The Patriot Girl

by Toni Lynn Cloutier

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  He smiled and touched her cheek. “You have eyes like Sissy’s.”

  “Sissy?”

  “She used to be my foster mother until she died. She had a house filled with roses. Having roses here made this place feel like home.”

  This kid wasn’t out to hurt her. If he wanted to, he would have done so already. He was a lost boy who needed someone to care for him.

  A car door slammed outside.

  “Who’s that?” The boy stood in the bathroom doorway.

  MaKayla’s body stiffened. There were still several hours to go before anyone was due to arrive for dinner. The back porch screen door opened.

  The boy dashed out the front door. She took a deep breath as she saw Dustin passing the window near the sink.

  She ran to the back door. “Oh, Dustin. The kid from the bank robbery just ran out the front door.”

  Dustin took off down the driveway and around the wooden fence. After a couple minutes, he jogged up past her car—alone.

  Damn. She removed the phone handset from the wall and dialed Duke’s cell phone number. Jodi had mentioned he had to work Christmas morning.

  ****

  Dustin re-entered the house and waited for MaKayla to hang up the phone. How the hell had this kid found out where she lived? And what did he want? “Are you okay?” He glanced at the swell of her breasts peering through the opening of her robe. “Did he hurt you?”

  MaKayla looked down and then squeezed her robe closed. “No. He’s not dangerous.”

  No way would he allow anyone to hurt her. He took her into his arms and swayed her for several minutes before there was a knock on the front door. He pushed her inside the bathroom. “Don’t move.”

  “It’s probably Duke.”

  He wasn’t taking any chances. He held up a finger and she stayed. She’d been right. Duke was on the other side of the door. “Hey, Duke. The kid’s gone.”

  Duke came inside and opened his arms to MaKayla. “I searched the neighborhood and didn’t find anyone. Is everyone okay?”

  “Yes. He said he’s been watching over me while Alex is away. Says he’s protecting me from some kid named Luke.” She rubbed her forehead.

  “How does he know Alex is gone?” Duke asked.

  “He hangs out at the recreation center so he must have overheard Alex talking about leaving for school. He also asked how Dustin was doing from the robbery.”

  Duke flipped open a pad and clicked a pen. “What does he look like?”

  “Um…blond hair, blue eyes, jeans, a black concert t-shirt, red sneakers, and he was a few inches taller than me. He still has his gun too.”

  Dustin didn’t appreciate hearing the kid had a pistol. People were attracted to the energy of love MaKayla’s smile radiated, but toss in a gun—now there was trouble. Accidents happened when weapons were in the hands of a kid.

  He went to her. “He could have hurt you.”

  “If he wanted to hurt me he’s had every chance. He wants a home. He asked me if he could live here.”

  Duke glanced up from his writing. “How’d he get in?”

  She shrugged. “The back door must have been unlocked.”

  Duke stepped forward and kissed MaKayla’s forehead. “Keep things locked up from now on. I’ll patrol the area. He might come back.”

  “Thank you.” She walked him to the front door.

  Dustin followed. He didn’t want to leave her alone for a second. Who knew what this kid would have done if she’d pissed him off.

  Women. They can’t save every unhappy soul, no matter how hard they try. She had no idea how dangerous this punk could be. He was probably playing her—getting to her heart so her head would ignore the warning signs of danger. He’d represented many cases where the jerk fed off the goodness of women until they smartened up and caught on. Then the pricks weren’t so nice.

  MaKayla faced him. “What are you doing here? And where’s your car? I don’t see it.”

  “Alex dropped me off.”

  “Alex?” She crossed her arms.

  “He came to the club.”

  “What for?”

  “I think he’s trying to get us together.”

  “Oh, no, Dustin. I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have bothered you.” She gripped her robe closed. “Um…you need a ride.”

  He could see that now was not the time to talk about their relationship. Anyway, a two-plus-mile walk to the club might help control the anger and frustration he felt at not being able to protect her from this jackass preying on a lonely woman.

