Lawfully Matched, Justified, and Redeemed

by Lorana Hoopes

  Dani blinked at him, but it was impossible to read what she was thinking. “I guess I never thought of it like that,” she said.

  “Are you a believer?” Calvin asked. He found himself holding his breath as he awaited her answer. Though he didn’t want to be attracted to her, he couldn’t deny the pull he was feeling.

  “I mean I guess I believe in something,” she said, “but the last time I went to church, it didn’t turn out so well.”

  Calvin’s heart plummeted, but she hadn’t flat out said no which meant there was hope. He would pray for her and continue to talk with her if she was open, but not now. Now, he wanted to know more about her.

  “What made you become a K-9 officer?” he asked before taking a bite of his own hotdog.

  Dani glanced down at the German shepherd who lay at their feet. “I always wanted a pet growing up, but my mom was more interested in raising husbands than dogs, so we never got to have one. When I joined the academy, I knew I wanted to be more than a beat cop. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s a great place to start and some people love it so much they never leave, but I wanted something different. So, when a slot at the K-9 academy opened up, I jumped on it. Sydney and I just recently graduated. In fact, your brother was our first case.”

  She paused and flashed him a tight smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to sound so excited.”

  “It’s okay,” he said. “It’s nice that you are so committed and enjoy your job. Besides, while I love my brother, he has made some pretty big mistakes. I just hope I can help get him on the right path before it’s too late.”

  The conversation stalled after that and they finished eating in silence. When his plate was empty, Calvin stood and began gathering the dishes to wash. “There’s one more hotdog in the pan. Can I give it to your dog?”

  “She would love that,” Dani said. “It’s not her normal fare, but I guess she’ll survive one night.”

  Calvin smiled and cut up the hotdog, but he wondered if it would be just one night. The snow had gotten thick, too thick for him to drive out. He could probably walk the mile to the road in hopes of finding someone to help, but he wasn’t sure Dani could in her condition. She hadn’t said a word about the pain, but he could see the grimace of pain every time she moved or took too deep a breath.

  He placed the cut-up wiener on the floor for the dog and then finished the dishes.

  “Would you like to play a game?” he asked Dani as he hung the towel over the rack to dry. “I could fire up a lantern and we could dust off one of the old board games.” The sun had quickly lowered position in the sky and only a faint beam of light sneaked in the windows.

  “Do you have Scrabble?” she asked, her eyes lighting up. “I always loved Scrabble.”

  “Well now, what cabin in the woods would be complete without a Scrabble board?” he teased. Calvin retrieved the game from the hall shelf and placed it on the table for her to set up while he lit a lantern.

  “Did you play Scrabble often?” she asked when he re-joined her. The board was set up and all the tiles were laid face down.

  “My mom and I did,” he answered, thinking back. “But Chris and my dad were usually off playing in the woods or fishing.”

  “You didn’t like fishing?” she asked with a teasing twinkle in her eye.

  Calvin chuckled. “To be honest, I found it boring. I generally preferred reading or building a computer program.”

  “What’s your favorite book?” She flipped over a tile revealing a one point “I” and frowned.

  Calvin flipped over the ten-point J and smiled.

  “Cheater,” she said as she swirled the tiles around.

  “I guess my favorite book was The Princess Bride,” he said as he picked up his seven tiles to start with.

  “No way,” she said.

  “Yes way, you do know it was a book as well, right?”

  “Yes, I know it was a book,” she said, wrinkling her brow at him. “It was my favorite book too.”

  He stared at her unsure if she were serious or jerking his chain.

  “I mean the movie was great, but the book was even better. Though I have to admit, I found myself saying ‘inconceivable’ just like the actor as I read the book again after watching the movie.”

  “Me too,” he said and for a moment they shared a look.

  Then she broke the connection. “I should warn you, I kick tail at Scrabble.”

  “Hah, you can try.” With a flourish, he laid the word ‘jumped’ down on the Scrabble board. “Hmm, twenty-three points with a double word score makes that,” he paused as he pretended to count, “forty-six.”

