The Soldier's Promise

by Patricia Potter

  “You think Josh is okay tonight?”

  “Sam will want everything legal. Otherwise all his planning will be wasted.”

  “And if it isn’t Sam?” she asked.

  “I’m guessing Manning can take care of himself.”

  “He shouldn’t have to.”

  “You’re right.”

  She didn’t reply. She thought about Nick. He adored Josh.

  And Josh was in her mind nearly every waking hour. There was something kind and honest in the rough exterior. No pretensions. No games.

  He put his arm around her. “You really like him, don’t you?”

  “Against my better judgment, yes.”

  “Why against your better judgment?”

  “Because he’s made it clear he’s a loner and a wanderer.” She was conscious of a tear forming on the edge of her eye.

  “Did you ever think he might be protesting too much? Just like you’re doing?”

  She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Now Josh knows we involved him or were going to involve him. He won’t trust me again.”

  “At least now he knows someone might be coming for him. And it isn’t because of us. It was already happening.” He touched her cheek. “And if it’s meant to be, it will be.”

  “Pretty philosophical of you.”

  “Damn,” he said. “You’re like a daughter to me. I would cut off a hand before hurting you.”

  “I know.” And she did.

  “I’ll try to fix it,” he said.

  “No. I have to do it.” She looked up at him. “It’s insane. I’ve only known him a few weeks. I never believed in quick romances, and we don’t have a romance anyway.”

  “The moment I met my wife, I knew she was the one,” Tom said. “Lightning strikes sometimes.”

  “Not with me,” she argued. “I think it takes a long time to feel...”

  “Don’t look now, but I think it’s happened.”

  “That doesn’t mean he returns...my feelings, or that it would work.”

  “I saw his face. I think that lightning hit him, as well.”

  “Maybe before.”

  “Don’t give up on him, Eve. I like him. I liked the way he handled himself. He asked all the right questions. He was angry, but not enough to let the bad guy off the hook. He would make a pretty good cop.”

  “No,” she said sharply. “I lost my dad that way. I’m not going to lose anyone else.” And then she realized what she had said.

  “I’ve got to go,” he said. “Maggie has dinner waiting.”

  “You go,” she said. “I’m fine.” She wasn’t, but she pasted a smile on her face.

  She shut the door behind him and went to Nick’s room. The night-light cast just enough glow that she could see her son curled up with three dogs on the bed and Braveheart snoring on the floor. She smiled at the scene.

  They were all she needed. Nick was the heart of her heart.

  Dizzy, the cat, had followed her into the room and jumped up on the bed, squeezing in between Nick and Miss Marple.

  “Traitor,” she whispered and closed the door.

  Ten o’clock. Early for bed, and she was restless. She walked out to the barn, picking up some cubes of sugar. Beauty and Beast neighed in welcome and eagerly snatched their treats. She wondered whether Josh rode. She wondered so many things. She knew practically nothing about him except he was from Atlanta and served in the military and was good with his hands.

  They had never even had an official date.

  So why was she so attracted to him? Why did her heart race when she saw him and her blood run hot when he touched her? Why was his kiss pure enchantment?

  Had she ruined any chance to find out?

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  EVE NOW KNEW how a cat on a hot tin roof felt.

  She suffered through Tuesday morning trying to answer constituents on why the budget didn’t include a new swing, and hearing another complaint about a neighbor playing music too loud.

  Even Nick didn’t help. School was out and he had begged to come to the office. He read for a while, then went down to see Tom and play detective.

  To her surprise, and to Tom’s, Sam had not sought a search warrant Monday. Maybe they had been wrong about him.

  To her relief, Tom’s new officer had arrived this morning and, against Sam’s wishes, was partnered with him “for training.” She went down to the police department, and Tom introduced the temporary officer.

  Ryan Keller had a firm grip and intelligent eyes. “Glad to have you,” she said.

  “Thanks. I like small departments. Tom taught a course years ago that I still remember. I saw this as an opportunity to work with the best.”

  Sam stood by with a sour expression. He obviously thought the newcomer beneath him, or worse, a possible candidate for police chief.

  “Good to see you, too, Sam,” she lied, then left before she said something she shouldn’t.

  An hour later Al Monroe charged into her office without knocking, and she knew Sam had called him. “Any news on the robberies?” he asked, although he obviously knew the answer.

  “Sam hasn’t found anything yet,” she said sweetly. “But we have a new man on patrol and maybe between the two they can come up with something.”

  “I didn’t think we had money for more officers.”

  “We had one vacant position and, like you said, Tom will probably retire soon.”

  “You know the council will never approve an outsider, particularly a young one, as chief.”

  “Did I say he was being considered for the chief’s job? He’s just here temporarily. Perhaps new eyes will see something we didn’t.”

  “Sam hasn’t been able to investigate,” Al said. “Tom keeps stepping in his way. He’s pretty sure that guy in the Hannity cabin—Manning—is guilty, but Tom won’t okay a search warrant. Says there’s not enough evidence. Hell, the thefts didn’t start until he came.”

  “Now, that’s certainly condemning,” she said. “But no judge would approve a warrant on that.”

