by Lea Coll
“Emma, this is Jack Perry. He works at his dad’s marina and he’s a firefighter,” Ashley said, touching my arm to get my attention.
I looked over at the guy leaning on the railing in front of the bleachers. He was tall with lean muscle, sharp cheekbones, brown wavy hair, and brown eyes. He definitely had the boy-next-door image. “Nice to meet you, Emma,” he said.
“Nice to meet you,” I answered.
Luke came over to stand next to him. “Morning, Emma.”His eyes raked boldly over me.
I flushed at his attention and said, “Morning, Luke.”
“You move into that apartment yet?” Luke asked as he leaned over the railing.
“No, I was planning on moving in tomorrow. I just need to move a few boxes from the inn,” I said.
“We can help. I have a truck,” Luke offered.
“Really?” I asked, surprised. “That’s a really nice offer, Luke, but I can do it. It’s not that many boxes.”
“We’re helping you tomorrow. We’ll come by in the afternoon with my truck,” Luke insisted, not letting me argue.
“Don’t you have bad guys to arrest or something?” I asked sarcastically and tilted my head sideways to consider him.
“Nope. I’m off tomorrow, so I’m all yours,” Luke countered.
“I can help out, too. If I get a fire call I might have to leave, though,” Jack offered. Chestertown operated solely with volunteer firefighters. I could not wrap my head around this idea even though I had grown up in a small town.
“Okay, thanks, that’s really nice of you guys,” I acquiesced finally. Luke was pretty insistent, so I didn’t think I could continue to refuse without sounding rude. Growing up, I didn’t want my parents to worry so I pretended everything was great. As long as I handled things on my own, they left me alone. It was a habit I’d continued.
“We’ll come by and help you unpack your boxes afterward,” Ashley offered with a smile.
“Yeah, the bakery is closed on Sundays,” Samantha agreed. I’d noticed that most of the shops were closed on Sundays here. Another thing I wasn’t used to.
In the city, I worked and then went home. The pace in the city wasn’t conducive to forming deep relationships with people. In Chestertown, it was the opposite. Help was freely offered and connections to people seemed more meaningful. I didn’t want to move when my boss transferred me. But the aspects of a small town I used to find annoying were becoming more attractive. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I was supposed to be counting down the days until I could leave.
Jack turned his head in the direction of the food cooking. “I think it’s time to eat. Want to join us, ladies?”
We stood in line to get our food and sat down at a table with our hot dogs, fries, and nachos. Luke sat down in the chair next to me, his leg came to rest against mine. I could feel the muscles in his leg and it felt so good, I didn’t move away from him.
The talk turned to the upcoming race for sheriff. Sheriff Robinson’s retirement did not come as a surprise, since it was all he’d talked about for the past year apparently, but it had been a long time since the town had seen a race for sheriff.
“There’s Brad Campbell. He’s the one running against Luke for sheriff.” Ashley leaned over to me and whispered. I followed her gaze to a balding man with a belly overhanging his pants. He looked to be in his fifties, or his general lack of health was making him look older. I couldn’t tell. He was talking very loudly to a few people from the police department.
“Yeah, I’m a shoo-in for the sheriff’s position. I’ve been with the department for over twenty years. No young guy is going to win over me. Hudson wants all of the patrol guys out on bikes talking to kids. It’s a waste of time if you ask me.”
I couldn’t hear the response, because his colleagues weren’t talking as loudly as he did. I looked over at Luke to gauge his reaction. He must have heard because his mouth was tight and there was a tic in his jaw.
“Don’t worry about it, Luke,” I told him, resting a hand on his forearm. His eyes softened but the muscles under my fingers tightened at my touch. I couldn’t look away.
“Yeah, you’ve done all of those extra classes on leadership and management training. You took that class at Quantico. It shows you’re motivated despite the fact he’s been with the department longer. Plus your ideas are fresh and just what the town needs,” Jack added with conviction.