  “This is a bad time. I’ll walk back to the club and you can finish getting dressed.”

  “Are you sure? I can throw something on and drive you.”

  He caressed her cheek and inhaled deeply. He loved the feel of her soft skin. And he suddenly got a whiff of a cooked ham. “You shouldn’t leave the house with something in the oven.”

  “Christmas dinner.” She leaned into his touch. “I’m sorry for all this.”

  “Stop apologizing.”

  She nodded. “Would you be okay with me telling Alex we talked and we’re now friends? I can’t have him going back to school worrying about me.”

  He held her hands and used his thumb to caress her wrist. “Of course not. Friends it is. I’ll be whatever you want me to be.”

  “Thank you.”

  Leaving her was going to be tough. How could he protect her if he were miles away? But he had to. “I’ll go now. Lock the door behind me.” He fought the urge to kiss her goodbye, and waited as she closed the door and turned the lock.

  He stood on the front porch and smiled. This hadn’t been the reunion Alex had planned for Dustin and his mother, but the boy was right about one thing—this would be a Christmas MaKayla would never forget.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dustin sat behind his office desk at No Bulls balancing his books. The phone rang. “No Bulls.”

  “Hello?”

  He could barely make out the soft tone of the girl’s voice.

  “This is Dustin. Can I help you?”

  “Can you tell Mr. Wilson I’m sorry? I would have called sooner but our phone was cut off.”

  “Who is this?”

  “Tiffany Reynolds. I won a meeting with Mr. Wilson on the radio. I wanted to surprise my Dad for his birthday but then he had to work. I have to go now. Bye.”

  The phone went dead. The poor kid. At least now the mystery of why the radio station’s winner never showed up at the grand opening was answered. Dustin wrote down the number from the caller ID.

  Maybe there was still a way he could help this little girl give her father his birthday gift. Dana could use her FBI investigative skills to track down this young girl and MaKayla could charm the pants off Buck to agree to another meeting. Both women would love the idea of making this event happen.

  After all, what good was having connections if he couldn’t pull a few strings?

  ****

  The first three days into the New Year had been better than the end of the last one. MaKayla was glad for the calm after the storm.

  She could handle this life-style. The quietness of her home, a job she enjoyed each day, her nights filled with working for herself, and waiting until the next school vacation for her son to return. Not the life she had envisioned ten years ago, but one she could enjoy until she ended up in a nursing home.

  Dustin had begun doing a stakeout across the street from her home since Saturday after Alex left for school. Did he honestly think he was fooling her with his dark glasses, baseball cap, and Heavenly Coffee written on the side of a van? Even if she were blind, her body sensed his presence.

  Having a cop friend had been a blessing on more than one occasion. This time there was no point in calling Duke. While Dustin’s intentions weren’t those of a typical stalker, she knew her friends wouldn’t protect her from him. They all adored Dustin.

  Upon entering Columbus Bank she could tell by the
moans and groans of her co-workers that she was the only one glad to be back. Work was her escape from daydreaming about Dustin, missing Alex, and thinking about her Christmas morning intruder.

  The scent of roses flooded her office as she opened the door. Had the sender been anyone other than the man she should be putting behind her, she would have enjoyed the welcoming aroma. Now that she was talking to him again, she had hoped he would stop the flowers.

  She had just settled into her chair when there was a knock on the door. “Come in.”

  Jodi crossed the room and held MaKayla in a tight embrace. “I don’t want you home alone now with Alex gone. Why don’t you stay with us until they catch that kid?”

  MaKayla giggled. “Thank you, but I’m fine.”

  “This isn’t funny, MaKayla. You could have been killed.”

  “I know. I was laughing at your ‘home alone.’ Dustin has been parked across the street all weekend.”

  “Isn’t he sweet? Good.”

  “It’s sweet, but he has a daughter and a business to nurture. He can’t be worrying about me. Besides, the kid’s harmless. He’s not going to hurt me.”

