Perfect Night

by Laine, Terri E.

  “Of course, as I would have my own indiscretions.”

  It sounded like a world of trouble in my opinion, but it wasn’t my business. Yet, I said, “There’s a guy out there that will put you on a pedestal if you’d just slow down and see him.”

  “For you, I’d be downright virginal.”

  I chuckled. “Not me, Darcy. Someone else will adore you in ways I can’t.” She frowned and I blew out a breath. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She stepped back and waved me off. “I was only teasing. Anyway, I came here to offer you my services.”

  I gave her a weary look.

  “Ah, not that.” Her eyes swept up and down. “Although I admit, you were a natural in bed.” Her eyes lingered on my crotch. “How much skill or just damn luck to be blessed with a dick like yours, I might never know.”

  “Darcy.”

  “Oh, don’t be such a prude. A girl can reminisce. Anyway, I heard you were buying this place and I know it needs work.” She was in business mode, and I relaxed.

  “I’m aware.”

  “And we both know you may be good with your hands.” Her eyes met mine knowingly. “But you don’t have a lick that will stick when it comes to decorating.”

  After she said lick, she seductively touched her tongue to her top lip before moving on. Malcolm had met his match. If I were a weaker man, I would haul her up and into the house. But I wasn’t a stupid man. If I gave in, the town would know by supper that I’d bedded her by her very own words. Then any chance I had with Emma would be out the door.

  She was right about one thing; I didn’t know how to decorate. “Okay. What’s your proposal?”

  I’d used much of my savings on the house. There was no way I was asking my father for a loan.

  “I propose a lot of things.”

  “Darce,” I warned again.

  “Fine. I’m just starting up my business. You’d be my first official client. I could work evenings for beer and a meal.”

  Her eyes held mine. We both knew what the town would say if they found out she was coming around. What choice did I have? My budget was small. And this home could be the beginning of the future for me in a lot of ways.

  “This is between us. Don’t use me to make Malcolm jealous, otherwise, I’ll just ask my mother.”

  She touched her finger to my lips. “Ye of little faith. I won’t tell a soul if you won’t.”

  We shook on it. “Tomorrow?”

  “I still need to unpack and don’t know how long I’ll be.”

  “Friday, then. That will give you the week.”

  As much as I knew this was a very bad idea, I agreed. “Friday.”

  Darcy was long gone when I sat on my porch enjoying a beer at sunset when a car pulled up in front of the house. I knew the car and the woman who drove it.

  She got out looking as pretty as a picture, leaving me swallowing my tongue as she walked up to the porch. Now wasn’t the time to tell her all the things I’d waited years to say when her beautiful gray eyes were shadowed after burying her father.

  I had to wonder what she was doing here and not with her fiancé whom I’d spotted holding her hand as she left the church.

  What could she possibly want from me?

  Chapter 3

  Emma

  Damn the man for looking so good. Tall, dark, and handsome as cliché as that sounded described him to a tee. Ruggedly sexy with a chiseled jaw and a mouth that curled into a sexy smirk. Get it together, Emma, I warned myself as his piercing hazel eyes held on me.

  “Aiden Faulkner,” I said, stopping at the bottom of the steps that led up to the wide porch.

  “Emma Hawkins.” His voice held the kind of bass that led women to make all kinds of bad decisions. “I’m sorry to hear about your dad. If I’d known, I would have been there.”

  “I know.”

  “I respected him a lot.”

  “I know. Don’t worry about it. It was hard enough for me to be there and have everyone apologizing when all I really want is him back.” I hadn’t meant to cry, but I choked on the last few words. I’d looked down so he wouldn’t see my tears, but then he was there.

  Wrapped in his arms, he spoke words I needed. “I’m sorry, darling, that I can’t give you that.”

  “I know,” I said for the thousandth time. “I miss him.” His shirt would be stained from my tears, but he held on. “I have no one left.”

  “You have me.”

