They were so adorable and content she didn’t have the heart to kick them out. Shoving her concerns down deep, she kissed her mom’s cheek. “Can I help?”
“Go talk to your dad,” she said. “I’ve got this.”
Filling a glass with water, she did as she was told. Thirty-six and still a child, even in her own home.
“Desiree and Danny doing all right?” Frank asked.
“They are. I, um, put her on notice, too, that she should be alert and careful of the person I mentioned to the two of you.”
“We’re fine,” her mother said. Forty-one years in America hadn’t dulled her Italian accent. “Obviously.” She dipped slices of bread into the egg wash and placed them on the skillet. “Get the plates out, sweetie,” she directed. “This will be ready soon.”
French toast was Melissa’s favorite. She couldn’t stay upset when her parents were going to such lengths to offer their support.
“Sounds like quite a bit of drama in the department,” Frank said.
“Unfortunately true,” Melissa confirmed. “We’ll sort it out,” she replied. And if there were errors, they would find a way to put the right killers behind bars.
“Will any of these unpleasant things jeopardize your position?” her mother asked. “You are a good chief of police.”
“Thanks, Mom.” She appreciated the love and the faith. “As I said, we’ll sort it out.” She carefully filled a small dish with powdered sugar for her dad and set out butter and syrup for her and her mom.
“Is that fire last night connected to any of this?” Italia asked, bringing over a plate piled high with piping hot slices of French toast.
“What fire?” Melissa looked from her dad to her mom and back again. “I haven’t heard anything about it.”
Her dad speared two slices of the bread with a fork and dropped them on his plate, adding butter and powdered sugar. “The news reported it as Ruiz’s place. Said no one was home at the time and there were no injuries.”
Melissa’s pulse thundered. Was Antonio okay? Had she missed a message? She popped up from the table to grab the cell phone she’d left on the table behind the sofa in the front room. She scrolled through the local news sites for more information as she returned to her seat. Someone should have told her about this.
Irritation prickled like a rash over her skin at the lack of messages. This wasn’t the time for her department to get protective. She needed all the information to do her job to her best ability.
“So you and Mr. Ruiz are close,” Italia asked.
Her mind on the fire and Antonio, Melissa couldn’t make sense of the comment. Her mother could not be matchmaking. She looked to her dad for an explanation.
“She saw the two of you during the search for Danny,” he said. “Thought you looked like a good team.”
“Mom,” she scolded gently. Melissa took a bite of her breakfast to smother her annoyance. Not every man she spoke to was a prospective suitor. Her mother never pressured Melissa, but she was fully aware of her daughter’s dreams of motherhood. “We’re not a team or together or anything. Danny was taken from his hotel. Mr. Ruiz felt obligated. And he had skills that helped us,” she explained.
“He’s single.”
“Mom.”
“And handsome and wealthy, too.” She reached over and patted her husband’s hand. “Never discount that winning combination.”
Melissa diverted the conversation to happier topics to get through breakfast.
Before her parents headed out, she pulled her mom into tight hug. “I love you,” she murmured. “Love you both.” At her dad’s quizzical expression she forced a confident smile. “Please be careful. I can’t go into detail…”
“That’s all you need to say.” He gave her shoulders a squeeze. “We’ll stay sharp.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
It was one thing when she took risks for her job and something altogether different when her job threatened her family. She wouldn’t use the department as her personal security, but she could ask them to help her be vigilant.
Her mother sensed her lingering distress simmering under the surface and wrapped her into another hug. “We’ll be fine, my love. You and your siblings are the ones we worry over.”
“Thanks, Mom.” She embraced them as they left. She would always be the only girl. That fact wouldn’t change. It didn’t matter that she could hold her own with any of her three brothers, or all of them at once. Of course, her parents were frequently concerned about her brothers, too, but there was that inherent assumption that they were a little less fragile. Fifteen years ago she would’ve argued or been snarky about it. Today, with some life experience under her belt, she knew she didn’t have to prove a thing. Not to her mom and dad, not to her brothers.
Only to her department. Critical mistakes had been made on her watch and it was up to her to sort it out and restore confidence in the community.
She waved from the porch as they drove off and then stepped back inside, locking the door. With moms and children on her mind, maybe she should go over to Desiree’s place. She could see Danny in his element, no worse for last night’s excitement. It might make her feel better, might even be worth the inevitable longing for a baby of her own that resulted from every visit.
But if she did visit, she might lead Orr straight to someone she loved. Better if she went to the station and got some work done. There was no guarantee that the judge would grant any delay in the Emerson trial based solely on the discrepancies Clarke uncovered.
With fresh determination, she swapped the cozy socks for practical footwear and prepared to leave for the station. Officially off duty, she didn’t change into her uniform today. Her plan was to lock herself in her office and study the evidence reports in the Emerson and Paxton cases.