  Jodi sat down. “How do you know?”

  “Because I remind him of his foster mother. If he wanted to hurt me, he would have by now.”

  A voice came over the intercom. “MaKayla, you have a visitor.”

  Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes met Jodi’s. MaKayla knew by her friend’s gaped mouth, they’d had the same thought. She couldn’t worry about being stalked at work too. No way would the boy come back to the same place he’d robbed. He might have made some bad choices in his life, but she hadn’t found him to be an idiot during their encounter.

  “He won’t come here, Jodi. It’s only a customer out there.”

  Jodi stood. “You’re right. If he knows what’s good for him he’ll stay clear. Duke’s on the case, and they have patrolmen watching the recreation center.”

  “Good. Now go, and send in whoever’s out there, please.” MaKayla stood and walked around her desk just as Dustin stepped over the threshold. “Hi. What are you doing here?”

  He captured her hand and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “How are you doing?”

  There was more to his visit than wondering how she was doing. She could tell by the smirk on his face and by the way his thumb caressed the back of her hand. “Are you staking out this place too?”

  “Too?”

  “I saw your van across the street from my house.”

  “Busted.” He chuckled and raised her hand to his lips.

  Her breath caught as warm liquid rushed through her veins. He did make her feel safe. Knowing he’d been outside had made her sleep more soundly. But she also feared what Dustin would do if the young boy returned.

  “Close the door and have a seat.” She sat, folding her hands on the desk and leaned forward as he sat across from her. “So what does bring you here?”

  He captured her hands. “Did you tell Alex we were now friends?”

  Friends. Never before had a friend reached across her desk, placed her hand to his lips, and overwhelmed her body with passion as light kisses dropped into her palm. If only she could move past the situation’s awkwardness, she might find herself enjoying this moment a lot more.

  Her arousal turned every muscle in her body to rubber. Her voice cracked as she managed to say the right thing rather than what she wanted to say. Dustin, don’t stop. “Dustin, please, stop.”

  “I can’t. I want you. How can we be more than friends?”

  There had to be a line drawn and if he couldn’t be the sensible one here, then she would have to. She reclaimed her hand and cleared her throat. “You’re not making this any easier.”

  He shrugged. “Is it wrong that I just enjoyed hearing those words?”

  She shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

  Of course she knew. His enjoyment meant he hadn’t given up hope—a man of his word. What more could a woman ask for? So what was stopping her from being content with him?

  “Is there some other reason you came by?”

  “Yes, I need a favor.”

  She smiled. “I’m not that kind of girl.”

  He laughed. “Trust me, MaKayla. If you were that kind of girl, you’d be making my dream come true.”

  She must have been hanging around Jodi too long. For some reason when he mentioned ‘favor’ her mind went straight into the gutter. Deep down maybe she wanted his favor to be sexual.

  And if that had been his request, what would she have done? “Okay. What’s the favor?”

  “Tiffany Reynolds called.” He handed her a paper from his pocket.

  “Tiffany Reynolds?” In an effort to hide the blood rush warming her cheeks, she glanced at the phone number he’d written.

  “Yes. Remember? Caller number twelve, from the grand opening promotion. It turns out that she’s a child. She said she won the tickets for her father’s birthday gift, but then he had to work that night. If Dana can track her down, do you think Buck would still make good on her prize?”

  “Buck’s back in Florida. But maybe when he returns for a family visit we could do something. I’ll find out.”

  Dustin kissed her hand. “Thanks. There’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

  “What?” He slipped one of her fingertips into his mouth. Here comes the sexual favor. No one kissed a hand this erotically without sexual intentions.

  “Now that we’re friends,”—he removed her moist flesh then slid his tongue around another of her fingers—“how about going away with me to Oklahoma on Thursday?” Her second finger dropped against her palm, as weak as the rest of her. “You know…as friends. But it would be just the two of us.”

