by Ashlyn Chase
“Nothing happened, Mama. This is Luca. He’s okay.”
“DeVaughn is right, ma’am. I’m Officer Luca Fierro, and your neighborhood is part of my beat. I’m just getting to know some of the residents in the area. Just finished my first week on the job.” He flashed her his trademark grin, which of course had the desired effect on the woman, who automatically smiled back.
“I’m such a mess. Just cleaning up in the kitchen.”
The sound of a toilet flushing followed by a hacking cough greeted them. A man, who looked considerably older than DeVaughn’s mother, shuffled down the stairs, holding onto the wall for support. Luca noted the lack of a bannister. Homes here weren’t always up to code.
“Why are the police here?” He held up his hands.
“Abe, it’s okay.”
Luca reached out his hand and introduced himself to the old man, who reluctantly shook it.
“What is that box?” The elderly man gestured to the box of doughnuts with his chin.
“I thought you might enjoy these,” he said with a little shrug.
“If you offer, I’ll enjoy.” The old man cracked a smile.
An hour later, Luca had learned that DeVaughn’s father, Vaughn Washington, had died in a truck driving accident when DeVaughn was five years old, and his mother’s father, Abe, a widower, had moved in to share the expenses and make sure the boy got to school. DeVaughn’s mother, Ida, worked housekeeping in a “fancy hotel” on weekdays. Ida frowned at DeVaughn when he accidentally let it slip that she also worked for cash on Sundays cleaning a rich lady’s apartment.
“I told you not to tell no one that,” she admonished him.
“It’s okay, Mrs. Washington. I didn’t hear anything.” Luca grinned at the lady, who smiled her relief.
“So what do you want with our DeVaughn?” the old man asked bluntly.
“I was hoping you’d let me take him to the Youth Community Center later today,” Luca suggested. “It’s a great place for kids to hang out.”
“We heard about that place,” Ida said, refilling Luca’s coffee. “But we like that DeVaughn stays close to home when he’s not in school.”
“I can understand that. But they offer supervision, help with homework, and organized activities. It’s a positive environment, and he can meet kids his own age. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Ida glanced at her son’s eager expression. “You want to go to this place with Luca?”
“Yes, Mama. I promise I won’t get into no trouble.”
Ida set the coffeepot down and wrapped her arms around her son. “You promise to be good?”
The boy nodded, and she kissed him on the head. “Okay, you can go, just to see what it’s like for now.”
“Thanks, Mama.” DeVaughn beamed at his mother and turned to Luca. “Can you still help me fix my bike?”
“What happened to your bike?” Abe asked.
“A nail got stuck in the tire, and Luca said he would fix it for me.”
Abe nodded. “I used to be good with things like that, but now I’m too old.”
“It’s okay, Grandpa. You can watch TV and rest.”
Abe smiled. “Yes, watching TV shows is about all I can do now. That and dream about winning the lottery.”
Ida rolled her eyes, and Luca laughed at the twinkling expression in the old man’s eyes. As far as Luca was concerned, an important part of his job was helping the community. Some cops did it while other cops just drove their beat, hauled drunks into jail, and then went home. But Luca wanted to make a difference. Even if he could only help a few families, he would do what he could.
* * *
It was now or never.
Dawn walked up to the girl sitting alone.
“Hi there.”
The girl didn’t look up. “Hullo.”
“I see you’re reading.” Oh, great first opener.
“Yeah.”
“A Separate Peace. That’s a tough book for a kid your age.”
The girl shrugged. “It’s okay. I have to read it for school. I already saw the movie.”
“I used to hate reading, and then a couple of years back, I kinda got into it.”
The girl finally looked up at her. “You don’t have to try so hard.”
Dawn scrunched up her face. “That obvious?”
The girl nodded.
“Okay, how about I start again. Hi, I’m Dawn Forest. Can I join you for a bit?”
The girl giggled. “You’ve got a funny name.”
Dawn laughed too. “So I’ve been told.”
“I’m Rita Devalos.”
“Nice to meet you, Rita.” Dawn pulled up a big beanbag chair and plopped herself down on it. “This is my first day.”
“Yeah, I noticed.” Rita smiled.
“Have you been coming here long?”
“Three months. Tansy came to talk at our school a few times. On her third visit, I said, ‘Okay, okay, I’ll go!’”
Dawn grinned. “Do you like it here?”
“I don’t really like sports, and I can’t swim or anything. So I just come here to hang out and do my homework.”
“Well, I don’t think I would ever make the Olympic team or anything, but I saw the schedule, and they offer beginner swimming classes on Sunday mornings. Would you be interested tomorrow?”
“My sister drops me off here on her way to work on Saturdays. She doesn’t want me walking anywhere by myself. And Sunday is the only day she gets to sleep in.”
“Well, what if I came by your place, and we could take the subway here together?”
“You would do that?”
“I sure would.”
Rita’s eyes lit up. “Okay.”
Dawn knew she was smiling ear to ear. She was doing it. She was making a difference. And it felt good.
* * *
“Hey, I know those kids over there from school.”
“Do you want to say hi?”
