by Judy Duarte
“All right,” she said. “I’ll go with you. Is the dance formal or casual? How should I dress?”
A boyish grin stretched across his face, and he gave her a playful wink. “I don’t suppose you’d agree to wear that intergalactic costume again.”
She rolled her eyes at the absurdity. “Absolutely not.” Yet the flirtatious suggestion complimented her in an unexpected way, and she couldn’t help softening her response with a smile. “That skimpy thing is so not me.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.”
Had Julie known him better, she might have given him a playful punch to the arm. Instead, she shook her head, reached for the doorknob and entered the Kidville office.
As Adam followed her inside, so did a sense of apprehension about their upcoming date. Had she made a mistake by agreeing to it?
Adam wasn’t a military veteran haunted by brutal wartime memories, but he could still be considered a civilian soldier who faced battles on the city streets. And while both types were considered heroes, she’d done her share of time dealing with the effects of a man tormented by PTSD.
Besides, she’d bet the farm that the handsome cop was a flirt and a ladies’ man, another reason to avoid getting in too deep.
Common sense urged her to backpedal, to tell Adam that she’d just remembered something else she’d previously scheduled for Saturday night. To tell him that this time, she was the one offering a rain check—and one she’d find a way not to honor. But as she glanced over her shoulder at him and spotted the glimmer in those gorgeous brown eyes, she realized she wouldn’t do that. The truth of the matter was, each time she stole a glance his way or caught a whiff of his woodsy scent, she was reminded of her brief encounter with Zorro. And she was swept away by the memory of his strength as he reached for her hand and guided her to the dance floor.
She could still recall the warmth of his body as she rested her cheek on his shoulder, the spike in her pulse rate and tingly sparks of excitement as they swayed to the heart-thumping beat, as if it had taken place just moments ago.
So how could she pass up the opportunity to experience that one more time?
* * *
On Wednesday afternoon, Adam drove out to Kidville to mentor Jesse Cosgrove, the ten-year-old boy who’d been acting out and giving the Hoffmans and his teacher a hard time.
Jesse’s younger brother lived in a good foster home, one in which he seemed to be happy and thriving. The parents were some of the best Adam had ever seen, but while they were willing to take one more kid, they were reluctant to accept a known troublemaker.
After parking, Adam headed to the playground, where all the kids were at this time of day. In addition to Jesse, he was eager to check on Eddie and Cassie and see if they were settling in. Before he could make a full scan of the play areas, he spotted Julie pushing Cassie in a swing.
He’d been looking for the little girl, but it was Julie he zeroed in on. She was wearing a pair of black jeans and a ruffled white blouse. She’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail, which made her look especially wholesome today.
In spite of the fact that she wasn’t his type—a realization his libido hadn’t accepted yet—he approached her and flashed a smile. “I see that you have other talents besides singing and playing guitar.”
“That’s right,” she said, a pretty smile spreading across her face, emerald-green eyes bright. “I’m also a swinging expert and part-time coach.”
Adam scanned the sandbox, as well as the surrounding lawn area, and noticed Julie was the only adult outside. Usually there were two—Karen Wright, the teacher, and one of the Hoffmans.
“Are you a playground monitor, too?” Adam asked Julie.
“I am today.” She continued to teach Cassie the fine art of pumping her feet to propel the swing by her own efforts. “That’s it, sweetie. You’ve got it!”
It pleased him to see Cassie playing and not clutching her brother for a change, but he’d rather see her laughing and making friends her age.
As Julie took a couple of steps away from the little girl and moved closer to Adam, he said, “I take it you’re volunteering here on Mondays and Wednesdays.”
“For the time being.” She lifted her hand, blocking the afternoon sunlight from her eyes. “In fact, when I’m not working for Silver Spoon Catering, I plan to spend most of my free time here.”
“So besides being a music therapist, you’re Jackie of all trades.”
She scrunched her brow, tilted her head slightly and gave him a funny look that he found especially cute.
“That was supposed to be a joke,” he said, “but I guess it was pretty lame. People usually think I’m pretty funny, but I’ll admit some of my quips are better than others.”
At that, Julie laughed, a lyrical sound that not only seemed fitting for a musician, but one he found alluring.
“You know,” she said, a smile dimpling her cheeks, “I had you pegged as a charmer.”
“I try to be. But I’ll let you in on a secret. It doesn’t work every time.”
She laughed again, and he was determined to offer her his better quips, just to touch her funny bone.
But Adam wasn’t here to flirt with the music therapist, so he searched the playground, where he spotted Eddie at the handball court. He’d also yet to find Jesse, who was probably inside the climbing structure where he couldn’t be seen.
Jesse would eventually turn up, since he looked forward to their Wednesday afternoons, so Adam shrugged it off.
Still, it was odd that Julie was the only one on playground duty this afternoon, although the adult to child ratio was within state regulations.
“Looks like the teacher and administrators ditched you,” he said. “Where is everyone?”
“Jim went into town for supplies, and Donna is working in the office. I’m just filling in while Karen is in the classroom supervising two boys who lost recess privileges for fighting during social studies.”
