Chapter Six – Declan
Declan
I stared at Harper and Brystol as they headed back to the flower shop and slipped in through the back door.
“Women,” I mumbled, shutting the door and shaking my head. I wasn’t even sure why Brystol had dropped her news bomb on me. Harper, I could understand. But me? I get she wanted a guy’s thoughts on it, but holy shit. I knew Brystol from growing up in the area, but not well. Maybe my living in the apartment above her toy store made us closer friends in her eyes. I wasn’t sure.
Then my thoughts quickly turned to Harper. She looked beautiful today, like always. She wore dark jeans, a long-sleeve shirt with her flower shop logo on the front, and brown ankle boots. Why was that so fucking adorable?
Though something still struck me as off with her and my brother. Now more than ever. She actually forgot that she was dating Sean.
The sound of my phone vibrating on the counter pulled me from my thoughts of Harper.
“Speak of the devil.” I accepted the call. “Hey, Sean. What’s up?”
“Mom wants you to call her.”
I raised my brows. “Um, okay. Why didn’t she call or text me then?”
He sighed. “She has been for the last thirty minutes, and she’s freaking out because you’re not answering her messages.”
Rubbing a hand over my head, I blew out a breath. “My phone was on vibrate, and I guess I didn’t notice it going off. Is she always like this if you don’t reply right away?”
“Yes. Welcome home.”
I laughed. “What are you up to?”
“Work. You know…for Dad in the family business.”
I could hear the hostility pouring out of my brother. “No one forced you to be an accountant, Sean.”
He huffed. “Yeah, right. You ran off and joined the Marines, so that left me to be the one to make Mom and Dad happy.”
“Maybe if you had some balls on you, you might’ve stood up to them and told them you didn’t want to be an accountant.”
“Fuck off, Declan! It doesn’t matter anyway. The golden boy is home now. And the best part, Mom is calling me to do her bidding where you’re concerned.”
“Again, it’s not my fault you don’t know how to stand up to our parents.”
“You don’t know a damn thing. Just call Mom so she’ll stop hounding me at work.”
The line went dead, and I could imagine my brother pouting at his desk. What in the world did Harper see in him? I rolled my eyes and hit my mother’s name.
“Declan! I’ve been trying to reach you but you haven’t responded. I was worried.”
I drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. I needed to nip this shit in the bud right now. I loved my mother dearly, but if she started this shit, I’d be hightailing it out of Moose Village faster than you can say my name.
“Mom, we can’t start this.”
“Start what?”
“You, wanting to know where I am at all times, or having twenty-four-seven access to me. I’m a grown man, and I’ve managed this long without having to check-in. Also, please do not call Sean to have him follow up for you. He has better things to do with his time.”
“I don’t expect to have twenty-four-seven access to you.”
Biting back a laugh, I replied, “You had Sean call me because you couldn’t get a hold of me yourself, Mom. You texted me a dozen times and left…” I pulled my phone away from my face to see that she’d left me three voicemails, just in the short time Harper and Brystol were here. “Three voicemails.”
“Are you sure I left three? I thought I only left two.”
“You know I love you, and I’m sure it had to be hard for you when I was gone all those years, but you really have to give me my space.”
She let out a long breath. “I’m just so glad to have you home, and I want to see you and speak to you as much as I can.”
I felt bad, but at the same time, I knew my mother. She had a way of manipulating people when she wanted things.
“I’m not going anywhere. And you need to stop calling Sean when it comes to me.”
“I called him one time.”
“Mom, he’s always had a hard time with the additional attention you’ve shown me.”
“You were in a dangerous job and in the military! I had every right to worry about you. I don’t love you any more than I do Sean.”
“I know that, but he doesn’t see it that way. If you can’t reach me, leave a message, and I’ll call you back when I can. But please don’t ask Sean to try to figure out where I am. That’s not his job. Okay?”
“I admit, that was a poor decision on my part. I won’t do it again.”
“Do you promise me?”
Another sigh came through the phone. “I promise. Now, the whole reason I called was to see if you’re free Sunday evening.”
“As far as I know, why?”
“Family dinner night.”
