by Marlow Kelly
“We’ll be leaving this God forsaken backwoods soon. Be prepared to go at a moment’s notice,” Ackerman said.
“Of course.” He bowed his head in a fake show of humility. “You’ll contact me about Lucy?”
Ackerman waved an arm, dismissing him as he walked to his bedroom.
Ethan exited the room, excitement pulsing through his body. He was going to kill someone. He couldn’t wait.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Tim smiled as Logan opened the front door to Dana’s house. “How are you?”
Dana had called him and left a voicemail, asking if she could talk to his dad. He could’ve phoned her back, but he wanted to see her, pursue her. Everything had changed last night. He had seen who she really was. She wasn’t just a cop. She was a warrior for justice, and he had yearned for justice for most of his adult life. That revelation came to him at three in the morning. He hadn’t slept. Visions of her had ravaged his mind. With her, he could see a future, a home, and the family he’d always wanted. If someone had told him a week ago he’d be interested in having a relationship with a Hopefalls policewoman he would have thought they were crazy, and yet here he was, standing at her door.
Logan grunted, his sleepy eyes blinking. He mumbled something unintelligible, his slim frame sagging as if staying upright was too much work. Blue hair stuck out at odd angles. He wore a crumpled, old T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.
Tim followed the teen into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. Logan grabbed a jug of orange juice from the fridge.
The table was piled with an assortment of newspapers, sketches, and dirty dishes. He picked up a black drawing of a bear. The amount of effort that had gone into the artwork was impressive. Thousands of minute pen strokes merged to make the final picture. He guessed it was Logan’s work. He could be wrong, but somehow he couldn’t imagine direct, practical Dana taking the time to draw. “It’s Monday. Aren’t you going to school today?”
“Sure, what time is it?”
“Eight.”
“Shit, I’m late.” Logan left the juice on the counter and hurried down a short hallway that presumably led to the bedrooms.
“I’ll give you a ride if you like,” Tim shouted after him.
“What are you doing here?” Dana called from behind a dark stained wood door that was in desperate need of painting.
“Good morning to you, too.” Tim smiled, imagining her in a state of undress.
“Did you get my call?” She strode into the kitchen, wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Her hair was damp and her skin pink as if she’d just climbed out of the shower.
He pictured her naked with water cascading over her breasts. His body reacted to the image. He was grateful his position at the table hid his erection from her. “You want to talk to Dad,” he said, reaffirming her message.
“Is that a problem?” She placed the juice in the fridge and turned to face him, her hands on her hips. She glared at him, her nipples poking through her shirt, daring him to reach out and touch them.
He stood and closed the distance between them. He bent his head to whisper in her ear. “Maybe you should reconsider getting pissy with me because it’s a real turn on, unless you want me to kiss you again. Or maybe you like the idea of me stripping you naked. Would you like me to suck your nipples?”
She licked her lips as her skin flushed. Her gray eyes focused on his crotch like a laser-guided missile. His breath hitched. He itched to touch her and feel her silky skin.
He turned away, thinking to put some distance between them, but she grabbed his arm and spun him around. She stared up at him, her mouth slightly parted.
He’d intended to seduce her with sweet words, but they lodged in his throat. His body ruled his mind. His urgent need overwhelmed his common sense. His mouth brushed over hers. Her lips parted, warm and inviting. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He’d thought about it since the moment they’d met at the police station but considered her out-of-bounds. After last night, everything had changed. His tongue swept inside, claiming her for his own. A frisson of excitement zinged through his veins as he pushed her back against the refrigerator.
Her hands made their way under his T-shirt. The feel of her touch on his overheated flesh sent a rush of blood to his penis. His rock-hard cock pushed painfully against his zipper. He tugged up her shirt and shoved aside her bra. There was no subtlety to his actions. He clamped his lips over her nipple and sucked it into his mouth.
She arched, pushing deeper. He yanked her bra down on the other side releasing her other breast, massaging it.
“Hey Mom, have you seen my sketchbook?” Logan called from his bedroom.
The shout was more effective than a bucket of cold water. Tim jumped back and took a breath, fighting to control his lust.
Dana froze, her eyes wide.
Logan was home. The last thing he wanted was to have her kid walk in while he made love to Dana up against the fridge. Besides, this was all happening a lot faster than he’d planned. No, that wasn’t true. He’d made his decision. Dana was the one for him. As far as he was concerned, there was no way they could move too fast, but he wasn’t so sure about her feelings.
She’d been through a lot last night. There were things she had to sort out. He would be patient and go at her pace. “Why do you want to see my dad?” He stuffed his shirt into his pants. His voice sounded thick, which wasn’t such a surprise considering he was still semi-erect. “He’s sick and confused, and I don’t like the idea of people badgering him.”
She rearranged the straps of her bra so she was covered and tugged at the bottom of her top, smoothing it down. Her hard nipples poked through the fabric. “Everything that’s going on here connects to Jack.”
He distracted himself by tidying the table, hoping to hide his condition. “In what way?” He carried the dirty dishes over to the sink.
