Chapter 4
Rumor took her mug of coffee and stepped out onto the pool deck. The sun had yet to appear. It wasn’t even five in the morning yet and she had to be to work by six. The nice thing about living this close to town was she could walk to work if she wanted to and since she’d gotten up so early, that’s exactly what she planned on doing.
Right after she enjoyed a cup of Joe on the dock while watching a few of the boats cruising by as they headed out into the ocean.
God, this was the life.
One she didn’t dare get used to.
She’d slept like a fucking baby in that damn Murphy bed. It was the most comfortable mattress she’d ever slept on. The temperature of the room had been perfect. She felt like fucking Goldilocks. Everything was just right.
Safe didn’t begin to describe the sensation she’d felt when she’d closed her eyes.
She had no reason to fear Emmerson. Only his badge.
Which made this entire situation insane.
As she made her way toward the dock on a path lit up by cute little lights that were just bright enough to make it easy on her eyes, she thought about all the places she’d lived before.
The first few had been god-awful. She’d been so afraid to pull out any of those bills, but she was even more terrified to use her credit card. Those first few months she moved what seemed like every month, taking whatever nasty cleaning job she could find along the way.
Almost all the rentals she’d ever called home the first five years were in neighborhoods much like where the murder had occurred last night. She always tried to find safe places, but when you lived paycheck to paycheck and your skill set was limited, finding decent housing when you wanted to live alone became difficult.
But as she scrimped and saved and put some of her own money away, making it easier to stop dipping into the bag of cash, and actually adding to it, she found better places to live. Though sometimes that took some looking and effort on her part.
The moment her foot hit the dock, she paused, staring at a massive center console boat with twin engines. It was big and shiny and beautiful. The name of the boat was Just the Facts.
She chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” a male voice echoed from somewhere to her right.
“Who’s there?” She squinted, glancing toward a set of chairs on the dock overlooking the waterway.
“Just Emmerson.” He waved his hand. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“I did. Thank you, but you scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m often down here in the morning. Sunrises are the best right here.” He patted the chair next to him. “Join me if you have time.”
As she inched closer, she realized he was in his uniform. “Heading back out to work soon?”
“I just got home about a half hour ago.” He raised a mug and sipped. “I came home for some food, a shower, and then I have to go to the station. It’s going to be a long day for me.”
She lowered herself into the Adirondack chair and stared at Emmerson’s strong profile. A five o’clock shadow had appeared on his face, making him look even more handsome, if that were possible. There was a genuine kindness about him that she couldn’t deny. “Did you catch the person who killed that girl?”
“Sadly, no. And we have very few leads.” He turned his head. “One of the things on my long list today was to come talk to you again.”
“To give my official statement?”
“Yes and no. My mother would like you to do that with one of my brothers at the station when you get off work. The sketch artist will be there too so you can give details about the man you saw.”
“I didn’t get that great of a look, so I’m not sure I’ll be of any real help there.”
He shifted. “Are you sure it was a man you saw?”
“The voice was deep and he looked like a man to me. Why do you ask?”
Emmerson let out a long breath. “We got an anonymous tip that the victim was arguing with a woman. That’s what I was going to come talk to you about. To get clarification.”
She swallowed. Hard. “I’m sorry, Emmerson, but I’m pretty sure it was a man. I suppose I could be wrong; I just don’t think I am.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. The victim could have argued with two different people based on the timeline. It just makes my job that much harder when you’re the only person who saw her with a man.” He reached out and placed his hand over hers and squeezed. “Is there anything else you can remember about last night that might be helpful? Any words spoken by the victim or this man? Money exchanged. Drugs. A physical altercation. Anything.”
She stared into his intense dark eyes. She could tell this case tormented his heart and that tore at his soul. She reached into her mind, recalling the moments she pulled up next to the rental and stepped from her car. The man and the woman were standing in the parking lot. The woman waved her hands aggressively. They shouted at one another.
But for the life of her, she couldn’t recall a single word.
She’d scurried up the steps and into the house, not wanting to be part of anyone else’s problems. For fifteen years she managed to stay clear of trouble. She never engaged in heated discussions. She never argued with anyone. The moment anything got wonky, she hit the road.