And she wanted details on the fire at Antonio’s house. Why hadn’t anyone called her? She supposed it technically wasn’t her business. And she should not be curious about where he’d spent the night. After pulling on her coat, she dropped her phone into her purse and pulled out her car keys. She was just setting the alarm at the side door that opened onto her driveway when she heard the doorbell out front.
Not her parents then, she thought with a rueful smile. She paused at the SUV to put her purse on the front seat and then continued around to the front of the house. Antonio suddenly appeared on her front steps.
He was safe. Here. Everything inside her seemed to go loose and bubble to the surface. She clamped her lips together before a ridiculous giggle could escape. “Should I be worried you know where I live?”
“Yes. I mean, it’s public record.” He seemed to lose his train of thought and then his lips tilted to one side. “Hi.”
“Hello.” She gave a thumbs-up to the patrol across the street. He’d shaved, the stylish scruff neatly trimmed this morning. But there were shadows under his eyes that implied he’d had a short or stressful night. “Are you okay?”
“Okay enough,” he replied. “You look…refreshed.”
“Thanks. I had a good run and then Mom’s French toast.”
He frowned, opened his mouth and then clamped his lips shut again. “Sounds nice.”
“I have leftovers that will reheat easily enough if you’re interested.” She hadn’t planned on making that offer, but something indefinable inspired her to reach out. Loneliness, she realized. The man who was always polished and quick with the charming smile seemed uncharacteristically isolated today.
Oh, it was hard to see under the overall presentation. His hair was perfectly styled and he managed to make basic blue jeans, boots and a puffy jacket the height of fashion, but she could see he felt off. She wanted to gather him into her arms in a big hug, but sharing food was a safer choice. “I heard about the fire,” she said. “How bad is it?”
“Bad enough.” He rocked back on his heels. “They found
signs of a break-in and are investigating for arson.” His gaze darted from her to something behind her and across the street.
“Come on inside,” she said. Whether or not he was hungry, he obviously didn’t want to have this conversation out here.
Her mouth went dry. She’d invited him inside and it was too late to back out. She loved everything about her house. Though it was more space than she needed right now… She’d bought it with that potential family in mind.
“Where were you headed?” he asked.
“To the station. It can wait.” The files weren’t going anywhere, and perhaps she could glean more information from him in this conversation. She motioned for him to follow her around to the back door. It was easier than trying to maneuver around him on the narrow front walk. She could see it now, making the wrong step on a slippery patch and ending up in his arms. It was too appealing to take the risk.
“I take it they haven’t found Orr,” he said when they stepped inside. “Or whoever was driving the car last night,” he added hastily at her sharp look.
She disarmed her security system and was struck again by the vast differences between them. He’d shared a meal with her in his posh office with furnishings that had probably cost more than her entire house. Here she was, about to offer him leftovers on a table she’d picked up at a summer flea market and refurbished herself.
The hotel offered a Sunday brunch buffet with mimosas and prime rib every week, along with a made-to-order omelet station, a waffle bar and anything else a person could think of. Melissa had been several times through the years with family and girlfriends. Her mom’s leftovers were bound to be a disappointment for Antonio, but it was too late to back out.
She draped her coat on a hook in the utility room and did the same with Antonio’s. He wore a light brown sweater that brought out the golden hues in his skin and eyes. As if the man needed another layer of sex appeal.
“Coffee?” she offered as he ran a hand across the top of one of her ladder-back chairs. She’d collected them two at a time, so while the basic style and new cushions were the same, the six chairs were slightly mismatched.
“Did you inherit this set?”
To her surprise his tone was friendly and the little knot in her belly loosened. “No. Flea-market finds.”
“And you refurbished them on your own?”
She nodded. “Coffee?” she asked, hoping to shift the focus from her secondhand breakfast table.
“I’ve had my share today,” he said. “This is excellent work, Melissa.”
How did he manage to make her name sound like a caress? “Just time and elbow grease,” she said. “And video tutorials online.”
That earned her a genuine smile and her stomach tightened for an entirely new reason. She really needed to get a handle on this persistent attraction to this man. “Have a seat,” she said as her pulse skipped, “and tell me why you came by.”
* * *
Antonio knew he shouldn’t have come here. Driving by last night was silly enough. He’d meant to do the same thing today. Cruise by, make sure someone had her back and keep right on going.
Instead, he’d parked and walked right up to her front door. Damn the ghosts in his head.
She wasn’t family that he needed to worry about or an employee he felt obligated to keep an eye on. She wasn’t his at all. She was the chief of police, clearly capable of taking care of herself. No one had handed her the job, which he’d learned by watching her; she’d worked hard to earn that office and the weighty responsibilities that came along with it.
Still, if there was any chance to keep Orr’s attention on him and away from her, he had to try. His reckless comments to the press last night had made her a target and the ache that left in his gut was unbearable. He waited until she joined him and pulled out a chair for her. When they were seated, he didn’t waste any time. “I think you should leave the Orr case alone. I’m sorry I brought it up last night.”
Her body went still and she stared at him with those big blue eyes. “Did you hit your head last night? Inhale too much smoke at the fire?”
