Happily Never After

by Bess George

  “Good, I’m glad you think that. Since you already went out with her, I didn’t want to step on your toes. But if the field’s wide open, a nice girl like that needs someone to show her the sights.”

  Bode crowded his friend against the bar, his voice serious. “Keep away from her. She's trying to resolve some issues and doesn’t need assholes like us sniffing around. She’s off limits, understand?”

  “Okay, sure, no problem.” Steve stepped sideways to put distance between them. He smiled at someone on the dance floor and made a come here motion. Two beautiful women joined them. The redhead sauntered up to Steve and wrapped her arms around him in a possessive gesture. He lowered his head to kiss her.

  The second woman waited for an introduction. She was a petite brunette with her curves in all the right places. The exact type of woman that attracted him. Usually. Fatigue washed over him. This bar was the last place he wanted to be tonight. He’d finish this soda and go home. Too tired to make an effort at pleasantries, he remained silent with his back to the counter.

  She held her hand out toward him. “Hi. My name is Amber.” Her voice came out low and sultry.

  “Bode.” He nodded in acknowledgment and shook her hand.

  Steve ended the kiss when he came up for oxygen and nudged both women toward an empty booth. He shot a surprised look over his shoulder when he realized Bode still lounged against the bar. He said something to the ladies and came back.

  “Dude, what is your problem tonight?” Steve questioned his friend.

  His chin lifted in defiance. “No problem. Maybe I’m just not interested.”

  Steve guffawed. “She’s beautiful, warm, and willing. I’ve never seen you not interested before.” He paused. “Seriously, if something’s wrong, we can bail. Then you can tell me what’s going on.”

  Great, now his bad mood was contagious. He needed to get his act together, or he’d end up talking about his feelings like a school kid. “Nah, everything’s fine. Let’s go talk to the beautiful women.” Smiling, he pushed away from the bar, and they ambled over to the booth.

  When Bode sat down, Amber almost crawled into his lap and laid a hand on his thigh. He waited for a spark of excitement. Nothing. Maybe he was coming down with something. The foursome ordered another round of drinks and then the women excused themselves for a trip to the restroom.

  Steve’s eyes lit up and he let out a low whistle. “Don’t look now but the nothing special suit has every man in the bar’s tongue hanging out.”

  He shifted his body to follow Steve’s gaze and focused on the one person he wanted to avoid this evening. It was hard to miss a beautiful blonde woman who towered over everyone else.

  Kelsey was surrounded by a group from her office. Balloons floated in the middle of a table, announcing someone’s birthday. She laughed and seemed unaware that all the single guys had zeroed in on her. What was she doing here?

  When the women returned, he rose and let Amber back into the booth. She once again slid just far enough across for him to fit. She maintained a grip on his arm while managing to talk non-stop. He listened with one ear as man after man approached Kelsey. A polite smile and shake of her head discouraged her pursuers.

  He wet his lips, shocked at the unfamiliar sensation coursing through him. Jealousy. He knew he had no right to feel it, but admitting that didn’t douse his temper. She glanced toward him, and their eyes locked. Her curious gaze moved to the woman sitting next to him before sliding back.

  She lowered her gaze and turned back to the person standing next to her. He recognized Michael Miller and wished he could punch the guy. A sharp tug on his arm made him look down in surprise.

  “What? I’m sorry, what did you say?” He forced himself to focus.

  “You’re not paying any attention to me. Why don’t we leave and go back to my place where it’s not so loud?” Amber pouted her lips and tried to snuggle closer.

  He extracted himself from her python-like grip. There had to be something wrong with him tonight. A ball of fire was eating a hole in his stomach. I need some antacids.

  Kelsey didn’t want to date him, and he was okay with that. He didn’t want a woman who carried around the emotional turmoil she did. Hell, he had a beautiful woman sitting right here next to him.

  Several of the helium balloons popped. People jumped at the sound, and the volume of the bar lowered as everyone looked around. The noise was quick to rise again when they realized the source. Miller stood close to Kelsey. Too close.

  Bode got out of the booth. “I’ll be back in a minute. There’s someone I need to speak to.” He strode across the crowded room, certain in his current mood that he would be the jerk Kelsey liked to call him.

  When he reached her, he knew she had a problem. A light sheen of sweat coated her brow, and visible tremors raced through her body. She looked ready to implode and needed to leave. Now.

  He cupped her elbow in one of his hands. “It’s time for you to go, honey.”

  She didn’t say a word but nodded in agreement. He wrapped an arm around her narrow waist and herded her toward the door. A hand reached out and stopped him.

  “What do you think you’re doing, Taggert?” Michael’s voice threw daggers at him.

  He answered the other man in a voice low enough to be heard just by the two of them. “Don’t make this about you and me. She needs to get out of here, and I’m taking her.”