“I wasn’t outside for any longer than it took me to go from my car to the house and I honestly ignored the two people fighting. It wasn’t my business, and unless he was hurting her, I was staying out of it.” And if that had been the case, she would have called the police anonymously and hauled ass to Miami.
“If I were you, I probably would have done the same thing in that situation.” He ran his thumb over the top of her hand in a tender circle. It felt intimate. Personal.
She should pull away, but instead, she enjoyed the moment.
In the last fifteen years, there had only been a couple of men she’d grown to care for more than she should. One in particular, George, had made it difficult for her to pack up and leave. He had tugged at her heart, filling it with promises of a life she couldn’t have. A life that lived in novels and movies. She would admire it from a distance, live vicariously through characters, but never experience it herself.
She left without saying goodbye and she never allowed herself to get that emotionally close to a man again.
That had been eight years ago.
She’d matured since then and had learned how to gauge her emotions better. However, Emmerson and his damn sexy personality came in like a hurricane, tossing her about like a shipwreck. And then, as soon as the seas calmed, he lulled her into his harbor, promising her protection from the storm.
“I wish I could be more help,” she whispered. And that was the truth. She could feel the desperation seeping from his pores. The anguish glowed from his dark eyes like the light from the lighthouse stretching across the sky in search of ships to guide home.
He lifted her hand and kissed the inside of her palm, letting his lips linger on her skin.
It took her breath away and ignited a fire in the pit of her stomach. There have been plenty of men where attraction swirled around her insides like a tidal wave. But she had no problem controlling it. With Emmerson, there was no squelching it, and she tried.
“You’ve been incredibly helpful. It was a rough night. We’re a quiet community. I’m a small-town cop who deals with petty crimes, hands out speeding tickets, and tries to keep Old Lady Gardner from killing someone with her garden hose.”
“Her hose? This I have to hear.” She found herself hanging on his every word, not only intrigued by the tale, but interested in the man. It baffled her mind.
And her heart.
Rumor didn’t fall for guys in an instant. She could take them or leave them, having short-lived affairs with men who offered good conversation and sexual release. Emmerson certainly fell into that category. However, he tickled so much more and that scared and excited her in ways she had never experienced.
Emmerson let out a short laugh. “She gets pissed off when people speed down her street, and rightfully so. Instead of calling the police, she takes matters into her own hands by hosing every car down as they drive by. Last time she did it with a pressure washer. She broke two windows and Petey McGuire ended up crashing into a tree.” He shook his head. “What was worse, I had to take her to the hospital because it was turned on full blast. Too much for her to handle and she fell on her ass, breaking her tailbone.” He ran a hand over his mouth, covering a slight smile.
“You’re not laughing, are you?”
“I’m seriously trying not to. Petey wanted me to press charges, and honestly, it was a chargeable offense. But she’s sixty-four years old and generally a nice lady. He’s not a bad guy, just grumpy since his wife died five years ago, and I have clocked him going through that neighborhood at fifteen over the speed limit. I swear to God, those two have pent-up sexual tension for each other and need to?—”
“Are you suggesting they both need to get laid?”
“Your words. Not mine.” He lowered his chin. “But thanks to a little meddling on my part, I did hear they went on a date last week.” He waggled his brow. “Hopefully that puts an end to those calls.”
She turned, tugging the chair closer. “I can’t imagine what your job must be like. You’re the first cop I’ve ever spent any time with and I have to say I’m fascinated.” She shouldn’t be. She should be keeping a safe distance. Being friendly was one thing, but engaging him on a more personal level was a recipe for disaster.
“Most days it’s kind of boring. Every once in a while something big happens. Like when Trinity’s biological father got himself shot when he’d been wrongfully accused of a string of murders south of here.”
“Oh. Oh.” She grabbed his arm. “I heard about that from Lucy Ann. Didn’t he get shot by federal officers right outside of Safe Harbor Café?”
Emmerson nodded, releasing her hand. “It wasn’t our case. Most big ones like that aren’t. We just don’t have the resources. Either we work with the sheriff or it goes to State. With what happened to Trinity’s father, that went through the Feds, but it was a whole shit show. And then there was what went down with Rhett’s wife and her brother. You met him.” He lifted his mug and sipped.
“I did.” She rested her chin in the palm of her hand. She could listen to Emmerson talk all day. The tone of his voice had a calming effect. His eyes were warm and welcoming. Everything about him screamed kindness.
“Yeah. My deputy, Chris Manzo. That’s Rhett’s brother-in-law. Good man, but he and his wife got mixed up in some crazy mob shit up in New Jersey. Once again, not our case, but we helped. It’s kind of what we do.”
“Sounds like you really enjoy your job.” She smiled. “Helping people, that is.”
“Everyone in my family is a bit of bleeding heart that way.” He chuckled. “My dad and my brother Seth often do lawyer shit for free. Of course, there are all the cops in the family. We have the firefighter and two private dicks, although one of them is a full-time mechanic who often gives out free oil changes to people who can’t pay, which is no way to run a business.”
“I’ll have to remember that, since I’m due for that and a tire rotation.”
“I’ll make sure Miles gives you the friends and family deal.”
She glanced at her watch. “Oh, shit. I’ve got to get going. I can’t be late for work.”
“I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Emmerson, you don’t have to do that. You’re dead-dog-tired and need to go to the station. Sit. Relax. Close your eyes.”
“If I do that, I’ll be asleep in seconds.” He pushed from the chair.
“I need to get my bag.”
“I’ll wait.”
“Of course you will.” She scurried off into the pool house with her heart in her throat. Everything about Emmerson had thrown her off-kilter. He was everything she fantasized a man should be, and in the same breath, he was everything she avoided. There had been times she thought enough time had passed. But Tony was a grudge holder. He’d never forget she’d been the one to betray him.
Grabbing her purse, she raced back out the door, tugging it to make sure it locked. She’d hidden the bag of money, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be found. “Okay. Ready.”
“I can come by and bring you to the station for your statement after your shift, if you’d like.” He pressed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her across the pool deck.
The closer she got to her vehicle, the closer his hand got to her hip. It wasn’t a blatant sexual move, but he wasn’t simply being a gentleman either. Especially when he turned her, resting both hands on her waist.
Her arms clung at her sides awkwardly. She was used to being in control of all her dating situations. She decided who and when and this should be no different. The problem was she couldn’t deny she wanted Emmerson. But she also struggled to separate the sex from the emotion. Something that hadn’t happened since George and she swore she’d never let it happen again.
“I wouldn’t want to put you out.”
“You’re not,” he said. “I wish I was the one taking it, but my mother thinks it’s best if someone else does it.”
She narrowed her stare. “Why?”
“You’re an interesting complication.” He tilted her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Tell me this isn’t a good idea. Or that you’re not interested. Or even if you are, give me a reason I shouldn’t kiss you. Otherwise, in about five seconds or less, I’m going for it.”
She stared into his liquid gold eyes while she searched for the words. Any words.
But none came.
Next thing she knew, she parted her lips and blinked her eyes closed as his sweet lips landed on hers in one of the most electrifying kisses she’d ever tasted. It was one of those first kisses that you knew you would always remember every single second of. The way his mouth molded perfectly against hers, as if she were the shore and he were the ocean.
The way his tongue eased between her lips, swirling around hers in a new, but almost familiar dance.
She didn’t want the kiss to end, but for her sanity, she needed it to. Fisting his shirt, she took a step back, breaking off what would go down as the kiss to end all kisses. “I really need to go. I was going to walk to work, but now I’m going to have to?—”
“I’ll drive you.” He laced his fingers between hers and tugged.
“No. That’s not necessary. Seriously, you need to rest and I get the feeling you’re the kind of man who puts everyone else’s needs above your own.”
“It’s the nature of my job.” He chuckled. “But it will be easier if I drive you. That way we won’t have two cars when I pick you up for your statement.”
She stopped dead in her tracks, staring at his police car. “You expect me to get in that thing?”
“My personal car is at the station. I have a motorcycle, but it’s at Miles’ shop. I pick it up next week.”
