What would he like? Hard question because home cooking wasn’t something he enjoyed much these days. He thought about things his long-dead mother once prepared, dishes his grandmother made, and foods he’d enjoyed when invited somewhere for a meal. On his own, he lived on a steady diet of bologna, hot dogs, hamburgers, and barbecue. When he had time to hunt, which wasn’t often, he added a little venison, some squirrel or rabbit, and wild hog. He loved catfish and spoonbill in season, but he lacked many opportunities to fish. Roast beef, casserole, pork chops, fried chicken, he thought, and remembered the succulent taste from the past. Once in awhile, he indulged in a good steak but he hated to ask her to spend money on an expensive cut. “I don’t know,” he said after what seemed like a long time. “I’m not picky. I guess just pick up some bologna or a frozen pizza or something.”
Tina snorted. “Maybe you live on bachelor man food but I can cook and I enjoy it. I’m not buying any chicken nuggets or fish sticks either. If you don’t know what you like, I’ll make suggestions. Meatloaf? Spanish rice? Roast beef? Ham steaks? Or how about pork chops with stuffing? If you don’t tell me, you’re gonna’ be stuck with pot luck.”
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten meatloaf so he chose that. “Meatloaf with mashed potatoes, brown gravy, peas, and maybe a hot roll,” he told her. “Do I get dessert?”
She rolled her eyes heavenward but he pegged it for an act. “Yes, you’ve been a good guy so I’ll do dessert. I suppose you want ice cream?”
“No,” he said. “Ice cream I can buy anytime. You wouldn’t happen to know how to make a chocolate wacky cake, would you?”
Tina faced him,expression bright. “I would. My grandmother gave me the recipe. It’s the first cake I ever baked. So you’re in luck.”
“Good,” he said. He slipped into the same lighthearted style she’d been using. “It’s the least I should get if I’m washing dishes.”
They laughed, then she sobered. “Rest afterward, though, okay? I don’t want you to overdo it while I’m gone. I’ll be back as soon as I can but don’t worry. I can take care of myself.”
Joshua wasn’t as certain. She tucked her list into the purse beside the pistol and picked up a set of keys. As she turned to go out the back door, he stopped her. “Wait a minute, Tina.”
“What is it?”
“If you’re going to so much trouble for me, the least I can do is this,” he said and kissed her.
For a moment, her lips lay dormant, then she lowered the purse to the floor, the keys beside it. Tina’s arms rested on his shoulders and she kissed him back. Holy Jesus, her mouth tasted delicious, sweeter than any forbidden apple in the garden of Eden. Her response kindled fire in his veins and what he’d meant as a soft, almost friendly gesture shifted into high gear.
His mouth sought hers with hunger and she responded with a needy greed. Joshua kissed Tina long and deep, never letting up until his world rocked and his head spun dizzy. He released her and she stood still for a moment, a dazed expression on her face. Then she smiled, the glory of it reaching from her mouth to her eyes. She touched his cheek in a fleeting caress, then she departed, leaving him unable to do anything but stand still and watch her go.
Chapter Seven
Her mouth burned and every nerve ending throughout her body tingled with delicious sensations. The unexpected kiss rattled Tina but she liked it. It upped the stakes and made what began as a kind act into something much more. When she picked Joshua from the Poteau River, she hadn’t expected to do more than save a life, maybe offer some much needed aid. Even after she brought him home, she never thought this would happen. Tina didn’t deny he’d attracted her or that they shared some sense of connection, but this wild, burning fire hadn’t been in the plan.
Focus, woman, focus. She started up the old truck and bumped it down the long lane to the road. If she let her thoughts fly free, she’d never accomplish her drive along the river or the trip into town. I can’t start daydreaming like a lovesick teenager. But she wanted to and she knew it.