DeVaughn’s excitement was contagious. Luca ruffled his hair and told him to go and play with his friends, and he would be waiting for him in the lounge. He decided to stroll through the place first.
Spotting a canteen at the far end of the large lounge, Luca made his way over to grab a coffee. He heard a noise but didn’t see anyone around, so he leaned over the counter.
“Hi. Is anyone back there?”
A familiar spiky brunette head popped up from below. Wide gray-green eyes stared into his.
“Dawn.” Luca felt just as surprised as she looked.
“Luca! Are you here on police business?”
He wondered why she seemed so flustered. She’d been rummaging around in the cupboards and was holding two bags of Hershey’s Kisses.
He gestured to the chocolate. “Got a sweet tooth?”
“Always.” She grinned. “I was going to put them out in bowls for the kids. Tansy said I could jump right in, and that’s what I’m doing.”
“You know Tansy too?” he asked.
“I just met her this morning. This is my first day volunteering here. How do you know Tansy?”
“We met when she came to talk to the cadets about getting involved in the communities they serve. She told me to come by sometime, so I brought DeVaughn here.”
Her brow furrowed in confusion.
Luca grinned. “DeVaughn is the kid you saved.”
“What?”
“You told me to watch out for a kid on a bike. I told you he was okay when we met for coffee, and I decided to bring him here today.”
Her smile lit up her face. “Can I meet him?”
“Sure. Come with me.”
They approached a group of kids huddled around a gaming console.
“Hey, DeVaughn.” Luca laid his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I want to introduce yo
u to a friend of mine.”
He brought DeVaughn over to Dawn. “DeVaughn, this is my friend Dawn. Dawn, this is my buddy DeVaughn.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Dawn smiled.
“You got really cool hair and tattoos,” the boy said to her.
“Thanks. I’ll tell you about my tats sometime if you’re interested.”
The boy nodded.
“I guess I’ll be seeing you around here then?” Dawn asked.
The boy turned to Luca, his eyes hopeful.
“You bet, kiddo. I’ll bring you every Saturday, if I’m not working and your mom says it’s okay.”
“Hey, DeVaughn, it’s your turn,” one of the boys said from the console.
“I gotta go. I’m up next. I’ll see you, Dawn.”
“Later, DeVaughn.”
They watched the boy join his friends.
She turned back to Luca, and his heart contracted at the tears glittering in her eyes. “Hey, it’s okay. You saved him. You did that.” He reached for her hand and squeezed. He wanted to reassure her. Wanted her to know how amazing she was.
She nodded, wiping at her eyes. “But what about Mandy? We’ve got to help her too.”
“We will. We’ll find her together.” He was operating on impulse today, and so far, it was working. “Do you want to have dinner with me?”
She gaped at him. “You mean tonight?”
“Yeah, tonight, tomorrow—whenever you’re ready.”
“Sure. I’m ready when you are.”
“In that case, could you be my date to an engagement party tomorrow? Unless you have other plans…”
“Yes and no.”
“Huh?”
“Yes, I’d love to go, and no, I don’t have other plans.”
He thought those were the best words he’d heard all week.
* * *
“Oh, sweetie, you look so pretty!”
Dawn did a little curtsy. “Thanks, Gran. You don’t think it’s too much?”
“It’s perfect, darling. Where did you find that dress? It looks like it cost a fortune.”
Dawn winked at Annette. It had certainly cost someone a fortune at some point, but Dawn had paid only eighteen dollars for it at Goddess Fashions, a thrift store she happened to walk by a few weeks ago on her way to the grocery store.
The store had just opened, and they were offering twenty-five percent off everything in a grand opening promotion. The sales woman, who called herself Venus, was an absolute expert stylist and had helped Dawn create the perfect look. At the time, Dawn was just shopping for work clothes, but Venus had assured her the dress would come in handy one day.
“You look like Audrey Hepburn,” Annette exclaimed.
“Do you think so?” Dawn asked, feeling a bit unsure. Her look was usually more modern, and this look was definitely out of her comfort zone.
“Petite enfant, t’es bonne.”
Dawn grinned at Annette’s use of the Cajun slang. “I think you’re referring to a grandbaby.”
Annette giggled and shrugged. “It’s still the truth.” Annette had grown up in Boston, but she still on occasion used the slang she’d learned from her mother, who was from New Orleans.
Dawn smoothed her hands down the front of the deep burgundy dress. She did feel like a star in it. With a form-fitting bodice underneath a delicate lace overlay of the same color, the dress was belted at the waist and flared out in a slight pouf. It looked like the kind of dress Audrey Hepburn would have worn, and Dawn loved it. She’d managed to wrestle her spiky hair down and part it on the side, bringing out the Hepburn style even more. Her makeup was perfect. Liquid eyeliner, mascara, and cherry-red lipstick. A black satin clutch purse and black pumps rounded out her ensemble. Her entire outfit had cost less than thirty dollars, and if that wasn’t a statement to her frugality, she didn’t know what was.
“All I can say is your young man is going to do a backflip when he sees you.”