  “That’s pretty good,” she said, “but the game is just beginning.”

  Calvin smiled as Dani scrutinized her tiles. Her lips twisted into a funny shape and lines broke out on her forehead as she thought, but Calvin still found her attractive. In fact, he found his attention drawn to her lips. What would they feel like? Taste like?

  Her blonde hair just brushed her shoulders and Calvin wondered how it would feel against his hand.

  “Hey, earth to Calvin.” Dani waved a hand in front of his face. “It’s your turn.”

  “Right, sorry.” With great effort, he pushed thoughts of Dani’s lips from his mind and focused on his letters.

  Chapter 10

  Dani regarded Calvin as he concentrated on his tiles. He was quite handsome though she wasn’t sure about the beard. She’d never kissed a man with a beard before, and she wasn’t sure if she would enjoy the experience. Would it be soft or rough like sandpaper?

  “There,” he announced proudly as he lay all but one tile down. “Fourteen more points brings my total to two hundred ninety-seven.”

  Dani smiled as she looked at her letters. He had left the space she needed open, and she plopped down all her remaining letters spelling larynx and fifty-one points.

  “So that brings my total to three hundred thirty-two compared to your two hundred ninety-seven,” she said smugly. “I told you I kicked tail.”

  “This time,” he said, “but I demand a rematch.”

  “Tomorrow,” Dani said, stifling a yawn. “I was up too early today.”

  “I’ll hold you to that,” he said with a smile.

  Dani smiled back, and a blush colored her cheeks as she pictured him holding her. She shook her head. What was she thinking? She still wasn’t sure he was completely innocent and even if he was, she would have to bring his brother in. That didn’t make for a stellar start to a relationship.

  Calvin cleared his throat. “So, um, there’s the master bedroom where my parents always slept. There’s the guest room where Chris and I bunked, or there’s the couch. I slept on it last night. It’s not the most comfortable, but it’s probably the warmest. Do you have a preference?”

  Dani bit back a grin as a flash of red colored his cheeks and his eyes dropped to the floor. “Um, I guess I can take the master bedroom, but uh… do you have an oversized shirt or something I can borrow? I didn’t really plan on being stranded and this uniform isn’t the most comfortable to sleep in.”

  “Oh, um, let me check,” Calvin said as another wave of red flooded his face. He disappeared down the hall for a moment and then returned with a faded black Toby Mac t-shirt. It appeared very worn and comfortable and would be way better than her uniform.

  “You go on the run and that is what you bring?” Dani asked in a teasing voice.

  He shrugged. “I grabbed what was closest. This is my favorite shirt by the way. Have you ever seen him in concert?”

  “No, but I have heard his songs on the radio. While I’m not much for Christian music, he is pretty good, and thank you,” Dani said, taking the shirt. “I don’t suppose you have an extra toothbrush or toothpaste at least?” It was a stretch and she knew it, but she hated going to bed with unbrushed teeth. She always woke in the middle of the night when she didn’t brush and hated the scuzzy feeling on them.

  “No extra brush,” he said slowly, “bu
t I’ll happily share my toothpaste.”

  Toothpaste was better than nothing, so Dani agreed. She followed him down the hallway and to the master bedroom.

  “There you go,” he said, pointing in the room. “Feel free to look around and see if you find anything else you need or can use. I’ll be across the hall here.” He looked to the door across the hall. “The bathroom is that door there.”

  “Thank you,” Dani said. “Is it alright if Sydney sleeps in here with me? She’s used to being by my side at home.”

  “Of course,” he said. “Whatever you need.”

  “Come here, girl,” Dani called to the German shepherd who padded into the room, sniffed around a bit, and curled up at the foot of the bed. “Well, I guess she thinks it’s okay,” Dani said with a smile.

  “I’ll leave the toothpaste on the sink for you,” Calvin said. “Sleep well.”

  Dani didn’t think much hope resided in that. Not only was she not in her house, but she didn’t have her favorite sleepwear - a pair of shorts and a soft purple cotton tee. She also didn’t have her toothbrush or her pillows. Gabby had often teased her growing up about her need for multiple pillows, but Dani had never minded. As long as she got a good sleep, she didn’t care if she got teased.