  There was sincerity there, something that had been missing from my fiancé. He’d said all the right things today, but I didn’t feel it the way I did with Aiden.

  When I was calm enough to speak again, I pulled out of his embrace because it was too easy to find comfort there. “I need your help,” I admitted.

  “Anything,” he said.

  “You don’t know yet what I’m going to ask,” I said on a chuckle.

  “There’s nothing you could ask me, I wouldn’t do.”

  I searched his eyes for calculation and found none. “You might want to take that back after you hear what I have to say.” I held my gaze on his earnest hazel eyes. “You look so grown up in that cowboy hat. When did you stop wearing baseball caps?” Somehow, I managed a small smile wanting to lighten the conversation before I dropped the bomb on him.

  “You like me in baseball caps?” he teased, taking off the hat and running a hand through sexily dark tousled hair before putting it back in place.

  I laughed a little more because his smile was infectious. “You just look more official in the Stetson. I heard you’re taking over as Chief Deputy Sheriff and you bought this place.”

  “I did.” There was a moment of silence. “I heard you’re engaged.”

  My mouth hung open for a second. “I guess Alana told you.”

  “She wasn’t the only one. You know how things work in small towns.”

  “True. I don’t see your parents often in town.”

  “Yeah, they keep to themselves.”

  As the conversation dwindled, he didn’t press me to tell him why I was there, and I appreciated it. “I guess I should tell you why I’m here.”

  “I’m happy just to enjoy your company.”

  My mind was muddled with everything going on, but I thought he might have just flirted with me. I pushed the ridiculous idea away. I’d crushed on Aiden half my life, but we never got closer than being friends.

  “My dad,” I began. “The sheriff, the doc, they believe he had a heart attack and died.” I met his gaze squarely. “I don’t think that’s true.”

  I expected him to give me the it’s just grief talking speech everyone else had. However, he surprised me.

  “Why do you think that?”

  Shocked, I said, “You believe me?” Though I hadn’t actually given him any facts yet.

  “I believe you wouldn’t have slipped out of a house full of people to come ask me for my help for no reason.”

  I choked on a sob again. To have someone listen without judgment was such a relief. My friends listened, but I saw their doubt even in their solidarity with me.

  He hugged me again and ushered me to the porch. “Do you want a beer?” he asked.

  “Please.”

  The door squeaked when he opened it to slip inside. I took a seat under the covered porch and looked out at the snowcapped mountains in the distance wondering if there was a more beautiful place on Earth. He returned and handed me a beer, taking a seat next to me.

  “Why’d you come back?’ I asked.

  “This,” he said, raising his beer toward the view I’d been admiring. “Growing up, I couldn’t wait to leave. Then I left. There is a lot to see and experience, but none of it was better than home.”

  “Even with the gossip?” I joked.

  “Even the gossip. I can’t speak for everywhere. But in cities like LA, nobody cares about anyone else. Your car breaks down. No one stops and if they do, you have to worry they have some agenda that wouldn’t be good for you. I tried to make a
difference. No matter how many crimes I solved, how many criminals I put in jail, there was always another bad guy, another murder, rape, or theft to solve. I was losing my soul there.”

  “Not much happens around here. Won’t you get bored?”

  “Maybe. But at least I won’t feel like I’m dying a little every day.”

  I thought about that. “I have no reason to stay. I stayed for Dad and now he’s gone.”

  “What about the bar?”

  I shrugged. “That was Dad’s dream. His slice of Mason Creek. I’m thinking about selling it.”

  “Can I offer you some advice?”

  “Everyone else has.”

  “Don’t give it up yet. Let someone run it and give yourself time to figure things out. That’s the nice thing about Montana. It’s not the hustle and bustle of the big city. It’s slow, steady, thoughtful.”

  He made some sense. “I have another reason to stay.” I sighed. “I want to prove my father was murdered.” Once again, I held my breath, afraid he’d let me down like everyone else.

  “Walk me through it.”

