by Sandra Owens
“Yet I am. Go away, Christine.”
She yanked on my arm, bringing me back to the bed. “I can’t go away. We have unfinished business.”
Maybe we did. “I’m sorry for not being there for you when you needed me. I live with that regret every day.”
She smiled the way she used to when everything was right between us. “That means everything to me, but can you ever forgive me for what I did?”
I hadn’t thought I ever could, but a woman with red hair and laughter dancing in her green eyes crystalized in my mind. The truth settled in my heart. If I couldn’t forgive Christine, I’d never let her go, and I didn’t want her standing between Jenny and me. For the first time, I was ready to let go of my wife.
“I loved you with everything I was, Christine. You know that. I never gave us a chance to find our way back to what we’d had together. For that, I’m sorry. I don’t hate you anymore. You’ll always own a piece of my heart, but we need to let each other go.”
“But can you forgive me?”
If she’d asked me that one day ago, my answer would have been no. I’m not sure what changed. Maybe that I was tired of holding on to my misery. Maybe because I’d flown with an owl, reminding me that I liked being happy. Or maybe it was because I wanted that green-eyed girl in my bed without a ghost between us.
“I forgive you, Christine. I do.”
She disappeared. I knew she’d never come back.
The clock said it was 3:00 a.m. when I eyed it. As I sat there in the middle of my bed, I made a mental rundown of my vitals. My breathing was calm, my heart softly beat, and my mind was blessedly free of the guilt that had lived with me for the past two years.
My therapist had told me that her visits were a creation of my mind and that this would happen when I could both forgive her and myself. He turned out to be a smarter man than I’d given him credit for.
“Be at peace, Christine,” I whispered, sitting there alone in the dark.
Hoo. Hoo, the owl said, sounding as if he were right outside my window.
I smiled, wondering if he knew I’d flown with him tonight. Christine would always be a part of me, would always own a piece of my heart. That I hadn’t lied about. But she was finally resting in peace. I punched my pillow back into the shape I wanted, then went back to sleep, dream-free.
“So you’re just going to let her go free after she murdered Billy?”
I came close to telling Moody that he needed a good mouthwash and get the hell out of my face. Since I was in my new Zen state, I just shrugged. “I’m not her judge or jury, Moody. She made bail and she has an attorney.”
He fisted his hands as if he planned to plant one on my face. I could look mean when the situation called for it, which this did. Narrowing my eyes, letting them go cold, I poked him in the chest. “Back off. That’s an order.”
“You son of—”
“I don’t think you want to finish that sentence, Captain”—emphasis on the Captain because his ability to use that title was limited to how soon I could fire him—“because if you do…”
Okay, I’d lost my cool, which wasn’t at all cool. I took a deep breath. We were in the bull pen with my other cops looking on, and I’d almost told my captain that I was going to knock him on his damn ass. Every single one of them looked ready to start placing bets on the outcome of a fight between Moody and me.
“In my office,” I said to Moody. “The rest of you, find something constructive to do.” Apparently they knew I meant business because they scurried off like rats. I stalked Moody down the hall, closing the door behind me after we’d both stepped into my office.
The only thing this man understood was brute force. I invaded his space, backing his fat ass against the wall. “You want to take me on, be at Valley Gym tonight at six. Otherwise, Captain, you need to keep your mouth shut. Don’t ever disrespect me like that again.”
He clamped down on his bottom lip so hard that a trickle of blood dripped down his chin, but he kept his mouth shut. Lucky for him I’d woken up in a good mood, willing to give him leeway that I wouldn’t have yesterday.
I stepped back. “Do we understand each other?” I didn’t doubt that there were a thousand words he wanted to spit at me, but he only nodded. “Good. See yourself out.”
Since I’d made the challenge, I was at Valley Gym at six, but Moody never showed. At least he wasn’t totally stupid. I worked out for an hour before going home. Christine didn’t visit that night, and I knew she wouldn’t be back again. Nor did I fly with my owl, which was disappointing.