  And of course, there were her ribs. Broken or bruised, she wasn’t sure, but the amount of pain suggested broken. Regardless, the pain would more than likely keep her awake.

  Dani unbuttoned and slipped off her BDU shirt, grunting slightly from the additional pain. Then she slipped on Calvin’s tee. A masculine woodsy smell drifted up from the shirt and Dani inhaled. How long had it been since her last boyfriend? Before K-9 school, that was for sure.

  The shirt fell below her butt, but it wasn’t quite long enough for Dani’s modesty, so she turned her attention to the dresser. She had no idea if Calvin’s mother had left any clothes here or even what size she had been, but it was either something of hers or nothing under her shirt. Dani would never be able to sleep comfortably in her BDU pants.

  The first drawer revealed a few sweaters, mittens, and a hat. The second held a pair of pants and a long sleeve shirt. In the third drawer, she struck gold. A soft pink pair of pajama pants sporting a flower design stared up at her. They were hideously out of date and definitely not her style, but Dani couldn’t care less as long as they fit.

  The pants were a little big and therefore sat more on her hip bones than her waist, but they had a drawstring and they would work. After a final check to make sure she was covered, Dani opened the door and shuffled down the hallway to the bathroom.

  True to his word, Calvin had left a tube of toothpaste on the sink. Crest Whitening - her favorite. She squeezed some onto her finger after washing it and then placed the finger in her mouth, moving it up and down like a brush. She had just finished rinsing her mouth when she heard Calvin’s door open.

  “Oh, sorry,” he said, stopping in the hall when he saw her.

  “No worries, I’m done,” she said. She could feel his eyes on her as she passed him in the hall and returned to the master bedroom.

  Sydney looked up briefly at Dani as she entered but made no effort to move to greet her. “You tired too, girl?” Dani asked as she gave the dog a quick pat before climbing into bed. It wasn’t the most uncomfortable bed and once she recovered from the movement of getting into it, the pain in her ribs dulled enough that she could sleep.

  Chapter 11

  Calvin woke early the next morning. He pulled on a new pair of pants and changed his shirt before opening the door to his room. Surprise flooded him as he realized Dani’s door was open. Was she already up?

  The smell of coffee hit him as he got closer to the kitchen, and he shook his head in wonder. Even bruised or broken ribs couldn’t keep this girl down.

  “Morning,” she said, turning to him as he entered. “I hope you don’t mind that I made some coffee.”

  “Not at all,” he said, trying to focus on how tempting she looked in his t-shirt. “I simply wasn’t expecting to see you up and about so early.”

  “Well, you did say not to spend too much time lying down. I couldn’t, anyway. Sleep was not my friend. So, it’s a grit-through-the-pain-and-manage kind of thing. I don’t know about you, but I need coffee to manage and Tylenol, but I already took that.” She held up a cup and her lips pulled into a playful smile.

  He returned the smile. “Agreed. Coffee is my first go-to each morning.”

  She pulled another mug out of the cupboard - she had obviously looked around - and poured him a cup. “There’s some milk and I found some sugar,” she said, “but that’s all.”

  “That’s alright. I like it black with two sugars.” He took the mug, brushing her fingers with his own as he did. Her eyes flicked to his, but she said nothing.

  “Well, then you’re all set,” she said. “I prefer a little more cream, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

  As Dani took her mug to the table and gingerly sat down, Calvin fired up the stove and made them some eggs. He wished he had thought to bring bacon too. For some reason, he wanted to impress Dani.

  “So, after breakfast,” she said, after chewing a bite of eggs, “can we try to find my partner? I want to make sure he didn’t get stuck. We didn’t have much protective gear in the truck, and he and Dexter could be freezing.”

  “Dexter?” Calvin asked.

  “His K-9.”

  “Oh, right. Are you sure you feel up for it? I doubt my truck will make it out of the snow, so it would mean walking.”