“Do I have to get in the back? Because that would be way too weird for me and I’d prefer to drive myself if that’s the case.”
He burst out laughing.
“I don’t see why that’s got you cracking up.”
He cleared his throat, pulling out a key fob. He yanked open the front passenger side door. “The back seat is reserved for those I put in handcuffs.” He waved his hand. “I don’t intend on using those on you.”
“I guess you’re not into kinky stuff.” She groaned. Over the years she’d learned to keep the flirting to a minimum. Men liked it too much and it always gave the wrong impression. She could get her point across when she was attracted to someone with a lot less fanfare. Keeping men at a safe distance—even those she had short flings with—was a necessary evil.
He stuck his head inside the car. “Because of my profession, no one is putting restraints on me, and I’m not sure I could do it to someone else in the bedroom, even if they were willing.” He leaned closer. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a saucy side.”
Biting down on the inside of her cheek, she did her best to keep from giggling.
“Yeah. I heard how that sounded. Go ahead, smirk, chuckle, get it all out. Whatever. I chalk it up to not sleeping for the last twenty-four hours.” He slammed the door shut and jogged around the hood. He slipped behind the steering wheel.
“I’ve never been inside a police car before.” It was a lie, but this was different and the excitement outweighed the fear. The only thing she had to be frightened of was the fact that Emmerson had the ability to make her feel things she had no business feeling. She might have to leave before she’d previously decided.
Three months might be just long enough to lose her heart to a man, especially to someone like Emmerson.
“It’s a basic sedan with a few modifications.”
“Does it go faster than a normal car?”
He glanced over his shoulder and backed out of the driveway. “Do I need to worry about you being a little speed demon?”
“Not once have I ever been pulled over.”
“That doesn’t mean you don’t go too fast. I know all about radar detectors and those apps that warn people about my kind.”
“Well, I don’t have one of those radar things, but I do use that app. Mostly to alert me about traffic and accidents.”
“Right. Likely story.” He put the car in drive, palmed the wheel, and eased down the street. He turned down the police radio and tapped a button on the computer screen. “Just don’t text and drive. I’ll let someone go for a first speeding offense, as long as it’s not in a school or construction zone, and it’s not something insane, like a hundred miles an hour on the highway. I can be forgiving about rolling through a right on red once. But I see you with a cell in your hand, I’m done.”
“Is there a story behind that?” Once again, she wanted to know everything. Every detail. She didn’t want him to leave out one little thing about his life, including his work.
He nodded. “Four teenagers coming home from homecoming six years ago were hit head-on by some idiot sexting with his girlfriend. I fucking lost it when I read his text message and the timestamp. He could have waited or pulled over to tell his girl what he wanted to do to her. It was really graphic and gross. And wordy. My own mother had to pull me off him and suspend me for a week because I broke his nose.”
“He kind of deserved far worse.”
“He’s still in prison and will be for a long time, but that won’t bring those four kids back or ease the pain their families feel.” He smacked the steering wheel.
Reaching out, she rested her hand on his thigh, squeezed, and then left it there. “I don’t know how you do it.”
“I don’t know who that was harder on. Me or Jameson. I was the first officer to respond and the scene was straight from a horror movie. But Jameson and his crew had to pull those kids from the wreckage. Three were gone, but one had a weak pulse. The paramedics took over, but it was too late.” He flicked the blinker on and pulled into the back parking lot of the Safe Harbor Café. Taking her hand, he kissed it. “I’m sorry. I have to stop dumping shit like this on you. It’s too heavy.”
“Maybe it’s me who needs to stop asking the questions.” She smiled weakly. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Let me get the door for you.”
“That’s really not necessary.” She grabbed his arm. “This time I’m insisting.”
“All right, but kissing you in the front seat of my vehicle won’t be as comfortable as it would be out there.”
“Not going to happen.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’ll see you later, Mr. Saucy.”
He groaned. “You’re not going to ever let me live that down, are you?”
“Never.” Of all the places she’d lived, Lighthouse Cove was by far both the best and the worst.
Three months would be dwindled down to two.
Or maybe one.
Emmerson might not be the kind of man who would hurt her, but he was the kind of man who would run off with her heart.