by Kait Nolan
Autumn shot a look toward the guys, but they were still down by the water. “Fine. Things are amazing. It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“It’s almost too perfect.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s still my best friend, exactly as he always has been. Now with the added bonus of stupendous sex.”
“Not seeing the problem here.”
“It’s all cozy and strangely domestic. Like we’ve been together forever. It just seems like it should be harder.”
“Well, honey, you have been together forever. Y’all didn’t call it that, but minus the sex, I’m pretty sure you two are more emotionally intimate than most married couples. The difference is, now you’re both admitting it.”
Autumn wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m so happy, Riley. And it’s absolutely terrifying. I keep expecting to wake up and find out it’s all a dream. Or for some horrible thing to come along and ruin it.”
“And by horrible thing you mean your dad.”
“He’s still out there. Judd hasn’t been able to tie him to the fire or to the prowler, so other than the restraining order, he’s free to do as he pleases.”
“Has anything else happened?”
Autumn shook her head. “It’s been quiet for a week. We’re both on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s part of why we wanted to have y’all out tonight. We needed some normal, and, of course, we wanted to see you both.”
Riley looped her arm through Autumn’s, and they headed outside to join their guys down by the lake. “Well, in the realm of some normal, we think we can finally start planning the wedding.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s pushed back further than we wanted, but it’s important to both of us that Jack and Cruz be in the wedding, so we’re working around their deployments.”
“Wouldn’t be a wedding without my brothers,” Liam agreed. “Even if the whole thing stands to turn into something of a circus.”
“You’re going to stuff me into a monkey suit, aren’t you?” Judd asked as he lit the grill.
Liam snagged a beer from the cooler, passed it to Judd, and grabbed another for himself. “Damn straight.”
“I’ve never gotten to see you in a tux.” Autumn skimmed her gaze over his tall, straight form and decided that was going on her bucket list. Along with peeling him out of it.
“Not even prom?” Riley asked.
“We didn’t go to prom,” Judd told her. “Autumn had just had her second heart surgery, so she was still in the hospital.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered since no one actually asked me.” That had been before the endless string of girlfriends, when she’d thought he just needed time.
He grimaced, tugging her into his arms. “I didn’t go with anybody else.”
“No. You camped out in my hospital room with a laptop, and we watched Pretty In Pink.”
“That is terribly sweet,” Riley declared. “But sad, too. Every girl should get to dance at her prom.”
“We did dance,” Judd said. “Just you, me, and your IV pole.”
“I’m pretty sure it kept trying to lead.” Tethered to all the various equipment, their range of motion had been limited, so their dance was really more of a hug and sway. She hadn’t cared. It had just felt wonderful to be in his arms.
He smiled. “You were wearing rubber ducky pajamas.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me. I was a mess.” She’d wanted to be beautiful for him. But there hadn’t been much chance of that with the fresh stitches and bandages.
Judd kissed the nose she wrinkled. “You were adorable in those pajamas.”
Because the memory made her ache a little, thinking of the wasted time between, Autumn forced a smile. “Twenty-five years, and it’s the only time we’ve ever danced. We should rectify that.”
“Agreed. And now I don’t have to pretend I’m not checking you out.” His hands skimmed down over her butt.
“I feel like my feminist principles demand that I somehow object to the objectification, but I think I’d rather just return the favor.” She slid her hands into the back pockets of his jeans and squeezed.
“Totally had your chance in the closet,” Judd murmured.
Oh hell. There was no controlling the quick flash of lust that burst through her like fireworks.
“We can go and give y’all some privacy,” Liam said.
“No, no, it’s fine. Riley and I will go get the brats for the grill.” Autumn extracted herself from Judd and thanked God for the cooling evening as she strode across the lawn. She’d just pretend that flush of color was from the setting sun.
As the food cooked and Boudreaux napped on the porch, talk turned to the house Liam had been slowly rehabbing between his other restoration jobs around town.