  “Maybe not, but he’s been spending a lot of money lately.”

  And how would he know? “It’s up to Sam to get the evidence, and right now I’d say we don’t have any,” she said, then added brightly, “Thanks for your donation to the community center.”

  He had sent fifty dollars. He could have sent much more, but then he might have sent nothing, so she wasn’t going to complain. He hadn’t attended the fund-raiser, although the other council members had. Not wise if he really intended to run for mayor.

  Al continued, “I have to get back to my office, but I wanted to check with you on the investigation. Tom doesn’t look good. He might not be up for something like this.”

  “He’ll thank you for caring, and I’ll keep you and the other members of the council posted as soon as there are any developments,” she said carefully.

  Al had no choice but to retreat, but she saw the veins in his neck contract.

  Merry came in. “I have a contract for you to sign.” The rest of the morning went fast, and she was grateful. It kept her from thinking about Josh, from running over there to explain why she’d agreed to Tom’s plan. She longed to be with him.

  The fierceness of that desire was exactly why she shouldn’t go. She wasn’t ready. She had been so angry when Russ died. She’d screamed at him in the silence of their bedroom when Nick was with his grandparents. She’d packed up all his belongings and taken them to the Presbyterian church’s clothes closet for the needy, only to return later to take his team jacket back. She’d never understood why he died when he was so healthy, took such good care of himself. How could he leave her and Nick?

  Her fury hadn’t been logical. She’d known that, but it hadn’t relie
ved the anger or pain. Then her father was shot down in cold blood, and she didn’t know whether she—or Nick—could survive another loss. She’d decided then she would never open herself to that kind of pain again. For her sake. For her son’s sake. She’d never even been tempted.

  Not until Josh came to town and turned her world upside down.

  He ignited fires she hadn’t felt with Russ.

  At noon, she was ready to jump out of her skin. When would something happen? When would Sam go to Josh’s cabin to find the rifle? Maybe it wasn’t Sam who planted it. Maybe it was someone else.

  She took Nick to Maude’s for lunch, but only picked at her food.

  Why did she keep thinking about Josh Manning?

  Fool!

  At three, she realized she was accomplishing nothing. The roof was getting hotter, and there was a magnet named Josh to whom she owed an explanation. Where had her conscience been when she’d okayed Tom’s plan? No matter how she justified it to herself, she didn’t feel one bit better. Worse yet, she had allowed Tom to do the explaining.

  She didn’t want to take Nick with her. Too much needed to be said. She called Abby and asked if it would be okay if Nick spent the rest of the day with her.

  Abby was delighted, and Eve went downstairs to send Nick across the street to his grandparents’ house.

  She watched from the window as he walked across the street and reached Jim and Abby’s, then told Merry she was leaving for the day on personal business.

  She went by Maude’s and bought three heaping ham sandwiches and two iced teas. Then she drove home and was letting the motley crew out when her cell phone rang.

  “Hey, Mrs. Mayor.”

  She recognized the voice immediately. Nate Rowland.

  “Hi, Nate.”

  “I have another volunteer for the roofing party this weekend.”

  Good news at last. “Who?”

  “Our newest resident, Josh Manning. He’s pretty good with a nail gun.”

  She was stunned. She hadn’t mentioned the roofing party to Josh, never expected he would agree.

  Did he agree to join the roofing party before or after he learned that he was being...used?

  “He seems like a good guy,” Nate said. “He hired me to help with the flooring at his cabin. Worked as hard as I did and paid me well. Said he might need me again.”

  Nate had been on the high school football team with Russ and was one of his best friends until he’d moved to Denver and married.

  “Good,” she said. “And thanks for enlisting him. Oh, and Nate, when did he volunteer?”

  “Over a cold beer last night. And just to let you know, we only had one before I left.”

  “Thanks, Nate.”

  She hung up and swallowed hard. So he wasn’t running for the hills. He was going to stay, at least through the next weekend. But why help with the roof?

  Because he was a good guy. But that didn’t mean he was going to stay or that he enjoyed being in the position in which she and Tom put him.

  By the time she reached Josh’s cabin it was 4:00 p.m.

  She knocked on the door and when he opened it, she was at a loss for words. “Hi,” she said. A weak beginning.

  “Hi,” he echoed, a question in his eyes.

  “I’m just taking a break and hoped you wanted one, too.” She hoped she sounded casual as she looked up at him. He was wearing his usual jeans with a paint-splattered T-shirt. It was loose but still outlined every muscle when he moved. “I wanted to thank you,” she said.

  “If it’s about the rifle, no need. I don’t like bullies.” His voice was cool and his expression unreadable.

  “That, and Nate said you volunteered for the roofing party.”

  “I need Nate to finish the porch,” he said. “If I help him on Saturday, maybe we can get started on it sooner.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Is it so hard to just admit you’re willing to help a stranger?”

  He shrugged, but there was a slight twitch to his lips as if he was a small boy caught in a white lie. “Or maybe it’s because I’ve spent half my life blowing things up. I kinda like the idea of putting something back together.”

  “Is that why you’re working so hard on the cabin?”