“That was mostly out when I arrived. You can check with Officer Warren to confirm.”
“Count on it,” she said.
He didn’t think she was kidding. “I think Orr set the fire.” She had to understand the gravity of the threat his former associate posed. He pulled out his phone and turned it so she could see the screen shots.
“Unknown number,” she noted as she studied the screenshot. “Doesn’t explain your sudden change of heart.”
“It does if you accept Orr sent the message. I asked ‘or else’ and within fifteen minutes my house was on fire.”
“All right. We’ll add this to the case file for last night. Help me out a minute. Did your security company get a visual good enough for facial recognition?”
He shook his head. “Too dark. The security company only has a vague image of a man…person,” he amended at her slight scowl. “Someone in dark clothing, further blurred by shadows. There is a motion-activated light that didn’t work for some reason. I’ve hired a couple of people from the hotel security team to keep an eye on my place around the clock in case this person comes back.”
“Smart,” she said. “It would be helpful if they coordinated with the GGPD.”
He started to protest, but that was pretty much the reason he was here. “I’ll make sure and set that up.”
“Good.” She sipped her coffee. “Thank you.”
“Am I wasting my breath asking you to stop looking into the Paxton case?”
“Yes.” Her eyes narrowed. “But you had to know I wouldn’t back down. I don’t even believe you want me to do that.”
“It kept me up all night,” he admitted. Dropping his head back, he rubbed his temples. He faced her again. “I’ve made no secret about my displeasure with your department in that situation, but the idea of you or one of your officers getting hurt because of me—”
“Him,” she said.
“He’s only here because of me, even if he also had you in his crosshairs last night.” He couldn’t let her forget that. He didn’t know exactly why Orr had gone on the attack, but it was clear he was furious with Antonio.
“Now this text is threatening you, specifically. Wendy’s parents have waited this long,” he said. “So why not hold off on the Paxton review until he leaves?”
“Because if he is behind the drive-by and the fire, I intend to catch him. Then we can work on holding him accountable for the murder, too, if he is, in fact, the killer.”
“He is.” Antonio sighed. “That day, when he showed up with blood on his hand, he said it was an accident, but he often went hunting and I think he was too good for that kind of mistake.”
“You didn’t say that last night.”
“It’s in the first report I gave at the station, though.” He didn’t know why he’d held back. “Makes me queasy to think about it.”
“For the sake of debate, if he’s that good with a gun, I have to consider someone else could have been shooting at us last night.”
And that was the other reason. “I know I’m asking a lot, but please drop this,” he said. “Focus on the Emerson trouble until he goes away again.”
“You’re frustrated and hurt and overtired,” she said. “He tried to use you and took advantage of your good nature. Every conflicted thought and feeling you’re having is understandable, Antonio.”
“I don’t need you to soothe me like I’m some shaky victim.” He shoved back from the table, too restless to sit and handle this politely. It stung that his behavior only proved her point. Taking a deep breath, he pulled himself together. “He’s a risk. I don’t want you to drop it. Not really. But I can’t let you get hurt, either.”
“I know how to do my job.”
“And still, you went for a run. Ar
e you trying to bait him?”
“The officers sitting outside knew my route and were tracking my phone the entire time. I had pepper spray and a whistle with me. I didn’t have my earbuds in. And today is a day when most of my neighbors are home.”
“So that’s a solid ‘yes.’ He shot at you yesterday.”
She looked at him as if he’d sprouted horns. Maybe he had. “You were there, too,” she said. “If he set the fire at your house, then I’m inclined to think you’re the real target.”
“Did you know about the fire when you went for a run?” he demanded, arms folded over his chest. Recognizing his defensive posture didn’t help him correct it.
“I did not.”
The admission made it all worse. “I just don’t want you taking chances.”
“How I do my job isn’t your concern,” she stated.
He wished he could be okay with leaving her to do her job her way. “He asked me to call you off. I’ve tried. Be careful. This city would suffer if something happens to you.”
She stared at him, incredulous, her lips parted. He ran a hand through his hair. No horns. But that expression made him want a taste of her. He was overtired. Kissing Melissa was the worst idea, especially after flipping out.
“Thanks for your concern,” she said stiffly. “I understand it. But I won’t let a man I suspect is responsible for three violent crimes dictate my caseload.”
He couldn’t put everything rolling through him into words. Not in a way that would make any kind of sense. “Can you assign the case to someone else?”
“No. I’m taking the lead on this. It’s my job to figure out where the Paxton case broke down and find a solution.”
“I knew this was pointless,” he grumbled. “I didn’t even want to come over.”
“Then why did you?”
He slumped into the chair he’d vacated. Probably not a good idea to tell her the memories of his dead wife were pushing him into actions he would normally avoid. “Doing my civic duty for Grave Gulch,” he said, lamely. “That man’s a snake and whatever he’s been doing since he was last here, it doesn’t seem to have made him a better person.”
Harlequin Romantic Suspense January 2021 Page 32