  I was grateful for his absolute trust that I wasn’t crazy. “Ever since Mom died, Dad would never leave the house without telling me.”

  When I was young, I’d been home from school, sick with a fever. I’d taken a nap and it’s believed that Mom drove to the store to get a prescription for me. On the way, her car was struck by an out-of-towner speeding through a red light. I woke, feverish, calling for her. I’d been so sick; I’d passed out while trying to get to the phone to call Mom or Dad. My father found me on the floor halfway to the phone after being notified about the accident. Her car had been engulfed in flames, and no one knew if I’d been in the car or not. I didn’t have to share the details with Aiden. He would have heard. I got to the point.

  “We had a fight that night. More like he and my fiancé did. I’d been so disgusted by the pair of them, I’d gone to my room. I thought about talking to Dad and smoothing things over, but I decided to wait until morning.” Guilt turned on the water works while I retold the story. “Morning came but he was gone. I remember thinking ‘was he that mad at me?’ until the sheriff came and told me.”

  “Who found him?” he asked.

  “His assistant manager at the bar, Jack. He went in early because a truck was coming with a delivery. He found Dad face up behind the bar. He was cold by then, and Jack called for help. The sheriff was the first to arrive at the scene right after Jack.”

  “Any signs of struggle? Broken bottles? Anything missing?”

  “No. Doc said there were no visible wounds beside a goose egg on the back of his head. It was assumed he had a heart attack.”

  “Did you get an autopsy?”

  “No. Sheriff said it wasn’t necessary given there was nothing to suggest any crime was committed. So I would have to pay, and it was expensive. I’d been a mess trying to navigate everything else, and I didn’t know what to do. I had so many things to worry about. The bar, putting a funeral together, keeping up with my classes I just…”

  “It’s okay. I’m not judging you, Emma. Just gathering facts.”

  Though I was afraid to hear the answer, I asked anyway. “Was I wrong?”

  “There’s no right or wrong answer here. You did what you thought was best given the circumstances. Besides, we can still do an autopsy if need be.”

  I stepped back in surprise. “Really. Even after—” I waved it away unable to complete my sentence.

  “Even after,” he said, kindly. “Can I ask, what the argument was about?”

  “You don’t think Evan had anything to do with it?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think anything. Just gathering information to help me determine his state of mind.”

  I closed my eyes, hating that our last words weren’t good ones.

  “Emma, no matter what happened, your father knew you loved him.”

  I covered my mouth as I began to cry again. “I’m sorry. It’s just—”

  “Don’t be.” He pulled tissues from his pocket. “I meant to give you these when I came out.”

  Grateful, I took them and dabbed at my eyes. “I’ll never get to take my words back.”

  “We all say dumb things at times. I’m certain he knew that.”

  “Evan was being a dick, but so was Dad. I was caught in the middle. I told them if they didn’t stop, I would leave them both.”

  He laughed, surprising me. “Your dad was always protective of you.”

  My laugh was without humor. “He was. He scared every boy away.”

  “That’s not true. He put the fear of God in them, so they didn’t treat you badly.”

  In the mist of sorrow, I could hold onto that. “He did, and I loved him for it. But how did you know?”

  “Maybe one day, I’ll tell you.” He grinned, then the smile was gone. “Is there any reason your father would have left without telling you?”

  I’d thought about that a lot. “The only thing I could think of was that Evan was there. Maybe he assumed I wouldn’t be alone, but that doesn’t make sense. He’d made Evan sleep in the back room downstairs since we weren’t married yet. He told him no daughter of his would be sleeping in sin. That was part of their dislike for each other. Evan thought Dad’s rules were archaic. His word.”

  Aiden laughed again and it wasn’t at me. “Evan isn’t from around here, is he?”

  “Chicago,” I said and laughed because Dad hated city folk. Not that he wouldn’t have given the same rules to any guy in town.

  “He already had two strikes against him.”

  “Three actually. He’s rich too.”

  Aiden chuckled and tipped his beer back. “Where was Evan that night?”

