Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café

by Jodi Thomas

  “Oh great, now we have another suspect. First, my almost boyfriend/make-believe fiancé, then there’s a guy who thinks he’s playing a game with me, and now an unknown postman because that is the only person I know who would care about putting the full address on.”

  “We’ll talk it out, PJ, even if it takes us all night.” He slid his hand along her side, more a comforting gesture than a caress.

  As the wind pounded the windows, Colby flicked on the desk lamp, pulled paper off the printer, and began making lists. All they know about Boone. A lineup of people who were either hostile to her or the office.

  Piper even added Autumn. She was either hostile or pregnant again. Piper wasn’t sure which would be worse.

  Colby also insisted she make a list of every person she saw on the floor today. Everyone who routinely walked her hallway. Anyone who never came up four floors but had in the past week.

  Like a master he tried to link a clue to a person as she talked, telling Colby every detail about her life. Colby stared at the notes, the lists, the clues as if he might find a list within a list, or a clue the stood out among the clutter.

  Piper tiptoed out of her private door and returned with two Cokes. “Let’s take a break. We’ve been working an hour.” She handed him one can. “In ten minutes we’ll be looking at it with fresh eyes.

  He pulled her granddad’s huge chair around the desk and sat beside her, his elbows on his knees as he leaned closer. “How come you have such a tiny office? Your secretary’s office is twice this size.”

  Piper took a drink and relaxed. “My grandfather had it made this way. He believed if the mayor’s office was small he’d never be stormed by a crowd bigger than three.”

  “Makes sense.”

  She turned in her chair until her knees almost bumped the side of his chair. “Lift your leg up an inch.”

  Colby looked at her as if he suspected a trap. When he lifted his leg, she slid her toes under him. “Cold toes?” he asked.

  “You guessed it. I need to relax and talk about something besides my problems.”

  “Like what?”

  “How about your problems, Colby? What’s on your mind?”

  “Nothing. Just keeping you safe.” For once he sounded serious.

  “Come on, Trooper, talk to me for a change.”

  He grinned. “All right, since you asked.” He shifted and covered her foot with his fingers. This is a matter that might not be the right time to bring up, but it’s been bugging me for two days.”

  She leaned closer. “What is it?”

  “You promised me a kiss if I let you patch me up. And you did bandage me up more than once. I stayed still and never complained, but no kiss.”

  “You can’t be serious. I’m about to be killed and you’re worried about a kiss.”

  Colby frowned. “I knew this wasn’t the right time to mention it. But around you, when is? Besides, you don’t want to die without paying your debt.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “One long kiss and we call it paid and then we can go back to work. I promise. It’ll clear my head. Think about it. When is a guy like me ever going to kiss a mayor?”

  “Oh, all right. I’ve kissed babies and puppies. I even kissed a donkey one time. I might as well kiss you.”

  He took her hand and pulled her into her grandfather’s office chair with him.

  She wiggled, settling in for the duty. “First, I want you to know . . .”

  “The kiss comes with a speech?” Colby groaned. “You’re not breaking ground on a new building. All you have to do is kiss me.”

  “Right.”

  He frowned. “I want you to know that this is me kissing you. Not the trooper kissing the mayor. It’s me, Colby, kissing you, Piper, for no reason other than I want to kiss you and think I have since we met.”

  “I understand.”

  He kissed her so softly, as his arm held her gently, that she felt herself melting into him. Then the kiss deepened and neither showed any sign of stopping.

  As the storm grew beyond the window and the room drew darker, Piper found herself lost in Colby’s tender ways.

  Chapter 35

  Monday, 6:15 p.m.

  Sam

  Sam had slipped into Anna Presley’s office at exactly five o’clock. They were both adults. They both knew what was about to happen and he hoped she was as excited about it as he was.

  For Sam, though, it wasn’t only about the sex. It was the connection with another person. There had been times when all he wanted from a woman was a warm body to hold on to. He’d been too lost to want more than the physical comfort.

  But tonight it wouldn’t be just any woman. He wanted Anna. Even though they had nothing in common. Even though she wasn’t his type, and he figured she didn’t even have a type.

  He looked around her cluttered office. Degrees on the walls, law books mixed in with toys, and a desk stacked high. It reminded him of a garage sale for careers. Someone had told him Anna didn’t have any family. She’s been a foster kid who’d ended up with foster parents who were good to her. They even helped her get scholarships before they moved away and retired to South Carolina. Anna went away to college, but she came back to Honey Creek in the summers. After three degrees she settled here and began fighting every dragon she could find.

  He admired her, even if he didn’t understand her.

  Sam had changed into his firefighter clothes knowing he might have to leave soon. His gear was packed and ready. He knew the call would come. He’d be ready as long as he got just a little time with Anna before he had to leave.

  He looked at his watch for the tenth time. She was late. Wasting the short time they had.

  He watched the clouds move in and hoped this rain would move north. People were running from building to building or to their cars. Trying to outrun the rain. Something Sam never did. Rain had saved him more than once when he’d been jumping into a burning forest fire.

  He moved a few boxes off the couch and spread out. He could see the storm outside and it was putting on quite a show.

