Close Encounters (38 page)

“Yes, please.”

Everyone gathered in the judge’s chambers to work out the exact wording and stipulations of the settlement. The room was crowded with men, many of them in uniform, lots of lawyers and note takers—and Lee.

Carol felt a peculiar twisting of her stomach when she realized that he, too, had been summoned for the occasion. She allowed herself only one covert glance in his direction, and then gave her attention totally to Wes and the judge. But she was as aware of Lee’s presence as if he’d been sitting next to her, holding her hand.

The negotiations took almost two hours.

At the conclusion the judge offered Carol the only official acknowledgment she’d received from the city about what had happened to her.

“The money is secondary to being alive, Your Honor,” Carol said with dignity. “The most important thing to me is not to let this episode rule my life. I’ve learned a lot from it, and now it’s time to move on.”

There were congratulations and handshaking, everyone pleased with themselves. Carol hoped Lee would approach and say something, but Wes hustled her out of the room.

“It’s best that we leave and not let them feel too proud of themselves, Carol. Believe me, they think they’ve gotten off easy.”

“So have I,” she said dryly. “Does this mean it’s all over?”

“It sure does. And I suggest it’s not necessary to celebrate by spending your entire award to support Bloomingdale’s or Nordstrom.”

Carol ignored her brother’s caustic wit. They were almost out the door when she glanced over her shoulder in search of Lee. But Wes propelled her into the hall.

“Wes, wait a minute—”

“No, Carol,” he said, leading her toward the elevator. “Now is not the time. You are still being watched. Everything has to be aboveboard until the ink is dry and the check has been cashed.”

Of course he was right. They stood in silence, waiting for the elevator to arrive. Other people gathered around them, and the crowd grew larger. Carol hazarded a look back toward the room she’d just left and saw the contingent of NYPD officials making their way to the elevator as well. She spotted Lee immediately and waited for him to make eye contact. But he never once looked in her direction.

The elevator doors opened, emptied of several passengers, and then began to fill again with those waiting to descend. Carol had no choice but to step aboard with Wes. She waited to see if the police would try to get on, but they didn’t. They were out of her line of vision now, but she heard a sudden burst of male laughter from the group. Wes put his hand on her back, as if to comfort her.

The elevator doors closed, cutting off the sounds, and the elevator began to descend.

C
AROL FINISHED MARKING THE TOP
of the box and, getting on her knees, pushed it across the bare floor and against the wall. That made three that she’d filled with art, accessories, and furniture from the foyer. There was also the rolled carpet from the entrance, ready to be carted downstairs for pickup by the sanitation department. And Wes was in the bedroom repairing a ceiling fixture.

She stood up and surveyed the area again, but no longer felt any flashbacks of the attack that had taken place here. The wood floor was permanently damaged and she’d decided to have it sanded and resealed. And she was still going to move eventually.

When the buzzer sounded, Carol called out to Wes, “I’ll get it,” and pushed the intercom button.

“Who is it?”

“Delivery,” a young male voice announced, giving the name of the local supermarket.

“Come on up,” Carol instructed, releasing the front door.

She made sure the way was clear for her packages to be brought in and then went to get money to tip the deliveryman. The doorbell rang as she retrieved her purse from the living room.

“Coming,” she called out, reaching the door and unlocking it.

A teenager stood outside the door with two packages in his arms. Carol waved him into the kitchen, frowning as she followed him.

“Is this okay?” he asked, putting the bags on the counter.

“Yes, but is this everything?” she questioned. “I’m sure I ordered more than this.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He pointed back to the front door. “The rest is coming now.”

Carol looked up and saw Lee standing in the doorway, holding the third bag of groceries. She was so unprepared for his appearance that she just stood and stared at him.

“He said he knew you,” the teen added when he noticed the surprise on Carol’s face.

She recovered quickly, pulled several bills from her purse, and passed the money to the young man. “Yes, I know him. Thanks very much.”

“That’s okay. That man already tipped me.”

Carol detected a slight smile on Lee’s mouth, his eyes alert and watchful. She approached him and took the bag out of his hands. “A tip… or was it a bribe?”

“’Cuse me?” the teen questioned.

“Never mind. Thanks again,” she said and he left. She placed the third bag of groceries in the kitchen and returned to the hallway, slowly.

