Back Cover
A Romantic Suspence Novel by Karen Cote’
Her brother was dead. He’d practically raised her and stood by her during a miscarriage that left her barren. He’d been the sole person she’d had left in this world. How had Dr. Lily Delaney with a PhD in Psychology missed the psychotic signs of Anthony Capriccio, the Kansas City District Attorney and her ex-fiancé? Now at twenty-nine she was on the run to hide from the impending threats to her own life. But on the road to a safe secluded lake community, Lily crashes into the path of a new dangerous element, literally. One with deep blue eyes who totes a badge and carries a gun. And would their budding relationship be threatened when Lily finds out her own doctor had lied and discovers she really can have children? How would the sheriff take knowing she’d gotten pregnant when she’d already heartily assured him she wasn’t?
After his experience as a detective in Kansas City, Missouri, Jet Walker enjoyed his life as sheriff of the quiet lake community, Windom Hills. However, when Lily Delaney literally crashes into his car and life, his world disrupts into chaos. Couldn’t the woman do anything normal? Between fighting to protect her and fighting against his growing attraction for her, the previous peace Jet had found was now falling apart. And how could he possibly trust another woman after the trick his ex-wife played in trying to pass off another man’s child as his?
Erotic Deception
by Karen Cote´
Published by MuseItHOT Publishing at Smashwords
ISBN: 978-1-927085-82-0
Copyright 2011 Karen Cote´
Smashwords Edition License Notes
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Dedication
In humble gratitude to the Good Lord above, I’d like to dedicate this book to my real life hero…Todd Cote´. My lover, my best-friend, my soul-mate, my husband. Thank you, God for this great gift I do not deserve but You’ve given in such generosity. I love you, Cote´. You are my happily ever after I never knew to be possible.
Acknowledgements
So many to thank…such a small page. Lea Schizas, my publisher… this would not have happened had God not put you in my life. Carrie Ro and Antonia Tiranth, my dear and wonderful editors who graciously guided me through the process…thank you. Suzannah Safi, my cover artist. For all the dreams I had looking at other covers as a child, you fulfilled my dream through my own. My Muse-Family…you all ROCK! My family back in Missouri and all their wonderful support. My indescribably beautiful daughters who are so precious and finally, my little black pug who has sat for hours giving me such a soul-puppy support. From her jealousy of my wireless keyboard on my lap to her snores as she loyally snuggles next to me, she inspires me with her championship snorts, sense of humour and encouragement in each word I type.
Chapter One
Lily slammed on the brakes. The car fishtailed as the bumper flirted with the weed-edged road before a yank on the steering wheel righted the momentum and she screeched to a halt.
Protective instinct drove her hand to blanket her stomach as tiny beads of sweat heated her forehead like splintering glass. Her heart drummed in her chest from the near miss as Lily glanced down at her hand covering her abdomen.
A ridiculous reaction.
Her womb was empty and had been for years. It always would be.
But that was a different time. A different car. A different driver. Even if the old memory held eternal consequences.
Lily slapped away the self-pity and peeked over the hood of her car. Where had that damned deer come from? One minute there was nothing and then whammo, right there in front of her. Like Harry-freaking-Houdini.
She didn’t have time for this. She had to hide. To plan.
However, with her teeth chattering and knees knocking, Lily was in dire need of some composure especially if she wanted to make it to the lake cabin tonight. She focused on a gas station sign ahead, easing her foot off the brake and back onto the accelerator.
After taking the specified exit, Lily had to go an additional half mile and she didn’t miss the irony of Jake’s Oasis posted above the country store.
Pulling up to the old-fashioned pay-inside fuel pumps, she cast a wary glance at the dirt-covered windows of the adjacent store. With more grit than sense, she opened the car door and reeled back at the oven-like humidity. Somehow her keys fell out of her hand and ended up on the ground in a billowing cloud of dust.
“Damn!” She bent down to retrieve them.
“Afternoon.”
Lily jumped and cursed again when her head smacked against the inside door handle. A husky man in grease-covered overalls grinned through a wet wad of tobacco.
“Mighty fine car you got there. Needin’ some gas?”
Lily pushed her hair out of her face and encountered a friendly glance. Too friendly.
Without conceit, she hadn’t reached the age of twenty-nine before becoming aware that green eyes, long, blonde hair, and well-endowed, but slender, curved women got more than their fair-share of attention. Wanted or not. In this case, definitely not.
With a firm grasp on her keys, Lily grabbed her purse and stepped out of the car.
“Could you fill it up please?”
She didn’t wait for his answer before heading toward the entrance to the store. Her t-shirt clung in the heat and Lily self-consciously pulled the material away from her breasts.
The air inside wasn’t much cooler despite the air conditioner propped haphazardly in the window.
Another man stood at the cash register similar in stature to the first man. Lily acknowledged him with a nod and made her way to the freestanding aisles in the cramped room.
With little to choose from in the snack department, she settled on a candy bar. The diet soda from the refrigerated section was surprisingly cold. She carried both items to the cash register and placed them among the knick-knacks crowding the counter. The stench of smoke curled from a cigarette keeping company with about a gazillion other butts in a dirty ashtray. Lily stepped back to avoid it.
“Anything else you need?”
The same country drawl echoed the one from the man pumping her gas.
How far out of the city am I?
The man’s interest zoned in on her t-shirt and Lily instinctively hunched her shoulders and adjusted her arms to cut off his view.
“Just the gas,” she replied noting the nametag of Jake on his pocket. The owner?
A smile spread the man’s large nose to reveal twin-barrels of hair.
“Earl’s coming in now,” he said.
Relieved and eager to be on her way, Lily pulled out a bunch of bills.
Earl strolled toward them saying, “I cleaned the windshield, do you want me to check the oil?”
With a hasty shake of her head, Lily paid for the gas and the items on the counter. After giving a tip to a surprised Earl she didn’t have to look back to know they were watching her all the way to her car. She sent up a silent thanks when the Lexus purred at the first touch and without effort accelerated onto the semi-paved highway.
Goosebumps skipped along her arms. Where are the tourists? They definitely aren’t visiting Jake’s Oasis.
