Once she stepped out of the shower she dried carefully, then pulled on a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved blouse. A regular bra was impossible with the soreness of her ribs, but she managed to get on an old, stretched-out sports bra.
As she walked down the hall she smelled the scent of coffee and knew that Tom was awake. To her surprise, when she walked into the kitchen she saw Lilly, looking fresh and happy in her bouncy chair on the table.
Tom scowled at her as she walked into the kitchen and eased down into a chair. “You were supposed to stay in bed.” He pulled a cup out of the cabinet and poured her coffee.
“I tried, but I woke up, and my thoughts started giving me a headache. Thanks,” she added as she wrapped her fingers around the cup.
“You want a pain pill?”
“No, I’m okay as long as I don’t move too fast or try to breathe too deeply.” She took a sip of her coffee then reached out a hand and grabbed Lilly’s fingers. “How’s my girl this morning?”
“I gave her a bottle and changed her,” Tom said as he joined her at the table.
“I think that goes above and beyond your duties as a sheriff.”
He frowned. “Yeah, well, I don’t seem to be doing so well with my sheriff duties. No matter how I twist it all around, I can’t make sense of anything that’s happened.”
“Trying to make sense of it is what gave me a headache before I got out of bed this morning,” she replied.
Even though her body ached and her head pounded, a tiny flutter of pleasure swept through her as she smelled the familiar scent of him, felt the warmth of his eyes lingering on her.
She was not a foolish woman, but she felt foolish now, like a teenager with a crush on a boy when she had no hopes of winning his heart.
But there was something about Tom that made her believe his heart needed to be claimed again, that he was a man who not only needed, but deserved to be loved.
“I had Benjamin bring your car home last night,” he said.
The ring of the phone swallowed her murmur of thanks. Tom jumped up and grabbed the cordless and handed it to her.
“Peyton, are you all right?” Rick’s voice burst over the line. “They told me somebody beat the hell out of you.”
“I’m okay,” she replied. “Who told you about it?”
“Benjamin Grayson called this morning to ask me where I was last night. I told him I was here in my apartment writing arguments for the trial I’m working, and he told me about the attack on you. Jesus, Peyton, what’s going on there?”
“I wish I knew,” she replied and watched as Tom left the room.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Rick asked.
“I’m fine, Rick. A little frightened, a little banged up, but I’m okay.”
“Maybe you should come back here, stay with me for a while. I have plenty of room for you and Lilly, and I’d feel better if I knew you were here safe and sound.”
A burst of warmth swept through her at his offer. Life would have been so much less complicated if they had truly loved each other. But she didn’t love him and he didn’t love her, at least not in a romantic way.
“I appreciate the offer, Rick, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m confident Sheriff Grayson will figure this all out soon and I can get back to a normal life.”
“Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do for you? For Lilly?” he asked.
“We’re fine, and we have everything we need,” she replied.
“Call me if there’s anything I can do. I mean it, Peyton. All you have to do is let me know.”
“Thanks, Rick. I appreciate it.”
They hung up and Peyton got up from the table to go in search of Tom. He was in the living room, standing by the front window and staring outside.
For a moment she simply stood and looked at him, noting the width of his broad shoulders, the way his khaki slacks fit across his tight butt.
He must have sensed her presence, for he turned around to face her. His features held stress, and she wanted to stroke her fingers across the lines in his forehead until they smoothed out.
“You had Benjamin check out Rick’s alibi for last night?” she said.
Tom nodded. “If you knew the pope personally, I’d be having Benjamin check his alibi.”
“I think it’s safe to mark the pope off our list of suspects,” she said in an attempt to bring a smile to his face. It didn’t work.
“I was just thinking that it would be a good idea for you to get an alarm system installed,” he said. “I could have somebody out here by this afternoon if you agree.”
“At this point I think it would be a good idea,” she replied. It would also allow him to leave her and get back to his work.
As much as she’d love to have him as a personal bodyguard, he was the sheriff and couldn’t spend the rest of his life living here with her. There was a tiny part inside her that wished he could spend the rest of his life with her, not as a bodyguard but as a man who loved her.
“I’ll make a phone call and get somebody out here as soon as possible,” he said. “In the meantime, I’ve got Caleb coming over to sit with you while I take care of some business. I’ll pick up your pain meds while I’m out. I don’t want you leaving this house for anything right now.”
As she looked into his somber dark eyes, it struck her just how serious this was, that somebody wanted her dead and might try to kill her again.
“Tom, what’s happened to my life?” she asked softly. “Why is this happening to me?”
For a brief moment she thought he was going to take her in his arms, but instead he shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I don’t know, Peyton. Is there anything you haven’t told me, about yourself, about your relationship with Rick? Anything about past coworkers or friends that might explain this? Any old boyfriends before Rick besides Cliff?”
“No. Just Cliff, and that’s it. That’s what I was thinking about before I got out of bed this morning. I’ve racked my brain trying to figure out who might want to hurt me, and I can’t think of anyone.”
As Lilly wailed from the kitchen, Peyton left the living room and went back to where the little girl was in her infant seat.