“Don’t tell me,” Adam said. “One of them is Jesse Cosgrove.”
“Yes,” Julie said as she closed the gap between them. “How did you know?”
“Jesse’s the one I’ve been mentoring. He’s not a bad kid, but he’s got a big chip on his shoulder and has been a general pain in the butt more times than not. Karen and Jim told me that he was doing better, so I’ve been cautiously optimistic that my time spent with him has been helpful. But maybe I need to rethink that.”
Julie blessed him with a pretty smile and a playful wink. “Two steps forward, one step back.”
“That’s about the size of it. But Jesse has a good heart. And he always feels badly after he blows it. He just needs some guidance.”
A soft afternoon breeze picked up, blowing a strand of Julie’s blond hair that escaped her ponytail across her face. She brushed it away with her fingertips, her nails unpolished but neatly manicured.
As usual, he found her pretty—and appealing. He also found her sexy, when he really shouldn’t.
Before he could come up with something nice yet generic to say, Eddie left his handball game and trotted up to the swing set, bypassing his younger sister. “Hey! Mr. Adam. How’s my dog? Did you find him... I mean, her, a home yet?”
“Not yet.” You’d never know that the boy only met the stray last Saturday night. But he supposed they’d both needed a friend. “Don’t worry, Eddie. I’m working on it.”
In all honesty, Adam hadn’t done a damn thing to find it a home. The timid little critter needed to spend some time with someone affiliated with a dog rescue organization before being sent off to live with a regular family.
“Is it going to be hard to find a good place for her?” the boy asked. “I mean, she’s a cool dog.”
“Yeah, you’re right. She’s too skinny, though. So I thought I’d better fatten her up some. But don’t worry. She’s doing fine. You sho
uld have seen her on Sunday morning, after I chased her down, took her home and gave her a good bath. I’ll bet you wouldn’t recognize her now. That beige fur is snow white.”
Eddie brightened. “Will you tell her I miss her and wish she could live at Kidville with us?”
“Sure. I’ll tell her. In the meantime, until you get a house with a yard or I find a good home for her, she can stay with me.” Besides, Adam wasn’t in any big hurry to ditch the dog. She was a sweet little thing, but very timid. There was no way she was ready to join a family with a couple of active kids who’d probably scare the liver out of her.
Hell, even though he’d spoken softly to her and moved slowly, it had taken almost a day for him to encourage her to come out from behind the chair she’d hid behind. She was coming out into the open a little more, even though her tail seemed permanently tucked behind her rear legs.
She also seemed to be warming up to him, which was good. It was kind of nice to come home to a roommate again, even if this one had four legs and a wet nose.
“I sure wish I could see her,” Eddie said wistfully.
“Maybe,” Adam said, “after she gets more comfortable and doesn’t frighten so easily, I can bring her to visit you here.”
“That would be awesome.” Eddie smiled, revealing a gap in his front teeth, then turned and hurried back to the handball court, leaving Adam and Julie alone.
“I didn’t want to overstep,” Julie said, “but if the dog is so timid, she might find Kidville to be a little overwhelming. But I’m sure Jim and Sandra would let you take Eddie to your house.”
Yeah, Adam figured the same thing. “I’d rather not invite him over yet. I’m still working with Jesse, and I’d like him to think our time together is special. He might even get jealous of Eddie, and who knows what that might lead to.” He’d just have to wait and see how things played out after the teacher reprimanded Jesse for fighting. Those scoldings, while fair and needed, didn’t always go over well.
Adam was about to change the subject when he caught Julie gazing at him. The breeze kicked up again, unleashing that loose strand of hair and stirring up a whiff of her lemon-blossom scent. His thoughts drifted to the dance they’d shared at the gala—as well as the one coming up on Saturday night.
“Would you like to get a bite to eat before we go to the dance sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce?” he asked.
She bit down on her bottom lip, nibbling at a coat of pink gloss. “I guess so. What did you have in mind?”
“Nothing fancy.” But as he studied the pretty woman who had a girl-next-door vibe, he wondered if fancy might be a better option after all. She looked damn good to him now, but dressed to the nines in a sexy red cocktail dress and heels...
“I really hadn’t given a restaurant any thought,” he lied. “We could get pizza. Or burgers. There’s also that new steak place in town. I’ve wanted to try it, but haven’t had a chance to do so yet.”
“I’m up for whatever you decide. Just let me know what I should wear.”
“I’ll need your phone number,” he said.
She whipped her iPhone out of her pocket. “Give me your cell number and I’ll call you. Then you’ll have it.”
He provided her with the number, then added. “I’ll give you the one for the house, too.”
“You still have a landline?”
“Yep. And it’s even got an answering machine. My former roommate was an older guy, and he left it. And I’ve never taken the time to get a new setup.”
Her head tilted slightly to the side, and skepticism filled her eyes. “Seriously?”
“Absolutely.” But there was no way he’d ever get rid of it. “I’ll tell you what. Call my house and let it roll over to the recording.”
Adam provided the number, then watched her dial.
Moments later, after three rings, the answering machine would kick on. Adam didn’t have to overhear Stan’s outgoing message. He’d memorized it a long time ago.