“There are a few things left to do, walls to paint and all that, but the house is just about done. It’s more or less move-in ready. Riley and I just need to pick out some furniture.”
Judd tipped back his beer. “Well, if your schedule is opening up, might as well put me on it.”
Liam paused, his own longneck dangling from his fingers. “Seriously?”
“Yep.”
“I’ve been hounding you for more than a year to let me have at this place. You’ve put me off every single time. What changed?”
Judd fixed his gaze on Autumn. “Everything.”
Her throat went tight, suddenly so full of emotion she could barely speak.
“It was just a house before. Now I want it to be a home. Our home. You need a proper office, so I figure we can start there.”
Maybe he’d gotten things wrong in the past, and maybe he’d wasted a lot of time avoiding the inevitable. But he was with her now, including her in his life, his future, without question. What did the past matter in the face of that?
“Awww. Y’all make me so happy!” Riley crooned.
“Liam, you’re going to want to avert your eyes because I need to kiss this man.”
He groaned, but she could hear the chuckle underneath as she advanced on Judd.
She couldn’t have said what alerted her. Some pale flash of motion from the woods at Judd’s back, a whisper of sound that didn’t belong. But Autumn didn’t think, didn’t hesitate. She tackled him straight off the bank and into the lake.
~*~
Judd hit the water with a splash, his arms automatically wrapping around Autumn. They both surfaced sputtering. It was all he could do to catch his breath for the laughter. “I knew you’d be excited but—”
“Stay down!” Liam shouted.
Judd instantly dropped low in the water, using his body to shield Autumn as he dragged them both to the edge of the pier for cover. On shore, Liam had Riley huddled behind the picnic table. With a blood curdling howl, Boudreaux streaked across the yard, headed for the woods.
“No! Boudreaux, come back!” Autumn screamed.
But the dog didn’t slow. He disappeared into the trees.
“What the hell is going on?” Judd demanded.
“Somebody’s shooting at you with a crossbow.
That’s when Judd saw the bolt embedded in the tree behind where they’d been standing.
“Fuck.”
His radio and service weapon were both inside. This was meant to be a casual evening with friends. He hadn’t felt the need to arm himself.
“No second shot,” Liam announced.
Judd shifted position, digging his feet into the muddy bottom for purchase. “When I say go, we’re headed for the picnic table, okay?”
Autumn just nodded.
“Go!”
They scrambled up the bank, making for the picnic table a dozen feet away at a low, hunched run. Judd kept himself between Autumn and the woods. No additional shots were taken. Boudreaux’s barking turned into a snarl, then a yelp.
“Get the women to the house,” Judd ordered.
“What are you going to do?” Autumn demanded, voice trembling.
“I’m going after my dog.”
Her hand clamped on his arm. “Judd—”
An engine fired up. A boat. He and Liam exchanged a look, then they were both running for the woods. Their perp was getting away, and they had no way of giving chase, but maybe they could catch something that would help them identify him.
Judd broke free of the stand of trees, spoiling for a take down. But the boat was already speeding way, directly toward the setting sun. He zeroed in, trying to make out whatever details he could. Typical, aluminum fishing boat with an outboard motor, judging by the shape. The same kind owned by most of the residents who lived around Hope Springs. Any real details about the boat’s driver were blocked out.
With a sense of dread, Judd searched the shore. No Boudreaux. Was he back in the woods? Was he still alive?
“Look!” Liam pointed after the boat.
Judd caught sight of the dog, bobbing in the boat’s wake, still trying to catch it. Relief made his limbs go weak.
“Boudreaux, come!”
He gave one, last pissed off bark and paddled back to shore. As he stumbled up on the bank, Judd saw the gash on his head. Judd grabbed him by the ruff, helped him out of the water, and then crouched to examine the wound. Not too bad, but it would need stitches. The asshole had probably slammed the butt of the crossbow down because Boudreaux got too close.