In her opinion, there was too much farmland and too little civilization here for her comfort level.
Turning back onto the main road put her more at ease and Lily reached for the diet soda and sighed. Where else can I go?
The police had been a mistake. It had only ended with an altercation with a fatheaded police officer who hadn’t believed her claims.
“I have no intentions of filing a complaint against the fine District Attorney,” he’d said.
Sudden tears blurred the Missouri afternoon scenery. For six months, pain had plagued Lily at the loss of her brother. The sole person left to her in the world…gone forever.
The cops said accidental overdose. Claimed a man who’d founded a successful drug rehabilitation center had put a needle to his own arm. Their report was blown to hell two nights ago.
If Lily did nothing else in this life, she would clear Jerry’s name. She owed him that much.
Taking a drink from the carbonated refreshment, Lily glanced around at the woods and wildlife. Nature in this part of the country was earthy, beautiful, and uncomplicated. At least that’s the way Jerry had described it. Frankly, it was unnerving to be in a place where the only inhabitants possessed four legs and played chicken with cars. She snorted. Of course, there was the bush-nosed Jake and his buddy back at the Oasis.
Rolling her eyes, Lily sat her drink in the cup holder and reached for the candy bar. It took only a second’s glance away from the road, but enough to surprise her at the sudden appearance of a wide moving obstruction ahead. She braked to avoid slamming into two large rounded bales of hay.
What the heck? The large wagon forced her speed to a crawl and she tossed a cursory glance at the numerous signs labeled No Passing Zone. Should she risk it? It wasn’t as if the road was crowded with cars. She steered her car to the left, but the upcoming curve gave credence to the appropriate sign markings.
“Great,” she grumbled. “Old MacDonald had a farm and I’m his newest resident.”
Feeling mean, Lily relaxed her grip on the steering wheel and stretched her back to lessen the fatigue. But damn it, she’d been driving at least five hours.
Remembering the candy, she held it up, asking, “Would you like to energize my crappy disposition?”
She slid one-half of the candy from its twin. With an abstract look, she raised the piece to her mouth and paused midway. Huh? At first, confusion didn’t connect the object to her brain. Absolute horror struck as the squirming worm jutting up at her amid chocolate and coconut.
Lily’s scream punctuated her violent jerk on the wheel. Gagging and disgust careened her car into the opposite lane…and into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
A quick reflex from the other driver prevented a head-on collision, but not the side clipping to her car.
Lily’s head jerked as if it belonged on a rag doll seconds before her air bag deployed. The explosion slapped her into disorientation. Smacked hard in the chin simultaneous to the stench of powdery smoke, instinct skid the vehicle to a stop. The car missed the ditch by mere inches.
Dazed by the accident and stinging numbness to her jaw, Lily peered over her shoulder as the other driver was pulling out of a tailspin. Just when it appeared the vehicle was under control, one of the tires hit the jagged edge of the rough pavement. The deep gouge and momentum flipped the car over and as the scene took on a dream-like fashion; the vehicle slid on its top a few yards before coming to a halt.
Oh no! Lily released her seat belt and fought her way out of the airbag, shoving at the door. The acrid smell of burnt rubber permeated the air as she jumped out and raced to the other car. She crouched down, impervious to the rough pavement and broken glass digging into her palms and knees.
“Are you alright?”
Lily gratefully sent up a prayer at the man conscious and moving. He braced himself against the roof of the car, battling his own airbag to unlatch his seatbelt.
“Mister,” she appealed again.
“Get back,” he growled, his voice strained by his efforts.
With a helpless gesture, she sought for some way to assist when sudden doom slammed into her mid-section.
This… couldn’t…be… happening. Trying not to freak out, she pleaded; now almost in tears, “Please, let me do something.”
“I said to get back,” he gritted, although muffled, no less forceful. “There could be a gas leak. Don’t you see the smoke?”
“Miss, are you alright?”
At the anxious voice, Lily turned her upper body around to an old man in grey coveralls and khaki shirt. This must be the Old MacDonald she’d been following. Hollowed and resigned, Lily rose to her feet already knowing what she’d see.
Yep, right there it was, written upside down. Sheriff. However, the floating mangle of cords and equipment inside along with a teed-off uniformed figure had been the big tip-off.
“Miss?”
She brought her attention back to the old man and although heart-heavy with the implications, Lily managed to nod. He bent down to the wrecked car.
“Jet,” the old man said. “Are you okay, boy? Give me your hand.”
“I’ve got it, Pete. Is she alright? What about you?” he demanded.
“We’re both okay,” he assured. “But we need to get you outta there.”
“Just get her away from here in case this thing blows,” he ordered.
The old man hesitated before rising to his feet. “Come on, Miss. Let’s stand over here.”
Torn between concern and guilty responsibility, her meek demeanor bespoke Lily’s desire to obey orders. She went with the older man to stand next to her car just a few yards away.
The sheriff inched out, crawling on his stomach through broken glass and twisted metal. Curses wafted out as he fought with the second airbag before finally exiting through the passenger’s side window. Lily released the breath she’d been holding.
“Looks like the sheriff’s hurt!” the old man said. “Miss, you stay here.” Bowed legs propelled him to the merging figure. “You’re hurt Jet!”
Once clear of the car, the sheriff pushed to his feet. He adjusted the heavy belt around his waist and checked the security of the weapon attached. Lily noticed one hand was indeed bleeding and blood was running down his arm. The badge and his previous order to keep away kept her feet planted where she was.
He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and deftly tied it around the injured hand. Seemingly satisfied to have stopped the immediate flow of blood, he waved aside the old man’s concern.
“I’ll verify where the smoke is coming from but it doesn’t appear as bad as I first thought. Why don’t you wait over there just in case Pete?” He gestured without looking toward Lily before muttering, “I think enough lives have been jeopardized today.”
Pete still hesitated. “If you’re sure, Jet.” He glanced doubtfully at the wave of smoke but at the shake of the other man’s head, Pete ambled back to Lily.
Upright, Lily mused in amazement how such a big man had crawled through the damaged window. How tall is he? He looks well over six feet.