“The gun Ben was shot with was purchased jointly by Ben and Jack. By the way, who purchases a gun with someone else? I’ve never heard of that before.”
He stuffed the plates into the dishwasher. “I think they considered it an investment. It was a limited edition. They never used it for target practice.”
She rammed her arms into her leather jacket and did up the buttons, covering her breasts. Under the circumstances, it was probably best he couldn’t see them. “What happened to it?”
He shrugged. “As I said, I was ten. I was into horses, football, running, and video games. What were you doing at that age?”
“Knitting.”
“Really?” Now, that was a surprise. She was too tense, too active. He couldn’t imagine her sitting still for long. He straightened and faced her. “Do you still knit?”
She smiled, still standing by the fridge, watching him, her gray eyes staring at his chest. “No, I turned twelve and moved on to make-up and boys and forgot all about it.”
He wished they could talk about everyday things instead of death and drama, but unless they dealt with Ben’s homicide, it would hang over them just like Alice Hayden’s car accident had haunted him. He wanted a future with her and didn’t see that happening unless he was cleared of Ben’s murder. Until this homicide was solved, there would never be anything serious between them. He didn’t want a fling. He wanted a chance at a real long-term relationship. “Okay, so apart from the gun, there’s nothing else that leads back to Dad.”
“Yes, there is. There’s you, Tim. Everything Booley did to you was to get back at your dad because your mom picked him.”
Tim flashed to the image of his mother’s sad eyes as they glistened with tears. “I think Booley hurt Mom more than anyone else.” She had lost him at fifteen. He hadn’t realized until the death of Caroline, his fiancée, just how much the loss of a loved one would hurt. He hadn’t died, but he was gone from his mother’s life, and the time they’d missed could never be recovered.
“No argument from me there. If he’d done that to Logan, I probably would have killed him.” S
he flexed her fingers as if she were getting ready for a fight.
“Have you called the authorities?” Tim said, changing the subject. He didn’t want to think about the pain his mother had gone through.
“Yes, I called Montana’s Attorney General, the Elkhead County prosecutor, and the Granite City-Elkhead County Police Department and left messages with all three. Once I’ve talked to them, I’ll have to take a step back and leave them to it. I’m not a cop anymore.” She frowned as she looked down at her hands. She’d been a policewoman for twelve years, all her adult life. She was probably adrift and didn’t know what to do next. That was the real reason behind her wanting to see Jack. She needed something to take her mind off the events of last night and the reality of being unemployed. That worked for him. He wanted nothing more than to spend time with her and get to know her.
She straightened away from the fridge, pulling herself up, dismissing whatever thoughts had clouded her mind. “The nurse said he’s more lucid after his morning exercise. I thought he might be able to tell me more about the gun.”
“As you just said, you’re not a cop anymore,” he pointed out, wanting her to know her limitations.
She blushed. “No, but I will be again. It’s all I know. It’s who I am.”
He understood. He used to feel like that about the Rangers, but he’d left to care for his dad and had found a new life.
Logan appeared. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt with a tear down the middle. His long hair slanted over his eyes. “Can I still get a ride?”
“Sure.” Tim pointed to Dana. “Do you have any coffee?”
“She makes crappy coffee,” Logan said as he opened the front door.
Dana caught up with her son and kissed his cheek. “I’ll pay attention to the scoops and the cups this time. Listen, come straight home tonight. We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“What we’re going to do now that I’m out of a job.”
“I don’t want to fucking move again.” Logan headed for Tim’s truck. He climbed in and slammed the door after him.
Tim walked to the driver’s side and leaned in the open window. “I understand you’re upset, but when you talk to your mom like that, it really pisses me off.”
Logan shrugged. “This has nothing to do with you.”
He had a point. Logan’s relationship with Dana was none of Tim’s business. But Tim didn’t like the attitude, the lack of respect, and he especially didn’t want Logan to think that it was okay to behave that way in front of him. Plus, if he was to have a relationship with Dana, he needed to get along with her son, and that wasn’t going to happen if the kid didn’t show his mother some respect.
“You’re right. How you and your mom get along is none of my business, but I find it offensive when you behave like that in front of me.”
Logan’s lip curled in a sneer. “Like you said, it’s none of your business.”
“Get out of my truck.” Tim gritted his teeth, his patience at an end.
“Why?”
“I’m not giving you a ride to school.” He walked to the passenger side and yanked the door open.
“But I’ll be late.”
“You should’ve thought of that before you mouthed off. Get out.” Tim pointed to the sidewalk, resisting the urge to grab his scrawny ass and haul him out.
“Fuck.” Logan unbuckled his seatbelt.
“There you go again, swearing.”
“I have a right to be angry. You don’t know what it’s like being the son of a cop. I never have any friends. If I behave, everyone thinks I’m a suck-up. And if I’m bad, everyone thinks I’m doing it to be a snitch.”
“Why do you care what other people think?”
“That’s rich coming from you.”
