“That was easy,” she said laughing. “Who doesn’t?”
“Just about everyone does, maybe that isn’t a good reference after all. See? Challenging me again,” he teased as the staff cleared the table and brought out a small dish of flan. Looking up, she tried to flag down the waitress to order a second one for them, but his hand stopped her. The warm touch of his skin, made her glance quickly at him in question.
“It’s yours,” he offered, “or we can split it.” His face looked almost taut, like he was afraid she’d reject him again. He still held her hand across the table, almost tenderly.
“I think I’d like that. Thank you.”
He cut into the custard and offered out the spoon to her. It was very intimate and romantic, the way he watched her. His dark eyes, intense. She took the bite and closed her eyes in happiness as the caramel flavors exploded on her tongue.
“Jiminy Christmas! That is some good stuff,” she breathed aloud. Her eyes darted back open and she smiled shyly as she heard him chuckle.
“Jiminy Christmas, huh?”
“I don’t curse. And the flan is really, really good tonight.”
“Maybe it’s the company?” he asked and took a bite of the flan from the same spoon. His eyes watching her, challenging. Her breath caught in her lungs as she stared, mesmerized, thinking of his lips and the caramel flavoring.
“I agree,” Enoch told her finally. “That is the best flan I have ever tasted. It’s sweeter than ever before.” Scooping up another spoonful, he held it out towards her. A dark eyebrow rose silently as he smiled.
“You are so bad, Mad-dog Wesson.”
“You have no idea, Princess.”
Rising to the bait, she smiled and accepted the spoonful of flan. The intimate act was not lost on him as she heard his breath whoosh out at her boldness. She felt her cheeks flush as they were suddenly interrupted with the check. Grabbing her wallet, she shook her head vehemently as she tried to swallow her bite quickly in protest. Instead, he took out several bills and thanked the man.
“You didn’t have to do that. I said it was my treat.”
“And I am finishing ours,” he countered, scooping up the last of the custard and popping it in his mouth. “Shall we head out?”
“To your group?”
“If that is what you want,” he answered simply, putting his hand again at the small of her back as she stood up.
“I’m not ready for our date to be over,” she admitted honestly, surprising herself.
“Neither am I, Princess.”
As he opened the truck door for her, Duchess darted inside happily. Cindy turned to look at Enoch as he stood nearby politely. The scruff of his unshaven face cast a shadow on his chin as his dark eyes watched her. As if she couldn’t help it, she found herself reaching up to cup his face tenderly. She felt his warm skin and the short bristles of his beard tickling her palm. To anyone else, he looked dark, dangerous – almost a bad guy image. To her, it was a prickly outside that protected a soft heart.
Just then, he leaned down ever so slowly and kissed her. It was like he was expecting or waiting for her to run at any moment. Instead, her fingers threaded into his hair, holding his head to hers as she deepened the kiss. The sweetness of the caramel combined with the taste of his lips was incredibly heady and exhilarating. It must have been the same for him, because he broke the kiss and rested his forehead on hers – trying to catch his breath.
“Mercy! That was nice.”
“Jiminy Christmas,” she breathed at the same time, causing both of them to laugh aloud. He pulled her into his arms briefly and gave her a hug.
“You are too good for me,” he breathed into her ear as his head rested against hers.
“I don’t think so, buddy,” she countered. “But let’s go talk with your friends and hear about how horrible you think you are.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t go,” he said suddenly, backing away nervously. “I’d really like to kiss you again soon.”
“Then you can do so, after group.” she said firmly, negotiating with a smile. Enoch shook his head and got into the truck. Cindy found herself watching his profile and admiring the smile that seemed to be plastered on his face the entire drive over. Surprisingly, he pulled into the library and opened the truck’s door for her. He always offered his hand just like Prince Charming helping a princess from the coach. Only this coach was an old truck and her slippers were steel-toed boots. He hesitated briefly, and she latched on to it.
“Go! Go on inside and I will let Duchess use the bathroom. I will join you shortly.” He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, just before heading in. Duchess stood there watching him leave as well, cocking her head to the side confused.
“C’mon, girl, we’ll go inside after you are finished. I think he needs a few minutes to himself and doesn’t realize it.” Cindy waited near the door for several minutes while Duchess roamed around until she found a spot she preferred. That was one thing she never understood about dogs: they were finicky on where to go to the restroom. Grabbing a plastic baggie, she cleaned up the mess. Tossing it in the trash can, she put Purell on her hands and rubbed them together. Walking in, she heard Enoch’s voice talking and stopped to listen. She didn’t want to interrupt him and there was something in his voice that touched her.
“After Dog’s death, it was really hard. There was so much loss, so much gone suddenly. My life changed and I missed my friend. But now? Now, there is this girl…” she heard the other men in the room start teasing Enoch and smiled to herself at the ribbing he was taking.
“This girl is really something special. She’s fierce, yet tender. I see the way she looks at me and I feel something that I haven’t felt in a long time. Peace. I know it sounds all romantic and stupid. But when she looks at me, I feel like all the other stuff slips away. The worries, the fears, the anger and frustration are just gone. There is her beautiful smile and I feel like a better man.”
