Look-Alike Lawman

by Glynna Kaye

  “What hurts most is I keep wondering if her son believes I walked off and abandoned him like his father did.”

  And like Grayson’s birth mother had?

  “She didn’t let you say goodbye? Try to explain?”

  “Nope.” His gaze drifted again to the window where their reflections mingled with the darkening sky. “It’s not the way I’d have handled it if it had been up to me, but our splitting was for the best. She probably saw it long before I did, but I later realized we’d come to think of ourselves as a family unit—not so much because of our relationship with each other, but because of our mutual connection to Michael. Her leaving wasn’t the blow I’d expected. But I miss the kid. A lot.”

  Elise clasped her hands tightly. Grayson was telling her something here.

  Something important.

  But was he explaining why he didn’t intend to get any closer to her? That the kiss had been a mistake never to be repeated? Or was he laying it on her doorstep that if he or Cory got hurt because of a relationship gone bad it would be all her doing?

  * * *

  Well, he’d done it.

  Not only spilled his guts last night about how poor pitiful little him hadn’t been wanted by his own mother, but how a girlfriend with a kid had dumped him and he’d gotten his feelings hurt. Elise had gone all quiet after that, and the conversation pretty much ground to a halt. Got all awkward. He hadn’t stayed long after that.

  Now standing outside Maddie’s apartment door Thursday evening, awaiting a response to his knock, it dawned on him that maybe she’d expected him to say something about the kiss. He’d thought about it plenty. Too much, in fact. Wondered what Reggie would say about it, too...but wasn’t sure he wanted to know. All caught up in the aftermath of Maddie’s upset over the malicious caller and memories of Jenna’s departure with Michael, he’d gotten sidetracked last night and hadn’t said a word about the kiss.

  Good going, Wallace.

  He glanced impatiently at his watch. Almost eight. She should be home by now. Supper over.

  Elise could have brought up the kiss herself, if she’d wanted to, though, right? After all, she’d been the one to initiate it. Sort of. Was she just waiting for him to mention it—or could she be taking his stupid advice and planning to return to Arizona? He shook his head in disgust. Man, what kind of moron suggests to the woman he’s fallen in—

  The ground all but dissolved under his feet.

  Had he fallen in love with Elise? In two weeks? Sure, he was attracted to her. Enjoyed her company and had hoped their relationship might move forward once she got beyond the fact he was a cop.

  But...love?

  He stared down at the folder in his hand. He’d stayed up last night searching the web. Researching physical therapy programs in the Metroplex. Scouting out security-conscious apartment complexes within reasonable driving distance and not too far from elementary schools.

  Is that what someone would do for someone they love?

  He gripped the folder tighter. He’d come here tonight with a plan. A surprise he wasn’t sure Elise would go for, but one he’d hoped she’d be willing to consider.

  Maybe God wanted him to think it over again.

  He turned away from the door.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Grayson?”

  Elise stared down the hall at his retreating form, her insides doing a pirouette. What was he doing here?

  He turned, then walked toward her, a folder clutched in his hand and an uncertain look in his eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Gray, for not getting to the door more quickly. Cory broke a glass and cut his hand. I was getting him bandaged up.”

  “Is he going to be okay?” His expression reflected the concern in his tone.

  “He’ll be fine. Not deep enough for stitches. He’s all tucked in for the night now.”

  He held out the folder to her. “I had some time on my hands last night and cruised around on the web. Thought you might be interested in what I found.”

  Curious, she opened the folder and flipped through the thick stack of pages. Then stared at him in open-mouthed delight. He’d done this for her? “Oh, my goodness. This must have taken hours.” Spare hours he didn’t have, what with his ongoing search for his father.

  He shrugged. “Hope it helps.”

  “Oh, it will. It will. Thank you so much!”

  He took a step back, as if preparing to leave. He couldn’t leave, not now. Not after handing her such a meaningful gift.

  “Come in, won’t you? We can have a cup of coffee from your sister’s fancy machine.”

  She’d given the situation with his last girlfriend and her son a great deal of thought. Despite the uncertainties of any future relationship between her and Gray, she’d still appreciate his continued involvement with Cory. There had been another episode of pushing and shoving on the playground today when the boy from the previous incident made more inflammatory cracks at Duke’s expense. Fortunately, the playground supervisor had broken it up before it escalated to a fight. Would Gray be willing to move on from past disappointments involving a child?

  For a moment, she thought he’d decline the invitation. But then he nodded and joined her at the kitchen table while the coffeemaker worked its magic.

  “Look at all this. I’m amazed.” She eagerly fanned the folder’s contents across the table, pausing to scan a page of physical therapy degree requirements. A class schedule for next semester. Gray had suggested she return home, but would a man who wanted you to leave the state go to all this trouble?

  He returned her smile, but did he have any idea how seeing all this in front of her made a dream seem more of a possibility? “Oh, Grayson, thank you.”

  “So how long would it take you to get the degree if you didn’t have to work full-time?”