They faced each other in silence. Finally Carol waved Lee inside and closed the door. Nothing about him seemed to have changed, except that he appeared to be remarkably relaxed. He was dressed in jeans and a navy-blue polo shirt under a brown suede aviation jacket. It was zippered and seemed to bulge out. He put his hands in the pockets.

“You look like you’re pregnant,” she commented. “It wasn’t me.”

He chuckled. “If I am, my reputation is ruined.” He sobered quickly and stared at her. “I guess I don’t need to ask if you’re surprised to see me.” He noted that her bruises and cuts were all completely healed.

Carol was also wearing jeans, and a gray athletic sweatshirt with the name of the college where she taught printed across the front.

“If you meant to surprise me, it worked,” she said. “Why didn’t you just say it was you?”

“I was a little afraid you might not want to see me yet.”

“Funny… I’ve been thinking the same thing about you.”

“You were wrong,” Lee said earnestly. “I don’t think I can tell you how good it is to see you again, Carol.”

“Try,” she said bluntly, watching his face.

Lee grinned slowly at the command, but he was also relieved. He leaned toward her, tilting his head to one side. Carol followed suit, bending hers the other way so that their lips could meet. Then he boldly deepened his kiss with an intimacy that quickly eliminated the many weeks, and all the doubts of their separation.

The familiar sense of well-being returned to them both, along with a warmth that, for the moment, left no need for more. The kiss slowly ended.

“I feel the same way… and more,” Lee admitted.

“How can you be so sure?” she asked.

“I was never in doubt.”

“Which is a good thing,” said another male voice, “since you’re going to need your convictions and a lot of fairy dust to pull this off.”

They turned as Wesley emerged from Carol’s bedroom carrying a small ladder and a box of tools. She was about to make introductions when she became aware of the way Wes and Lee were sizing each other up.

“Wesley, this is—”

“I know who this is.” He leaned the ladder against the wall and stuck out his hand. “I’m glad we’re no longer facing each other across a courtroom,” he said, shaking Lee’s hand. “So… you’re not going to give up, are you?”

Lee shook his head. He reached out and took one of Carol’s hands to hold tightly. “Not a chance.”

Wes grunted.

Their attention was caught by a squeak and a movement from the front of Lee’s jacket. Carol frowned and poked a finger at him. “What do you have in there?”

“Why don’t you take a look and find out?”

Carol cautiously pulled down the zipper. Then she gasped, putting out her hands quickly to catch the round butterscotch ball that tumbled out with a tiny yelp.

“Oh, Lee! Look at him. Ooooh … he’s so cute!” she gushed, carefully cupping the puppy in her hands and holding him up to examine him. She made silly kissing sounds at the animal.

“How come you never do that to me?” Lee teased, pleased by her immediate acceptance of the pet.

“You’re not nearly as cute as this little guy,” she answered.

Wes rolled his eyes. “If you’ll excuse me… I’ll return this ladder to your super. You now have a new ceiling fixture in the bedroom.” He looked from his sister, who was still cooing over the frisky puppy, to Lee. “Do you know what you’re up against?”

“No more than anyone else,” Lee said calmly, facing Wes.

“And where are you going to take up residence? Tibet?”

“Wesley—” Carol began, annoyed.

“Take it easy, we’re just marking our territory,” he said dryly. “I have the right to play the protective big brother.”

“And I’m the significant other,” Lee said. “Carol and I have a lot of catching up to do. Then we’ll talk about what happens next.”

“Is he worth it, Carol?” Wes persisted.

Carol rubbed her cheek against the puppy and gazed at Lee. “We’re each a work in progress,” she said.

Wes nodded thoughtfully. He picked up the ladder again and opened the door to leave. “You’re not going to want me to take you to dinner tonight, so I’ll talk to you later. You, too,” he said to Lee, walking out the door.

Carol and Lee exchanged glances.

“Good man,” Lee commented.

“Yes, he is,” Carol agreed. She gazed down at the pup. “Is he for Erica? She’s going to love him.”

Lee shook his head, reaching out to scratch the puppy’s head. “Erica is a horse lover. This guy’s for you.”