Luke’s eyes broke away from mine, and he said, “I’m not worried, man. Thanks for the vote of confidence though. Brad seems content to skate by on his years of service.”
I looked around quickly to make sure no one else noticed the intimate moment between us. No one seemed aware of it, so I turned my attention back to my hot dog.
“Plus everyone loves you. Didn’t you say the small businesses are backing you?” Ashley asked.
“Yes, I just talked to the CEO of Archer Metal Recycling and he offered its support to my campaign,”he answered proudly. He’d finished eating, so he stretched his legs out in front of him and placed his arm around the back of my chair. I found it difficult to breathe, much less eat.
“See, you have nothing to worry about,” Ashley said.
“What about Bev Moore?” Jack asked, looking at Samantha. “Bev is the owner of Samantha’s building and the bakery. Her family owns half of the buildings and businesses in town. Her son, Justin, is a bit of a pain though.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she sides with Brad. He probably promised them his support on any building permit or zoning issues they have,” Samantha said carefully. Samantha seemed reluctant to say anything negative about Brad—or anyone, really.
“Justin will just brow beat whoever is in the position to get what he wants anyway. Don’t you have the support of the farming community as well, since your dad was a farmer?” Ashley asked.
Luke directed his answer to Ashley. “I’m certain the farmers will support me since they are long-time friends with my dad. I worked the farm all through high school and college so I know what their concerns are, too.” Then he turned to Jack, who was seated across the table from him and said, “I feel like this is something I have to do. I can really make a difference, especially if the department connects with kids before they turn to crime and drugs. Other small communities have been very successful with the community policing approach. I’ll have my guys out walking and on bicycles in the community. There will be more school resource officers and maybe even a program for kids to get a taste of what it’s like to be a police officer. It would be similar to the firefighter volunteer program for the high school kids.” When Jack nodded in understanding, Luke continued, “It provides good role models for the kids and keeps them busy, out of trouble.”
“That’s very honorable, Luke,” I said. I was impressed with his determination and motivation.
“That’s why I became a police officer. I wanted to make a difference in the community.” Luke studied my reaction as he spoke.
I felt like I was getting a feel for Luke and the town today. Luke was so excited and proud of his views and plans for the community.
I certainly wasn’t contributing anything to society. My job was to keep criminals out of jail. It wasn’t the same thing at all. Sure, I provided representation to indigent people, but how many were truly innocent? Everyone deserved representation, but it definitely wasn’t something I was proud of.
The funny thing was, it had never bothered me before.
HEARING A HORN BEEP, I rushed over to the outdoor balcony of my room to see Luke’s large black truck parked at the curb. The balcony was a perk I was definitely going to miss when I went to live over the bakery. There was no outdoor living space there, but the hotel exceeded the stipend the public defender’s office gave me to live here.
I waved in greeting and turned to pack the last few items into my luggage. Then I rushed downstairs to greet the guys. As out of character as asking for help was, I had to admit it was nice having it.
We had
the truck packed up fairly quickly. I didn’t have much since the apartment was fully furnished and I was only living in Chestertown for a few months. Most of my belongings were in storage back in Baltimore. Plus, I had the help of two burly guys who barely let me lift a thing. Anytime I tried to grab something heavy it was immediately lifted from my hands. It was hard to sit by idle when they were doing everything.
I walked the few blocks to the bakery and Luke drove the truck over. It seemed ridiculous to be moving just a few blocks, but that’s what I needed to do. The historic courthouse was located in the center of the town with shops, restaurants, and art galleries lining the two main streets, High and Cross. When I arrived outside the bakery, Samantha seemed to be engaged in an intense conversation with a man around Luke’s age. The man was talking to her in a loud voice. She took a step back and nodded her head at whatever the man was saying. She crossed her arms across her middle in a protective move.
I had never seen this man before. Jack jumped out of the passenger side of the truck and jogged over to Samantha’s side. I looked over at Luke to see if he knew what was going on, but he just shrugged in response to my questioning look.