Dressed in a dark gray pin-striped power suit, white shirt, and red tie, I walked into the town hall building Thursday night, taking a seat near the front. Two councilmen were already at the table, deep in conversation, one of whom I knew was Adam Hunter, since I’d studied up on the councilmen.
The meeting wouldn’t start for another five minutes, so I took out my phone, tapped the screen for a few seconds, then decided what the hell.
Thinking about you and fireworks
She would be busy at the bar and wouldn’t see my text until later. Would she answer? I switched the phone to vibrate, then dropped it into my coat pocket. Although I’d been tempted to stop by Vincennes for a quick bite before this meeting, just to see Jenny, I’d resisted. Absence made the heart grow fonder and all that. I was hoping she’d miss me between now and Saturday.
The mayor came in, gave me a curt nod as he passed to take his seat at the table. So Jim John was still annoyed with me for how I’d pushed my way into this meeting. He’d get over it soon enough. Buddy Ferguson and Freddie Barnes walked in together. I nodded to them both.
Peanut Man was a sly fox. I’d stopped by his stand—Friendly Freddie’s—this morning as promised, and he hadn’t said a word about tonight’s meeting even though he was aware I was on the agenda. I’d had Buddy make sure each councilman had a copy of my new budget to study. Although I knew Freddie was one of the three—having done my homework—I hadn’t mentioned it either.
As for boiled peanuts, they were just weird. Not bad tasting, but peanuts should be dry and crunchy, not wet and mushy. I’d sat on a barrel for an hour, eating the damn things while listening to Freddie tell me the story of his life.
According to him, forty years ago he’d been a highly successful stockbroker in New York, then one day for no reason that he could point to, he quit, loaded up his belongings, moved to Blue Ridge Valley, and opened his stand, selling boiled peanuts, molasses, honey, and cheap souvenirs. It was anyone’s guess how much of what he said was true.
An older woman was the last to come in, and she took a place at the end of the table, opened a stenographer’s notebook, and wrote something. They still had their meetings recorded in shorthand? Who did that anymore? I smiled to myself, charmed by my new town.
Jim John opened the meeting by pounding a gavel on a block of wood as if the room were full of people, getting another private smile from me.
“Record that the monthly town council review meeting began promptly at six in the evening and all members are present,” he said.
I glanced at the stenographer to see her nodding her head as her hand flew over the page.
“We have a guest tonight, our new chief of police, Dylan Conrad. He will review and answer questions on a revised budget. Mr. Conrad, you have the floor.”
“Gentlemen, thank you for adding me to your agenda tonight. I trust you’ve taken a look at the revised budget I’ve submitted.” I quickly reviewed the changes I wanted, then asked for questions.
“I told y’all when we renewed our contract with Ed’s Garage that the old cuss was a crook,” Adam said. “I vote we approve the new budget.”
“About time our officers got rid of those baby-puke green uniforms,” Steve Sutton, owner of three motels, said. “I approve it.”
Freddie Barns sat back in his chair, eyeing me. I braced for whatever trouble he was going to throw my way. After spending time with him this morning, I’d come
to the conclusion that he liked stirring things up.
“The chief liked my peanuts. I vote aye.”
I choked on a laugh, covering it up with a cough. Looked like I needed to learn to love boiled peanuts if that was all it took to get Freddie’s vote on something I wanted.
Jim John banged his gavel three times. “I approve. Your revised budget is accepted, Chief. Anything else?”
“No.” I stood. “Thank you for making time for me.” As I left, the first thing I wanted to do was call Jenny and tell her of my success, but she still hadn’t answered my text, so I went home and celebrated with a glass of wine on my balcony with my owl hooing in the distance.
21
~ Jenny ~
I was happy to finally be home. We’d been unusually busy tonight, and we got out later than usual. I was bone-tired. All I wanted was to get off my feet, a good soak in a hot bath, and sleep. While the tub was filling, I added a few capfuls of scented bath oil, then went to the kitchen and poured a glass of wine. I retrieved my phone from my purse, taking it and the wine back to the bathroom.