Regardless, his lean and muscular body moved easily around the car, smooth and graceful. Watching all that muscle moving together in liquid motion caused Lily’s mouth to go dry. With wide shoulders and narrow hips, an image of a football player came into view but without the padding.
Glossy black hair brushed the back of his collar and a sleek lock fell forward to arch over his forehead. With cool efficiency, he searched the origin of the smoke. The brown stripe of his pants creased at the knee as he squatted down to peer through the grill. The smoke appeared localized to the radiator section with no apparent threat of fire or immediate danger. He rose to his feet and flinched. Lily’s conscience took on more guilt at the torn material near his knee and the dark stain seeping around it.
Long lean fingers pushed his hair back as he made his way toward them. He stopped for a cursory perusal of her car before coming to stand in front of her. He tucked a thumb in the front of his belt allowing his injured hand to hang loosely at his side. Lily’s first view at his face shifted the pavement beneath her.
Whoa! Despite her recent encounters with the police in Kansas City, there were appreciative benefits to this particular one. Beneath an attractive patrician nose, a five o-clock shadow darkened the already tanned cheeks. But oh dear, his mouth! Mmm. Made hers water. Sensuous and firm, the slightly fuller bottom lip spoke its own persuasion to slow a woman down…and not just while driving.
The shocks didn’t stop there as glancing up…Lily fell into deep, blue eyes emphasized by thick, dark lashes. Did the man have any flaws?
“Did you hear me?” His impatient bark penetrated Lily’s gaping fascination. At her blank look his nostrils flared, “Is your chin the only injury?”
Mortified by her uncharacteristic-like response to the opposite sex, Lily’s answer was subdued.
“Yes, I think so.”
“Do you need medical attention?”
She raised a hand to her chin and opened her mouth, flexing her jaw back and forth.
“No, it was just the airbag. I’m fine.” She threw a feeble gesture at his injuries. “But you’re not.”
He ignored her last comment and reached out with his good hand to raise her chin up for a closer view. His gentle touch caught Lily off guard, but not nearly as much as its effect. The heat consumed her breath as it wielded its way down her neck and coursed through her chest to pool deep into her stomach.
The hollowed cavern of her consciousness barely heard his distracted voice.
“Airbags can cause serious damage.”
He must’ve decided this wasn’t one of those times as he released her. The tingling numbness remained, however, and its lingering effects were mindboggling. Strange. She’d never experienced anything like this before.
His shift of attention was a relief.
“Pete, your truck didn’t appear to get hit, but are you sure you’re all right?”
“Just shook up a bit that’s all,” Pete replied. “Looks like you and the little lady are the only ones with damaged property.”
The reference shifted attention to Lily’s car. Other than the damaged bumper, a dent buckling the front-end panel on the driver’s side and torn grill, the Lexus appeared to have escaped extensive harm. Following his gaze Lily noted the distinct comparison to his car. In an expression of grim resolve, he reached down with his good hand to retrieve a cell phone from his leather utility belt.
After punching in some numbers, his deep baritone was sharp and professional.
“This is Sheriff Jet Walker with the Windom Hills Sheriff’s Department. I’ve been involved in an accident and need a State Trooper on the scene.”
Lily gasped. A State Trooper? “Wait!”
She realized her mistake when the sheriff’s gaze sharpened into suspicion. He didn’t remove his focus on her as he spoke again into the phone.
“We’re a mile down from Junction 77 on Double D Road.” He listened for a few more moments and then said in a clipped tone, “No problem. Make the appropriate notations.”
Lily groaned in dismay at the involvement of more law enforcement. The added exposure to her whereabouts ticked up her nervousness multiple notches.
Of course, every nuance of emotion crossing her face was being scrutinized.
In a soft voice, albeit no less dangerous, he said, “I think it’s time we start with your driver’s license, registration, and insurance.”
Lily swallowed the huge rock in her throat. “Of course.”
She moved around him, intent on the driver’s side of her car, but in one smooth motion, he blocked her path. She tilted her head up in question.
“I don’t have them on me, they’re in my car,” she said.
Peering down from his superior height, he asked, “Other than your car, do you have any other weapons I need to be concerned about?”
The sarcasm gave Lily pause as his first flaw began to emerge. However, she acknowledged his attitude justified and set aside the hostility.
“No, there are no weapons in the car.”
A further few seconds of unrelenting scrutiny made her self-conscious of the clinging t-shirt and short yellow jean skirt. Her face aflame, Lily seriously wished she’d worn something different today. By the time he moved aside, her usual confident demeanor had bubbled with the hot-tarred pavement.
Reaching the car, she opened the door and drew back at the smell from the airbag. She grimaced at the spilled diet soda and stained dashboard before shivering at the memory of the candy bar. She peeked around for the blasted worm responsible for this mess but saw no signs of it.
Her purse had fallen to the floorboard on the passenger’s side and, no mystery here, the contents were scattered. Lily braced one knee on the seat and stretched across to retrieve her wallet while tugging on her skirt. Her position became even more precarious and she had to balance to access the glove box.
* * * *
Outside, Pete swallowed hard, dragging a gnarled hand over his gray whiskers. He turned to Jet in an obvious attempt to capture his reaction to the display. Jet glanced over, a tick in his cheek, blue eyes flickering. Without a word, his gaze hardened and his lips tightened to an ominous line.
* * * *
Inside the car, Lily retrieved the items and backed out muttering, “Why not put an ad in the paper announcing to Anthony where you are, Lily?”
It would’ve saved everyone a lot less hassle. Especially the man whose car she’d flipped over.
Imminent disaster trailed her steps as she walked the registration, insurance, and wallet to the silent waiting man. When he didn’t take them, she looked up with a bewildering tilt of her head.
“Would you remove the driver’s license from your wallet please?” he asked.
Uh-oh. Had his disposition worsened? Great. Lily complied.
He took the items and as he walked away, Lily met Pete’s sympathetic look.
“You may be in some trouble, Missy.”
She nodded her awareness to the repercussions. “Why did he have to call a State Trooper?”
Even to Lily, her voice sounded pitiful. The old man must’ve felt sorry for her as he came over and put an awkward, but compassionate hand on her shoulder.
