I yawned. The sun was making me sleepy. As I drifted off to sleep, I heard him whisper, “I love you, Kendall. More than life itself.”
“Love you, too, Hunter.”
A sneak peek of our next collaboration novel, Dangerous Temptations.
I was home.
Or at least the place I considered home.
As I turned off the SUV, the headlights disappeared, which left me alone in the dark of the night. The drive to Maine had been long, but I’d needed to spread Grandpa’s ashes in the place where he’d done the same with Grandma’s fifteen years earlier.
I let out a deep, tired sigh, releasing some of the stress from the last few days while I watched the glow of fireflies in the yard behind the vet clinic.
Grandpa had died two weeks earlier from a heart attack. There had been no time to say goodbye. He had simply been here one day and gone the next.
Mom had flown out here for the week before she returned to California. Now I was here... alone.
“I miss you, Grandpa.”
Every summer since I was a little girl, I’d come to Salem for six weeks from the West Coast. It was where I’d developed my love for animals and the desire to become a vet. In two days, I planned to reopen the practice since it had been closed due to Grandpa’s death.
His death.
I shook my head, unable to comprehend that he wasn’t in his apartment, waiting up for me to come through the door like I had on the countless nights when I’d been visiting from New York where I went to college.
Another deep sigh interrupted the quiet.
“I wish you were here to fulfill our dream of working together.”
In his will, he’d left everything to me—the veterinary practice and a house he’d bought a few months earlier. I’d had no idea about the property until I’d read the will.
So many of the decisions I’d made felt foolish now.
I’d wanted to make it on my own.
I’d wanted to prove my worth as a veterinarian.
I’d wanted to explore the unknown and take chances.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I shrieked as the knocks on my window interrupted my thoughts. A flashlight shone at the glass, nearly blinding me.
“Ma’am, I’m Officer Murphy.” The words were muffled with the window up. “Is everything okay?”
The deep voice silenced my cry, but I held my hand to my racing heart. “You scared me. Who are you again?”
“Officer Murphy with the Salem PD.”
Officer Murphy? The name wasn’t familiar. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the patrol car. “Ma’am, is everything okay? Would you step out of the car?”
My heart still beat rapidly in my ears. Having lived in the city for most of my life, I was leery of getting out of my car at night with a stranger. “I’m just going to verify you’re a cop first.”
“What?”
The window was still up, so I raised my voice. “I’m going to call Doug to verify you’re a cop.”
“That’s fine, ma’am.”
Ma’am? How old does he think I am?
Salem was a small town, and everyone knew everyone. I probably had nothing to worry about, but it was late at night and I’d never heard of Officer Murphy.
Though a lot could have changed in the three months since I’d visited last.
I grabbed my phone and dialed with the light of the flashlight still shining inside. Doug was the Chief of Police of Salem, and I had his number. He picked up on the first ring. “Sydney, is that you?”
“Hey, Doug. Sorry to call so late at night. I’m outside the clinic. An Officer Murphy is outside my car window. Is he part of the PD now?”
Doug had been a longtime friend of Grandpa’s. As a kid, I had been best friends with his daughter, who had mysteriously disappeared without a trace nearly seven years ago. We’d been inseparable during the summers and had written and called through the months I was back in California. Vicki had only been twenty-two years old when she disappeared. The case was still unsolved.
He chuckled. “Oh, that’s Mike. Yeah, he’s new. I asked him to keep an eye on your place since I didn’t expect you home until tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Doug. I was ready to get back.”
“I’ll call him real quick. He was one of those big city cops looking to slow down. Sometimes he forgets we’re just a small town.”
“I get it. Thanks again. I’ll have to bring you some of my homemade fudge soon.”
Yelling away from the receiver, Doug said, “Gladdis, Sydney is going to bring us some of her homemade fudge.” I chuckled while they bantered back and forth because Gladdis couldn’t hear Doug. He came back on the line. “Gladdis wants you to come over for tea when you bring the fudge.”
“I will. Have a good night, Doug.”
“You too, punkin pie.”
My throat tightened at the name Grandpa had given me when I was five. He’d called me that until the day he died, and it had stuck with some of his friends.
I grabbed my purse and my duffel bag. For the time being, I planned to stay in the small apartment at the back of the clinic where Grandpa had lived.
As I opened the door, Officer’s Murphy’s phone rang. The moon was only a sliver in the sky and didn’t offer enough light to illuminate the man’s features.
“Hey, Doug.” Given the dark, husky voice and broad shoulders, I could have only imagined how handsome he was. “Yes. I will. Thanks.”
Nothing else was said. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness, but I could only make out an outline of the man. “I’m Sydney Burch.”
“Yes, ma’am. Doug told me. Sorry I scared you. I was keeping an eye on the place since you were still supposed to be out of town.”