Tina didn’t yield to temptation. She steered her mind back to her errands with the same skill she used to drive the old truck. On a normal outing, she’d drive the half mile to the blacktop, then over to 59 Highway, then into Poteau, but today’s routine wasn’t ordinary. She ambled along the back roads to each public river access and drove along the water anywhere it was possible. A few fishermen were out casting lines along the way. At the first access, an old man frolicked with his dog. Further along, a couple picnicked on the tailgate of their pickup. So far, so good, she thought and headed into town.
She made the health food store her first stop and picked up three ounces of comfrey powder. The clerk scooped it from a huge glass jar and bagged it. To avoid undue attention, Tina picked up some vitamins and an ounce of dried balsam. Tina fueled the truck at a convenience store, then headed to the supermarket. She bought everything on her list and added several other items, things she thought Joshua might enjoy. On a whim, she visited the used clothes shop and picked up several faded pairs of blue jeans in his size. She added a few colored T-shirts too. He’ll feel better in ordinary clothes, I bet.
On the way home, she decided to check the river again. A nagging sense she had dogged her throughout town so Tina yielded to it. Temperatures were lower than two days earlier when Joshua made his leap and she rescued him but the sun shone over the landscape. The first spots yielded nothing more than before but at the last access point, she noted a couple of pickup trucks far more battered than hers. Three men stalked up and down the bank, poking into the tall weeds with long sticks. One of them peered into the wooded area opposite and turned to comb through the trees nearest the parking area. Although they made no effort to conceal their movements, she thought they had a furtive area and a distinct unsavory aura.
Ignoring Joshua’s warnings, she parked the truck on the farthest side of the gravel lot from the men. She hatched a plan and to implement it, she dug behind the seat and pulled out Gramps’ old quilted flannel jacket. Tina put it on and buttoned it to collar. Then she put an old ball cap on her head. It covered most of her hair and she peered at her reflection in the rear view mirror. Not perfect, she thought, but it would do. Then she gathered up the ancient metal tackle box she’d never bothered to remove from the truck and picked up her grandfather’s old Zebco rod and reel.
Tina made no effort to be quiet or to blend into the surroundings. She whistled an old tune as she shuffled toward the river bank, doing her best imitation of an old man’s paddle-footed gait. With her shoulders humped, she hoped they’d take her for what she pretended to be, a senior citizen casting a line in the water. In high school, she’d been part of several drama productions, and in college she had a supporting lead role, so she called on whatever acting skills she might possess. Although she kept her head down and did her best to appear to be staring out over the river, Tina cut her eyes to the right to watch the men. Maybe they weren’t the same ones but her suspicion increased as she eavesdropped on their conversation without remorse.
“Look what I found,” one of them called as he lifted a filthy, weather-faded shirt from the weeds. “You think it’s his?”
“Shit if I know,” his friend replied. “I don’t really remember what the son of a bitch wore. I want him, not his fuckin’ clothes.”
The third man spoke up. “He’s dead, got to be. That shot nailed him and the fall should’ve killed him anyway. I won’t be happy until we turn up his dead body, though. Then we can be sure.”
“Yeah, Curley, that’d be best. Lonnie’s gettin’ antsy hanging around camp but now he’s afraid to split in case he gets caught.”
“He’d better stay put. If the marshal’s dead, then no one will know about our camp. If he’ll hold out another week or so, then he can go and no one will be the wiser.”
The one who had found the shirt walked downstream and plucked something else from the edge of the river. “Here’s a shoe. I bet it’s his. Where else woul
d it come from?”
Curley snorted. “River’s running high, you idiots, so it could be from any damn place. Maybe it’s his and maybe it ain’t. Keep searching. I want his fuckin’ body.”
“Probably still in the river,” one of the other men said. “They’ll pull a floater out somewhere downstream and it’ll be him.”
“And he’ll have no identification,” Curley retorted. “So it’ll take awhile for the authorities to figure out who he was. That’s good for us and for Lonnie.”
“We ain’t doing much good here so let’s move on,” the second man said. “Besides, we’ve got company.”