“Do you still have nightmares of the bomb detonating?”
“I haven’t in the last few weeks, honestly.”
“Do you think it’s because of this girl? Or the fact that you seem to have made peace with the changes in your life now?”
“I don’t know. But tonight, she went to dinner with me and we said grace together. It was so right, I can’t explain it. I worry about her going back into the field. She’s got a dangerous job, but she is so damned smart. It is humbling. There are so many things that are just so perfect about her.”
Cindy caught herself from sniffing aloud as the sincerity of his voice touched her. She reached up and felt a tear roll down her cheek. She had been right. He was harsh and abrupt, but that was because he was afraid of getting hurt. There was no way she’d ever tell him that she overheard what he said. Wiping her face, she turned around and shut the door loudly again behind her and called out innocently.
“Hello?”
Several men came out of the room nearby, curious to see her apparently. Some were on crutches, some had canes and others had scars that weren’t able to be seen. Of all their smiling faces, Enoch’s stood out from the rest. She smiled at him shyly and raised her hand in acknowledgement.
“Hey there. You guys go ahead and finish. I am going to grab a book, if that is okay with you?”
“You can join us if you want.”
“No, I want you to be able to talk and if I am there, you might hold back.”
“Boy, she is a smart one – isn’t she?”
“She’s the best, honestly.”
As Cindy took a seat in the chairs by the window, Duchess seemed to be akin to what was going on as well. She lay down on the floor near Cindy’s feet, resting her face on top of her boots. She sat there thumbing through a booklet as she waited patiently for Enoch to finish. If he needed to talk, she’d be darned if she was the one to prevent that. Just then, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
“Hello?”
“Cindy?”
“Chief Martin? What’
s going on?”
“I hear congratulations are in order and you’ll be resuming your duties.”
“Yes, sir. I am planning on bringing a few things for Duchess when I am at the station, if that is ok with you.”
“Of course.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Congratulations again. See you Monday, kiddo.”
“Will do, sir.”
Smiling, she hung up the phone and saw the men filing out of the room they were using as a place to meet. Duchess leaped up and began wagging her tail eagerly as Enoch walked over.
“Better?” she asked simply and was surprised to see him pull her into a hug again, kissing the top of her head.
“Now I am. I missed you.”
“It was only thirty or forty minutes.”
“Felt like forever. Come meet the guys.”
Cindy smiled and shook several sets of hands, including bumping elbows playfully with a man that was there because he’d lost his hand defusing a bomb. He was still a man and had his pride. She wouldn’t take that from him. They asked her several questions and she happily answered. She could understand the curiosity completely. Enoch was one of them and he had talked about her. They wanted to know if she was going to be good or bad for him. They must be a tight group to swarm protectively around one of their own. She could understand that completely because she didn’t want to harm him either.
“Okay, guys. It’s time for me to get her home. That, and I don’t want any of you goons trying to take my girl from me.” Blushing at the bold statement of possession, she smiled as his hand rested on her hip easily. It felt right.
“Let’s go. It was nice to meet you guys.”
They got into the truck and pulled out onto the road. Holding back a yawn, Cindy apologized.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s been a long day. Can I see you tomorrow?”
“You don’t need a break from me yet?”
“Honestly, I am still not ready for our date to be over.”
“I understand. Tomorrow sounds good.”
“Great.”
As they pulled back into the parking lot where her squad car sat, she thanked him for a lovely evening and found herself meaning every single word. Gone was the animosity towards how he had yelled at her or sent Duchess after her. This was Enoch, her lonely man. He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. His lips hesitated just above hers.
“Thank you for tonight,” he murmured just before deepening the kiss. It was hard to tear herself away from him. He was temptation and seemed to feel the same about her. “I think you’d better go, Princess.”
“I think you are right,” she agreed softly and felt Duchess lick her cheek, as if she wanted a kiss, too. Laughing, she wiped the slobber off her face and smiled. “C’mon, girl,” she encouraged and turned to Enoch. “I will see you tomorrow.”
“Till tomorrow then, Princess.”
Seven
Cindy had walked in the door last night and promptly fell right onto her bed fully dressed, exhausted. She had been sleeping badly and it had caught up with her. Her mind was rested, her heart happy and her body simply gave out. The light streaming through the window of her bedroom mini-blinds was the only indication that it was mid-morning.
Groaning, she pushed back her hair out of her face and stumbled to the bathroom. She felt like she’d been run over. Peeling off her clothing, she hopped in the shower. Then she checked on Duchess. The dog was contentedly lying on the wooden floor of the kitchen, chewing on her blue Nike sneaker. It was well beyond saving at this point as she saw the puddle of drool underneath it and running down the side.
Duchess glanced up at her warily and Cindy didn’t have the heart to correct her. Instead, she went to get dressed and made a mental note to put her shoes away every day instead of leaving them lined up by the front door. That was her fault, not the dog’s. Braiding her hair, she quickly tied the bottom with a rubber band and grabbed a bowl of cereal. As she poured the milk, her cell phone rang.
“Already? He’s awfully eager!” she asked aloud thinking it was Enoch. Looking at the caller id, she frowned when she saw it was Chief Martin instead.