I squinted harder, trying to align the features of the man with the voice. Checking out Officer Murphy in the daylight had officially jumped to the top of my to-do list.
“Sydney?”
Oh shit.
I’d spaced out for a second while thinking about him. “Umm... thank you for keeping an eye on the place. I came home early.”
“You’re welcome. Let me walk you to your door,” he said.
The presence and size of Officer Murphy further fizzled my thoughts. I tightened my hand on my bag.
Exhaustion. It had to be exhaustion. I decided I was going to blame my thoughts on being worn out from the drama of the last two weeks.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes.” My response came out quiet. A bit stronger, I said, “Yes. I’m just tired. It’s been a long trip.”
After the first step, the next became easier. The flashlight pointed at the ground, illuminating our way. I wondered if it would be weird to glance his way.
Yes. Yes, it would. Get inside the house and go to bed.
When we were nearly at the door, I took out my keys. “Thanks again, Officer Murphy. Have a good night.”
“You, too, Syd.”
Syd.
No one had ever called me anything but Sydney or punkin pie.
I opened the door and flipped on the light. When I turned around, all I saw was his retreating back and dark hair. I waited at the door longer than I should have to see if he turned around. He didn’t.
If I’m still standing at the door gawking when he gets in his car, I’ll look like a loser.
On that thought, I closed the door quickly, rested my forehead against the wood, and closed my eyes. I needed sleep stat so that my rational mind could return to me.
The two-bedroom apartment was small and homey. Grandpa’s room was to the left and mine to the right.
Without even flipping on the bedroom light, I kicked off my shoes and crawled into bed still in my lounge clothes. A dreamless sleep claimed me before long.
The early morning light shone through the windows, filling the room with bright light. I hadn’t closed the blinds when I’d gone to bed. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was after nine.
Oh man, I slept in late. Normal
ly, I hit the running trails around six.
The plan was to meet with my childhood friend Wesley Youngsten for lunch. Every summer when I came to visit Grandpa, we’d been thick as thieves with Vicki. Now he was a successful lawyer in Salem and handled the probate for Grandpa’s will.
While I’d been on the road, Wesley had called to tell me there were a few papers that still needed to be signed. My appointment had been for the following morning. However, on my way back, I’d asked to move it up a day to get everything completed.
I stretched my limbs and tried to prepare myself for how empty the apartment would feel without Grandpa. Life would never be the same again. Death was still hard for me to comprehend at times.
Tossing back the blankets, I decided I most definitely needed a run.
The trails behind the clinic were peaceful and my favorite place to escape. I found my running gear in my duffel bag. There were more clothes in the dresser to tide me over until the moving truck came along later that week. At the moment, my life felt like it had been turned upside down and inside out.
Up until the day he died, I’d thought I had plenty of time before I moved to Salem and practiced with Grandpa.
I shook my head. No regrets. Live each day with no regrets. All the decisions I’d made had led me down the path I was meant to follow.
The pavement of the trail called to me as I donned my running shoes, hoping to leave all the thoughts of never-to-bes behind me.
I felt more rested than I had been on my trip to Maine, though I still had dark circles under my eyes. Running would help. I tightened my blond hair in the ponytail before I headed out the door.
The fresh air invigorated me as I stepped onto the wet grass. It must have rained overnight. At nine-fifteen, the sun was halfway up the sky, and I stepped beneath the tree canopy of the trail where it cooled down five degrees from what felt like the upper sixties.
After stretching, I took off at a steady jog to build my pace. This was exactly what I needed. The constant pounding on the pavement in rhythm with my breathing centered me. Like anything else in life, I would tackle one thing at a time.
Contact Peggy to see which property Grandpa had bought.
Meet with Wesley.
Go see the property Grandpa had bought.
Get ready to open the clinic tomorrow.
Figure out what I’m going to do next.
The last task daunted me the most, and I wasn’t sure why. I had so many plans for the clinic and my life. One step at a time.
The trail curved to the left, and I kept my focus on the pounding of my feet and steady breathing.
“Syd?”
That voice. That voice. It was the voice from the night before, coming up from behind me. Officer Murphy. Oh shit. I had been a complete idiot. And I’d pushed the incident to the far recesses of my mind, hoping to never have to think of how I must have come off in my muted state while he talked to me like a normal person.
What do I say to him?
Oh shit. I was doing the same thing I’d done the night before.
“Syd?” The voice was closer and slightly out of breath.
Do I pretend I can’t hear him? I kept my pace steady, my breathing even. I
There was a cough behind me and it sounded like he was right behind me. Was he sweaty? Would I be able to put a face to the amazing voice? On the thought, my feet got caught up in invisible strings, and I toppled over to the ground. I threw out my hands to take the brunt of the impact.
“Ouch!” I hit the ground and quickly rolled to a sitting position.