  Enthusiasm faded at his words, and she set the pages aside. She’d be lucky to finish in a decade at the rate of one or two courses a semester—if she could afford tuition at all. “There’s no point in indulging in that fantasy. It’s not an option.”

  “It could be.” His smile quirked as he watched her closely.

  “How?”

  “Scholarships. They have them for women returning to the workforce. Displaced homemaker grants. Things like that.” He tapped the papers. “I put information in here on that, too.”

  “Thank you, but...” After all the trouble he’d gone through on her behalf, she didn’t want to come across as negative. “Maybe a scholarship would cover tuition and books, but the catch is the living expenses.”

  He looped his good arm over the back of his chair, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. “There are ways to address that, too.”

  He was full of surprises tonight. She didn’t know quite what to make of it.

  “I do declare, Officer Wallace.” She put a lighthearted lilt into her words. “An officer of the law isn’t suggesting I rob a bank is he?”

  He grinned. “Noooo. But...what if I help?”

  Her smiled faltered. “How do you mean?”

  “I’ll loan you the money, interest-free, to get yourself and Cory a little apartment not far from the school you pick.”

  “I can’t let you do that.”

  He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. “Why not? You think my money is drawing any interest at the bank in this economy? It’s sitting there accumulating dust. If I loaned some of it to you, at least it would get a little exercise.”

  For a moment she held her breath as visions of sailing through her coursework unencumbered by the pressures of a job lit up the too-long darkened corners of her mind. Grayson was serious. He wanted to do this for her. But...how could she possibly let him?

  Couldn’t he see that allowing him, an almost-stranger, to loan her money would only make her feel she
hadn’t earned her own way? He’d already done so much for her. But was it out of a sense of duty—or something much more? Something that, in spite of the way she was coming to feel for him, scared her to death.

  “I don’t know, Grayson. I’m overwhelmed. I—I mean, you hardly know me.”

  He reached for her hand. “I want to do this for you, Elise. For you and Cory.”

  She stared at him, marveling at his generosity yet, true to her nature, questioning his motives. “I can’t accept—”

  “No strings attached,” he hurried on, rightly interpreting one of the reasons for her reluctance. “No obligations. Strictly business.”

  “I don’t know what to say, Grayson. I just know I can’t—”

  “You don’t need to decide tonight. Take your time. Think it over.”

  “I will.” But she wouldn’t. She’d already made up her mind, but didn’t want to argue with him. “Thank you.”

  Shaken, she rose to get their coffee, certain she’d hurt his feelings for not immediately accepting. He’d obviously gone out of his way to help her, anticipating that she’d be overjoyed at the prospect of finally realizing her dream. But instead, she’d all but ungratefully refused.

  When she turned to the table once again, she noticed he’d gathered the thick stack of papers and returned them to the folder. She handed him a mug, but remained standing. “Cory had a little skirmish today.”

  Gray frowned, no doubt taking notice of the abrupt change in topic. “What set this one off?”

  “Same kid as last time. Slurs on Duke.”

  His mouth took a downward turn, but she rushed on. “I know it’s a lot to ask after what you shared last night about your former girlfriend and her boy, but—”

  A shoulder lifted, dismissing her comment. “I probably made it sound worse than it was.”

  She tightened the grip on her mug. “I suspect the opposite. Which is why I’m hesitant to ask this.”

  “Ask away.”

  “I’d told you that once I learned the source of Cory’s behavioral issues, I’d handle matters on my own. But I think I spoke too soon.”

  He lifted a brow. “You want me to spend more one-on-one time with him?”

  “I understand if you’re reluctant to do that. But I thought maybe you could take Cory on an outing on Sunday, that is, if you don’t have family business to attend to in Grasslands this weekend.” Goodness only knew, he had enough to deal with on that front. “Maybe to the zoo? It would give the two of you time to talk before school rolls around again on Monday.”

  Something that looked unmistakably akin to guilt flickered in his eyes, and the muscles in Elise’s stomach tightened.

  “This Sunday afternoon?”

  She nodded. “After church and lunch. I thought it might be a nice surprise for him. Something to look forward to.”

  “Sure wish I could but, um...” He glanced away, almost as if not wanting to look her in the eye. “I have a...prior commitment.”

  An invisible fist punched her in the stomach. Duke. How often had she heard his excuses, his “prior commitments” and never had a clue what was really going on?

  Can’t today, ’lise, have to help Sam with his boat.

  Sorry, sweetheart, something’s come up.

  I forgot to tell you, but I promised to watch the game at Ken’s.

  “That’s okay.” Shaken by the intensity of the memory, she nevertheless managed to force a smile as she studied Grayson’s still-averted face as he gazed into his coffee mug. “It was just a thought. Even though there were some problems today, Cory’s putting extra effort into school. He got a good grade on his math test. I thought some time with you...”

  “I’m more than happy to spend a few hours with Cory. Just not...Sunday.” Still looking uncomfortable, he downed his coffee and stood. “Why don’t I touch base with you in a few days and we can compare schedules?”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  They chatted a few more minutes about inconsequential things. When he’d headed on his way, she set the locks, then leaned back against the door. It was so unlike Gray to behave like that. Guilty. Nervous.