  “We have to at least try,” she said. “He would look for me if the roles were reversed.”

  Calvin should have known. Dani was one tough woman, and she would not be content to sit around and wait for her partner to find them. “Alright,” he agreed. “After breakfast, but you have to promise to turn back if it’s too much for you.”

  Her eyebrow arched on her forehead. “I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself.”

  “I have no doubt of that,” he said with a laugh, “but you did have a tree fall on you yesterday.”

  “Not the whole tree,” she said with a crooked smile.

  Calvin’s heart thudded in his chest as their eyes locked. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman held his interest like this, but of course it would be a woman he shouldn’t date.

  “Right,” she said, breaking the connection. “I’ll go get dressed then, and we can head out.”

  “Sure,” Calvin said. He should not feel disappointed. She was here on a job, not to hang out with him. And her job was to arrest his brother, which made it even more ridiculous to be attracted to her. His shoulders heaved, and he stood, picking up their plates and taking them to the sink.

  Dani entered a few minutes later, back in her dark BDUs. “Ready?” she asked.

  “Almost,” Calvin said. He walked to the hall closet and pulled out a heavy coat for her. “You’ll never make it without one.”

  Her lips folded into a tight line as if she were about to argue with him, but with a sigh, she nodded and pulled the coat on. “I wish I had something of Aaron’s. Sydney would be able to track him if I did.”

  “There’s only one road out of here,” Calvin said as he put on his own coat. “If he stayed on the road, we’ll find him.”

  “Aaron is a rule follower,” she said. “He’ll be on the road. Sydney, come.”

  “So, how long have you been partners with Aaron?” Calvin asked as they exited the cabin. He hoped he didn’t sound jealous.

  “About six months. I started working with him while training Sydney. He’s great, but we’re kind of in different places. I mean, he’ll be retiring soon, and I’m just getting started.”

  “Oh.” A feeling of relief flooded Calvin, but he didn’t know what else to say. His communication skills were failing him right now. He opted for a change of conversation instead. “This way.”

  A quiet stillness filled the air. On any other day, Calvin would have loved it, but today it j
ust emphasized the awkwardness between the two of them. Was she attracted to him as well?

  They walked in silence for a while - the only sounds her labored breathing and the crunching of snow beneath their feet. As they got closer to road though, Calvin grew worried. The road wasn’t very traveled this far out, so he shouldn’t hear anything, but the soft hum of machinery floated in the air. That typically only meant one thing - something had covered the road.

  In spring, that meant a mudslide as the snow melted too quickly and sent rocks and mud tumbling down the hill. In the winter, it usually meant a small avalanche although due to the most recent storm, it could also mean several downed trees. Either way, it might mean another few days at the cabin. Although he wouldn’t mind the time with Dani, it brought its own challenges as he had only brought enough food for a few days for himself. With two of them eating, the supply would disappear much faster.

  Suddenly, he heard a thump behind him. He turned to see Dani crumpled in the snow. “Dani?” he hollered and rushed to her side. Her eyes flitted to his, glazed and unfocused. “Dani? Can you hear me?” When she still didn’t respond, Calvin snaked his arms beneath her and lifted, curling her to his chest carefully so as not to damage her ribs any further. Her head fell against his chest, sending her blonde hair cascading down his arm. She was heavy, but not unmanageable. However, he was glad they hadn’t gone much farther.

  Sydney looked up at him with worried brown eyes. “It’s okay, girl. We’ll get her back to the cabin.”

  The walk was slow, partly due to her dead weight in his arms and partly because he checked every step before stepping fully. He did not need to fall and make Dani’s situation worse.

  Calvin sighed with relief when the cabin came into view. Though he worked out, his arms felt like jello at the moment, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he would have been able to carry her. He nudged the door open with his hip, thankful he hadn’t locked it when they left and then laid Dani down on the couch.

  Her face was pale and clammy. With a gentle touch, he brushed her hair from her forehead and started at the heat coming off her. He unzipped her coat and pried her arms out of the sleeves with a careful deliberateness. Sydney lay her head on the couch beside Dani.