After slipping into the tub, I turned on my phone. It pinged, and I grinned when I saw I had a text from Dylan. I laughed when I read it. So he was thinking of me and fireworks? After considering a response, I texted back.
Boom!
A minute later my phone pinged again.
Where are u
Home
Can I call u
Yes
My phone rang, and I swiped my thumb over it. “Hey.”
“Hi, Red. Hope I’m not interrupting your sleep.”
“Nope. I’m treating myself to a bubble bath.”
Silence, then, “You’re in the tub?”
Wow, his voice just dropped about two octaves. “Ah…yeah.”
“Naked?”
“No, Dylan. I’m wearing all my clothes.”
He laughed. “Sorry. I went dumb there thinking of you naked.”
I let out a dramatic sigh. “You’re such a man.”
“Last I checked, but maybe you should have a look, just to make sure.”
“Well, if you’re in doubt…”
Another laugh, one that sounded a little strangled. “Considering what thinking of you wet and naked does to me, definitely not in doubt.”
He sounded happy tonight, and I thought about asking him if he wanted to come over, but decided against it. It was late and I was tired. Plus, I liked him thinking of me wet and naked for the next couple of days before we saw each other again.
“You have a good day?” I asked. I knew he was making some kind of presentation at the monthly council meeting. In a small town, nothing’s secret.
“Very. Met with the councilmen tonight and got my new budget approved, but back to you naked in the tub.”
“Ha ha. Nice try, Mr. Policeman. I’m going to hang up now. See you Saturday.”
“Sweet dreams, Jenny Girl.”
The dream I had of Dylan that night wasn’t at all sweet. I woke up hot, sweaty, and aching. If Dylan was anything like my Dream Lover Dylan, I was definitely going to explode.
For the barbeque, I decided to go cowgirl. It was a risk because I knew that since we were still having a warm spell, Stephanie and her friends would be decked out in sundresses or adorable little shorts and cute, flowery blouses. My outfit—white jeans, red cowboy boots, red midriff tie top, and black cowboy hat—was going to stand out, but I’d always been one to go against the crowd. Especially Stephanie’s crowd.
From the day she laid eyes on Natalie and me in first grade, she’d hated us. I’d never been sure exactly why, but if I had to guess, it was because of the twins, Adam and Connor. At that time they lived next door, and Natalie and I were total tomboys. Natalie and I, along with Autumn and Savannah, were the only girls they let into their tree house.
Stephanie wanted them for her friends, mainly because they were cute boys and she was boy crazy, even then. She saw Natalie and me in her way, and because she was mean to us, Adam and Connor didn’t like her. But that was just my guess as to why she’d always had it out for us. For all I knew, maybe she hated red hair.
As far as I was concerned, that was old history, but Stephanie still held a grudge. Since I wasn’t stupid, I always watched my back around her. The doorbell rang, and I took a last look in the mirror, adjusted my cowboy hat, then went and opened the door.
Dylan pulled his sunglasses down his nose, his gaze roaming over me. “Smokin’.”
I grinned. “I could say the same about you.” He wore jeans, a blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up, a black belt with a silver buckle, a silver watch on one wrist, and a black leather band on the other. Just looking at the man sent tingles racing through me, especially after the dream I’d had.
“Before we go, there’s something I have to do,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“Just this.” He stepped inside, closed the door, and then backed me against it. “I got to kiss a mountain girl recently, but I’ve never kissed a cowgirl before. I need to correct that.”
He ducked his head under my hat, put his hands on my hips, and covered my mouth with his. As he deepened the kiss, he dug his fingers into my hips, holding me still when I tried to rub against him.
“Be still, or we’ll never make it to the barbeque,” he said, his voice gravelly.
“I don’t think I can. Be still. Not when you’re touching me.” It was true. With his hands on me, I just wanted to climb up him and wrap my legs around his waist.
He tapped my nose with his finger. “Then we better go before we decide there’s something else we’d rather do.”