“I think he’s supposed to when it’s him involved in the accident. But don’t worry; he’ll take care of things. He’s used to dealing with situations like this.” He shot a glance at the overturned car. “Well, maybe not quite like this.”
Joining his attention, Lily conceded the disturbing sight of the gold star insignia in crumpled surroundings. It brought her attention to the sheriff’s one-sided conversation.
“Thanks, Denie. I’ll hold while you run it. Has Mark returned?” The person named Denie must have made some positive response because the sheriff responded, “After you call the body shop, tell him to get the Blazer and follow Walter out here.” He paused again before replying, “My car’s been involved in an accident.” He listened again and then shook his head. “I’ll be handling this on my own for now. With the Sedalia State Fair and a major spill from a jack-knifed big rig, all the State Troopers are tied up. I told them I could handle it.”
The air restricting Lily’s lungs eased...a little. Thank goodness for small favors.
“I’ll explain it all later,” he replied and even Lily could hear his impatience. “Right now I just need you to run the numbers.”
A new wave of anxiety stole the short reprieve and Lily chewed on her lower lip. Would her driver’s license show anything? Maybe that police officer in Kansas City hadn’t written anything up. The memory of his anger, however, made that assumption improbable.
What seemed hours provided the answer, as she became the focus of a sharp piercing glance. Her stomach lurched when his expression darkened. By the time the sheriff finished his call and sauntered back over, Lily’s nerve endings were a frayed mess.
“This isn’t your first encounter with the law now is it, Miss Delaney?” he asked.
“Dr. Delaney,” she corrected, needing the steady formality of the title. She then glanced at his injuries and hastily added, “Therapeutic, not medical.”
The ascension of a dark brow was his only response.
Lily’s chin lifted. “That cop in Kansas City deserved more than my bad attitude.”
He tossed a cursory glance at his car before bouncing it back to her.
“Do you make it a habit assaulting law enforcement officials?”
The inference was unmistakable. “Today was an accident! And I didn’t physically assault that police officer in Kansas City.” Although some people might’ve taken her insult as an attack. But shoot, the man probably did shop in the small condom section of a pharmacy.
Penetrating cerulean steel peered down at her. “What about the restraining order the Kansas City District Attorney filed against you?”
Lily's jaw dropped. “What?”
“You have a restraining order against you,” he repeated. “It’s usually filed when one person has proven to pose a threat against another.”
His explanation was a little condescending, but Lily was barely listening. Had Anthony filed a complaint of her accusation of murdering Jerry? That’s crazy. Besides, it might merit a charge of slander, but a restraining order?
Then realization dawned as Anthony's thought process slammed into her. If the police stopped her for even a minor infraction, he or she might feel compelled to notify the court, if not the District Attorney himself. Anthony must be desperate if he’s stooping that low.
“It’s a mistake,” she said, her voice flat. “I’m the one who needs protection from him.”
Mild skepticism appeared briefly between his narrowed dark lashes.
“It’s true,” she frowned. “He’s my ex-fiancé with serious psychosis issues.”
His enigmatic stare gave a moment’s study before he replied.
“Dr. Delaney, the restraining order implicates you as the threat.”
She adamantly shook her head. “I’m the one being threatened!” . Experience warned not to mention he also killed her brother.
“You’ll need to take that up with the courts,” was his infuriating response.
“And play right into his hands,” she said bitterly and then muttered under her breath. “You’re all as crooked as he is.”
The rearing back of his head indicated he’d heard her, but at this point Lily didn’t care. She was tired, scared, and tired of being scared. Screw them all.
“Then allow me to at least pretend to care about justice and get back to the three lives almost taken today?” he suggested in a soft dangerous tone.
Heat rose up the back of Lily’s neck and her momentary apathy awoke to shame. In this, she was entirely to blame.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” she said, pressing her index fingers into her temples and rubbing in simultaneous circular motion.
“Forget it,” was his clipped response. “Why don’t you tell me what happened today?”
Despite his command to forget it, his abrupt demeanor assured Lily that he, at least, hadn’t. But the damage was done and there was little she could do.
She started to answer, but the explanation of the worm now seemed more ludicrous than before. Her gaze fell on the mounds of hay on the big truck.
“Isn’t there a minimum speed limit here?”
“Excuse me?”
“Well,” she licked her lips. “To be perfectly honest, the fault isn't entirely mine, if you think about it.” She noted the warning light appearing in his eyes and knew she was only making things worse for herself. Apparently, however, she was on a suicide mission as she trudged on.
“That truck was barely moving. Isn’t there a minimum speed limit here?”
“You're inferring this was Pete’s fault?” he asked with an underlying threat.
Shame pushed her lips together, but for some reason, it didn’t stop the flow of diarrhea.
“Well, he was driving as if his only intent was to race a turtle,” she said and cast a guilty glance toward the shocked older man. She stammered on, “A-And by you allowing that kind of obstruction makes us all responsible, don’t you think?”
Have I lost my mind? It was obvious the man before her thought so.
“Now you’re encompassing me as a responsible party?”
“It’s possible,” she said weakly.
“Are you under the influence of any drugs or alcohol?” he asked.
She checked the hysterical laugh bubbling up. She could use something right now.
‘No,” she replied.
“Are you in the habit of always blaming others for your problems?”
Hot tears burned.
“No,” she answered again.
“Would you mind giving an honest answer as to why you tried to pass in a zone clearly marked do not pass?”
“I wasn’t trying to pass,” she responded in a flat voice.
“No?” He asked. “What were you doing? Playing Peek-A-Boo with your car?”
“No,” she gritted. “I don’t consider driving a car as playing a game.”
“Yet I remind you once again, several lives were put in jeopardy today,” he stated.
Lily rubbed shaking hands over her face in defeat. “I know and I’m sorry, but I was distracted by a worm in my candy bar and-”
“A what?” he cut her off.
Exactly. She repeated it anyway. “A worm.”
“You put worms in your candy bar?”
“What,” she frowned and then shook her head. “No, I don’t put worms in my candy bar. I bought it from a store a few miles back.”