“Hell, are you okay?”
I closed my eyes and dropped my forehead to my knees in humiliation. “Yes, I’m okay.”
A shadow leaned over me as I mentally gathered myself together. Peering up, I saw concern in his deep blue eyes and dark hair.
I gulped. I seriously gulped. “Officer Murphy. Nice to see you again.”
Nice to see you again?
Okay, it had apparently been awhile since my lady parts had gotten a workout from the opposite sex. A good, long while. Longer than I cared to admit after my last breakup. And even in my nonbreakup state, said lady parts had not been satisfied.
“You sure you’re okay? That was a nasty fall.”
I felt his hand on my elbow, and the tingles nearly had me gasping in shock. “I’m sure. Probably still tired.”
Hell, Sydney, how many times can you use the tired excuse?
“Let me see your palms.”
The Adonis in front of me squatted to my level, popping out his calf muscles. I only imagined what his thighs looked like. And those abs. Oh, and that ass. I would have bet he had one of those asses that curved inward at just the right spot.
Oh my gosh! Get a grip, Sydney! Get. A. Grip!
With gentle hands, he turned mine over. “Nothing too serious. You didn’t break the skin.”
“I probably should have slept a little longer.”
He gave me a wink. “Probably. Doug told me you went to Maine to scatter Virgil’s ashes.”
“Yes, the same place he took my Grandma’s. That was where they met for the first time.”
Officer Murphy held out his hand to help me up. I had two options: take his hand to ensure I got up or try on my own, which most likely would end up with me flat on my ass again.
It was a no brainer.
I held out my hand and felt the same pulse between us at the moment of contact. Unable to meet his gaze, I glanced down as I retracted my hand and kicked at an invisible rock. My foot nearly caught on the invisible string again, and I wavered. With lightning speed, he caught me by the shoulders.
“Steady there.”
Do not take a step while he is here. I gave a smile. “Thanks, I’ve got it now. Sluggish feet are the worse.”
Not to mention a short-circuiting brain due to testosterone overload.
Lightly, I brushed off my hands after he released me. “Thanks again, Officer Murphy. Come by the clinic sometime if you ever need a vet.”
What. The. Hell?
If you ever need a vet?
For the most part, I was a fairly intelligent individual. But this man turned me into a blubbering, tripping goober.
“Mike.”
“Mike? Is that the name of your dog?”
He chuckled. Loudly. “No, that’s my name. Please, call me Mike. I’m only Officer Murphy when I’m in uniform.”
After this, I needed to have a serious talk with myself.
“Mike. Is that the name of your dog?” A person should only be allowed so much humiliation in one day.
I tried out his name, which came out sounding like a question. “Mike?”
“Yes, Syd?”
Oh hell, he thought I was asking him a question. What do I say? “Oh, I was just trying out your name to see how it felt on my lips.” Think fast.
“I was saying it out loud to commit it to memory. You know they say if you say a person’s name while looking at their face, it helps you remember.”
I mashed my lips together, forcing myself to stop talking. Maybe Mike would walk away, thinking I was too crazy to talk to. Or he’d move away from Salem altogether to save me from remembering these two wretched incidents every time I ran into him.
No, he smiled, and dammit if he didn’t have dimples. I was so royally screwed. “I’m glad you want to remember my name. Do you want me to walk you back?”
“No!” I nearly screamed it, and Mike took a step back. “I mean, no thank you, I’m not done yet. I use my running as a time to get my thoughts all aligned. My very, very tired thoughts.”
Stop digging a hole, Sydney.
More grinning. “Well, I’ll leave you to sorting out your very tired thoughts while running with your sluggish feet. They may need a little caffeine.”
“Oh, yeah. Maybe that’s what’s wrong. I need to get some caramel creamer. I don’t have any at the house right now.”
That was random. I wanted to pretend this never happened.
“Umm... I guess tired thoughts and sluggish feet can make any town more interesting. Who would have known?” I was grinning now, too.
Still facing me, he started jogging backward. “Be careful. Until later, Syd.”
“See ya.” I gave an awkward wave and then sighed when he turned around and jogged the other way. The muscles in his calves contracted. His shoulders were broad and strong. He had perfect form. Sigh.
For a few minutes, I waited in that spot before taking off at a snail’s pace to avoid running into him again. I needed to get my wits about me before the next time I ran into Mike Murphy, the sexy cop.
No, no, no sexy cop. Just Mike Murphy, town cop. There, that’s much better. Well, not really.
It wasn’t that I wanted to avoid guys. Things with Henry had ended three months ago as cordially as it had begun nearly a year ago. No fizz. No fire. Just safe and blah.
Mike Murphy ... he was different.
To see other books by Kristin Mayer or Kelly Elliott, please check out our websites at www.authorkristinmayer.com or www.kellyelliottauthor.com.
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