I closed my eyes and slowly shook my head. All of that over family dinner? “You could have just sent a text about it.”
“I could, but I wanted to hear your voice.”
I rubbed at the sudden ache in the back of my neck. It was slowly moving up, and I could feel one hell of a headache coming on.
“I’ve got to run, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too! If you’re free, stop by the house. I made your favorite dessert, no-bake éclairs!”
“I’ll try, but I’ve got to head to the station.”
“And you’re set on the whole police officer thing?”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I said, “Mom…”
“Right, right. I’m sorry. You’re a grown man.”
“Promise me you won’t do this again. I’m in the same town as you now, that has to be good enough.”
I could practically hear the frown I knew she was making.
“I’ll back off, I promise. Enjoy your day. Bye, sweetheart.”
“Bye, Mom.”
I hit End, tossed my phone onto the sofa, and walked toward the windows that overlooked Main Street. It was late spring, so there were more people than normal. Moose Village didn’t get as many tourists as Lake Placid, and the town was okay with that. The type of people who came to our sleepy little town were looking more for a place to relax. Step back in time to where everyone knows everyone, and life is at a slower pace.
I frowned when I saw a young guy stop and look into The Book Nook. I was pretty sure one of the Banks’ owned the bookstore, I just couldn’t remember which one. The last thing I wanted to do was call my mother back and ask her. I watched as the guy stared into the window, looked down the street, and then looked into the window again. He started to walk around the corner and leaned on the building as he surveyed the area.
“What in the hell are you doing?” I whispered.
When a couple walked by and no one else was walking toward him, he moved to the front door and looked as if he was trying to open the door. When it wouldn’t open, he peered through the windows again.
Turning, I grabbed my phone and hit James Quinn’s number.
“Don’t tell me you’re changing your mind and want to be an accountant now.”
I chuckled. “No, but are you on duty?”
“No, Gavin is. Why?”
I cleared my throat and said, “It may be nothing, but a guy in his mid-twenties is standing outside the bookshop.”
“The Book Nook?”
“Yeah. Does the Banks family still own it?”
“Yep. Aurora Banks runs it now, and her younger sister, Lou, works there. Granny Larson sold the bookstore to Aurora just a few years ago.”
Good Lord, did everyone in this town pass their stores on to their kids?
Granny Larson was also known as Louanne Larson Banks. Lou Banks was named after her grandmother. That much I knew.
“I’ll have Gavin swing by and ensure everything’s okay. I believe the bookstore’s closed today. At least, that’s what my mother said. Aurora and Lou are at a book conference.”
I watched the guy slowly start down the alley between the bookstore and the Sweet Spot.
“He’s heading down the alley. I think you need to get someone over here; he was trying the door to see if it was locked.”
“Gav is less than a minute out. I sent him a text.”
Sure enough, a Moose Village patrol car parked on Main. I watched as Gavin got out. He was talking into his radio as he walked up and looked through the windows.
“I’m going to go down there.”
“Um, Declan, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Just let Gavin handle it.”
“I won’t get in the way, James.”
“Jesus, is this a preview of what it’ll be like having you on the force?”
Laughing, I replied, “You wish. I’ll call you back.”
I ended the call before he could say anything else and headed out the door.
By the time I got to the bookstore, Gavin was walking up from the alley.
“Did you see him?”
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t see anyone. What did he look like?”
I ran a hand down the side of my face. I should have just come down and asked why he was snooping around the bookstore when it was closed. “Young, mid-twenties. He had a ball cap on, so I couldn’t see his hair, but I had a clear view of his face when he glanced around to see if anyone was watching him. He was wearing jeans and a navy-blue T-shirt.”
“You think he was trying to break in?”
“I’m not sure. Has Aurora had any problems with break-ins?”
Gavin shook his head. “No. No one has. It’s not really a problem in town.”
Nodding, I looked around. “I’ll keep my eyes open. If I see him again, hopefully I’m on duty.”
Smiling, Gavin hit the side of my arm. “We’ll be glad to have you onboard.”