“They sell worms in candy bars?” he asked and Lily couldn’t tell if his sardonic disbelief was real or not.
“No,” she responded again, feeling her patience start to thin. “I suppose the candy was old.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Alright, let’s presume you’re not making this up—”
This time Lily cut him off. ‘Who in their right mind would make up a story like that?’
“Good question,” the sheriff concurred in derision, “I’m guessing next you’re going to tell me the worm was driving?”
Lily’s mouth tightened. “Listen, Sheriff. I’m sorry I wrecked your car, but it was an accident. And as I mentioned, if the truck in front of me hadn’t been going so slow this wouldn’t have happened.”
His lip curled. “I thought we were blaming the worm now.”
Nearing the end of her tether and not sure why she continued to argue the very-moot point, the last thing Lily needed was his belligerent sarcasm.
“Can we wrap this up?”
Ice-blue chips reflected his less than appreciative response to her attitude.
“Where are you headed today?”
Her lips twisted. “Here.”
“Where exactly is here?”
She suppressed a caustic response. “Windom Hills Lake Resort.”
“Are you renting a cabin?”
“I believe it’s a house.”
His eyes traveled over her curves, down to her long legs and back up again.
“Why Windom Hills? It’s not exactly Club Med.”
Dismay over her predicament, coupled with his insulting remark and perusal made her own response less than respectful.
“That's none of your business, Sheriff.”
With a menacing step, he leaned in and whispered, “Lady, you've made everything about you my business today.”
It was the final straw. First, she’d had to endure the loss of her brother. Then she’d found out the man she was going to marry had killed him and threatened to do the same to her. With the horror of a worm, whose very existence was in question, followed by an accident she’d certainly caused, and the impending legal ramifications which would bring about the imminent discovery of her whereabouts, she now had to endure this man’s relentless aggression? All rationale and common sense disintegrated.
“Which goes back to my earlier question,” she challenged. “Why aren’t you monitoring the roads better instead of being in everyone’s business?” In her need to lash out at someone, she took enormous satisfaction at catching him off guard. “If you’d been doing your job instead of driving around with your thumb up your ass, I wouldn’t have been stuck behind that monstrous contraption for what seemed an eternity and you wouldn’t have wrecked your vehicle.”
Pete’s mouth dropped, but Lily was too far gone and incensed to care.
“Now it’s my fault again?” Disbelief made the sheriff’s voice rise to match hers.
“Well, I’m glad to see you’re finally taking some responsibility,” she announced irrationally.
“Things are beginning to make sense,” he gritted through his teeth, reaching behind him. “You’re not only dangerous, you’re nuts. Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”
Not taking into account he’d arrest her, Lily backed up in wide-eyed horror.
“You’re going to handcuff me?” she asked aghast.
An anxious Pete stepped in, “Now hold on a minute, Jet. There ain’t no cause for that.”
Ignoring Pete, the sheriff advanced toward Lily, his lip curling.
“Maybe you want to coerce me against it by hiking up your skirt again.”
“By hiking up my skirt…” she asked, thrown off by confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Are you going to deny trying to make things easier on yourself by wiggling your assets in your car earlier? Exhibitionism is against the law in this county, Ma’am.”
She sucked in a breath. “You’re the one that’s crazy,” she choked out in rage. “I wasn’t wiggling anything.”
“What would you call it? Soliciting an ad for yellow underwear?”
Her green eyes blazed before she allowed her lips to curve sweetly in pent-up hysteria.
“For your information, Sheriff, my underwear is not yellow. Where’d you get your investigative skills, Detectives for Dummies?”
Dead silence fell like a thick fog. Somewhere in the back of Lily’s hysterical frame of mind, she realized she’d just insulted an officer of the law over her underwear.
Chapter Two
The sound of vehicles brought a look of relief from Pete and he moved between the two still glaring at each other.
“Here they come, Jet. Here they are, right here, yes-siree. Right here.” Pete babbled, obviously hoping to break up the tension. It took a moment, but eventually Jet dragged his gaze away and drew in in a deep breath.
“I see ‘em, Pete,” he said, glancing over at the new arrivals. “Why don’t you go on home before your wife starts to worry?” And then he muttered, “You’ve been through enough today.”
“Will you be needin’ some kind of statement from me?” Pete asked as if still wary of a potential eruption.
Jet shook his head. “Not right now. If I do, I’ll drive over to your place tomorrow.” He looked over at the two men emerging from the wrecker and narrowed a glance back at the woman in front of him. “Stay put and don’t move.”
The little vixen raised her chin and squared her shoulders in defiance and Jet waited for the second battle to erupt. Just as quickly, she relaxed them in defeat. Good, maybe she realized who was in charge here.
With one more wave, Pete got into his truck and took off, evidence he was eager to hand the situation off to someone else. Jet’s ill temper didn’t dissipate as he crossed the road.
He realized threatening her with handcuffs had been childish, but striking her hadn’t seemed a viable option. Not only was it against the law, he’d never hit a woman in his life.
But coming face to face with another car with such few options had been unsettling to say the least. Combined with the helpless feeling of his car rolling over, he admitted to being shaken up. And he hated feeling scared.
The accident could’ve turned out much worse with several lives taken. And then she’d made up some cock-eyed story about being in danger before changing her tactics by blaming the accident on him and Pete? What a whacko.
Jet had worked in Kansas City as a detective prior to moving back home to Windom Hills. Of course, he knew the District Attorney and his family. He also knew they weren't exactly the model citizens he, himself, could admire. But what would be the point in filing a restraining order against someone unless they were deserving of it?
A niggling sensation teased at his brain before he shoved it away. Corruption may have filtered into his decision to leave the Kansas City Precinct, but the Anthony Capriccios of the world were no longer his problem. He had no intention of allowing any disruptions into the quiet existence he'd achieved since those crime filled days. Unexplained dead bodies and gang-infested, child-killing losers were a part of his past. He intended to keep them there.
He also didn’t need someone like Lily Delaney walking about in his neck-of-the-woods either. Windom Hills wasn’t like Kansas City. In the City, beautiful women numbered as many as the stars. In the galaxy of so many, few stood out. The good doctor was one of those rare ones. As if she’d just stepped off a damn New York Runway. Hell, if he could still be attracted to her in spite of all that had happened today, it didn’t bode well if she lived in the same place where he ate, slept and drank beer.
If a woman couldn’t use what attributes she possessed she went for the mind-numbing techniques such as helpless-female-crap. Manipulative and deceitful, that’s what they were, grabbing onto whatever advantage at their disposal. He’d been well versed in that knowledge.
He flexed his hand. It ached. His knee stung and damn, just look at his car. What a mess.
Walter, the owner of the sole body shop in town, was inspecting the wreckage. His son Mike was staring at the upside down patrol car, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. A carbon copy of his dad, he was short and stocky with buzzed blonde hair. He also shared his dad’s knack with anything on wheels.
“Whew, Jet,” Walter exclaimed. “You didn’t tell me it was your car.” Consternation turned to concern at noticing Jet's injuries. “Hey man, are you okay?”
“A little bruising and some scratches,” Jet responded, brushing off the older man’s comments.
“Wow!” Mike exclaimed. ‘“You sure did a number on your car, Sheriff.” He caught sight of the Lexus…and its owner. A slow smile spread across his young face. “Do you need help taking her in?” It was obvious he wasn’t talking about the car.
“Mike!” Walter reprimanded, shooting the sheriff a wary look. “Let’s get to work on this.” Walter shot Jet an apology. “I’m sorry, Jet. His maturity’s kinda slow developing. Course he don’t see much of this every day.”
Unsure this time if the reference was to the wreck or the woman, Jet dismissed it with a shake of his head.
“Forget it, Walter. But before you flip the car, I’ll need a few pictures.”
“Take your time,” Walter replied. “We’ll be a few minutes figuring this out.”
Jet strolled over to his deputy who’d also stopped to stare in amazement at the patrol car. Mark Carnahan let out a low whistle.
“You’re lucky to have survived. Are you hurt badly?” he asked with concern.
His deputy was a good kid. Standing only an inch shorter than Jet, his mischievous brown eyes and longish brown hair caused some people to mistakenly underestimate his abilities.
“It appears you might need stitches there, boss,” Mark observed.
“Maybe,” Jet sighed. “But it can wait. Did you bring the camera?”
“Yep, it’s in the truck,” Mark responded mesmerized by the upside down car. When he caught Jet’s stare, he continued. “Guess I’ll go get it.”
“Good idea,” Jet responded dryly.
Mark grinned and was moving away when he suddenly stopped. Jet looked to see what caused the delay and swore under his breath. The little strumpet by the Lexus had her hands on her lower back, stretching. The action pushed her breasts forward against the clinging short t-shirt. Her tanned waist and long legs was a traffic stopper in itself. To make it worse, the backdrop of the sun created a halo around the exotic silhouette.
“Damn it,” Jet swore.
He watched her fingers comb her hair into one of those ponytail things women do. The result was a sweet and innocent face. But there was nothing sweet or innocent about the rest of her.
“Damn it,” he swore again as attempts to secure the smooth rope at the back of her head caused luscious rapid movement in front. Jet averted his head and met the raised eyebrows of his deputy.
“Who-wee! Is that who you hit?” Mark glanced over again, taking note of the damaged Lexus. He shook his head, chuckling. “Celeste ain’t going to like this.”
Controlling his irritation, Jet corrected Mark on who hit who, ignoring his comment about Celeste.
“I wasn’t the cause of the accident, our little Lolita was.” But through his ire, Jet’s voice came out husky.
“She’s something else, isn’t she?”
“Nothing to lose your head over,” Jet dismissed…too casually.
“I guess not,” he said, but a knowing smile played around his mouth.
Jet sent a quiet warning, narrowing his eyes before releasing a hard breath.
“Just get the frickin’ camera,” he muttered.
Mark smirked before angling away to the Blazer.
Jet returned to Walter and Mike as they were finalizing the adjustments necessary to flip the patrol car upright.
“Almost ready?” he asked.
“A few more minutes. I wanna make sure she holds tight when we turn her,” Walter replied.
“Want me to take the pictures?” Mark joined them, camera in hand.
“I’ll do it,” Jet said.
The time it took was swift and when finished, Jet gestured toward the Lexus and the woman now leaning against it.
“I need you to play escort. Come on.”
Mark brightened, causing Jet to throw him a disgusted look before proceeding across the road.
* * * *
At their approach, Lily noted again the graceful panther coming toward her. No doubting the man’s amazing sex appeal. Too bad he had that whole personality problem. She quickly looked away and encountered a smiling man with brown eyes.
The sheriff’s deep voice made the introductions. “This is my deputy, Mark Carnahan.”
The younger man threw a sympathetic glance at her car and Lily warmed to his gesture.
“Mark, this is Dr. Lily Delaney.”
Ignoring the sardonic stress on the salutation, Lily stretched out her hand to have it engulfed in a firm friendly handshake.
“Doctor?” The deputy’s brows rose, shooting a glance at his boss’s injuries.
“Therapeutic, not medical,” her most recent nemesis mimicked before she could answer.
Lily curled her tongue to keep it quiet and focused on the shining, silver badge, eye-level to her own five feet seven.
“Are you going to arrest me?” Even though her tone still carried a hint of hostility, she hated the traces of fear behind it. She couldn’t help it, she was scared. But sitting in a jail cell waiting for a mad-man to appear was beyond comprehension.
Lily counted several heartbeats as she waited for what the sheriff would do. Finally, when she couldn’t stand it, she raised her head and encountered a speculative gleam in his eyes before an impenetrable mask slipped over his hard features. In a tone reminiscent of his earlier professionalism, he answered.
“No,” he said and at her surprise, added, “not today anyway. But I’m keeping your driver’s license. Give the lake-house address to my deputy. He’ll follow you and tell you how to get to the station. I want you there tomorrow afternoon where we’ll have a little conversation and I’ll decide then what I’m going to do with you.” She started to interrupt, but he held up a hand. “I’ll also wait until then to file any reports.” Then that mean voice returned. “But I warn you, if you try to leave beforehand, things will not go well for you. Do you understand?”
Relief vied with confusion, but exhaustion overcame all else and Lily gave into relief at the extra day to figure out another plan. She had no idea why he was giving her a reprieve and she didn’t want to ask in case he changed his mind. A day wasn't much, but she'd take it.
“You're not staying?” Mark asked.
The sheriff’s curt tone intruded into his deputy’s inquiry, again giving Lily no time to answer.
“After you've taken Dr. Delaney to her destination, you’ll need to come back here.”
Then the sheriff abruptly turned away and began taking pictures of Lily's car. She noticed that he only used one hand to work the camera. Even though it was small, it still looked like it took some effort.. Soon he was back and in a more agreeable tone, expanding on his previous instruction to his deputy.
“I'd rather not have to ride with Walter to the body shop so don't linger or take any side trips. I don’t think she’ll have any trouble driving her car, but keep an eye on it just in case.”
Lily compressed her lips as he walked away favoring one leg. In the midst of frustration, irritation, gratitude, and confusion, she’d set aside his injuries.
“Do you think he’s okay?” she asked Mark.
“Don’t worry, he’s tough.” Mark reassured. “Tell me where we’re going and you can follow me.”
Following behind the Blazer, Lily blew out a breath. She’d have to get her car fixed, but her brain was too tired to think about where. Nevertheless, compared to what it could’ve been, the damage was relatively minor. She also hated to admit the man she’d been sparring with had not only minimized the impact of the crash, he’d most likely saved her life. Temporarily anyway.
It only took a short time to reach the lake-house and Lily exited the car just as the deputy was stepping out of the Blazer.
“Do you need help with your luggage?”
The courteous gesture was genuine, but it was obvious the other man was anxious to get back to his boss. She was on the verge of declining the invitation when a sign posting at the edge of the driveway caught her attention. Her gaze shot to the deputy.
“What’s that sign marking for?”
Confusion knitted the deputy’s brows before alighting on the object she was pointing to.
“It’s a lot number. Each of the lake-homes has one.” He shrugged. “Yours is thirty-seven.”
Thirty-seven.
For a moment, Lily couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t remember Jerry mentioning this particular coincidence to her. Their mother had been thirty-seven when she died. Throughout the years, that same number had appeared many, many times around Jerry to the point of him feeling haunted by it. He’d even frequented a bar where the drink special was a thirty-seven ounce beer as opposed to a typical thirty-two ounce. The occurrence caused Jerry to begin believing it represented some type of meaning.
Shivers sashayed up and down Lily’s spine as she realized Jerry had died three days after his thirty-seventh birthday.
* * * *
Mark’s return with the Blazer was perfect timing to Walter and Mike’s loading the car onto the wrecker. Walter gave Jet a thumbs-up as he and his son drove off.
Mark’s lips tightened as he looked at Jet’s gray face. “I’ll drive. First stop, hospital.”
Jet wearily nodded, suppressing a groan as he climbed into the passenger side. He leaned his head against the seat back. Without the focus of the job, the throbbing from his injuries returned along with thoughts of his newest resident.
He might just as well have rolled over and asked her to scratch his belly.
She’d endangered lives, was disrespectful to an officer of the law and he’d fallen head first into her damsel in distress act.
Jet let out a heavy sigh. Mark was right about Celeste too. There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of them reconciling, but it wouldn’t make any difference to Celeste. She’d see the other woman as a threat and would pay close attention to any interaction between him and her. One more headache he didn’t need.
It still mystified him as to why he offered to delay filing the report. If Dr. Delaney was afraid of this guy, wouldn’t she move on? Why should he get involved with her problems? He supposed old habits died hard and there was something about this situation he simply didn’t like. Tomorrow morning he was going to do his own research. Afterward, he’d have some very specific questions he was going to ask and he only hoped the answers he received would be honest.
After a quick trip to the local hospital and a couple of stitches later, Mark drove Jet to the station to pick up his personal truck. Before going home, Jet went in to check his messages and frowned at Denie still there.
“How bad were you hurt?” she asked, her short blonde covered head tilted and hands placed squarely on her hips.
Jet hid his irritation. With the exhaustion of the past few hours, he’d hoped to field explanations until the morning.
“What are you still doing here?” he grumbled, going into his office. He lowered his battered body stiffly into his chair.
“Your car was paraded down Main Street. It scared me so I waited for you.”
Behind the angry, blue eyes, Jet noted her concern and guilt tugged at his impatience.
Denie, along with running the office, was a close friend. A bit of a tomboy. Her mannerisms and consistent dress of jeans, tennis shoes, and buttoned-down oxfords heightened that impression. However; her tough attitude was a façade to the genuine caring beneath.
“I suppose you nagged our friends at the body shop to fill you in?” he asked.
“What they knew. What happened?”
Jet gave in with a brief synopsis.
“She’s staying here?” Denie scowled.
“Maybe. Regardless, she’s coming in tomorrow afternoon to fill out a report,” he stated. “Now go home. We’ll talk more later.”
Her reluctance was obvious, but she eventually turned to go with a curt goodnight. The slamming of the door spoke to what she didn’t say.
Jet closed his eyes. She could be a handful at times. Most times, it didn’t bother him, but he wouldn’t put it past her to call Celeste. Along with being a close friend of his, Denie’s relationship with his ex-wife went back to elementary school days. It wouldn’t matter that Celeste was out of town, she was still accessible by phone. He didn’t need that call tonight.
Jet leaned back and flexed the white gauze covering his hand. It throbbed more than anticipated and he supposed he should’ve accepted the mild painkiller suggested at the hospital. Now he was regretting that decision. If he wanted to sleep at all tonight, he’d need something.
Locking up, he made the quick drive to the convenience store. He opened the door and wasn’t surprised to be the only customer at this hour.
“Hey, Patrick,” Jet greeted the cashier, a part-time high school kid.
The bell from the door along with Jet’s greeting had Patrick guiltily hiding the magazine he’d been reading. At identifying Jet, his eyes grew wide.
