“What’s your feeling about another date tonight?”
“I thought I had to go watch Robbie’s Little League game.”
“There’s nothing better than mixing business and pleasure.”
****
“Are you sure she said she was coming to watch me play?” asked Robbie. He ran the bat through the sand as he spoke. Ian knew he was sulking and wished he hadn’t promised his nephew Dana would definitely show up tonight.
Ian looked at his watch. He’d told her the game started at seven p.m. For one awful moment, he wondered if she’d accepted just to be polite, but then had second thoughts after they’d spent the night together. Was she back to her promise of not getting involved with a cop?
“You said she’d be here,” said Robbie, stamping down his foot.
“Hey, hey, don’t use that tone with your uncle,” said Sharon.
Ian leaned back against the metal fence, knowing he’d created this current predicament. His sister tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the left.
“Is this Dana heading our way?” she asked.
His heart beat double time, and not because she’d finally arrived, but she had what looked like a news crew tagging along with her.
“Hey, Robbie, looks like you and your teammates are going to be on TV,” said Ian.
He wasn’t sure what to do, and how to greet Dana when she arrived with two men in tow and one of them balancing a camera on his shoulder. Should he kiss her or shake her hand?
“This is my client Robbie so if you want to chat with him and then take some shots of him and his team, that would be great,” said Dana.
“How did you manage to get them to do this?” asked Ian.
She raised her hand. “Don’t get too excited. It’s just a local cable show. I know the director and he owed me a favor.”
“Are you going to introduce me or what?” asked Sharon.
“Sorry, this is Dana, Dana my sister, Sharon.”
The two women shook hands then his sister pulled out a spare chair for Dana.
“I’ll warn you it gets pretty boring and they’re crappy,” said Ian.
Sharon slapped him across the back. “They try.”
“Well, this piece on cable TV might attract someone to coach them,” said Dana.
Ian smiled when he saw Robbie beaming from ear to ear when the camera starting rolling. Being bashful had to run in the family.
Ian pulled up a chair and sat down beside Dana as the game begun. Sharon walked over to talk to some other parents, so he took the opportunity to lean in close to her.
“I missed you today.”
“What all eight hours?” asked Dana.
“Yeah, all of them.”
“You’re a great uncle, you know that?”
“I had my motives for all this, so I shouldn’t take any credit.” His cell phone rang. “Hang on while I take this.”
He stood and walked away, putting the phone to his ear.
“Hi, Kincade, it’s Captain Taylor. We’ve had a murder over at Hennessy Bridge. It looks like a copy cat of the crime scenes from the last case. You want to come and take a look?”
Shit. He’d almost said that out loud. He was getting called to a crime scene when he was with Dana, and watching Robbie’s game. And double shit because the person of interest they’d arrested a few weeks ago probably wasn’t their guy after all.
“Sure, I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”
He turned and walked back to where Dana was now standing and cheering as Robbie ran to third base.
“Your nephew’s doing great tonight.” She looked at him and knitted her eyebrows together. “Something wrong?”
“There’s been another murder in the homeless community so I need to go check out the crime scene.”
“Sure, absolutely.”
“Stay and watch the game and visit with my sister if you want.”
“I’ll do that.”
He leaned in and kissed her. She was shaking, her whole body trembling.
“If you’re cold, I can leave you my jacket.”
She shook her head. “No, that’s fine and you’ll need it.”
“I’ll give you a call, maybe even tonight depending on what time I get done at the crime scene, but definitely tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, and be careful.”
He kissed her again, not wanting to leave her.
****
Dana sat on her bed and ran her fingers over the quilt. The night before she’d been so happy lying here with Ian. She’d thought maybe it could work. That her obsession about not dating a cop was stupid and a thing of the past. However, tonight, things were different.
Tonight, she was alone and he was at a crime scene. He was maybe among bad guys who could hurt him like they had her father.
A tear fell from her face and bounced onto her knee. Ian was so wonderful, so perfect, but she couldn’t deal with the idea that every day he went to work or got called out, there was the slightest possibility he’d never walk back through the door again. That she’d never see him again. Never feel his lips on hers or have his arms around her.
On the other hand, he could spend the rest of his career unscathed, but she couldn’t take that gamble. And she couldn’t ask him to give up something he obviously loved so much.