“Thank you, Gran.” Speaking of backflips, the butterflies in her stomach were doing just that. She’d already met Luca’s parents and brother, but going to a family event was a big deal. She began to feel panicked about seeing everyone in his large family.
“Honey, I’m so happy for you. I hope his family is just as nice as the ones you already met. Just remember when out in public, keep it to yourself that Luca is a police officer. This isn’t the right kind of neighborhood to be dating a cop.”
Dawn laughed. “He’s not going to be wearing his uniform on dates.” After a quick look at Annette’s you know what I mean face, she put on a more serious expression. “I know. I’m being careful.”
She didn’t tell Annette about Ice Spider confronting her on the street yesterday, asking her about her “cop friend.” She was not about to go down that road. If she did, her grandmother would insist she move to a safer neighborhood, maybe even out of town. She would not leave Annette behind. It just wasn’t up for discussion.
“I just want you to be safe, honey.”
“I know and I am. Honest.” Dawn crossed her fingers behind her back and hoped the Karma Cleaners weren’t watching. She certainly didn’t want any dings against her karma by lying to Annette.
This karma cleaning was tough business. Sometimes you had to do little bad things for the greater good. At least that’s what Dawn kept telling herself. She needed to ask Lynda more questions. Like, is a little white lie okay? Is bopping someone over the head okay, if it’s in self-defense?
In the meantime, she would keep her baton of keys with her at all times. She managed to shove it into the clutch purse along with her bank card, some cash, and her cell phone, snapping it shut at the same time as the front door bell rang.
“Let me get it,” Annette said. “You go upstairs and come down when I tell you to.”
“Gran, what are you up to?”
“Nothing. Just do as I say, young lady.”
Dawn sighed and shook her head. “Okay.” She scooted up the short flight of stairs to the tiny landing and stood there waiting for her grandmother to call her.
“Welcome, young man.” Annette’s voice floated up to her. “Come in, come in. Dawn is just finishing getting ready.”
Dawn grinned at her grandmother’s lie. She was making it look as if she hadn’t been ready an hour ago and was just casually slapping on a coat of lipstick.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Luca’s voice replied.
“Well, aren’t you handsome. I’m Annette, Dawn’s grandmother. And you must be Luca Fierro. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Dawn heard a catch in Annette’s voice and wondered why she sounded so odd.
“These are for you, ma’am.”
“Oh, I love pink roses. How lovely. Please, call me Annette. What a nice young man you are.”
Dawn couldn’t wait any longer. She knew she was wading into unknown territory, so she took a deep breath and dived in. As she made her way down the steps, she caught Luca’s expression and almost tripped.
Chapter 9
He had no words. The vision who floated down the stairs was gorgeous. Like, movie-star gorgeous. He swallowed a nervous lump in his throat and said the first thing that popped into his head. “Wow!”
Luca caught her around the waist as she stumbled on the last step. Lifting her down, he gazed into her wide gray-green eyes. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, blushing the same shade as her dress. It only made her look prettier…if that were possible.
“You look incredible,” he told her.
“Th-thank you.”
She seemed out of breath. He guessed it was because she’d almost tripped.
“Look at these beautiful flowers Luca brought me.” Annette waved the bouquet under Dawn’s nose.
She sniffed them. Taking the time to smell the roses…that was a good thin
g, right?
“Oh, Gran, they are lovely. Let me get a vase for them.”
“Don’t you dare,” Annette said. “I’ll put them in water myself.”
“I have something for you too,” Luca told Dawn.
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” she replied, shaking her head.
“No, I wanted to.” He pulled out a slim box from his pocket and handed it to her.
She opened it up and gasped. “Oh, I love it. Thank you, but you didn’t have to do that.”
He wanted to pat himself on the back at the wide-eyed look of happiness on her face. He’d just had a feeling she didn’t receive many nice gifts from men.
“It’s partially a thank-you for helping me with Mandy.”
“Partially?”
“Yeah. And it’s partially because it made me think of you.”
He’d discovered the silver charm bracelet in the window at a little shop while he was on duty.
He’d gone back after work, and the saleswoman, Venus, who looked an awful lot like someone he knew but couldn’t place, had gushed over the bracelet and told him it would make a great gift for a special woman. Maybe not now, but in the future.
Showcasing delicate silver charms of the sun, moon, and the stars studded with garnets, the bracelet seemed to be made for Dawn. What was it about Dawn that attracted him? She certainly wasn’t the typical girl he usually liked, but she was stunning. Lisa had been sweet as honey on the outside and then tough as leather on the inside. Dawn was the exact opposite, tough on the outside and sweet and sensitive on the inside. He suddenly realized that’s what made her special.
“My family is going to love you,” he whispered in her ear as he helped her into her trench coat.
“Dawn is the most lovable girl in the world,” Annette echoed, clearly having heard his comment.
It didn’t matter. He agreed with her and flashed her a grin.
“Okay, you two, get on out of here before you make me cry.”
“Gran, why on earth would you cry?”
“You two just look like I’d always imagined you would if Dawnie had attended her prom.”
“Aww…” Dawn wrapped her arms around Annette. “I’ll text you later if I’m going to be home late.”