Tom followed behind her and watched as she took Lilly from the seat and sat with the baby in one of the kitchen chairs. She fought the wince of pain that stabbed through her as Lilly snuggled against her ribs.
“Have you checked out Buck Harmon’s alibi for last night?” she asked.
He nodded. “Apparently Buck was home alone last night, not exactly an airtight alibi. I’ve got Sam McCain going over the area in the park with a fine-tooth comb, looking for any evidence the attacker might have left behind, but I’m not very confident that he’ll find anything. Right now the only thing we can do is to suspect everyone and trust nobody.”
She sighed and stroked her fingers through Lilly’s downy hair. “This is not exactly the way I want to live my life.”
“This isn’t going to last the rest of your life,” he replied. “Whoever attacked you last night wants you dead, and I have a gut feeling that he’s going to try again. Hopefully, sooner or later, he’ll show his hand, make a mistake that will let us know who he is, but in the meantime the only thing we can do is stay on the defensive.”
Peyton hugged Lilly tighter to her, fighting against the chill of fear that snaked up her spine.
By four o’clock that afternoon a security system had been installed in Peyton’s house. Nobody would be able to get in through a window or door without an alarm sounding.
Dawn Washington and Rachel Cook, her new friends from the park, had stopped by just after noon, having heard the news about the attack on Peyton. Tom took the opportunity to question them both, but unfortunately they hadn’t seen anyone suspicious lurking around the area, nor had they seen a vehicle approaching as they left.
Tom’s frustration over the case was complicated by his frustration over his feelings where Peyton was concerned.
He cared about her deeply, but taking care of Lilly that morning had only confirmed his desire to remain alone.
As he’d changed Lilly and heard her soft coos and baby laughter, memories of Kelly had played in his head, and the old familiar pain had filled his heart.
But the toughest thing he did all day was keep his hands off Peyton. There were moments in the day when he’d wanted to wrap his arms around her bruised and battered body, when he’d wanted to kiss the fear out of her eyes, but he hadn’t.
He’d left the house for a couple of hours after Caleb had arrived and had picked up Peyton’s pain meds, then he had gone to the office to check in.
The fact that still nobody had heard from Brittany added an additional fragment of worry in the back of his head. She’d disappeared before for as long as a week, but this was the longest time she’d been gone with no contact.
He could only hope that she was safe and sound. He had no reason to think otherwise, and besides, he already had plenty to deal with, like finding whoever wanted Peyton dead.
He’d returned to Peyton’s place and sent Caleb back to the office, and now he sat in the kitchen while she fixed a salad and broiled a couple of steaks. Lilly was in her swing, smiling at Tom whenever she caught his eye, filling him with the memories of another family, another life.
Peyton was different than Julie. Julie had been needy, a woman who had required lots of attention and energy. Tom hadn’t minded giving it to her because he’d loved her. But if he was perfectly honest with himself, when she’d walked out on him there had been a little bit of relief. It had taken every ounce of his energy to try to assuage her guilt and to shoulder her grief over Kelly’s death.
He’d made up his mind to spend another night with Peyton. Even with the security system, he wasn’t comfortable leaving her and Lilly alone.
“Rare, medium or well done?” she asked as she bent over to check the steaks. She winced as she straightened back up.
“Rare. Have you taken any of those pills I picked up for you?”
She shook her head. “I don’t like to take pain medicine. I don’t have any tolerance for it. It makes me groggy and out of it.”
“I don’t like to see you in pain,” he said gruffly.
“It’s okay, it’s manageable at the moment. I might take a pill at bedtime, but in the past they’ve always hit me so hard.”
“You know, if you take a pain pill when you need it, it doesn’t make you a drug addict like your mother,” he said.
She looked at him sharply as if he’d suddenly dived into her innermost fears. She set the bowl of salad on the table and sat in the chair opposite him. “Maybe I am a little afraid of that,” she admitted.
“You aren’t your mother, Peyton, and there’s no reason for you not to treat the pain. It’s one thing to try to be strong, but it’s another to martyr yourself for no good reason.”
“Okay, you win. After dinner I’ll take a pill,” she replied. “It’s already seven, and by the time we finish eating I’ll put Lilly down and feel more comfortable taking one.”
As they ate the meal Tom tried to keep the conversation off the crime. He couldn’t help but notice that with every hour that passed her features tightened with the pain from her ribs.
After dinner he cleared the dishes while she gave Lilly a bottle. Once Lilly had been fed he brought her a glass of water and two of the pain pills.
“Take these, and I want no arguments,” he said firmly. “I can tell that you’re hurting badly.”
To his surprise she took the pills and swallowed them without protest. That, as much as the strained look on her face, let him know she was hurting more than she was letting on.
By eight-thirty Lilly was down for the night and Peyton was loopy from the pills. Tom had never seen anything like it before. He’d never seen anyone with less tolerance.
“I feel good enough to go dancing,” she said. She was half slumped on the sofa and her eyes were half closed.
Tom couldn’t help but smile at her. “I think it’s time you danced right into your bed.”
She released a deep sigh. “Maybe you’re right,” she agreed. As she stood from the sofa she swayed, and Tom quickly jumped up and grabbed her before she could fall.