  His eyes must have conveyed what a huge mistake it would be to argue because Miller let go. Kelsey gathered to his side, they left the noisy bar. She shivered under his arm and he hustled her straight to his truck.

  When they arrived, he helped her into the passenger side. He hurried around the truck to join her and then slid her across the seat to wrap her in his arms.

  The quiet was a soothing contrast to the deafening bar. Her whole body shook while he ran his hand down the back of her smooth, satiny hair. He breathed a little easier when her body relaxed against him.

  The wild beating of her heart against his chest pissed him off. “What were you thinking, Kelsey?”

  She kept her face averted. “This week went so well. I was strong and for the first time in a long time, I felt almost normal. I found an apartment, and I’m moving into it. But I was wrong because I’m not. I don’t know if I ever will be.”

  The urge to comfort her snuffed out the heat of his anger and he rested his chin on the top of her head. “Ah, honey, give yourself a break. You’re normal, or as normal as anyone in our line of work can be. Relocating to California is a new start for you, and you should take things slow. You’ll get there, but you’re smart enough to realize what kind of situations to avoid for now.”

  They sat without speaking for several minutes.

  “It was the balloons.” The admission came out a low whisper.

  He pulled back so he could see her. “The balloons?”

  “I was startled when they popped. The noise scared me, and I started to have a panic attack.”

  He tucked her back under his chin, and he relaxed at the sound of her soft sigh. “Better?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  The slight tremble in her voice rattled him. “No need to apologize. That’s what friends are for. These kinds of places can be overwhelming for anyone. They're too full of smoke and noise. Sitting here is nice, right?”

  “Are we?”

  He frowned down at her. “Are we what?”

  “Friends. Are we friends, Bode?”

  He hesitated for a minute, wanting to be as honest as possible. “I hope we’re on the way to becoming friends. It hasn’t been that long since we met, but I enjoy being around you. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t always understand you, but I definitely like you. Are you better now?”

  “I'm all right. Why do you dislike Michael so much? He seems
okay, a little self-centered, but I get the feeling you can’t stand the guy.”

  He contemplated as he weighed his words. “Let’s just say, he has a reputation for using whatever means necessary to advance in his professional life. He reminds me of one of those sucker fish that attaches itself to a shark.”

  “I got the impression your dislike of him is personal.”

  He stared out the side window of his truck. “It is, I guess. He’s dated a few of my friends on the force. One, in particular, lost her job because she confided in him. He repeated information and she ended up paying the price.”

  She withdrew from his embrace. “My car is right over there. I’ll go so you can get back inside to your date.”

  Confusion clouded his brain. “What the heck are you talking about?”

  “The woman sitting with you at the table. I’m sure if you tell her it was about work she’ll understand.”

  “Kelsey, we met tonight and it wasn’t a long-term kind of thing.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m sorry if I got in the way of your getting lucky.”

  “You jealous?”

  “Absolutely not! We’re just friends, remember. I’m going back to my room to get some rest.”

  He gave a deep sigh. “I don’t think you should be driving yet. Why don’t I take you back and we’ll get your car tomorrow.”

  “Are you out of your mind? Everyone coming out of this bar would see my car sitting here all night and assume I went home with you. I’m going to the hotel.” She reached for the door handle, but he stopped her.

  “Drive safe. I’ll be right behind you.”

  “You don’t have to follow me. I’m okay now.”

  “I know. I’m still going to. Sweet dreams, Princess.”

  “Bode, thank you for helping me. And quit calling me that!”

  Chapter 9

  Kelsey hadn’t had sweet dreams for the last two nights and by Friday, she dragged herself into the office. Between nightmares and the fact she wanted to get her new apartment put together, she was exhausted.

  A quick stop at the café on the corner was a necessity this morning. It was the one place in the area carrying her favorite blend, so she’d developed a daily routine of buying coffee before going to work. After Carl mentioned he loved it too, she always ordered an extra for the security guard.

  The aroma of fresh coffee made her mouth water when she entered the building. She paid the cashier and had started to leave when someone called her name.

  The man from the gym gestured for her to come join him. Dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, he appeared ready to be outside for the day. She hesitated before giving herself a mental shake for being paranoid and covered the short distance to his table.

  “Hi, Joe, it’s nice to see you again. Do you work around here?”

  He had gotten up when she approached and now reached over to move one of the chairs for her to sit down. Before she could protest, he issued her a slight smile. “Come on, please join me, just for a minute. That coffee is so hot, it’ll still be steaming if you get where you’re going by lunchtime. I just started a construction job not too far from here but couldn’t resist stopping in this morning.”

  She accepted his gesture and sat in the chair he offered. They chatted about the city, and she relaxed at his amusing anecdotes about the history of Redding. The sadness in his face tugged at her heart strings.

  “Kelsey, tell me if it’s none of my business, but you look a little pale today. Are you feeling okay?”