I brushed my thumb across his bottom lip, damp from our kiss. “Actually there is something I’d rather do.”
“You’re killing me, Red,” he said, then sucked my thumb into his mouth.
And now he was killing me. “The sooner we go, the sooner we can leave.” I grabbed the overnight bag sitting by the door. “I plan to save a horse by riding a cowboy tonight.”
He grinned. “Then I’ll need to borrow your hat later. Make me officially a cowboy.” He took the tote, slinging an arm around my shoulder as we walked to his car.
The man was a toucher, and as far as I was concerned, he could put his hands on me whenever and wherever he wanted. And I really would have been good with staying home and as far away from Stephanie as I could get. Although I was pretty sure I could have seduced him into forgetting about going to the barbeque, he needed to be there. I’d deal with Stephanie like I always had—by ignoring her.
Ignoring Stephanie and her friends turned out not to be so easy when they swooped down on Dylan within minutes of our arrival, effectively pushing me out of the circle they’d made around him. We’d been handed mint juleps on arrival by a server holding a trayful of them, and I wanted to splash mine in Stephanie’s face. And who served mint juleps at a barbeque anyway? Where the hell was the beer?
As soon as I spied Adam and Connor, I headed for them, even though Dylan sent me a help-me look. I gave him a what-am-I-supposed-to-do shrug. I could have gone one-on-one with Stephanie, but her and her four minions? Not even going to try.
“Hey, you two,” I said, giving Adam a hug, then Connor.
“Here’s my favorite cowgirl,” Adam said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “You gonna let her steal your man?” he whispered in my ear.
I laughed. “I’m not claiming him as my man, but I do know he’s going home with me, so she can just go and eat her heart out.”
“What secrets are you two whispering about?” Connor said, hauling me away from his brother and tucking me next to him.
“I just told him that I was going to marry him instead of you.”
“The hell you say. I’ll knock his teeth out first.”
“I guess I’ll just have to marry you both.” For a brief second I had an erotic fantasy of the black-haired, blue-eyed twins making a sandwich out of me, which would have been totally hot if it hadn’t sent
me into a fit of laughter.
“Want to share?” Adam said.
“Not really.” I put the still-full mint julep on a table. “Where’d you get the beer?” I asked, eyeing Connor’s.
“I’ll get you one.” He winked as he headed away. “Love the hat, by the way.”
A few minutes and he was back with an icy bottle. I took a few swallows. “Much better.”
Adam pointed at Dylan with his beer bottle. “Maybe we should go save him.”
Poor Dylan. Stephanie had her arm wrapped around his, talking a mile a minute. He glanced over at me, narrowing his eyes, and I took pity on him.
The mayor’s house—a sprawling brick ranch—sat on about an acre of land, with a rushing stream behind the large deck we stood on. The Blue Ridge Valley Country Club set were all here, most of whom I knew well enough to say hello to. Not my crowd, but they’d expect Dylan to join their ranks. Honestly, he really wouldn’t have a choice even if he weren’t interested.
“How’s Savannah?” Adam asked as the three of us headed off to save Dylan.
“Autumn and I are a little worried about her. She’s not keeping in touch like she’s supposed to, and when we do talk to her, she seems evasive. She’ll be home for Autumn’s wedding, so we’ll get to see firsthand what’s going on with her.”
Adam got silent after that. He and Savannah had been an item in high school, but she’d moved to New York to become a famous model, leaving him behind. If not for her mother interfering and pushing Savannah to go, I think she might have stayed. I know she loved him. I was the only one who knew Mrs. Graham had paid Adam a visit, convincing him that he was standing in the way of Savannah’s dream, and if he didn’t let her go, Savannah would end up resenting him. I knew that because I’d stopped by his house the night he’d broken up with her, and it had all come pouring out.
“Great to see you again, Dylan,” Adam said when we reached the group.
“Same here.” Dylan held out his hand, forcing Stephanie to let go of him. As he and Adam shook, he subtly sidestepped, putting some space between her and him. He took another step away to turn to Connor.