  What was he hiding?

  * * *

  “You didn’t invite her, did you?”

  Gray looked up from his desk to meet his friend’s accusing eye. “Look, Reggie, like I said before, an afternoon of football with the gang is premature.”

  “Cops hang out with cops.”

  “So? Elise and I aren’t that far into a relationship.”

  “Not too far is when you need to talk about it. If you can’t talk openly with her now, you’re asking for trouble.”

  Gray’s mind flickered to the night he’d told Elise about his family. His frustrations. He’d talked things out and she’d listened. But discussing police work and surrounding her with cops? Not yet. He had a lot of thinking to do. Was it right to put Elise to the test before he’d even passed it himself?

  “You worry too much, Reg. Things are under control.”

  “Right.” His pal waved him off and headed down the hall.

  Gray tossed his pen to the desktop. Maybe Reggie was right. He should have at least told her what he was doing on Sunday. But he wanted to buy some time, decide where he wanted to go with his career. Then he’d be free to figure out a way to get her to go along with him in whatever direction that might be.

  It had been dumb, though, to offer her a loan. Jumping the gun. He could see it on her face the second the words were out of his mouth. In chatting with his physical therapist, he’d learned how she’d gotten sufficient credits under her belt to start as a physical therapy assistant as she worked toward a full degree and then a master’s. While it would be challenging, especially with a little kid in tow, it sounded doable. He’d thought it might raise Elise’s spirits to know it could happen more quickly than she believed.

  But that chin of hers had lifted ever so slightly, and he knew her pride had gotten in the way. Again. Either that or she thought he was manipulating her. Trying to make her feel obligated to him. But he wasn’t. He just wanted her—and Cory—to have a better life.

  But he should have held off and waited to see where the relationship went. Kept his mouth shut. Maybe Reggie was right. He needed to back off before one or both of them got hurt.

  * * *

  “Something’s bothering you.” Billie Jean probed over the phone late Saturday morning, shortly after Elise and Cory returned from grocery shopping. “What’s up?”

  “This probably sounds silly.” She lowered her voice and slipped into the bedroom where Cory wouldn’t hear. Gently closed the door. “But I get the feeling Grayson’s hiding something.”

  “He isn’t Duke, Elise.”

  She’d finally told Billie Jean the whole story of what had brought her and Cory to Fort Worth, so now she had another friend to confide in. “I know that.”

  “Don’t go paranoid here, honey. Most men don’t harbor anything darker than agreeing to a diet and indulging in a cheeseburger and fries when out from under the watchful eyes of their spouse.”

  “It’s just that Thursday night when I asked him if he’d take Cory to the zoo on Sunday, he said he had a previous engagement—and looked so guilty about it.”

  And not just guilty, but sentenced and serving time.

  “Is it unreasonable that he might have a life apart from you and your kid? You keep forgetting you’ve only known him a couple of weeks.”

  Two weeks? Impossible. It seemed like forever.

  “I told you it sounds silly, but something furtive flashed through his eyes. Secretive. Like whatever he was doing he didn’t want me to know about.”

  “You mean like a date?”

  Billie Jean’s words jolted. Could he have kissed her like he did and already be off
with another woman? No, that wasn’t the Gray she’d come to know. From the look on his face that night, it was clear he’d thought whatever he was up to would bring him down in her estimation. Something that would make her regret the kiss—and that she’d allowed him into Cory’s life.

  “I get the impression the guy is squeaky clean, hon. As honest as the day is long.” That’s what everyone had thought about Duke, too. “So, when will you see him again?”

  “I don’t know. He said he’d get in touch with me. I need to look for a new place, anyway. At least a temporary one. I can’t stay here indefinitely.”

  “I don’t know why you’re in such an all-fired hurry to get out of there. I mean, he’s helping you break the lease on the place over here so you can save your rent money.”

  “Can’t you see, though? I’m falling into the same pattern I did with Duke. ‘The man’ doing everything while I sit passively by and let him.” She tightened her grip on the phone. “Look where a history of that landed me. I’ve had to grow up these past two years and I sense myself sliding back into that old comfort zone. Letting a man control things.”

  “I don’t think Cory’s cop is trying to control things, Elise. I think he cares for you and wants to help.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, Grayson has a major rescuer complex. You know, a save-the-day mentality.”

  “Comes in handy when you’re a cop,” Billie Jean quipped.

  “Maybe so, but it’s out of place in a romantic relationship.”

  “Come again?”

  “It’s kind of like I’m one of many he rides to the rescue for. The food bank. Friends and neighbors. Always stepping in to lend a helping hand. Superhero. I don’t want to be some man’s charity case.”

  Billie Jean’s laugh almost turned into a howl. “A charity case? Honey, believe me, a charity case isn’t what that man sees when he takes a look at you.”

  “Still, it’s not right to take advantage of him. And I have my pride.”

  “Won’t argue with that.”

  Elise narrowed her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”