“It’s time to implement the final part of the plan,” he gently reminded her.
If everything had gone according to the plan Kim had suggested, April wouldn’t feel like this. Her job was to get him to fall in love with her, then publicly dump him. It wasn’t part of her agenda to be the only one falling in love. So, when had things gone so horribly wrong?
Okay, she told herself, grow a spine. The endgame was to put herself back in the driver’s seat and not be pitied because Will Fletcher got away again. Growing a spine started here and now.
She met his gaze and put as much spunk into hers as possible. “So, before we take the end of this fling public, I have to ask. You didn’t fall for me at all?”
He looked away for a moment, then said, “That isn’t the way you pitched me the plan.”
Something told her that was all the answer she was going to get. “Any idea how to pull off the final scene of our charade?”
“Actually, I do.” He folded his arms over his chest.
Maybe it was hope on her part, but she thought that pose might be to keep from touching her because he didn’t trust himself to do that and no more. Maybe she was a little irresistible to him. Without a doubt she knew if he put his hands on her she’d be lost.
“So, you have thoughts. Care to share?”
“There’s a spur-of-the-moment celebration of Dad’s good news and it will be at the Grizzly Bear Diner.”
“I wonder if his heart doctor would approve of him having a hamburger,” she mused.
“I believe he’s a salad convert even though my sister isn’t around to be the food police. She’s still on her honeymoon,” he added.
“Right. So when is this get-together taking place?” she asked.
“Now. The mayor will be there. The town council. All the Blackwater Lake movers and shakers. Word is spreading and I’m sure there will be a lot of people.”
“In other words it will be gossip central.”
“Right.” His eyes went blank, grew darker. His cop face. “It should get the job done. I’m thinking it will work better if we walk in together and break the news.”
“Okay.”
“You say whatever you want to. Although I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make me out to be too big a jerk.”
She smiled and did her best to keep sadness out of it. “We’ve already established that I’m not a good liar, so staying close to the truth is best. And the truth is you’re not a jerk.”
“Thanks for that.” He nodded resolutely. “I’ll just follow your lead.”
“Okay, then.”
He moved close and curved his fingers around her upper arms then hesitated before kissing her forehead. “Let’s do this.”
Let’s not, she thought, although it was obvious he’d just said goodbye.
Thirty minutes later they walked into the Grizzly Bear Diner, which was filled to overflowing. The crowd was probably beyond capacity, but no one seemed inclined to enforce any ordinances on an occasion like this.
People parted for them as they made their way to a booth in the center of the establishment where Tim sat with a friend while his grandfather stood and shook hands. Hank was generally soaking up congratulations and good wishes.
April really hated to rain on his parade, but this venue was better than the Labor Day parade to get the word out. Everyone was under one roof and this news would spread like the flu virus. She just needed an opening, then would make it as quick and painless as possible.
Hank grinned when he saw them and opened his arms to hug her. “Glad you two finally showed up.”
“Sorry.” She stepped away from him and rubbed the side of her nose. “Will and I had some things to discuss.”
The older man frowned. “What’s wrong?”
And there was her opening. “First I want to say how happy I am that you have medical clearance to return to work.”
A cheer erupted around her proving that not only did her words carry, but people were listening. She wondered if there would be any sound to hear when her heart cracked.
When everyone quieted down, Hank said, “What else do you have on your mind? Something’s bothering you, April.”
All of a sudden she got cold feet. This was his party, a celebration of his hard work to get back up and running. This grand gesture was all about her, so she should be the one to decide whether or not to do it. “It’s okay. I’ll tell you later.”
Hank shook his head. “Maybe I can help. You’ll feel better if you get it off your chest.”
Usually when she unburdened herself to this man she did feel better, but that wasn’t going to happen with this news. “It can wait.”
“No. The doctor says I need to keep stress to a minimum. And now you’ve got me worried. So spill it.”
Oh, brother, she’d really stepped in it and had no choice. Quick and simple, she told herself. “The thing is, I called it quits with Will tonight.”
Hank studied her as a whisper started through the crowd. “I see. Why is that?”
“He’s not the right man for me.” Keep it simple like he’d said, she thought. Make it all about her and don’t embellish. “We had fun this summer, but that’s all it would ever be with us. I want more. And he doesn’t define ‘more’ the same way I do.”
The father looked at his son and there was no mistaking the disappointment in his eyes. “That true, Will?”
“Yes. She’s a remarkable woman and deserves a man who can make her happy. Someone who won’t hurt her.”
“I’m the one walking away.” She raised her voice, making it determined, definite. No one should doubt that she was in control even though it didn’t feel that way. “It’s what I want and that makes it best for both of us.”
It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, which was unusual for the diner, then everyone around them started whispering.
Hank was silent for a moment before reluctantly nodding. He cupped her cheek in a big hand. “I guess you know best, honey.”