His radio went off, and he answered. “I didn’t see anyone, but I’ll make a few rounds around town and see if I can spot the guy. Declan gave me a description.”
Once he was finished, I walked him to his patrol car. “It’s pretty quiet so this would be rare, having someone stake out a place.”
“Just because it’s a small town doesn’t mean there isn’t any crime,” I said, as I glanced around again.
“I didn’t say there wasn’t any crime. I said it was rare.”
Turning back to Gavin, I sighed. “Sorry, dude, I didn’t mean to come off like you don’t know your job. Maybe it was nothing and I made it into something. I’m used to always dealing with bad guys.”
Gavin’s megawatt smile was back. “I sure hope you don’t get bored with this job. The most action we see is during Christmas, when the book club has its annual party and they all get drunk. Last year, we had to pull Betty Lou Stark off of Judith Turner when Judith stepped on Betty Lou’s fancy new shoes, and they got into a fight about who would pay to have them cleaned.”
I was pretty sure the look on my face was incredulous.
He laughed. “Yeah. Nothing like breaking up a catfight between two grandmothers. Especially when one of them says she’s going to call my mother and tell her I ‘manhandled’ her.”
I lost it laughing. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
Gavin mock shuddered. “I wish I was.”
“I better get back upstairs. I have to be at the station soon.”
“Good luck!” Gavin called out, as I jogged across the street.
“Thanks!” I replied, before heading down the alley and to the back of the toy store.
I knew I was probably making a mountain out of a mole hill with this guy at the bookstore. But nonetheless, I quickly dressed and hightailed it out of my apartment and into my truck.
“Next stop, a new career.”
“Officer Gallagher! Oh, Officer Gallagher!”
I let out a small groan as Gavin laughed. It was my first day on the job, and the first person I would have to see was the town gossip.
“Sounds like you’re needed… Officer Gallagher .”
Giving him a go-to-hell look, I turned and plastered on a fake smile as I watched Betty Lou Stark make her way over to me.
“Officer Gallagher! I’m so glad I caught you.”
Betty stopped in front of Gavin and me. She placed a hand over her heart and took deep breaths as she smiled up at us.
“Mrs. Stark, please just call me Declan.”
She waved me off. “Nonsense, you’ve earned your title. All those years you were in the Army.”
Gavin choked back another laugh, and I shot him a warning look before focusing back on Betty Lou. “Marines.”
Frowning, she asked, “I’m sorry?”
“I was in the Marines, not the Army.”
“Yes, that’s right,” she said, motioning to her head. “Old age and all.”
Deciding I needed to move her along, I asked, “Was there something we could help you with?”
“Yes, indeed, there is. Someone has parked in a handicap spot, and they do not appear to be handicapped.”
I stared at her, then looked at Gavin, who was trying hard not to lose it.
“How do you know they’re not?” I asked.
She gave me a look that said I’d just asked the stupidest question she’d ever heard.
“They got out of the car and walked into the store just fine. That’s how I know.”
Gavin sighed next to me. “Betty Lou, we’ve talked about this before. Just because a person doesn’t look handicapped, doesn’t mean they aren’t.”
“Well, I think that’s silly! What if someone uses their mother’s car with the handicap plate and takes advantage of it? You both need to track them down and ask them what their handicap is! This is the second time I’ve seen them in that parking space.”
I shook my head. “I’m afraid we won’t do that, Mrs. Stark.”
Her hands went to her hips, and she glared at me. “And why not, Declan Gallagher? I know your mother, and I’ll be forced to tell her you didn’t do your job.”
I laughed. “I don’t think that kind of threat works on a thirty-five-year-old, ma’am.”
She huffed, and now crossed her arms over her chest. “I want to know what this person’s handicap is that they need to park in that space.”
“Do you need the spot?” I asked.
Confused, she asked, “What do you mean?”
“Do you need that parking spot?”
“No!” she cried. “I’m not handicapped.”
“Then mind your own business.”
With that, I turned and started down the street.
“Well, I have never! Did you hear what he said to me?” Betty Lou said to Gavin.
“I’m afraid he’s right, Betty Lou,” Gavin said, as I stopped and glanced back. “Is it a black Nissan sedan, by chance?”