  “Haven’t thought about it that way, but maybe,” he admitted with a rueful look.

  “Can I see the inside?” she asked.

  He opened the door. The large room with the fireplace cleaned and stocked with wood, new hardwood floor and sand-colored walls looked warm and inviting. She couldn’t believe the transformation. But except for the old sofa and some dog toys, it was bare. No sign of permanence. Her heart jerked.

  “I’m impressed,” she said and tried to keep her voice neutral. “It’s amazing what you’ve done. Have you thought about starting a contracting business?”

  “I’m not ready to start anything,” he said.

  “You like being busy, that’s obvious.”

  “Maybe I just want to get it ready for sale.”

  She wanted more than a curt answer. She wanted trust, and she feared she had ruined that. “I brought a late lunch. Or an early supper. I want to show you our falls.”

  “So there really are falls?”

  “Yes. Really. Maybe seeing them will explain a lot.”

  He studied her for a moment, then nodded. “You sure you want to be seen with me?”

  She shrugged. “Miss Mollie is sitting in front of your cabin.”

  “True,” he said.

  She knew if she waited until the thefts were solved, it would be too late. Too late to be his friend. To be anything to him. She changed the subject. “What are you going to do with the porch?”

  “Ah, the building permit,” he said. “I wanted to expand it to the length of the cabin, make it a rocking-chair porch.”

  She noted the word wanted. She didn’t say anything.

  “I’ve wondered why Covenant Falls doesn’t attract more visitors,” he said, “but I’m beginning to learn. You don’t really want newcomers, do you?”

  “The president of the council doesn’t,” she said. “I do.”

  “Is he God here?”

  “Pretty close. If his nephew becomes police chief, I’m afraid he will be God.”

  “You’re mayor. I take it you were elected by the majority of the town.”

  She met his gaze. “Mainly because he didn’t oppose me. He thought I would go along with whatever he wanted.” She watched his face as he digested the information. “I had been city clerk before the election and I knew everything there was to know about the finances. The former mayor didn’t. He just liked the title. I basically did his job, so Tom urged me to run. I think Al thought he could run over me as he did my predecessor.”

  “And he can’t?”

  “No, and it wasn’t for lack of trying. But my dad was police chief before Tom. He was a good man, and he taught me to stick up for myself.”

  “What happened to him?” Josh asked, and she realized something in her voice must have told him something had.

  “He tried to stop a motorcycle gang from robbing the Rusty Nail and probably killing a few patrons. He was killed instead.”

  “Did they catch the killers?” His voice was neutral.

  “No. Nick worries about that to this day. He’s much too interested in cop shows, and he adores Tom. I’m afraid he’ll want to be a cop, too.”

  Josh’s eyes softened. “That’s tough on a kid. Losing both a father and grandfather. Especially like that.”

  He spoke as if he knew loss. There was a lot of pain in him, and she longed to take some of it away. And she wanted him to say he wasn’t going to leave because of some half-baked scheme she and Tom had conjured.

  “I’m sorry,” she sa
id. “We should never have involved you in this. Tom can say we found the rifle.”

  “And where might he have found it?” Josh asked rhetorically. “And how? Seems your Sam Clark would want to know. There wouldn’t be any proof as to who put it there. Could have been me as far as the town’s concerned.” He paused, then added, “Seems to me it was Sam Clark who involved me. You’re just taking advantage of that. Problem is, nothing ever goes as planned.”

  “My father would turn over in his grave if he knew that someone like Sam is wearing a badge. I should have done something earlier. It isn’t right putting you in danger.”

  “I’ve been in danger since the moment I was born.”

  It was a loaded statement that begged explanation. But she suspected she would need more trust before he expanded upon it.

  She stood on tiptoe and her lips brushed his, and all her senses went into overdrive. He touched her hair, ran his fingers through it then drew her closer and the kiss deepened. He was the one who backed away, but she knew from his eyes it wasn’t what he wanted to do.

  Eve bit her lip against tears suddenly hovering in her eyes as his fists clenched so tight the knuckles were white. She knew, and knew that he did, that they were both trying to protect parts of themselves. She saw a haunted look cross his face. I’ve been in danger since the day I was born. She had seen the caring parts of him in the way he interacted with his dog and her son, but now she saw the depth of emotion in his impossibly deep green eyes.

  He took her hand in his. Heat ran up through her arm and spiraled through her body. The electricity was there, more intense than before, but there was something else, as well. Another kind of warmth. The kind that wrapped around you and made your soul sing.

  She treasured that feeling. His arms went around her, and she didn’t want to move, didn’t want to break the magic. She rested her head against his heart and thought she never wanted to leave his embrace, his warmth, the passion that danced between them like dueling strikes of lightning.

  His lips touched hers, featherlight at first, then more firmly, and her arms went around his neck.

  “Mmm,” he whispered. “You taste good.”

  “So do you,” she answered, but she feared the sound of her voice was more a moan. She didn’t want the kiss to stop, but she knew it should. In a few more seconds they would be in bed. But she wasn’t ready for that commitment yet because, to her, that was what it would be.