“What’s going on?” Jack demanded, his face tight with anger as he came to a stop, standing tall and imposing next to Samantha. She looked relieved that he was there. I had never seen Jack upset, but then I had just met him.
“Look, Jack, this has nothing to do with you. This is between Samantha and me. I’m taking over the running of this building and the bakery. My mom’s getting too old for the business side of things,” the man explained.
Samantha did not look happy with that news.
Jack took a step closer to the man. “I don’t like the way you’re talking to Samantha.”
“I can talk to her any way I want,” he sneered. “She’s my employee now.”
“Who is this guy?” I whispered, edging closer to Luke.
He leaned his head down so he could talk without them overhearing. “It’s Justin Moore. Bev Moore’s son,” he explained. At my confused look he added, “Bev owns the building and bakery. Apparently, she placed him in charge of the business.”
“Oh, okay,” I said, nodding in understanding. Even though Luke stood close to me, I felt myself leaning into him as he spoke.
“He’s a real piece of work. He was the bully in high school and he hasn’t changed one bit. His family has money and he loves to throw it and his influence around town. Especially at those who don’t stand up to him,” he said, nodding toward Samantha.
He was right. So far Samantha hadn’t said anything. “It’s alright, Jack. Why don’t you guys go on up and start moving in Emma’s things? I’ll talk to Justin in the shop so we don’t bother you guys,” Samantha said, placing a hand on his arm, trying to soothe him.
Jack ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and said, “Samantha, you’re not bothering us. I don’t like the way this guy is talking to you.”
Samantha turned to unlock the shop and gestured for Justin to go in ahead of her. “He’s my boss, Jack. It’s fine.”
Jack literally groaned in frustration. Then he turned toward us. “I can’t stand that guy. He’s always giving her a hard time and she just takes it.”
Ashley had walked up in the last several minutes and caught the tail end of what was going on. “And she never has a bad word to say about him, or anyone else for that matter. It drives me nuts.”
Jack turned back to the pickup truck to grab some boxes and agreed. “You and me both.”
We’d gotten all of my things into my small apartment by the time Samantha arrived. We were sitting on the floor starting to unpack the boxes with the kitchen things and the guys were carrying the boxes and luggage containing the clothing and bedding back to the sole bedroom.
“What was that about, Samantha?” Ashley asked in a concerned voice.
“Oh, he explained how he intended to run things around here now that he’s boss,” Samantha said.
“That’s it? It looked pretty intense,” Ashley continued, in full interrogation mode now.
Samantha sighed and then answered, “He wasn’t happy that I rented the apartment out for three months.”
“Yeah, but didn’t Bev sign off on it?” Ashley continued, without waiting for a response. “Don’t you have a signed lease, Emma?” she asked, looking over at me.
I took out plates and stacked them on the coffee table and said, “Of course.”
“Yes, she agreed. Everything’s fine. He was just confused. Don’t worry about it,” Samantha said.
Jack walked up the hallway and said, “It didn’t sound fine.”
“It is, Jack. Justin is harmless. He was a little confused and I sorted everything out. There’s really nothing to worry about,” Samantha continued.
Jack shook his head in disagreement and said, “I can’t stand that guy.”
Samantha looked really upset now. She didn’t seem like someone who liked confrontation and it had been a stressful day for her.
“Let it go, Jack,” I said, giving him a pointed look. I was hoping he caught my meaning. Giving Samantha a hard time wasn’t doing her any favors.
He looked like he was going to say something else, but he stopped himself.
“Let’s order pizza from Nina’s,” Luke suggested.
“Great idea,” I said in relief, happy to change the subject. “My treat, since you guys helped me out.”
Luke just grunted in response. “I’m walking over to pick it up. Are you coming, Jack?”
Jack looked over at Samantha again to make sure she was okay, and then said, “Sure, let’s go.”