You’ve reached Stan and Adam. We can’t get to the phone right now, but if you leave a message, one of us will get back to you when we can. Just keep in mind, with our busy schedules, it could be a couple of days.
Julie left her number, then she disconnected the call.
“Who’s Stan?” she asked. “Your roommate?”
“He was.”
“Did he move out?”
He hesitated. “Not exactly. He passed away about six weeks ago.”
Her expression morphed into one of sympathy. “I’m sorry, Adam.”
“Yeah, me, too. That’s one reason I keep that old telephone and the answering machine. Right before he died, Stan called home and left me a message. And every now and then, I like to listen to his voice.”
“He must have been a good friend.”
“The best. He was a real stand-up guy.” The kind a troubled kid had tried his best to emulate. The kind a grown man would always grieve.
“How’d it happen?” Julie asked.
Emotion wadded in his throat, and he cleared his voice in an attempt to dislodge it and shake it off. “A car accident. Drunk driver.”
When he glanced at Julie, her eyes seemed a little watery. Before the emotion he’d learned to keep at bay returned, choking him, he said, “Besides, there’s nothing wrong with being a little out of date. I’d think you’d appreciate my home telephone system. You strike me as the old-fashioned type.”
“I guess you could say that.”
He also suspected she was the quiet type, more prone to mellow evenings at home than wild parties.
As much as he liked gazing into her eyes, studying her profile when she wasn’t looking and talking to her, he realized he’d probably made a huge mistake. Opposites might attract, but they often bumped heads in the long run.
And something told him he and Julie were on a collision course, because he had a feeling she would expect far more from him than he was willing to give.
Chapter Four
By Saturday afternoon, Adam had yet to call and tell Julie where they would be going for dinner. But that was okay. She’d already showered and shampooed her hair. All she had to do was snatch one of the two outfits she’d placed on top of her bed and slip it on.
She’d set out a classic little black dress and heels, which she would wear if he’d been able to get reservations at that new steakhouse. If he opted for pizza or burgers, she’d decided on a brightly colored, mid-calf length dress, a shoulder wrap to keep her warm and a new pair of flats.
She glanced out the window and spotted the setting sun, the waning light casting shadows in her room. Then she looked at the clock on the bureau, the minute hand marching toward the dinner hour.
I’ll give you a call on Saturday to make plans, he’d told her.
While she waited, she’d better find something else to do, other than standing alone in her bedroom, stressing over which outfit to wear. She turned away from the bed, just as her cell phone rang. At the long-awaited sound, her pulse rate shot through the roof, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She fumbled for the phone, and when she finally got a hold of it and spotted Adam’s name on the display, her heart slammed against her chest. It took a moment to contain her excitement as she accepted the incoming call.
Get a grip, girl. She sucked in a fortifying breath, then slowly let it out before answering. But her breathy “Hello” came out a lot brighter than she’d wanted it to.
“Hey, Julie,” Adam said. “I’m sorry to do this to you at the last minute, but I was assigned a big case earlier today, and I have to work late. So I can’t go out tonight. Can we reschedule?”
Disappointment swelled in her throat, and it took a moment to tamp it down before she could risk a response.
“No problem,” she said. “I understand. Things happen.”
And often for a good reason. Had Fate s
tepped in to stop her from making a mistake by going out with a man who wasn’t right for her?
“They sure do,” Adam said. “Things like this seem to happen to me more often than not. My job often requires me to work overtime, and then my personal plans change.”
Wasn’t that another reason she couldn’t pin her heart on him?
“I’ll make it up to you,” he added.
“That’s okay. It’s probably for the best anyway.” Once the words rolled off her tongue, she realized they came out a little snappish and more truthful than she’d intended, so she softened them with a white lie. “I have quite a few things I really need to do tonight. In fact, I’d even thought about calling you and canceling. But you beat me to it.”
She glanced at the outfits lying on her bed. The only thing she really had pending was hanging them back in her closet.
“I’ll see you at Kidville,” he said.
“You probably will.” She’d actually been spending a lot of time there this past week, which gave her something to do while waiting for a job offer. Besides, she was trying to secure a position at Kidville, which seemed like a perfect fit for her. She liked the kids and the people who worked there. “I’ll talk to you later, then. Maybe on Wednesday.”
“Actually, I’ll be there Monday. Like I said, my plans tend to change more often than not. And since I’m working this weekend, they gave me that day off. So I plan to take Jesse out for a pizza. And while I’m at it, he and I are going to have a little man-to-boy chat about fighting.”
“Good idea,” Julie said. “I’ll see you then.”
But she already knew how she’d respond if he tried to reschedule with her. I’m sorry, Adam. I already have plans. Imaginary ones, of course. But she’d come up with something believable.
In the meantime, she’d chalk up today as a lesson learned. She had no business going out with Adam in the first place. Any woman who dated him would soon learn that she’d always come in second place to his job. And that was just one more red flag, one more good reason to avoid him the best she could. Besides, weren’t police officers prone to divorce? Maybe not all of them, but she’d read something somewhere. And she was determined to have a peaceful home, unlike the one she’d lived in with her father.