She tilted her head and regarded Gavin. “Yes.”
“They are handicapped.”
“How do you know?”
Sighing, Gavin said, “Because I just know.”
“Well, what’s wrong with them?”
I walked back to them. “By law, you cannot ask a person what their disability is, Mrs. Stark. As Officer Quinn said, just because you can’t see it, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. And honestly, I’m a bit surprised you’re behaving this way. Doesn’t your son have seizures? A disability others can’t see?”
Her mouth opened, then quickly snapped shut. I’d only known that detail about her son because I went to high school with him.
Clearing her throat, Betty Lou forced herself to smile. “You gentlemen have a good day.”
She turned on her heels and quickly walked down Main Street.
“I forgot her son had seizures. He was a few years ahead of me.”
Once Betty Lou turned the corner, I faced Gavin. “My first day isn’t turning out the way I thought it would.”
He laughed…but the sound cut off quickly. “Is that the guy you saw the other day? Looking into the bookstore again?”
Turning, I quickly started that way when I noticed it was him. He was pacing the alley next to the bookstore. “Yeah, it is.”
He was still standing there when we walked up.
“Is there something we can help you with?” Gavin asked.
He smiled. “No, I’m just looking in the window.”
Gavin and I exchanged looks.
“Why?” I asked.
His cheeks turned bright red. “Lou works here.”
“And you know her how…?” Gavin asked.
The kid looked back to the window. “I’m kind of embarrassed to admit this, but…she used to date my best friend. They broke up, and I’ve been working up the courage to ask her out.”
Gavin grinned as I forced myself not to roll my eyes.
“You realize you’re making yourself look like a stalker,” I said, folding my arms over my chest. It was hard to do with the vest and gear on, but I forced myself to do it anyway.
Gavin laughed. “Jesus, Declan, slow your roll down.”
His eyes went wide. “A stalker? No! I’m not stalking her. Or anyone! I’m just trying to work up the courage to go in.”
I sighed. “You just walk in, go up to her, and say, ‘Lou, I want to take you out on a date.’”
It was then I realized I was giving advice that I hadn’t followed myself when it came to Harper.
“Holy shit, when was the last time you asked a woman out, Declan?” Gavin asked. “That is not the way to do it.”
“Yeah, I’ve got to agree with him,” the kid said.
I huffed. “What do you know? You can’t even bring yourself to walk into the bookstore.”
“That’s because I like her so much! Haven’t you ever been nervous about asking a girl out?”
I wasn’t about to tell him yes. So I lied. “No.”
“I have,” Gavin injected. “Asked a girl out one time and was shot down so hard, I was left scarred.”
The kid’s eyes went wide with worry. “See? That’s why I can’t do it.”
He looked back to the window, then at us. “I’ve got an idea! Why don’t you guys go in and maybe mention me, and see what she says.”
“You’ve got to be kidding, right?” I asked. “We don’t even know who the hell you are.”
“Oh!” he said with a laugh, reaching his hand out to Gavin first. “I’m Tanner Browning.”
“Related to Harper Browning?” I asked.
He smiled big and bright. “Harper’s my cousin. Are you friends with her?”
“She’s dating my brother, Sean.”
Tanner frowned. “They broke up.”
“That’s what we all thought,” Gavin stated.
I shrugged. “Apparently, they’re back together.”
Tanner’s frown deepened.
“What’s with the look?” I asked.
Tanner shrugged. “It’s just, well…it was pretty obvious that Sean didn’t want to be with Harper anymore, and she even said they weren’t good together, so…I’m just wondering what changed.”
“People break up and get back together all the time,” Gavin said. “But back to your problem. Dude, you need to go in and ask the girl out.”
He looked at the bookstore, then back at us. “Will you guys come in with me?”
I let out a bark of laughter, and when the kid didn’t laugh in return, I sobered up.
“You need to do this on your own, Tanner,” Gavin said. “The worst she can say is no, and at least then you’ll know how she feels and you can move on.”
“Agreed,” I said. “We need to get going. And stop staring into the window, it’s creepy as fuck.”