Fresh rage boiled up. “The goddamned son of a bitch hit my dog!”
Neither of them said what they were both thinking—that at least the guy hadn’t had a chance to reload the crossbow and shoot him.
Liam clapped a hand on Judd’s shoulder. “We’ll get him.”
“Did you catch anything about the bastard?”
“Male, probably Caucasian, wearing a baseball cap. Maybe wearing camo. That’s all I got. And I’m willing to bet that if and when you find that boat, it will have been stolen. People leave theirs tied up all around the springs. We took them out for joy rides often enough in high school.”
“Yeah, that was my read, too. But we’ll still look. Somewhere, somehow, we’ve got to catch a damned break on this case.”
“Maybe there will be something identifying about the bolt.” Liam paused. “Autumn saved your life.”
Judd scrubbed a hand over his face. “Are you sure I was the target?”
“You were standing in front of her. If she hadn’t tackled you, the bolt would’ve pierced your back, hitting something vital for damn sure. A baseball size hole would’ve done some serious damage.”
Did that make him a target by proxy because he blocked access to Autumn? Or had the motive shifted? For all Jebediah was a hateful bastard, he wasn’t stupid. Taking a direct shot at the Chief of Police would certainly get him hauled in. If pattern held, he’d have an alibi for the time in question, and given his current physical health, Judd had serious doubts about his capability of actually drawing back and loading a crossbow. So had his lackey—whoever he was—decided to take matters into his own hands? Was Jebediah getting desperate as the countdown clock on his life wound down? Or had this all been some kind of diversion?
A new terror shattered his remaining calm at the thought. “The girls. We left them alone.”
Judd burst into a run, dodging through the trees. Back at the house, a police cruiser was already pulling up. Sirens screamed in the distance. Good. Autumn or Riley had already called for backup. The fear loosened its grip a little, but he didn’t slacken his pace until he saw Autumn herself coming out to meet Darius, Riley right behind.
“Judd!”
He caught Autumn as she launched herself at him.
“Are you all right?” he demanded.
“Are you?” Her hands raced over him, not waiting for an answer.
“All in one piece. Thanks to you.”
“Boudreaux?”
“He’s okay. Needs a few stitches is all.”
Autumn immediately dropped down to fuss over the dog. “Oh, my brave boy. What did that son of a bitch do to you?”
Judd turned to Darius. “We’ve got work to do. Call for backup.”
“You got it, Judd.”
Autumn called the vet. Meanwhile, Judd locked down his emotions to do the job, work the scene. They located the sniper’s nest, such as it was. A cluster of brush about sixty yards from where he’d been standing. At that angle, he’d absolutely been the target. But at that distance, with wind and drop, it was hard to speak to accuracy. Most hunters wouldn’t make successful shots at that distance.
The bolt itself had white fletching, which probably accounted for the flash of motion Autumn reported she’d seen in her periphery before she tackled him. As he pulled it from the tree, he realized the wrap had some kind of words running the length of the shaft on either side of the fletching. Full dark had fallen, so he aimed the beam of his Maglite at it.
I’ll keep quiet, but you’ll have to cut me in.
Obviously it was some kind of custom job. He went back up to the house, where Presley Morgan was finishing up with Boudreaux’s stitches.
“He do okay?”
The pint-sized woman, not much bigger than Boudreaux himself, stripped off her gloves. “He was a very brave boy. I gave him a mild sedative, so he’ll be napping for a while. Doesn’t look like any lasting damage. He was very lucky.”
So were we all.
“Thanks so much for making a house call for this, Presley,” said Autumn from her position on the floor beside the dog.
“No problem. Y’all obviously have a lot going on.” She packed up her medical bag.
“Any lasting instructions?” Judd asked.
“He should take it easy. Keep an eye on the wound site. I’ve left you with some antibiotic ointment to dab on it twice a day. I want to see him in a week to check his progress on healing.”
