over her. Carter had invented a fictional girlfriend to avoid a serious entanglement with her? Talk about embellishment—the bit about the family heirloom had been especially convincing. Her throat constricted, and her heart shuddered. She’d fallen in love with a man who had no intention of ever settling down.

  “Are you okay?” the woman officer asked.

  “Yes,” she murmured. “I’m fine. But I can’t wait for Lieutenant Grayson after all. I’ll…leave him a note.”

  “Okay. He’s talking to the captain. He should be out soon.”

  CARTER SHUT THE DOOR to Captain Stewart’s office, feeling better than he could remember, maybe in a year’s time. He was filled with the satisfaction of a person getting his life in order for…the next phase. He’d be returning to his beat on Monday, and, meanwhile, somehow he was going to set things right with Faith. Ask her out. Take her to proper restaurants. Learn to dance, and romance her a little. Or a lot. Meet her family and introduce her to Trudy. Make love to her as often as she would
let him.

  He rounded the corner to his desk area, whistling under his breath.

  “Careful, Grayson,” Marie Shippel said. “Somebody might think you were happy or something.”

  “Shippel, even you can’t ruin my good mood.” He pulled out the bottom drawer, withdrew his bulletproof vest, and knocked off the dust.

  “Hey, Grayson,” Jimmy said, holding up a bulging manila envelope. “Good news—that jewelry store perp didn’t deactivate the camera in the vault, after all.”

  His head jerked up. “Huh?”

  “Yeah—the one in the showroom was fried, but the one in the vault was on a different circuit. The D.A. should have all the proof he needs.”

  He strode over and snatched the envelope. “Have you seen this?”

  “There went his good mood,” Marie muttered.

  Jimmy frowned. “No, I haven’t seen it.”

  “Has anyone else?”

  The man pulled back. “I don’t think so. Why?”

  Carter sighed, and took a deep breath. “No reason. I’ll take care of the tape.” The thought of someone other than him seeing Faith like that… God, he really loved her. And the sooner he told her, the better. He looked around. “Have either of you seen Trudy?”

  “If you’re talking about that fine-looking woman who was here waiting, she’s gone.”

  “I’m talking about my dog.” He stopped. “What woman?”

  “Tall and curvy,” Jimmy Peak offered. “Knockout legs.”

  His heart jumped. “Faith?”

  Marie shrugged. “Didn’t leave her name. But she seemed to have some kind of strange idea that you had a girlfriend, Carter. What’s up with that?”

  Panic infused his chest. “What did you tell her?”

  The woman gave him a deadpan stare. “The truth—that you haven’t had a girlfriend since I’ve worked here, and I’m about to retire.”

  His heart dropped to his stomach. “What did she say?”

  Another shrug. “That she was going to leave you a note.”