Tina watched as the trio turned to stare at her. She reeled in her line and cast it again, the way she’d watched Gramps do many times. Her focus remained on the water.
“Just some old fart,” Curley said. “Benson, you’re fuckin’ paranoid. He must be deaf as a board anyway ‘cause he hasn’t even noticed us.”
“He might.”
“Naw, I doubt it. He’s out fishing, probably to get away from his woman. Let’s get the hell out of here, though, before he does catch on.”
“If he notices, I’ll just shoot the poor old bastard,” Benson said. “Then he won’t blab about us or the way we were going over everything lookin’ for something.”
Curley punched Benson with enough force to put him on the ground. “Fuck no! That’s the surefire way to draw more heat. The fucking cop’s dead. Kill someone else and Lonnie may not be able to get away after all. And if he’s caught now, we’re all in a shitting mess together because we helped him.”
“Aided and abetted,” the third man said.
“Shut up, Jim,” Curley said. “Let’s go.”
The men piled into the old trucks and peeled out, spraying gravel across the lot. Tina held her breath until they traveled down the road far enough that she could no longer hear the engines. When she exhaled, her legs shook, aftereffect of the close encounter with the wicked men. She had no doubt they were the same who were helping the fugitive Joshua had been tracking, or the ones who’d pursued him. If they’d realized she was a woman, not an old man, she could have been in trouble. Her purse, with the pistol, remained in the truck floorboard.
“That was stupid,” she said aloud. If she’d heeded Joshua, she wouldn’t have put herself in harm’s way. For one moment, she considered not telling him but realized she couldn’t. He needed the information she’d gleaned so she would confess all, but Tina figured he would scold her. I deserve it and I’ll try not to fuss.
At the cabin she unlocked the back door and entered. The clean dishes were lined up in the drainer but the kitchen loomed empty. “Joshua?” she called.
When he didn’t answer, she put away the groceries and picked up the bag with the items he had requested. Tina walked into the living room but he wasn’t there. She peeked into the bedroom and bathroom. Perplexed and more than a little anxious, she mounted the narrow stairs and checked the upper floor. Nothing. “Joshua, where are you?”
There was still the basement, and if he wasn’t there, she had no idea where else to look. Maybe he decided to leave but Tina doubted it. He wouldn’t go without a word or a note or something.
As she descended the steps into the living room, a clatter from the kitchen caught her attention. Panic struck as she remembered she’d left her gun inside her purse, now resting on a kitchen chair. Afraid the men had followed her back to the cabin, although there wasn’t any real reason why they could have guessed she was connected, Tina picked up a heavy book as she passed a shelf. It would make a better weapon than her bare hands, if necessary.
Tina took position outside the closed kitchen door and listened. Heavy footsteps moved across the floor, then she heard someone open a cabinet. Water gushed from the faucet, and judging from the series of sounds, someone filled the percolator. When the robust smell of coffee reached her nose, she pushed the door open a crack. Joshua stood with his back to her as he plugged in the pot. Her relief lasted about ten seconds, then shifted into irate irritation.
“Where were you? I looked everywhere except the basement,” she cried. “I was afraid those men found you or something.”
Joshua wore one of Gramps’ flannel shirts over the sweats. When he turned around and grinned, Tina almost melted. “I went outside for a walk around the perimeter,” he told her. “I wanted to get a feel for the place, to see how close we are to the road. I saw you come back so I headed for the house. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
After a few hours apart, she’d almost forgotten how damn good looking he was. “Well, you did. I’m a little upset anyway, after what happened to me.”
Joshua’s smile faded. “Tell me.”
Tina balked. Like a child trying to avoid being scolded, she changed the subject. “I got the witch hazel and some comfrey. Do you want to apply it now or wait until after lunch?”
His dark eyes narrowed. “First, tell me what the hell happened. You look spooked.”
She probably did and when she glanced down, Tina realized she still clutched the book in her hand so she placed it on the table. “I am a little, but promise not to yell at me, okay?”