  She sighed. “I'm all right. Life’s been hectic for me lately. First the move and now a full-time job has taken their toll. TGIF though, right? A relaxing weekend and I’ll be bright as a new penny by Monday.”

  He smiled at her joke. “So, is your office around here?”

  She blew on her coffee to cool the scalding liquid. “I started at the D.A.’s office a few days ago.”

  “Wow. That sounds important. Do you get to work with the police department?”

  The face of a particular arrogant man flashed through her brain, and she did a mental eye roll. “Yes, our office depends on them.” A rush of apprehension ran up her spine, and she skirted around the fact that she was an attorney. With a bright smile, she added. “I’m like a law clerk for now.”

  He focused on his cup and remained quiet for so long she didn’t think he heard her. When he looked up, pain and sadness radiated from him. “My wife, Janie, worked as a secretary. It made her feel needed. I always believed she should be the one in charge of the place because of how smart she was. I lost her over five years ago, but some days the memories are still hard for me.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” She reached out and laid her hand over his and gave a gentle squeeze.

  He revealed a thin smile and removed his hand to pick up his drink again. “Thanks. For a while, it was tough to move on but most of the time, I’m okay. Like today, sitting here talking to you. Now, I better take off before I get in trouble for being late.”

  They stood and he waited while she gathered her purse and cups of coffee. She stopped in front of the entrance to her building and smiled. “Well, this is as far as I go. Have a great day. Hopefully, we’ll run into one another again.”

  “You’ve been very nice to me. Redding can be a small community, so I’m sure our paths will cross again.”

  He held the door open for her before waving over his shoulder and continuing on down the sidewalk. She walked up to Carl sitting at the security desk and handed him a cup of the hot brew.

  “Whoa, your hands are freezing, and your face is white as a ghost. Are you coming down with the flu?”

  She couldn’t help but tease the guard. “You sweet talker you.”

  Flashing him one of her most winsome smiles, she signed the log book and went to the elevator. She punched the correct floor number and stared at the mirrored walls. Carl was right. She did look like death warmed over, although sickness wasn’t the culprit.

  Fatigue seemed to be a constant state for her these days. Since going back to work, she didn’t nap during the day and at night, she never slept more than a few hours at a time. The months of stress and worry still weighed her down.

  To top it all off, she needed to figure out a way to deal with her feelings for the pushy detective. They’d reached a tenuous friendship at the bar the other night, but now he seemed to be avoiding her. When he was forced to talk to her, he looked surly and angry.

  She stepped off when the doors slid open and went into her office where she shut the door behind her. At least Bode hadn’t been leaning on the desk this morning flirting with Samantha. The fact that it bothered her so much increased her ire.

  Her stomach recoiled from the coffee. My Lord, what brought on this headache?

  The simple act of logging onto her computer and checking her e-mail seemed daunting. She gritted her teeth and began working on a file. Several hours later, restless energy made her edgy, so she hurried down to the law library for a reference book. By the time she headed back, her limbs shook so hard she almost didn’t make it back to her desk.

  She tried to tamp down the panic threatening to erupt by pacing her office. Ten steps. Turn. Ten steps back. Sweat rolled between her breasts, and it got harder and harder to take a deep breath. Down the hall a door slammed, and before her mind processed what caused the noise, she grabbed her things to leave.

  “Are you okay, Kelsey?” Samantha’s concerned voice called out to her.

  She raced through the reception area without slowing down. “I’m working part-time for now. Tell David I’ll be in early on Monday morning.” One finger jabbed the elevator button.

  When the doors opened, she crashed into Steve Morrison. He reached out to steady her. “Whoa, Kelsey, what’s wrong?”

  Words we
re impossible. Terror had frozen her vocal cords. She wrenched away from him and rushed inside. Her eyes darted around trying to find somewhere to run, someplace to hide as the door slid closed.

  The doors opened on the bottom floor, and she flew to the ladies’ room. Sweat soaked her blouse and suit. Her hands trembled so bad it would be impossible to drive. The counter braced her, as she splashed cold water on her face to slow her breathing.

  The reflection in the mirror made her give an involuntary little cry. She hummed a tune, hoping to clear the cobwebs of panic. Determined to make it back to her apartment, she drew in a deep breath and exhaled.

  Embarrassment heated her cheeks on the way outside to the corner. Impatient for the signal to change, she pressed the crossing button again.

  The sound of a shoe scuffing on the sidewalk behind her made her swivel around. Her legs felt like they were made out of jelly. Otis’ familiar form stared at her from less than three feet away. No. Leave me alone. The light flashed green, so she darted across the street.

  A screech of tires and a flash of blue froze her in place. Her instincts kicked in, and she scrambled to get out of the way. The heat of the automobile brushed her hip and sent her spinning to the pavement.

  Bode waited in the car for Steve to come back from David’s office. He’d told his partner that he needed to make some phone calls and to go inside without him. The pathetic truth? He didn’t trust himself around Kelsey.