It took a moment for his words to fully register. The smile faded from Carol’s face and she looked almost pained. Then she transferred the small animal back to Lee’s arms.

“No. I don’t want another dog.”

“I think Max would want you to have another pet.”

“Don’t, Lee. I don’t have much of a sense of humor about that. Max was very special. He can’t be replaced.”

Lee gave her back the puppy, who proceeded to try and climb up her chest and lick her chin. “This isn’t a replacement. This is starting over. Isn’t that what you said was happening to you? Like a rebirth, you put it. I’m going through one myself. You obviously love dogs. I appreciate that you loved Max. So get another dog.”

Still she shook her head. “I can’t. I need to find a new apartment. I have no place to keep a dog.”

“Fine. Then I’ll keep him in Riverdale until you’re ready for him. You can have visitation rights.”

She grinned, stroking the frisky animal. She bent down and set him on the floor, whereupon he promptly romped off to explore, his stubby little tail wagging like a metronome. She looked at Lee out of the corner of her eye. “You’re still trying to bribe me.”

He tossed his jacket over the top of one of the boxes. Standing directly in front of Carol, Lee put his hands on her waist and drew her against him. He kissed her mouth briefly, stroking her back until he felt her relax. Then he looked seriously into her eyes.

“Here’s the deal. I’m in love with you, Carol Taggart. I want a chance to do something about it. I’m not exactly in disgrace with the department, but I’m going to turn in my resignation at the end of the year anyway. That gives me enough time to lock in my pension.”

“I’m so sorry, Lee. I know you loved being a cop.”

“It had its moments. But being a cop doesn’t hold a candle to the love and respect I get from you and Erica. I’m exploring one job prospect with the Justice Department, but I don’t have anything solid to offer you right now.”

“Except a chubby little puppy and a very sad story.”

“Will you have me anyway?”

Carol took a lingering look at the romping pup, then ran her hands up Lee’s chest and gave him her full attention. “I’m glad you were up front with Wes and with yourself. We do have our work cut out for us before we make any promises or plans. If people discover how we met, we’re going to be a very unpopular couple.”

“It could be rough. I know that,” Lee said.

“It
will
be rough. And there’s the money I was awarded from the city. Wes is setting up an appointment for me with a financial planner. But I’d just as soon not think about it for a while.

“Here’s the deal,” she went on. “I’m in love with you, too, and I think we should go for it. I didn’t ask about your prospects or your pension. I’m very easy to please. All I want is love and respect.”

“You’ve got them,” he whispered, pulling her closer.

“You have to meet my parents,” she said.

“Of course. There’s my family, too.”

“You always have to make time for Erica. She thinks you’re the bravest man in the world.”

“Are those all your terms?”

Carol thought for a moment. “For now.”

“Okay. I have another one. I’m not interested in a short-term affair. I’ve already had those.”

“I think it’s too soon to talk about anything else. We have a long way to go and a lot to overcome.”

“Just so long as you understand that I plan to be here for the duration.”

She smiled at him and shook her head. “You’re not going to get a fight from me on that.”

Carol slid her arms around his neck and drew his head down so they could kiss again. She encouraged his possession of her mouth, the seductive dance of their tongues. She leaned into his firm body, feeling very much at home, and finally at peace. They had both survived major challenges and had lived to tell about them. There would be plenty more. But Carol had faith that, in sparing her life, God had given her a chance to discover real happiness.

Maybe He even had a plan. And maybe the money from the city was part of it. Maybe things had worked out for the best after all. She just had to think about what all the positive aspects might be.

Lee pulled away and looked into her face. “What are you going to call your new puppy?”

“Blue,” Carol said without a moment’s hesitation.

“Blue?”

She nodded, stroking Lee’s jaw and cheek and grinning at the rambunctious pup, who was now gnawing on the fringe of the rolled-up carpet.

“He reminds me of you,” she whispered. “Loyal. And true…”

M
Y IMAGINATION FREQUENTLY RACES
ahead of its own accord with plot twists, characters, and adventures in my novels. Even so, in writing this book I relied on the many professionals and experts I met and interviewed, who helped me to fill in essential details, when nothing but the facts would do. I want to give sincere and grateful thanks to everyone who willingly shared their experience, knowledge, and honesty so that
Close Encounters
would ring true: