CHAPTER TWENTY
“I regret this already,” Cole said.
“Come on, Holly,” Tracy said, looping her arm in Holly’s. “First stop, Cole’s childhood bedroom.”
“What are you two even doing here?” Cole asked his sisters.
“Mom told us you were bringing Holly home,” Steph said. “You didn’t think we were gonna miss out on that action, did you?”
“You act like you know her.”
“Well, you talked about her incessantly after you got back from Hicksville. No offense, Holly.”
Holly held up a hand and shrugged. Cole didn’t care for the amused twinkle in her eye.
“I did not,” Cole said. He turned desperately to Holly. “I did not .”
“Me thinks he doth protest too much.” His dad smiled.
“I changed my mind,” Cole muttered. “We’ll take our chances in the city. We’re leaving.” It was an empty threat. Everyone knew it and ignored it.
Tracy and Stephanie already had Holly halfway down the hall. “Don’t believe a word they say,” Cole hollered after them.
His mom went to the kitchen, leaving him with his dad. “You okay, son? We’re glossing over it, but you shot someone today.”
“Maybe it hasn’t hit me yet, but I’m fine. He was one bad dude, so that part isn’t too troubling. He killed two cops, including Lambert. In that way, I feel like justice was served. And now Holly should be safe.”
“She seems like a real nice gal. Reminds me of your mom.”
Yeah, Cole could see that. Holly and his mom were both opinionated, yet easygoing. Pragmatic, but happy and optimistic.
“You two would work out nicely together,” his dad continued.
“Whaddya mean? Where’d that come from?”
“You know. How Mom’s the yin to my yang? The peanut butter to my jelly? The—”
“Speak English, man.”
He chuckled. “It’s just that Mom grounds me, balances me out. Her cheerfulness offsets my gruffness. Her optimism negates my cynicism. Holly seems like she could do the same for you.”
“You’ve known her for five minutes.”
“You told us all about her. And first impressions tell a lot about a person,” his dad said with a wink. “Plus, she’s not too hard on the old peepers.”
“I’m telling Mom.”
“Telling Mom what?” his mother said, coming in from the kitchen and handing them each a beer.
His dad laughed. “That Holly’s a lot like you. Sweet as can be and pretty as all get out.”
“Dad’s right. Holly is exactly the kind of girl you need.”
“We spent a few days together. Let’s not get carried away.”
“I have a keen sense about these things.” His mom tapped her head.
“This is not why I brought her here.” Was it?
Holly and his sisters approached from down the hall, huddled together and laughing, thick as thieves. He smelled trouble. Cole made a slicing motion across his throat at his parents, and thank goodness, they got the message and shut up.
“Holly, honey,” his mom said. “Would you like something to drink? I’ve got beer and iced tea.”
“Beer, please,” Holly said, making eye contact with Cole and fighting a smile.
“I don’t want to know what they told you,” he said. “Just be sure it was all lies.”
“We’re crushed you don’t trust us,” Steph said, laying a hand over her heart.
He downed his beer. “I have a feeling I’m gonna need a few of these to get through the night.”
Cole’s dad grilled burgers, and his mom made macaroni salad and brownies. After dinner, they gathered on the porch around the patio table. Cole hoped they’d forget about the whole game night thing but no such luck.
Without any input, his parents declared themselves a team, and his sisters did the same, leaving him and Holly together by default. She scooted closer, and her thigh touched his under the table. It was innocent enough, not overt in any way, but his parents’ comments still rattled around in his head and made him overly sensitive to her touch. Darn their stupid hot takes. He jerked his leg away as though he’d been branded, and she shot him a sideways glance.
“Everyone knows the rules, right?” Steph asked. “Gotta get your partner to say the word at the top of the card without using any of the other words on the card.”
“I’ve never played this,” Cole said. “How ’bout I just watch?”
“No,” Tracy said. “We have to have an even number. Holly, have you played?”
“A long time ago,” Holly said. “It’ll come back to me.”
“Here, you guys each try one then. As practice.” Steph handed Cole a card. The phrase was “working girl.” He turned to Holly.
“Um, I don’t know. What I was doing when we met.”
“Frowning. Brooding. Pouting.”
His sisters laughed as he stared Holly down. “Be serious, or I’ll get a new partner.” He scowled.
“Fine. Interviewing. Investigating. Bossing people around.”
He made a circular motion with his hand to indicate she was on the right track.
“Working,” she said finally.
“Yes. Second word, a young female.”
“Girl. Working girl.”
“Boom,” he said.
“Okay,” Tracy said. “Your turn, Holly. You guys gotta go faster though. There’s a timer too, and you’re trying to get as many right as you can in the allotted time.”
Holly looked at her card. “Something I do often.”
“Fall. Stumble. Trip. Drip food. Get lost. Chase bears.”
She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Not so funny, is it?” he said, biting his tongue not to laugh at her expression. What did she do often? “Eat.”
“Yes! Now pair that with a preposition.”
“Eat out?”
“Good job.” She pumped a fist in the air.
“I feel like this game is easier when you know your partner,” Cole said. “How are we supposed to win when you two have been married thirty-five years, and you guys have shared a room since birth?”
“Quit whining,” Steph said. “You’ll be fine.”
He and Holly held their own, and, after a few rounds, were in second place. They came to the final go-round, and Cole was guessing.
“I am…” Holly said.
“Clumsy. Hungry. A park ranger. Good at basketball. Beautiful.”
Holly’s eyes popped open in surprise, mirroring his own thought. Beautiful? Why had he blurted that out? She paused, caught off guard, but started again with another clue.
“Rick broke up with me in part because I’m…” she said, raising an eyebrow.
“Tall?”