The kid had him there. He’d felt the weight of the unproven allegations levied against him. They had been an oppressive burden. “You’re right. I like it that people know I didn’t kill you aunt—”
“Great aunt.”
“Whatever.”
Logan really was a smart-ass.
“My point is, I always had friends who knew the real me and liked me for myself. Be yourself. Some will hate you, others will like you.” He grinned at the kid. “I mean, they won’t like you that much because you’re a real pain in the butt, but you’ll get by.”
Logan sighed and headed to the house. “I’ll go and apologize to my mom.”
“You’re supposed to say sorry to me,” Tim called after him.
Logan stopped and turned on his heel. “Why?”
“You swore in front of me. I don’t like it.” Tim struggled to keep a straight face.
The kid smiled. “You’ll get over it.”
****
In a town as small as Hopefalls, nothing was far away, and they reached the school in less than five minutes. The square building with a playground on one side and a football field on the other hadn’t changed much since Tim’s time there.
Logan tensed and didn’t move to get out. Instead, he sat deep in thought.
“You’re going to be late for school,” Tim urged.
Logan kept his eyes on the floor, not looking up. “Mom seems tough, but she’s not. If you’re just playing around, looking for a good time, go elsewhere or I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Tim wasn’t going to let Logan threaten him, but at the same time he respected the kid for standing up for his mother.
Logan stared at Tim. His blue eyes were almost the same color as his hair. “I know you’re tough, but she’s my mom. I’m asking you not to mess with her. She’s a good person, and she doesn’t deserve—”
“Listen. I’m not going to promise to back off. I like your mom, but that doesn’t mean something’s going to happen.”
Logan frowned. “So you’re not interested?”
“I didn’t say that. I have no idea what’s going on between us. It’s not up to me, and it’s definitely not up to you. A gentleman should always leave the choice up to the woman.”
Logan nodded as he absorbed that bit of wisdom and then stared out the window. “My dad did a real number on her. She fell in love with him, and I think he might have loved her…us, but he loved partying and drugs more.”
Dana had mentioned she gotten pregnant as a teen but hadn’t given any details.
“Where is he now?”
“He died when I was three from a drug overdose.”
Tim inhaled. It had taken a lot of guts for Logan to have this man-to-man talk with him. It was only fair he be honest in return. “Look, your mom’s a strong woman with a mind of her own. If a relationship develops between us—great, but you should know I come with a lot of baggage. I’m drowning in medical bills. Whatever happens, I can never marry her. Not because I want to play the field or anything like that. I can’t saddle someone else with my debt. Plus, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We haven’t even been on a date. And I have no idea if she’s interested in me. I can promise I’ll treat your mom with respect, and I’ll be straight with her.”
Logan held out his hand. “Good enough.”
They shook hands. Despite the hair and the grouchy demeanor, Logan was a good son.
“Hey kid, one piece of advice,” Tim said as Logan opened the passenger door.
He hesitated, half out of the truck. “What’s that?”
“If you want to fit in, get a haircut.”
“The hair thing again.” He’d obviously heard it before.
“People here are very set in their ways. Once they get to know you, they’ll like you.”
“You sound like my mom.”
“I’m not saying you shouldn’t be yourself. I’m saying learn how to compromise. Cut it short and keep the blue.”
Logan smiled. “I’ll think about it.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dana took a long last sip of her coffee as they drove along the Hopefalls Highway, heading to Shady Pines in Granite City.
Sh
e put a hand to her stomach to quell the queasiness that erupted every time she thought about last night. Everything in her life had changed. She might not have been emotionally fit for the position, but at least she’d had a job and a direction. Today she was out of work, and it looked like they would have to move.
One thing was sure; she should be looking for employment, not coming to talk to an Alzheimer’s patient. Her motivation was a mystery, even to her. Was she visiting Jack because she wanted answers to Ben’s death? Or was this just an excuse to spend more time with Tim? He’d kissed her this morning with an intensity that took her breath away. She’d never felt anything like that before. And when he looked at her it was as if he were caressing her with his gaze. She wanted to touch, explore, and discover every inch of his body and feel his warm skin under her fingertips. If it hadn’t been for Logan, she would have made love to him right there on the kitchen floor.
But what about Ben’s murder? Tim was still a suspect, and if she wanted to continue to serve in law enforcement, she couldn’t be associated with a man suspected of murder.
Besides, this was all too soon. She’d only known him a couple of days and was already wondering what it would be like to lie next to him sweaty and complete after a bout of lovemaking. She suppressed a groan. She wasn’t a game player. If she liked someone, she let him know.
She’d only had two relationships since Oliver’s death. Both of them had been serious, or so she’d thought. But she hadn’t introduced either of them to Logan. She’d kept her dating world separate from her home life. That was impossible with Tim. Dear God, Logan had practically introduced them. There was no division here, and she doubted Tim would tolerate her keeping an important part of her life from him.
She sighed as she watched the forested wilderness go by. She needed to get her act together and make the mental transition from cop to…what? She didn’t know how to do anything else.
“You know you can find a different career,” Tim said as if reading her mind.