When he called again, she’d have to break both their hearts.
****
Ian called Dana’s phone, and for the third time got her answering service. He hadn’t known her that long, but in the pit of his stomach he sensed something was wrong. Not physically wrong with her, but that she was suddenly avoiding him.
He decided to drive over to her office where Jenny told him Dana was working at her desk during her lunch break. He went in there to find her pushing around some lettuce on a plate and looking like she hadn’t slept all night.
She looked up at him when she noticed him standing in the doorway. And like he’d told her before, she didn’t have much of a poker face.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hi.” He saw her give a distinct swallow.
“I’m been trying to get hold of you.”
“I know, but I’ve been trying to avoid you.”
He stepped toward her, sensing she was about to cry again.
“Pleas, Ian, don’t make this any harder for me than it already is. Last night when you got called to the crime scene was my wake-up call. I realized that the dinner, the wine, the dancing, and yes, the great sex had made me lose my senses.”
“Dana—”
She put up her hand to stop him from saying anything or stepping toward her desk.
“You’re a wonderful guy and for a woman who’s not got my hang up about cops, you’ll make the ideal partner. Now could you just turn around and leave and never, ever come back again? If you think anything of me, you’ll do it.”
He bit his lip, fighting back the urge to plead his case. But he did think the world of her, and for that simple reason, he’d do as she asked.
“If you ever change your mind, I’ll be waiting.” He turned and walked out of the office and building. Ian got back into his car. He’d heard people say someone had broken their heart, but he’d never believed it was physically possible. He’d known her such a short time, but she’d certainly caused him to have one.
****
Dana hated funerals, but today she couldn’t avoid attending one because the company’s owner was being laid to rest. She looked across the way at some her co-workers standing on the other side of the grave. There, in the center of the group, stood the man’s family crying and throwing dirt on top of the casket as it was lowered into the ground.
Life was short. In fact, shorter than we any of us ever imagined. This man had been just fifty-five-years-old and had a brain aneurysm he didn’t know was lurking inside his head. He’d had no time to say goodbye to his friends and family. Probably no time to do all the things on his “must do before I die” list.
His widow
wiped her eyes and it was at that point Dana realized it didn’t matter what you did in life because whether you were a cop or owner of a PR company, when your time was up, that was it.
Sneaking away from the grave and hoping no one spotted her, Dana got back into her car and rummaged through her purse for her address book. Ian had told her he’d be waiting if she ever changed her mind.
That had been seven months ago and she hoped she wasn’t too late or some other woman hadn’t jumped at the opportunity she’d so stupidity passed at. She still had his number scribbled down. She fingered it, wondering if she had the courage to call him.
Someone tapping on car’s window made her jump.
“We’re heading back to the house for coffee and some lunch. You coming?” It was Jenny and her husband.
Dana opened the window.
“Sure, I’ll be right there, but I have an urgent phone call to make.”
“Okay, honey, see you there.”
Knowing she’d lose her nerve if she didn’t do it straight away, she tapped in the numbers and heard it ringing.
“Hello, Detective Kincaid speaking.”
“Hi, it’s me.”
She was flattering herself. As if he’d remember her voice after what she’d said, and after all this time.
“Dana?”
She smiled then squeezed her eyes sight. She was suddenly tongue tied.
“You still there?” he asked.
She opened her eyes. “Yes, I was wondering if the offer about me ever changing my mind about us is still open?”
He didn’t say anything. She crossed her fingers hoping she wasn’t about to hear he was seeing someone or even engaged or married.
“Oh yeah, it’s always been open and always will be.”
“You want to meet for dinner at that Greek restaurant?”
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
“I sure am.”
“Now just to get this straight, you do know that I’m a cop and always going to be one?”
“I do, and I’ve no problems with that at all.”
“I see. And what changed your mind?”
“It’s a long story so I’ll tell you over dinner.”
“Okay, then, shall we say seven?” asked Ian.
“Sounds perfect.”
“I can’t wait to see you again.”
“Likewise.”
She ended the call and looked out of the car window. He was a cop so he was used to hearing people confess things. Tonight over dinner she’d lay it on the line and tell him she thought she was in love with him.
The End
www.vanessadevereaux.com
Other Books by Vanessa Devereaux:
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Confession of Love (Romance on the Go) Page 4