“Bingo.” She nodded. “Second word. Lots of animals have these. Bears are short and stubby. Horses—”
“Tails,” he guessed. “Tall tale.”
“Time,” his mom said. “Good job, you two. Let’s add up points and see who won.”
“First, I gotta hear the too-tall break-up story,” Tracy said. “What kind of loser does that?”
Cole spent the evening taking crap from his siblings and getting “looks” from his parents. Looks that said, “We were right about Holly. You should go for it.” At least, that’s what he thought they said.
A couple of times, he caught Holly staring at him, almost studying him. Probably wondering what she’d gotten herself into and how fast she could get out of it.
They came in second, and Holly celebrated with a third brownie.
His sisters said their goodbyes, and his parents shuffled off to bed. He and Holly sat on the back porch, enjoying the cool night air.
“Sorry about tonight. My family can be a little overwhelming.”
“Oh, no. It was great. I love how your family is so close,” she said almost wistfully. “Even when my folks were together, it was just the three of us. We got along all right, but it was never fun . I always wanted siblings.”
“You’re welcome to take mine.”
“Seriously,” she pressed. “You’re lucky to have them.”
“I know. I know,” he admitted. “All things considered, they’re pretty great.”
Sirens wailed in the distance, and traffic noise filled the night air.
“It never really gets quiet here, does it?” Holly asked.
“No. But you get used to it. It’s just background noise, like crickets and frogs.”
“Is it over now? Now that there’s no one to testify against?”
“I think so. I doubt Cruz was beloved enough that his crew will feel the need to avenge his death. Plus, word will spread that I killed him. So any beef would be with me. We have a CI who’ll let us know if he hears anything about retaliation.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Holly said. “I’m not worried. Anyway, my friends and I have a plan if anyone comes to town for us.”
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “What’s that?”
“Have you ever seen Home Alone ?”
“Yikes.” He chuckled and rolled his eyes.
Other than his sisters, most of the women Cole knew were from work. His fellow officers were brave, strong, and a lot like Holly. She was different in that she also had a soft, self-deprecating, funny side. Like anyone, she had some scars—her dad’s betrayal, her mom’s abandonment, her broken engagement—but she took it all in stride and never seemed to let it get her down.
She gave as good as she got, was fun to be around, easy to talk to, and he felt lighter in her presence. Like she was a ray of sunshine in his otherwise dreary world. He could be himself with her. And what was more, he liked who he was with her. More than just the gruff cop—good at his job, but kind of an asshole.
Were these warm, fuzzy feelings the result of his long overdue vacation? Or did it have something to do with the pretty brown-haired park ranger sitting next to him?
Holly turned to him. “I don’t know if I ever thanked you for today. You saved my life.” She kissed his cheek.
The innocent peck wasn’t enough. He turned and took her head in his hands, hesitating just long enough to give her time to protest. When she didn’t, he moved in slowly, kissing her softly, yet thoroughly.
“Mm,” she mumbled against his lips. “What’s that for?”
“I’m just so relieved I got there in time today. I’m glad you’re okay.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and reignited the kiss. This time, there were no bears or rainstorms to interrupt them. She felt good in his arms, and a strange sensation filled him—a desire to keep her here. Forever.
His phone buzzed, and they broke apart. It was a text from Flanigan.
Espinoza’s the rat. He’s in custody. You’re clear now. Sorry again .
“Holy crap,” Cole said. “The mole was Flanigan’s partner. How did he not see that?”
“Did they arrest him?”
“Yes. I’ll get the whole scoop later, but for now, we’re out of danger.”
“That’s a relief.” She sighed. The interruption had killed the momentum, apparently giving her a chance to second-guess making out with him. She pulled away.
“Hey, you wanna do some sightseeing tomorrow?”
“Sure, sounds fun,” she said. “For now, I’m gonna head to bed.”
He pinned her gaze. “Is that an invitation?”
She met his eyes and paused. He saw the conflict, the assessment of what that would mean, the wheels turning to make a decision. “That’s probably not the best idea,” she whispered.
“Yeah,” he agreed, his heart sinking. “Probably not.”
“Not that I don’t want to. I just—”
“No. I get it.” It was all he could do not to smack his own forehead. What a stupid thing to say. Now things were awkward.
She said good night and walked inside. He stayed on the porch, mulling over the evening. Holly was right. There was no future for them, so sleeping together would be a mistake. It was more than just the three hundred miles that separated them. They were from two different worlds.
Which begged the question, how had a klutzy park ranger from Podunkville burrowed under his skin so thoroughly? If she was a spiderweb, he was the fly. And though he didn’t know much about arthropods, he knew a spider’s prey rarely got free once tangled in the web. The first woman to intrigue him in a very long time, and she was out of reach.
He looked up. The bright city lights cluttered the sky, but he thought he saw the North Star. And since Holly had shown him how to use that to find the Big Dipper…Yep, sure enough. It wasn’t nearly as distinct as it had been in Green Valley Falls, but he could just make it out. That reminded him of the Fourth of July. Lying next to Holly and countin’ the stars. Okay, now he sounded like a sappy country song. Time for bed.
He brushed his teeth and climbed into his childhood bed. At least his sisters’ threat to bring Holly in here was an idle one. His mom had redecorated years ago, so gone were his Knicks City Dancers posters and the shelves of Peewee Baseball trophies. That was the second bullet he’d dodged today.
Coming so close to getting shot made a guy reevaluate his priorities. Work was his life. Making detective his sole objective. But what if he was missing out on something by putting a relationship on the back burner?
Holly didn’t leave until Wednesday. That gave him almost thirty-six hours to enjoy her company. If things went well, maybe he’d see if she was interested in visiting each other. That sounded less intimidating than “long-distance relationship.” Baby steps.
Tomorrow, he’d show her his New York.