  As the room darkened, he closed his eyes and dreamed of how he planned to make love to Anna.

  The sound of her opening her office door, bumping bags as she moved, woke Sam.

  In the hallway light he saw her outline.

  “I’m sorry.” She sounded like she might cry. “I wanted to get my hair done. I thought it would take minutes and it took hours. It’s a real mess.”

  Sam smiled. Her red tumbleweed had been darkened to almost brown and curled in a Shirley Temple style. Or maybe more like Medusa. He had thought any style would be an improvement over the tumbleweed. He was wrong.

  Sam slowly sat up. “I’m not in love with your hair, Anna.”

  She met his gaze. “You can’t be in love with me, period. We haven’t made love yet. I’m probably more of a failure there than I am in picking a hairdresser.”

  He extended his hand. “Then come here. Maybe all you need is a little practice. Let’s get this over with so I can tell you I love you.” For a blink he thought of all that was wrong with her. Too short. Too bossy. Too driven. Didn’t know how to dress. “You’re perfect, Anna.” Sam was surprised how much he meant the words. “I wouldn’t want you to change a thing.”

  She lifted her chin. “No one has ever said that to me.”

  “What, that you’re perfect?”

  “No one has ever said that they loved me.” She took a step toward him. “Or that I’m perfect either. I’m thinking you need glasses.”

  “Well, I’m about to prove it to you. We’re going to make love, then we’ll talk, then I plan to make the old couch squeak again. And again, until you believe me.”

  She took one more step and took his hand. He gently pulled her beside him.

  “How do you like to be held?”

  “Tight,” she answered. “Like you’re never going to let me go.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and gently leaned her back as h
is body rested against her.

  “How do you like to be touched?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Sam moved his hand along her side. “Then we’ll experiment.”

  As he unbuttoned her blouse and slipped his hand over her breast she stopped breathing.

  He tightened his grip. She let out a tiny sound of pleasure. “Take a breath, Anna. It may take a while, but I plan to learn the feel of you, the taste of you. All of you. Any objections?”

  “No, but can you say it again?”

  He didn’t pretend to not know what she wanted. He kissed his way to her ear and whispered, “I love you, Anna Presley. If you want to stop this right now, I will not change my mind. I’ll go on loving you.”

  He wanted to tell her he loved her because she needed love and she deserved love, but it wasn’t that unselfish. He wanted her, needed her too. He was starving for all the complications that came with loving her.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with a need that surprised him and he knew he’d always hold her tight.

  * * *

  An hour later, he smelled smoke, and for a moment he thought their love-making had actually started a fire.

  Chapter 36

  Twilight

  Pecos

  Pecos walked between the trees lining the city hall lawn. It was still raining, but he didn’t care. He wanted to get to his new job early. In truth, the day had been so packed with emotion he needed the rest.

  He was married. Really married as soon as all the paperwork was filed. He was out of school, had a wife and a job. Man, life moves fast once you graduate.

  Kerrie had kissed him on the cheek, as always, and said she’d make him breakfast when he got home.

  When he’d asked if she could cook she’d said no, but that it couldn’t be that hard.

  Pecos smiled. He didn’t care. They could eat fried pies and cereal for the rest of their lives.

  He looked at the lightning clashing to the north.

  When he looked at the city hall, for a moment he thought the windows were reflecting the lightning back.

  Then, he realized the blinks of light were only on the second floor.

  It wasn’t lightning. It was fire.

  He grabbed his phone and dialed 911. No answer. Whoever was manning the phone must have stepped away. He heard a click and realized the call was being relayed. There would be a backup plan. Someone would answer.

  As he waited he started running toward the fire station half a block away. When he barreled into the open bay door he heard the phone ringing but all the volunteers were eating dinner. Their laughter was blocking out the ring.

  “Fire!” Pecos yelled. “The city hall.”

  Plates crashed, chairs toppled, and men ran to their posts. The town’s one fire engine and one pickup were pulling out as men were still climbing on.

  Pecos ran back toward the square. For a moment before the sirens started, he could hear his phone still ringing.

  Pecos ran to the place he’d seen the flames as the three volunteers and three teenagers in training backed the trucks across the grass.

  When he took time to breathe Pecos saw flames spreading to the third floor. Then, as he looked above the fire, he saw something that made his heart stop.

  The desk lamp in the mayor’s office was on. Everyone in town knew that meant that she was working late.

  Pecos ran to join the firemen. He didn’t know what to do, but Pecos knew he had to do something fast.

  Chapter 37

  Evening

  Sam

  Sirens blasted outside the window as Sam jumped off the couch. “Get dressed!” he shouted as if Anna wasn’t a foot away. “I think there is fire in the building.”

  For once Anna didn’t argue.

  He grabbed his jeans and moved to the window. Lightning flashed and rain still dribbled. When he looked down, he saw fire reflecting off the fire truck’s windshield. One floor below!

  “The truck is too close,” he wanted to yell. “Turn the sirens off so you can hear each other.” He needed to be out there helping. He needed to stay here with Anna.

  Anna was instantly beside him, buttoning her blouse. “What’s happening?”