“Good morning, Chief.”
“Cindy, I hate to call but we need you to come in. Bring your K-9.”
“Of course. We are practically attached at the hip. What’s wrong?”
“You’re needed on a missing child case. Come in and we’ll brief you.”
“Oh no!” she gasped, clutching the counter as her knees buckled. While she wanted to help, these were the worst cases to be on. Honestly, all of them were brutal mentally. But a child? That tore at her.
“What time will you be here? How fast?”
“I will leave now, but I’m supposed to partner with Wesson for the first few –”
“I know. I already called him. He is on the way.”
“Okay. I will be there in twenty.”
“Good.”
Hanging up the phone, she quickly threw on her uniform and put a leash on Duchess for safe measure. “C’mon, girl. We are working today,” she crooned, rubbing her silky ears. She jumped in the car and raced down to the precinct. Pulling in, she saw Enoch standing there, watching her arrival. When he saw the leash on Duchess, he nodded in approval. You never knew how a dog would act around nervous or upset people, as dogs were very perceptive. She would not take chances or put others at risk.
“Good morning,” he told her softly, playfully tugging at the braid that ran down her back instead of her normal bun. “I like this.”
“Good morning to you, too. You didn’t bring a dog with you?”
“Nope, you two are it today.”
“You never partnered with another after yours, did you?” she asked knowingly.
“Duchess was going to be mine, honestly,” he admitted with a smile. “She just seemed to fit you better than me.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Well I adore her. Thank you again.”
“I’m glad you do – it was a really good decision.”
“Just like asking me out,” she teased lightly.
“Best decision I ever made in my life.” He leaned down a gave her a light kiss on the cheek. This surprised her since he did it in front of the station. Anyone could have seen, and it was a bold move that he was claiming her for his own. She knew it and smiled happily.
“I like to think so,” she bragged with a wide grin. “Now, let’s get to work.”
“Waiting on you, Officer Lance.”
Rolling her eyes, she wrapped the leash around her wrist twice and held tight. Prepare for the unknown, he had told her during the first few lessons. The station was abuzz with activity, instantly making Duchess antsy.
“Lance! Wesson! Over here!” Martin yelled out from his office as they headed through the throng of people. “We’ve got a young girl that never made it home from soccer. She was picked up on camera near the park, but nowhere else. The parents are a few doors down from my office and they are inconsolable right now, understandably so! I need to see if we can either locate the girl or determine who took her.”
Swallowing hard, she felt ill. This was almost exactly like when she was in high school. Just missing in the blink of an eye, no rhyme or reason. “Do you have something with her scent? What was – is her name? Photos?”
“Becky Randall. Young girl, eleven years old, Caucasian. Brown hair, blue eyes. Approximate weight 120 and height is five-foot one inch. I have a nightgown from the parents. No one else has touched it,” Martin instructed, handing her the Ziploc baggie.
“Let’s start at the park then,” she said, nodding, and taking the bag. Push the fear down, you have a job to do, Cindy, she thought. The idea of someone taking a child sickened her. She couldn’t imagine the fear that the parents were going through right now.
Heading out to her car, she got to the driver’s side and opened the back door to let Duchess in. Enoch opened the passenger side and slid
into the seat. She knew he’d be with her, but not with her. As if he read her mind, he smiled.
“I hope you don’t mind. You okay?”
“Not really, but I have a job to do so my mental freak-out will have to wait,” she admitted, staring at the steering wheel blankly. Her mind was racing, and she was trying to calm herself. Forensics was hard enough. But when it was a child, it could be emotionally crippling.
“Mental freak-out? I like that term. You’ll do fine, Princess.”
“What if I can’t find her?”
“Then you keep looking,” he prompted softly, knowingly.
“And if I never find her? There was a girl in my high school that went missing and we all tried to help but ended up creating more of a problem. What if this is the same?”
“That is why there are groups out there. They are there when we feel like we can’t heal the internal wounds ourselves. Don’t beat yourself up before you try, Cindy.” Nodding, she started the car and pulled out of the parking spot.
Flipping on her lights, she led the convoy out of the parking lot down the city streets, rushing. As she whipped into the parking lot for the park, she bumped the curb causing the car to jerk in response.
“Relax. Take a moment to breathe,” Enoch coached in a calm voice. “If you are scared, Duchess will be, too. Be the strong woman I know you are and take charge of this situation. You’ve got this.”
“I can’t help but be scared. I don’t want to be the reason this little girl dies or isn’t found.”
“Princess, you can’t help but try. Give me your hand,” he ordered firmly. “Now, shut your eyes and pray with me.” He held her hand for several moments as she listened to his words. The heat of his hands gripping hers, the silence in the car and the peace seeping into her soul gave her a moment’s reprieve of the fear that ate at her. “You’ve got this.”
“I’ve got this,” she repeated firmly, locking eyes with him for strength as he kissed her knuckles. Nodding her head, she exited the car and gave Duchess a wide berth on the leash. Kneeling down, she opened the Ziploc bag and put it under her nose. She seemed to know exactly what was going on and what was expected of her, as she barked in response.
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