“Thanks for understanding,” she said. Wow, she’d never anticipated the effort it would take not to cry. But tears would dilute the effect of what she was trying to accomplish.
At least fate was on her side a little bit because at that moment one of the servers brought a pitcher of beer and some glasses. “Chicken wings and nachos are coming. And a salad for you, Sheriff,” he said.
April gave Will one last look and nodded him a thank-you as she backed away. Right now she was numb to the murmurs of sympathy directed at her as she slowly moved toward the diner’s exit. She tried to be proud of herself, but this didn’t feel at all like the win Kim had promised when hatching this plan.
Lucy Bishop was standing in the waiting area by the front door. “April, I just heard.”
“What?” Could news of the breakup really have spread that fast?
“You dumped Will Fletcher.” Sympathy welled up in her eyes. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you two.”
News had traveled that fast. “I didn’t want to give him false hope.”
“You’re really strong. And wise.”
April waited to feel some satisfaction but there wasn’t any to be had what with her heart breaking. The only win was that in Blackwater Lake she would no longer be that poor girl Will Fletcher left behind.
* * *
April took the fresh batch of her healthy whole-wheat macaroni and low-fat cheese out of the oven and set it on a warming tray. Cooking was her desperate attempt to fill the void Will had left in her life when he went back to Chicago a week ago. So far cooking wasn’t helping all that much. And she wasn’t eating much of it. Mostly the food was going across the alley to Hank Fletcher. Hence the health-conscious alterations.
He was lonely, too.
Will had only been bac
k in her life for the summer, but she missed him terribly and felt more alone than she ever had in her life. But her neighbor had seen his daughter married, then stood by while she and her son moved out of his house and in with her husband, where they would start their new life as a family. Hank had supported April through so many changes, good and bad, so she planned to return the favor. This time they could help each other.
She got out her casserole carrier and food warmer, then slid the dish inside before letting herself out the kitchen’s sliding glass door. It was hard not to picture Will here, not to remember the first time he’d stood there looking completely adorable holding a pizza box and bottle of wine. Hard to forget every moment with him after that night. There were memories everywhere she turned and each one was like a blow to her soul.
Tears filled her eyes as she walked across the alley to Hank’s house. Lights were on inside that indicated he was home from work so she knocked.
The door opened and Hank stood there in suit pants, a white dress shirt and snappy red tie. “Hi, kiddo.”
Looking past him she saw a matching suit jacket slung over one of the kitchen chairs. “Are you going out?”
“I’m taking Josie to Fireside for dinner,” he explained. “I wanted to thank her for being there for Kim when I went to the hospital.”
“Is it more than a thank-you?”
“Maybe.” He opened the door wider. “Come on in.”
She hesitated. “I don’t want to make you late.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He indicated the dish in her hands. “I guess that’s for me.”
“Yeah. But obviously you don’t need it.”
“If it’s good warmed up, I need it,” he said.
“All right, then.” She handed it over and walked inside.
“Thanks, honey.” He took the dish, then frowned at her when their gazes met. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
“The hell you are.” He set the macaroni and cheese on the island, then took her elbow and guided her to the kitchen table where he sat her in a chair. “You’re going to tell me all about what’s bothering you.”
“But you have a d-date.” Then the sobs started and she felt horrible because she was really happy for him. Dating was a good thing.
He pulled one of the other chairs closer and sat in front of her. “It can wait. But you need to talk to me, April. I can see how unhappy you are. Hell, you’ve been unhappy since that night at the diner. You said breaking up with Will would be the best thing, but I’m not seeing it.”
She drew in a shuddering breath and brushed tears from her cheeks. “Gosh, and here I thought I’d been hiding it pretty well.”
“You don’t have to do that with me, honey.” There was sympathy in his eyes. Will’s eyes. “And it’s pointless to try. I can see through you. Always could.”
“Good to know.” She sniffled.
“This is about Will.” It wasn’t a question.
“Since I can’t hide anything from you... Yeah,” she admitted. “This is about Will. I really miss him.”
“Me, too.”
“This is so stupid. I’m so stupid.” She shook her head. “Here I am feeling sorry for myself when you’ve suddenly got an empty nest.”
She looked at him, really looked. He was still a handsome man who had the passage of time stamped on his face and silver in his hair. This is what his son would look like, but she wouldn’t be there beside Will to share the good and bad things that left a mark on a life. The realization made her deeply and profoundly sad.
“Look, April, I love my family. You know that. But—” He stopped and listened for a few moments. “Do you hear that?”
“No. What?”
“It’s called quiet. That’s the absence of noise. And there’s something else.”
April glanced around the kitchen and tried to figure out what he meant. But she had no idea what he was talking about. “I don’t feel anything.”