“We’ll see to it. Thanks, Doc.”
Presley laid a hand on Judd’s arm. “You get the bastard who did this to him.”
“Count on it.”
Once the vet had gone, Judd crouched beside Autumn in the floor. “There are words on the shaft. They didn’t seem to be a direct message. Thought I’d get your take.” He held the bolt out for her to read, rotating so she could see both sides. “Do you recognize it?”
Autumn went pale. “It’s from the third book. The first version on the laptop I lost in the fire.” She lifted stricken eyes to his. “Someone has my book.”
Chapter 14
“It’s the book club at the senior center,” Autumn protested.
“I don’t care. You’re not going anywhere without an armed escort.” Judd’s voice on the other end of the phone was implacable.
I wasn’t the one he tried to kill. But she didn’t say it. There were too many finely-tuned hearing aids in range and more than a few wrinkled faces pressed to the front glass of the senior center, and she and Judd had already been a few rounds over this issue. In the near week since the latest attack, he’d kept her under twenty-four hour guard—by him as much as possible, by his officers the rest of the time. Autumn wanted to issue the same edict to him, but the best she could exact was a promise that he wouldn’t go anywhere without his Kevlar vest. Which he’d have done anyway, so it was hardly a concession.
She flicked a glance at Clint Yarbrough, waiting patiently in full uniform and duty belt. “Couldn’t you at least send someone in Plainclothes? My walking in like this is going to have tongues wagging.”
“Good. I’d rather word get around that you’re protected.”
Autumn wondered exactly what the City Council was going to say when word reached them. Sucking up department resources in the name of protecting one person was not likely to go over well. Not that Judd was shirking his duties as Chief, but when it came to her, he had tunnel vision and no amount of logic could shake him.
“Fine. I’ll see you at home, okay?”
“Good luck with the Casserole Patrol.”
“I’m sure I’ll need it.” Autumn had missed the latest meeting of the bi-monthl
y Seniors Book Club at the Wishful Senior Center. In her absence, the trio of elderly women had taken over selection of the next book. Given their love of the salacious, Autumn was rather afraid to ask what they’d finally chosen.
Clint smiled in amusement as she hung up. “Told you he wouldn’t change his mind.”
“Never let it be said that I didn’t try to save you from having your ass pinched.”
His brow shot up in question. “Beg your pardon?”
“You’re an attractive guy in a cop uniform. Chances are we’ll have to work hard to convince them you’re not a stripper. These ladies can be mercenary.”
Some of Clint’s amusement faded as he trailed her into the building.
Cheers went up as they spotted her.
“There’s our girl!” Miss Maudie Bell Ramsey called. She crossed the room, as fast as her orthopedic shoes could carry her, to wrap Autumn in a hug. She smelled of peppermint and Chantilly.
“Oh, and look! She brought us a surprise!” Miss Betty Monroe looked Clint up and down with approval.
“Not that kind of surprise, Miss Betty,” Autumn rushed to say. “Clint is just…” What was he “just”?
“I’m just here to check out the book club. My grandma is coming in for a long visit, and I thought it might be something she’d enjoy.”
Nice cover.
Looks of disappointment swept through the assembled group. “Well, he’s still nice to look at,” Miss Betty declared.
Clint’s cheeks colored. “Uh, thank you, ma’am.”
“We’re so glad you’re back. Book discussion went totally off the rails without you,” Miss Maudie Bell told her.
Autumn had no doubt of that. “I’ll do my best to get everything back on track. Where’s Miss Delia?”
“Flirting. The boys are playing with their toy soldiers again.”
Toy soldiers. Which meant Mark was here. Damn it. Twice a month, he hung out with the senior men, reviewing major military campaigns of history, complete with enormous maps and complements of little plastic soldiers.
“Why don’t you go get her, dearie? Your legs are a little more spry than ours,” Miss Betty said.