  I blinked. “I thought you said you didn’t think he did anything?”

  “I said I was gathering the facts. It’s important in any investigation to get even the smallest details and not assume anything.”

  “I don’t know. He tried to sneak into my room, and I sent him away. Then, I fell asleep.”

  “I’m going to need the names of anyone who has keys to the bar.”

  “I can get you that.”

  He nodded. “You should probably get back home before they send out a search party. Lord knows the rumors around town if they found you here. I wouldn’t want your fiancé to get the wrong idea.”

  I didn’t know if it was appreciation for his help or believing in me that tempted me to give him a thank you kiss, but I stopped myself. My mood would have steered my kiss to his lips instead of his cheek.

  Chapter 4

  Aiden

  Emma Hawkins was going to be the death of me. She was still as gorgeous as the Montana sky. Her hair was the color of the morning sun and eyes that sparkled like stars were just as I remembered. Evan, her fiancé, was a lucky son of gun. As much as I’d wanted to win her heart, she needed something different from me.

  The next day, I took a chance and went to the police station. I wanted to see the report the sheriff filed on Emma’s dad. I walked in and was greeted by Bess. I was surprised to see her as well.

  “Morning, Aiden. I thought you start tomorrow.”

  “I do. Do you ever get a day off?” I joked.

  “Hardly,” she said with amusement.

  “Is Sheriff Moon in?”

  “He is.”

  Damn. That meant I wouldn’t be able to see the file without him knowing. “Is he back in his office?”

  “He is.”

  “I’ll go check in on him,” I said and headed back.

  I knocked on the open door and he looked up. “Aiden. Didn’t know you were coming in today.”

  “Didn’t plan on it, but here I am.”

  “Used to the city life.”

  I nodded noncommittally.

  “Since you’re here, I can give you the run down and tour of the department.”

  Our first stop was just one door down on the other side. “Here’s your office.”

&n
bsp; It was a small, cramped office with a desk and two chairs in front of it. There was a small bookcase behind what would be my chair. I glanced out the side window.

  “Nice view of the building next door,” I joked.

  “Yeah. You’ll get used to it,” he said before moving on. “Bess is here most days. When she’s not, county handles the 911 calls and will patch it into one of us, whoever is here on call that day. Bess will send you the schedule.”

  “Sounds good.”

  We walked around the tiny station. There was a small break room in back opposite where two cells were located. We ended back at his office.

  “How’s Wyatt with everything?”

  “You’ll have to talk to him. I don’t think he’s sour about you getting the position.”

  I leaned against the door. “I just heard about Emma’s dad.”

  “I wondered why you weren’t at the funeral. I’d keep that not knowing part to yourself.”

  “Why?” I asked, truly curious.

  “Folks will wonder why you didn’t hear from your sister or parents. They might wonder if you don’t have a good relationship with them. And you’ll end up in that gossip blog by Tate Michaels. I think it’s called the MC Scoop. My wife reads it religiously.”

  Tate, Sadie’s cousin, had a gossip column. Great. I inwardly grimaced. That was new. I quickly responded, “Mom called, but I’d been busy with a case and forgot to call back.”

  “Another thing to keep quiet. A chief deputy who can’t be bothered to talk to his mother won’t be trusted. If anyone asks, tell them you were late.”

  “But I—” Lying just wasn’t in my arsenal, especially on something like this.

  “I saw you when everyone came out. You were technically late, weren’t you?” he suggested.

  Anyone who had eyes would have noticed I wasn’t quite dressed for the occasion. “I guess.”

  “Then go with it. Last thing I need is for my eventual replacement to start the job with people questioning if you are right for it.”

  Gossip was the main pastime in Mason Creek. And it sounded like Tate was capitalizing on it. I still didn’t think it was that bad. I maneuvered the conversation to what I’d come here for in the first place and pretended as if Emma hadn’t spoken to me about it. “You were there when they found Emma’s father,” I said.