Tanner grinned sheepishly. “Got it.” Then he drew in a deep breath and gave a firm head nod. “I’m going in.”
We watched as he made his way to the door and walked in.
I sighed. “Please tell me we’re going to see more action than just the town gossip and an introverted twenty-something creeping on a woman.”
Gavin chuckled. “I would think you’d be glad for the calmer work environment.”
“Trust me, I love not having bullets flying toward me. I was just hoping for a bit…more.”
“There’s a jaywalker.” Gavin pointed to a guy crossing in the middle of Main Street. “We can chase him down and give him a ticket. If we’re lucky, he might even call us assholes.”
I stared at Gavin. “You’re not being serious right now, are you?”
When the corners of his mouth twitched, I pushed him away from me. “Asshole.”
“It’s Moose Village, Declan. You grew up here. You know what this town is like. We occasionally get a robbery or something like that, but not often. The last real action that happened in town was when Cadie got kidnapped and we had the FBI bossing us around for an entire day. That really wasn’t any fun.”
I laughed. “Then I guess I should be glad for a more relaxed work environment.”
“You just jinxed us, I hope you know that.”
“So what you’re saying is, we’re going to get called to a cat stuck in a tree any second now.”
He smirked. “That’s not as easy as you would think. Do you know how fucking hard it is to get a scared cat out of a tree? I nearly lost an eye.”
“Wait, that was really a call you got? To get a cat out of the tree?”
“The fire department was out on a call, so it fell to me.”
I was pretty sure my mouth was hanging open. I cleared my throat. “Maybe I should be a firefighter instead.”
“Don’t get all excited; their call was to help a goat whose head was stuck in a fence.”
“Holy shit. I’m going to be bored out of my mind.”
“Or…we could figure out what’s happening with your brother and Harper. Does that look like a happy couple to you?”
I glanced across the street and saw Harper outside the Crazy Daisies flower shop. She was watering the plants outside while Sean stood there, his arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face.
“Looks like a lovers’ spat going on.”
Frowning, I nodded. “It sure does. What do you know about their breakup?”
Gavin shook his head. “Not much. I don’t hang around your brother; he has his own set of friends. And I know Harper, but not on a tell-me-why-you-broke-up level.”
“Something is really off with them, and I’m going to find out what it is.”
Rubbing his hands together, Gavin said, “I’m all in. Let’s go!”
He started to cross the street—by jaywalking—and I held him back. “Don’t you think we should set an example and go to the crosswalk?” I jerked my head down the road.
Gavin looked at the crosswalk and then back to me. “But it would be a hell of a lot faster to just walk across here. Besides, it’s not a crime to jaywalk.”
“You were trying to get me to give a guy a ticket for it just two minutes ago.”
Smiling, he winked and started to cross the street. I quickly fell into step next to him.
“Rule number one, Declan, know the laws.”
“Fuck you, Gavin, I do know the law. And by the way, let me do the talking, please.”
He chuckled, then quickly sobered up as we approached my brother and Harper.
“How’s it going?” I asked, jumping out of the water spray just in time when Harper spun around. Gavin, unfortunately, was too slow.
Karma.
“Oh my gosh, Gavin, I’m sorry!” Harper said, quickly turning off the water and dropping the hose as if it were on fire. Sean let out a laugh, and when I glanced over at him, he quickly stopped.
“It’s okay,” Gavin said, smiling as he looked down at his pants. It looked like he’d pissed himself.
“Bad luck,” I mumbled, earning a look from Gavin.
Harper covered her mouth to stifle her laugh. She quickly controlled herself and said, “I’m so sorry, Gavin.”
“No worries, Harper.”
“How’s it going?” I asked again, as I looked at my brother. “Off work early?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m on my lunch break. I was trying to talk Harper into coming to dinner tonight.”
“Why don’t you want to have dinner with your boyfriend?” I asked her. When her cheeks turned bright red and she looked away, Gavin and I exchanged a look.
“It’s at Mom and Dad’s house. Did you forget? It’s their anniversary, and Mom wanted us all to have dinner. She’s also inviting some other people, so it’s not just the family.”
“Really?” I asked. “Who else is invited?”
Sean suddenly looked nervous. “Um, the Stevens family.”
“The girls too?” I asked.
The way Sean glared at me, as if I didn’t have any right to ask about them, made me arch a brow.
“Caroline and Crystal, right? Mom always thought you and Crystal would end up together. No offense, Harper.”
She lifted her hands. “None taken.”
“I asked Caroline out once, and she turned me down,” Gavin said.
Sean’s head whipped up so fast, I was surprised he didn’t hurt himself. “You what ?”
Gavin nodded. “Yeah, she turned me down flat. I should probably try again, now that she’s moved back to town.”
“She’s dating someone,” Harper said, looking at Sean, then back to Gavin. “At least, I heard she was.”
“She is,” Sean said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were the one dating her, Sean,” I drawled, folding my arms over my chest and glaring at my brother, who was glaring at Gavin, who was utterly oblivious to what was happening. An investigator, he would not make.
Sean cleared his throat…again…before looking at Harper. “So, you’ll come?”
Watching her closely, I saw her jaw tic, like she was clamping down in frustration. Her eyes grew dark, and she drew in a slow breath before releasing it even slower.
“I’ll try, but I’m making no promises.”
Sean smiled. “Great. Thanks!”
He turned to walk off before Harper cleared her throat. “Sean?”
When he looked back, she tilted her head subtly and raised her brows.
“Oh, right, sorry!”
He quickly returned to her and kissed her on the lips—it was another peck. Then he waved to me and Gavin. “Later.”
“Later,” Gavin said, as he watched Sean walk away, while I studied Harper. She looked like she wanted to throw something at my brother.
When she turned and saw me watching her, she smiled. “How do you like being a police officer in the crazy town of Moose Village?”
“It’s quiet.”
She laughed, and I tried to ignore the way that made my insides warm.
“I bet it is. Gavin showing you the ropes?”
“He’s trying to get me fired.”
Harper’s brows shot up, and she gave Gavin a questioning look as he held up his hands in self-defense.
“It was a joke! And I would have stopped him if he’d tried to ticket the guy.”
“Ticket him for what?” Harper asked.
“Jaywalking,” Gavin and I said at the same time.
A look of surprise moved across her face. “Is that illegal? Shit, I do it all the time.”
Gavin laughed as I shot him a dirty look. “No, it’s not. I was just messing with Declan here. Tried to talk him into going after a jaywalker, but he’s holding out for a hardened criminal.”
Harper giggled. “Well, thanks for the warning. I’ll have to make sure I don’t do anything illegal, then.”
The image of a completely naked Harper handcuffed to my bed flashed through my mind. I shook it away…and let out a sound that was something like a groan mixed with a sad attempt to clear a frog away.
“We should get going. Have a good day, Harper.”
Gavin gave her a wave. “See ya around, Harper.”
Harper waved back. “Sorry again for the pants!”
Gavin laughed as he started down the road. When Harper gave me one last look, I had to fight to keep my breathing under control. She was so damn beautiful. Her brown hair was pulled back into a low pony and those eyes seemed as if they could gaze right into my soul. Today, they were more on the gray side than blue.
“Will I see you at dinner tonight?”
Her teeth dug into her lower lip, and I forced myself to keep a neutral expression. “I’m not sure. Probably not.”
I nodded. “Well…we’ll miss you. Bye, Harper.”
She smiled slightly and said, “Bye, Officer Gallagher.”
I rolled my eyes, and Harper laughed quietly as she picked up the hose once again to finish watering the plants.
As I walked away, I tried to think of a reason to say something else. Anything. Turning, I walked backward and called out, “Try not to assault anyone else with that water hose.”
Her smile grew. “I’ll do my best.”
Facing forward, I walked a bit faster to catch up to Gavin. Once I fell into step next to him, we walked in silence until we got to our patrol cars. We stopped at mine, and before I could say anything, Gavin looked at me and smiled. Actually, it was a shit-eating grin, so I knew something smartass was coming.
I just didn’t expect him to say what he did.
“So…how long have you had a thing for Harper?”