“The energy level is as it should be.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Because you’re young.” He sighed. “It’s like this. A man of my age likes his peace and quiet. Some would call it boring. I prefer to think of it as tranquility.”
“Okay,” she said hesitantly.
“Do I miss them?” He shrugged. “I would if they moved halfway around the world, but right now not so much. If I need a dose of chaos, I can pick up the phone and see if it’s okay to drop by their house. Then I come back here to chill out.”
“Or go out. With Josie,” she teased.
“That, too.” He grinned. “Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t trade the experience of having my daughter here and getting to know my grandson so well. I would do anything for them. But I’m fine being by myself.”
“I’m glad.”
“But you’re not. Fine, I mean.” He took her hand in his big warm ones. “Just so you know, I’m aware of the little scheme Kim came up with to get you and Will together.”
“How?”
“Not much happens in this town that I don’t know about. I heard things and put two and two together. Then she confessed everything when she got back from the honeymoon and heard he left town.”
His words finally sank in. “Wait, she was pushing Will and me together? She claimed it was about closure for me. So I could move on.” And it all worked out so well, she thought.
“Yeah, that was her cover story. But she was matchmaking. You and Will are pretty stubborn—”
“Will might be.” After all they’d been to each other he still left. “But not me,” she protested.
“Right.” He smiled and apparently decided not to argue that point. “Anyway, she felt strongly that if you two gave it another chance, you’d see that you belong together. That’s why she talked you into making him fall for you. It meant you’d have to spend time with him and rekindle what you had before. But she didn’t expect that you would actually dump him.”
“If you suspected, why didn’t you tip Will off to what was going on?” Although she remembered when she confessed the ruse, Will had said he suspected something was up. Like father, like son.
“I thought this whole conspiracy had a decent shot at succeeding,” Hank admitted. “And I wouldn’t mind you and Will together. I’d have liked that very much.”
“Me, too.” Unexpectedly she smiled. “But your approval means a lot to me. Even if there’s no Will and me to approve of.”
“Of course I approve. You’re a very special woman. Not like that one he married. I never liked her.”
“Neither did Kim.” She would have to conclude that was a family thing.
“I know.” Hank looked down for a moment, then met her gaze. “My kids think I’m not observant, but they’d be wrong. I just pick and choose what I say and when I say it.”
“Probably smart.”
“I’m a cop and have been for a lot of years. Details are important and I don’t miss them.”
“I’ve always suspected that about you,” she said.
He gave her a small smile. “I’m not blowing my own horn here, just stating facts. And I have a point.”
“Which is?”
“From the time you turned sixteen years old I’ve seen the way my son looks at you, April. He’s loved you since then and I don’t think he’s ever stopped.”
“Then why did he go—?” Her voice cracked and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Some misguided sense of honor. The boy knows I want to retire and that the job is his if he wants it.”
“I wasn’t aware. Will never told me the sheriff’s job could be his.”
“I’ve always taught him and his sister to finish what they start. The lesson took real well with him. He’s got this thin
g in his head that leaving Chicago is something to be ashamed of on top of his marriage not working out.”
“I see. Then it’s really up to him, isn’t it?” She nodded sadly. “Thanks for telling me this, Hank.”
“I thought you should know.” He stood up and folded his arms over his chest. “You’re like a daughter to me and I want the best for you.”
“That really means a lot.”
“And this has to be said. Will is my son. I love him and mostly I’m proud of him.” He shook his head in exasperation. “But when it comes to romantic relationships he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer.”
“He loves his career and I love mine. We just aren’t meant to be.” She smiled sadly. “I guess we are both stubborn. Neither of us would bend.”
“He just can’t see what’s in front of him, what’s good for him,” Hank said. “And it’s not easy for a father to watch and not say anything, to let him figure it out for himself. Sometimes you have to walk around with duct tape over your mouth. Metaphorically speaking.”
“Well, you’re a wise man, Hank Fletcher. And I’m glad that you know I didn’t really mean it when I said he’s not the man for me. The thing is, he never asked me to go with him...” She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “On the bright side, at least no one in town pities me this time.”
“I didn’t pity you last time,” Hank said. “It’s Will I feel sorry for. I think that job in Chicago is sucking the life out of him and there’s nothing I can do. I was hoping you could talk him out of going back.”
“I didn’t try. If I had, he would only resent me and that would ultimately destroy us. He had to want to be with me enough and—” she shrugged “—he didn’t.”
“I know it. Don’t like it,” he added, “but I know it’s true.”
April stood and hugged him. “Thank you for listening to me whine.”
“Didn’t sound like complaining to me, but anytime you need to talk, I’m here for you, honey.” He gave her a good squeeze, then stepped back. “You’re not alone, you know that. I’m always here for you. You might not be family by blood, but you are by choice and heart. Sometimes that bond is even stronger.”
How to Land Her Lawman Page 18