I walked over to my purse to get some cash, but Luke was out the door before I could hand it to him. I tried to give it to Jack instead, but he held up his hand refusing to take it. “No way is Luke letting you pay, so don’t even try,” he answered. Then he followed Luke out the door.
“They’re so exasperating,” I said, turning back to Ashley and Samantha.
“Why, because they insisted on helping you move and paying for the food?” Ashley asked in amusement.
“Yes!” I answered, frustrated.
“That’s the way it is here. Everyone is friendly and goes out of their way to help each other,” she answered. Then she looked at Samantha, who still looked a little off kilter from the morning. “Well, most people are.”
It was really going to be difficult to maintain my solitary existence in this town. I had been here a few weeks and already I could see how the townspeople knew everything about everyone. I had grown up in a small town, but didn’t like how I was labeled in kindergarten and kept that label through high school. I was the outsider, the bookworm, the quiet one. The pressure of following in my parents’ footsteps was too much. It was the reason I’d left without a backward glance. In a city, I could go about my life without anyone’s interference or judgment.
I STARED DOWN IN CONFUSION at my file. “Stealing air conditioners?” What did this man want with old air conditioners? A lot of air conditioners, according to the police report.
“I didn’t steal no air conditioners. They paid me to take ’em,” Kevin answered. Although I told him to dress in church attire, he was wearing his work uniform for the kitchen he worked in, black polo shirt hanging out over greasy pants, which definitely needed a belt, and large white high tops with the shoestrings dragging on the floor. The smell was making me slightly nauseous. I tried to turn my head away from him and take in a deep breath of fresh air.
“Do you have a receipt or text message exchange between you and the owner to prove it was a sales transaction?”
“Lady, I did these guys a favor. I took the AC units off these guys’ hands so they don’t have to take them to the landfill,” he explained, dragging his fingers through his straggly hair. He looked tired, like he wasn’t used to getting up this early for anything.
“So you have receipts then, to prove the sale?” I persisted. A client’s inability to answer dire
ct questions was the bane of my existence.
I felt heat at my back and a voice whispered over the shell of my ear, “Ms. Lawyer, a word?” I didn’t even have to look up now. I knew that voice anywhere, I shivered as the sound shot straight through my body. I shot an apologetic look at my client and turned to follow Luke out of the courtroom.
He was in uniform again today and he was so authoritative on duty it captivated me. Just the click of his black dress shoes on the courtroom floor did it for me. It made me think of how commanding he would be in bed, making my core clench in response. I resisted the urge to fan myself with my file as I followed him. The state’s attorney at my internship in college told me to avoid all police officers, because they were cocky womanizers or cheaters. Something like that. I couldn’t seem to heed her warning now that I had the attention of one. It was merely his professional attention, but I was starting to crave more.
“Yes?” I asked, crossing my arms in front of my chest, hugging the file to hide my attraction to him. He drew himself up to his full height, placed his hands on his duty belt, and went into full cop mode. I tried not to look directly into his eyes, which tended to draw me closer into his sphere.
“I’m here for the heroin case at Washington College. This case yours?” he asked as he handed a police report to me.
I took a look down at it, happy to have something else to concentrate on. “Oh, yeah, the janitor who picked up a newspaper while he was cleaning.”
“A newspaper which was wrapped around a bag of heroin,” he said.
My eyes narrowed at that. “He works at a college, Luke. He was just doing his job, cleaning up after those kids. College kids do drugs. He picked up garbage, which contained abandoned drugs. It’s hardly a crime. From a defense standpoint, there’s reasonable doubt.”
Luke dropped the final nail in the coffin. “He was high when we arrested him.”
I snorted, “Of course he was.” Well, that sucked. I thought I had a pretty strong argument for reasonable doubt. I hadn’t seen an official field sobriety test in the report but there probably wouldn’t be unless he was driving. “So you’re here just to brighten my morning, Luke?”