“Golly, Sheriff, I saw your car go by earlier on the wrecker. Did you get hurt bad?” he asked, taking in Jet’s torn uniform and bandaged hand.
Jet went down the grocery aisle to the aspirin section. He intended disputing the claim of a bad injury when the bell chimed again. His gaze narrowed at who walked through the door. Patrick’s mouth dropped open.
“Evening,” The doctor nodded to Patrick, obviously not noticing Jet as she made her way to the refrigerated section.
Tight, ragged jeans with a hole in the back pocket molded her hips. Firm rounded breasts stretched a short faded mint green t-shirt. Flip-flops drummed the floor drawing Jet’s attention to dainty feet. The overall look should’ve been shabby and sloppy. Not on her. She wore sexy as if it were a given right. Her long golden mane tied high on her head flopped shoulder to shoulder like a little girls. Once again, innocence mocked the lusty appeal.
The doorbell chimed again to admit two more people. Jet frowned at the men. Looks like the night’s picking up. An inner alert went off when they also headed toward the refrigerated section. It was too much to hope they’d grab what they’d come for and leave. As suspected, they stopped directly behind the woman contemplating cheese and eggs. Jet let out a quiet groan.
“Now what do you suppose we have here, Skeet?”
The guy who spoke appeared to have been in the sun all day. That, along with shorts and t-shirt suggested he was one of the visiting lake-goers. He was a husky man with dirty blonde hair, his girth most likely from the amount of beer he imbibed. His friend Skeet was dressed in a similar manner, but built more solid.
“Well, it looks as if this little lady needs help deciding on what she wants,” Skeet responded, causing the other man to snicker.
“I know what she wants,” he jeered, lewdly grabbing the front of his shorts.
Jet willed her to ignore them and walk away.
Of course, she didn’t. Instead, the minx turned and tilted that little nose up.
“Why don’t you fellas go bother someone else? I’m not interested.”
She resumed her study of the contents inside the refrigerated display glass.
The men looked at each other and smiled. The one referred to as Skeet inched up closer. She spun around and shoved at his chest.
“Get lost!” she snapped and held up a set of keys with a can of mace attached.
Jet rolled his eyes. Like that would do any good.
The other man with Skeet chuckled. “Well what do you know; we got ourselves a feisty one.”
* * * *
Lily clenched her teeth in irritation. She was tired, irritable and in an overall bad mood. They didn’t scare her, but their snickers revealed their ignorance of a woman capable of defending herself these days. Puberty had marked her first self-defense course. She was on the verge of delivering a blistering lecture about manners and insecure men when a painfully familiar voice spoke.
“I think it’s a good idea if you boys grab what you came for, pay for it, and leave.”
They all looked at the man leaning a casual shoulder against one of the floor to ceiling beams. His right arm hung loose at his side, while the thumb of his bandaged hand was looped in his belt. For a moment, the two men hesitated as if making a calculation of the man’s injuries. The man named Skeet was the first to respond.
“Now, Sheriff, you don’t need to get involved in this. This little girl here was asking for some help. We were simply trying to accommodate her.”
“That’s a lie!” Lily couldn’t believe the audacity of the man.
“I think she can manage by herself.” The sheriff spoke calmly, belying the gleam in his gaze.
Skeet looked as if he was going to argue, but evidently whatever high he’d been on, dissipated as the posing threat became clear. His friend was slower to catch on.
“You don’t look like you’re on your full game here, Sheriff, with those injuries and all. Now we’d hate to have to take advantage of your disability,” the other man sneered.
A feral grin creased the hard tanned face and he threw down a wink. ‘Try me.”
Even Lily shivered at the perilous tone, as did Skeet. He intervened by jerking on his friend’s arm to pull him away. His nervous laugh alerted the caution to back down.
“We’re only joking with you, Sheriff. We don’t want any trouble with the law here.” He shot his buddy a hard smile filled with warning. “Come on, we need to get the beer and head back before the girls get restless.” His cordial smile was pathetic. “You don’t mind if we get what we came in for do you, Sheriff?”
“On the contrary, gentlemen, we appreciate your patronage,” he responded, inclining his head. He watched the two men while they hurriedly grabbed a case of beer, paid for it and left.
Lily sighed in relief. Even though she could’ve handled the situation, she was relieved at his intervention and the confrontation it avoided.
“Thank you,” she said, but inwardly recoiled when a glacier blue gaze narrowed in on her.
“Here’s one of the first rules of staying here. During the summertime, we get many visitors renting homes along the lakes. For the most part, they’re out to have a good time and are relatively harmless. As evening progresses, moods change. I don’t know why you’re out so late, but the next time someone approaches you like that, walk away.”
Then without giving her an opportunity to respond he picked up the item he’d placed on a shelf and went to the register to pay for it. He was opening the door to get into his truck when Lily threw open the door of the convenience store.
“What do you have against me?” she demanded striding toward him.
He shot her a telling glance, not stating the obvious, which infuriated her more.
“This isn’t all to do with what happened today, Sheriff,” she said through clenched teeth. “Your rudeness is inexcusable. Aren’t you supposed to be a little more professional, being an officer of the law and all?”
“Professional?” He glared at her. “I just saved your ass for the second time in one day and you accuse me of not being professional?”
She ignored his question and demanded, “What is it you don’t like about me, Sheriff? Do I remind you of someone? An ex-girlfriend, perhaps?”
It was then that Lily realized how close she was to him. When his gaze skimmed down and touched her mouth, a feathery pulse tickled through her chest. He looked at her through smoldering eyes and allowed a gradual smile to appear, but its mockery contained no trace of humor.
“What’s the matter, Dr. Delaney? Bored already? Looking for a distraction? Maybe I interrupted something in there you didn’t want me to. If that’s the case then let me be the first to apologize. However, if it’s a diversion you’re looking for, I’d happily take you up on that, but unfortunately, I’m a little tired tonight.”
He tossed the grocery bag into the truck before climbing in. He faced her once more, nodding his head toward her car.
“Driving with only one headlight is against the law in Windom Hills, ma’am, but I’ll let you go this time.” He cocked a brow. “How’s that for professionalism?”