“Whoa,” he exclaimed. “You weren’t kidding when you said you have no tolerance.”
She leaned heavily against him. “I told you I shouldn’t take those silly pills.” A giggle escaped her lips. “Those silly little pills make me just a little bit silly.”
For just a moment all the tension that the day had brought fell aside as he looked into Peyton’s laughing eyes. He was surprised by the chuckle that escaped him. “At the moment, you look smashed.”
She nodded. “I feel smashed. Help me to bed?”
Every muscle in Tom’s body tensed. He’d love to help her to bed. He’d love to stretch out next to her and take her in his arms and make love to her through the long, lonely night.
But of course he wouldn’t do that. “Sure,” he said. “Let’s get you tucked in safe and sound.”
He helped her to the bedroom, where she sat on the edge of the bed like a helpless child. He watched her as she fumbled unsuccessfully to unbutton her blouse.
“Let me help.” He leaned down and quickly unfastened the buttons and tried not to breathe in the scent of her, a fresh, feminine fragrance that always stirred him.
Still, his blood heated in his veins and he mentally chastised himself for wanting a woman who was dopey on pain meds and hurting.
He pushed the blouse off her shoulders, and it fell to the bed behind her. He saw the dark bruises that covered her skin beginning beneath the band of her bra and disappearing into the waist of her shorts; a deep moan escaped him.
The sight of the ugly bruises threatened to bring tears to his eyes as emotion swelled up inside him. Although he’d known she was hurt, knowing and seeing were two different things.
“Peyton, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” His voice was thick as he fought to control his emotion.
She placed her hands on either side of his face and forced him to look at her. “Don’t be sad, Tom. It’s okay. I’m okay. The bruises will heal, and at least I’m alive, but I don’t want you to be sad.”
She awed him, this woman who had been beaten up and might have been killed but didn’t want him to be sad. “Let’s get you into bed,” he said.
Her nightgown was laid out on the nearby chair, and as she stood to remove her shorts he retrieved the gown. As she finished undressing to put on her nightgown, Tom averted his gaze from her and turned down the bed covers.
As she slid in beneath the sheets, she looked at him with a soft gaze. “Sleep with me, Tom?”
He wanted to tell her no, that there was no way he wanted to be next to her in the bed, smelling the scent of her, feeling her body heat. And yet he couldn’t tell her no with those sleepy blue eyes gazing at him.
She was traumatized and she was drugged, and he knew if he just slipped into the bed next to her she’d probably be asleep within two minutes.
He kicked off his shoes, took off his shirt and pulled off his slacks and slid beneath the sheet next to her.
She sighed, as if at peace, and placed her small, warm hand over his chest and almost immediately fell asleep.
He realized he could love her if he allowed himself to. But as he thought of Lilly and family, his chest tightened as if squeezed by a steel vise.
He could love her, but he wouldn’t. He’d catch the person responsible for the attack, the person he believed still posed a threat, then he’d walk out of her life and never look back.
Chapter 11
Peyton awoke the next morning feeling worse than she had the day before. Dawn hadn’t yet lightened the eastern sky, and a quick look at her clock told her it was just after five.
She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but her body ached too badly and she was completely awake. She pulled on a robe and left the bedroom.
As
quietly as possible, she went down the hallway, stopping first in Lilly’s doorway to see her sleeping peacefully. She went on down the hall and stopped at the doorway of the living room, where Tom was asleep on the sofa.
She had a vague memory of him in the bed next to her the night before. He must have gotten up and moved here at some point after she’d fallen asleep.
The room was lit by the light over the sink in the kitchen drifting in, and she took a moment just to watch him sleep.
He couldn’t be comfortable, with his feet hanging over the foot of the sofa and his head crammed into the corner. He had her spare pillow beneath his head and a sheet pulled halfway up his bare chest.
Even in sleep he touched her on a physical and mental level. She had a vague memory of his tenderness the night before when he’d helped her get ready for bed.
She was certain he had a great capacity to love, but he seemed intent on denying that in his life. Had the death of his child and the abandonment by his wife left him so damaged he could never reach out for love again? If that were so, then that would be the real tragedy in his life.
“Couldn’t sleep?”
The deep voice startled her and she jumped in surprise. “How did you know I was here?”
“Just sensed you.” He sat up and raked a hand through his tousled hair. “How do you feel?”
She frowned. “Worse today than I did yesterday,” she admitted.
“They say the second day after an accident is always the worst.”
She’d never seen him look as sexy as he did now, with his hair bed-tousled and his bare chest staring her in the face. The aches and pains that shot through her didn’t stop the flicker of desire that roared to life.
In that moment she recognized that as crazy as it was, she’d fallen in love with Sheriff Tom Grayson. It didn’t matter that they’d known each other only a short period of time; it didn’t matter than they hadn’t even dated. She knew what was in her heart, in her soul, and it was love for this man.
“I’m going to go put on the coffee,” she said, suddenly needing to be away from him. She escaped into the kitchen and started the coffee, then sat at the kitchen table and thought about Tom Grayson.
His Case, Her Baby Page 12