  They would be more than friends if he did this to her at an appropriate time and place.

  She’d seen a movie once where the woman used her arm to swipe all the papers off her desk then laid her back on the wood as her man climbed on top of her. Right now, MaKayla wanted to be that spontaneous, that bold, that woman. But she couldn’t.

  She pulled her hand back. “I can’t. I have too much to do here. Plus my business is taking off. I’m swamped, Dustin.”

  She could tell his smile was forced—hopefully not because of her rejection. Perhaps his muscles had gone weak from the passion he likely had flowing through his body too.

  “Well, if you change your mind, let me know.” He stood. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

  “Thanks for stopping by.” She closed the door behind him then placed her hand against her heart. It was for the best that she couldn’t go away with him. She wouldn’t be able to resist him if they were alone in the confined quarters of a hotel with no phones, no interruptions, and no framed family portraits beside her as the reason for why she had to say “no.”

  Upon their return they’d no longer be friends. They’d be lovers, and right now she couldn’t handle such a relationship.

  ****

  When she heard the phone ringing, MaKayla couldn’t get the key into her front door’s lock fast enough. Her arms full of groceries, she rushed inside leaving the door wide open and proceeded to knock a pile of mail off the end table onto the carpet.

  Alex. He had her daily routine memorized. Come home after work, make something to eat, and then shower. She’d relax with a cup of tea as she went through the mail, and then spend the rest of the evening working on materiel for her clients.

  After work today she’d messed up her whole schedule by going to the market where she’d met up with an old friend and chatted for forty-five minutes. She dropped the bags onto the floor and plucked the receiver off the wall. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Mom.”

  His voice wasn’t as chipper as usual today. “Is everything okay, honey?”

  “Fine. Has that kid come back?”

  “No.” Alex hadn’t seen the boy from the Christmas morning incident at the recreation center while he’d been home on break.

  Sh
e tried to convince him, and herself, the kid had probably left the area now that she could identify him. Hopefully, she was right. “I don’t want you worrying about me. Dustin and Duke have the place surrounded. I’m almost like a prisoner. Okay?”

  He chuckled. “Okay. Talk soon. Love you.”

  “Love you.” She went back to the front entry, dropped to her knees, and cleaned up the mail off the floor.

  Both of them would feel better once this kid was caught. But right now, Alex needed to worry more about his grades and less on her.

  Footsteps sounded on her porch. She sucked in a lung full of air and stood up.

  “I’m sorry. Did I startle you?”

  MaKayla let out a breath when an older woman appeared in front of her. “I shouldn’t have left the door open.” She recognized Dustin’s mother from their meeting during the grand opening of No Bulls. “It’s Vicky, right?” The woman had been adamant about everyone calling her by her first name. “Come on in. Would you care for a tea?”

  “Sure. I didn’t catch you at a bad time?”

  “No. I hope you don’t mind if I put a few groceries away.” She closed the door and then headed for the kitchen. “My phone was ringing as I unlocked the door. My son calls every day at this hour and I hate missing him. As mothers do, we drop everything for our kids.” They laughed and Vicky began to help unload the bags onto the table. “So what brings you by, Vicky?” MaKayla’s hands rested on a bag of chips and she looked up. “Is Dustin okay?”

  “Yes, dear, he’s fine.” She neatly folded one of the plastic bags. “Physically anyway.”

  “What do you mean?” MaKayla put things away in the cupboard and refrigerator, and then stuck two cups of water into the microwave for tea.

  “This may be none of my business, and Dustin would hit the roof if he knew I was here, but I had to come over and talk with you.”

  “Oh?” As the microwave dinged she gestured for the woman to sit. She had no idea which direction this conversation was going to continue. Was Vicky upset with her because of the accident or because she was involved, or more precisely not involved, with her son?

  MaKayla’s record with mothers, even her own, wasn’t very good. She placed the hot cups of tea, sugar, and cream on the table and then sat across from Vicky.