  “From the size of the flames and the smell, the first two floors are on fire. But buildings made of concrete, marble, and bricks don’t burn like this. It seems to be burning like a smokestack. The fire’s not spreading, it’s climbing.

  “It’s the wooden stairs below us.” Anna’s voice was almost calm. “They were put in when the building was built. Everyone uses them when the elevator breaks. The plan was to replace them, but the city never got around to it.”

  She looked up at him, their lovemaking still shining in her eyes. For a moment he thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, but there was no time to tell her.

  Sam stepped to the left and felt the wall and pulled his hand away. “We got to get out of here fast. We’ll go to the other end of the hall and drop out a window if we have to. I’ll lower you as far as I can. One of us might break a leg, but we’ll take the fall.”

  “No! We can’t. I saw the mayor climbing the stairs ahead of me. She’s above us. Four stories up might kill her if she had to jump.”

  Neither said a word as they finished dressing.

  Sam took her hand and opened the door. Smoke already filled the hallway and the temperature was rising. “Stay close, Anna. I’ll get all of us out. Is there another way up?”

  “The elevator stopped working. No other stairs.” She started shaking her head, then tugged him down the hall. “Off the boardroom is a balcony. We could climb up to the smaller balcony on four, but the windows will be locked from the inside on the fourth floor.”

  Sam grabbed the emergency hatchet off the wall.

  A moment later he swung at the first boardroom door and it shattered.

  They were running for the windows when she held back and watched Sam swing again. The gentle preacher had turned into a warrior.

  Thanks to the brickwork on the fourth-floor balcony Sam had no problem swinging up. He lowered the ax. She grabbed on and he pulled her straight up. When he grabbed her, for one moment he held her tightly.

  He was aware of people yelling below. They must have thought he was confused to be climbing.

  She followed as he fought his way into a small meeting room, and then they were running toward Piper’s office. Huge boxes had been piled against her office doors. Whoever set the fire wanted to make sure Piper couldn’t get out. Even the secretary’s office door was blocked.

  Anna worked frantically by his side as they shoved one box at a time away from the door.

  Sam heard Colby yelling on the other side. As soon as the door opened a few inches he was fighting hard.

  A long minute later Colby carried Piper out of her office. She was wrapped in what looked like a curtain.

  “We’ve got to get them out and fast. Follow me.” Sam marched back the way they’d come.

  Glass and splintered wood marked the way as they stepped on the fourth-floor balcony. Without hesitation, Sam hooked the ax on the bottom molding and swung down to the third balcony built six feet wider. The wedding cake design of the building was helping them now.

  Colby unwrapped Piper. She slid down the curtain into Sam’s arms, then stepped back for him to catch Anna.

  “You next.”

  “No.” Colby stood above them. “I think whoever set the fire is still in the building. I’m going to go after this coward.”

  There was no time to argue. The windows along the stairs were shattering.

  “Preacher! Preacher!” someone below screamed.

  As Colby disappeared back into the smoke, Sam kept hearing someone yelling.

  Anna leaned over the third-floor balcony. “It’s that kid who thinks he’s an Uber driver. He’s got a ladder and he’s lifting it up, but it’s about four feet short.”

  “Preacher, want a lift?” Pecos smiled. “I saw
what you were doing. I thought you might come out this way.”

  “Will do.” Sam lowered Anna the first four feet until her feet could touch the first rung. He stretched as far as he could until she touched the second rung on the ladder. Sam’s fingers slipped away. She pressed against the brick like Spider-Man as she lowered on the next rung, then another, until finally her hands were gripping the ladder.

  When Anna was halfway down, Sam lowered Piper. The kid caught both when they reached him.

  Sam hesitated, about to swing over. Then he stood. “I love you, Anna Presley,” he yelled and backed away. “But I have to go back to help Colby.”

  “No!” Anna screamed. “Don’t.”

  The echo of three words floated down. “It’s my job.”

  Chapter 38

  Fire in the night

  Colby

  Colby stood at the broken elevator. The door was wide open and the yellow strip of tape was gone. The trooper could hear Sam storming toward him. He wasn’t surprised Sam came back.

  “Are Piper and Anna safe?” he yelled.

  “Yes.” Smoke was thickening, but the fire hadn’t reached them yet. The old stairway would go up fast, but the rest of the building would burn slowly.

  Colby knelt to look down the open shaft. “This is how he got out. Somehow he slid down the shaft. I’ll bet the first floor is on a concrete slab. The stairs didn’t go down into the basement. I saw gardeners pushing their mowers down a ramp Saturday. They probably just dug it out to allow for the elevator.”

  Sam leaned in. The air was less smoky. “With all the people around, he may be waiting until it either gets too hot below or he’s able to blend in with the crowd. You want to go down?”

  “I’m in.”

  Sam stepped back a few feet to where he’d seen the hose on the fourth floor. No water came when he turned the wheel, but he pulled the hose out and tied a knot in the nasal end. “All we have to do is grab hold and slide down.” He tied another knot ten feet farther down. “The knots will slow us down. The last thing you want to do is hit the bottom hard.”