“I can tell I’m not going to like this,” he said. He glowered at her but the stern expression served to make him more desirable. Then he leaned back against the counter as if he needed the support.
“Are you okay?” Her concern was genuine but the question bought her a little more time.
Some of the harsh lines softened. “Yeah, I’m fine, just tired and a little winded. And sore. Any muscles that didn’t hurt before do now. I’m a little chilled, that’s why I’m making coffee. Now, explain.”
Feeling like the hapless Lucy from the classic sitcom, Tina sighed. “All right, but you’re not going to like it. On the way to town, I checked the river and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Coming back, I swung around again and at one of the public access points, there were three guys.”
“And?”
“I pulled in and parked to see what they were doing.”
Joshua frowned. “That wasn’t a good idea.”
“I know that now.”
He sighed. “What did you do? Ask them a bunch of questions or what?”
Anger flared. “I’m not that stupid! No, I didn’t approach them at all.”
“Then what?”
Tina explained how she’d put on Gramps’ old coat and fished. What had seemed like such a cool idea then sounded foolish now. Joshua’s expression changed, ominous as an approaching storm front, as he listened but he said nothing. His sole sign of agitation was a steady drumming against the table with two fingers. Silence punished her more than a scolding or harsh words. Joshua said nothing until she shared all she had overheard.
He exhaled a harsh sigh. “So I’m right. If they find me, they plan to kill me.”
The idea upset her. “That can’t happen.”
A slow grin flirted with his mouth but didn’t quite form into a smile. “I don’t intend for it to happen,” he said. “Not to me and not to you. Don’t even think about pulling anything like this again.”
Determination tempered his words and although she’d planned to talk back, Tina didn’t. His declaration left her wondering if he wanted to protect her out of a sense of duty or obligation, or if he really cared. To test the waters, she said, “How’d you plan to stop me?”
Joshua’s black eyes glittered, darker than midnight, harder than onyx. Before she had time to draw another breath, he moved forward and caught her in his arms. “Like this,” he said and kissed her until her head spun.
Chapter Eight
His walk around the perimeter tired him far more than he’d expected, and he was hurting. The last damn thing he needed in his complicated life would be a woman, but Joshua admitted he was falling hard for Tina. Women could be a royal pain in the ass, something he’d learned the hard way in the past. He hadn’t thought he needed to worry much—she’d been heading off to town so what could happen? He
didn’t expect her to run into the men who’d chased him or to pull a crazy stunt the way she had. Attraction smoldered between them, potent as good wine, something he wouldn’t deny. But caring wasn’t in the plan.
Joshua’s first clue came when he’d missed her after she headed for town. Her scent lingered in his nose and he could still taste her on his lips. The real reason he’d headed outside hadn’t been to get familiar with his surroundings but to clear his head. He kissed her for physical pleasure but the experience brought out emotions he would rather not own.
When Tina returned, he knew by her expression that something happened, and the first tendril of worry curled within his belly. By the time she’d finished telling him what she’d done and overheard, his concern had grown acute. If anything happened to her because of him, he’d want to die—but first he would seek revenge. Joshua wanted to protect her, to hold her close and keep her safe in every way. Damn, if he didn’t want to stomp spiders if they scared her, kill snakes before they had time to strike, and shoot any son of a bitch who sent her a cross-eyed look, let alone laid a hand on her!
He wanted to spend time with her and listen to her memories, leaf through photo albums, and learn all her expressions. Joshua needed to know her favorite color, flower, and song. Soon as he healed a little more, he’d have to leave and finish his investigation, then return to his world, but he needed to fit Tina into it somehow. And he hated himself for it, afraid that whatever they had would go bad before it ever had time to grow into something good.
Tina suspected, if she didn’t know. The way her blue eyes shimmered said she did. It’d been a mistake to insist she never pull such a stunt again and although she agreed, he knew flirting when he heard it. “I’m not but if I did, how do you think you’d stop me?” she said. It was a dare and he knew it.
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