Happily Never After (11 page)

Chapter 13

Kelsey spent the next few weeks concentrating on work and learning new ways to manage her panic. After the shooting, she’d tried meeting with a psychiatrist. From growing up in foster care to prosecuting the worst kind of criminals, she believed she could handle anything.

The appointments focused on her traumatic childhood, and she’d grown impatient, thinking they were wasting time. Maybe she should call the doctor and apologize because she now understood the importance of going back to the beginning.

Recovery was a process, but it helped to be surrounded by others experiencing some of what she was going through. At least she was confident that she was on the right path. The one female in the group, the fierce war veterans had rallied around her. She’d found a home. They shared their stories and tears and became more like brothers than strangers.

At the end of her work day, she alternated her time between therapy and getting back into shape. Her life was full and rewarding, and she gave thanks every day for the people in her life.

She wasn’t an avid outdoors woman, but she enjoyed beautiful scenery and planned to spend all day Saturday at the Turtle Bay Exploration Park. The gardens took hours to wander through. Each sight was more spectacular than the last, and she stopped every few feet to read about the various plants.

Sundial Bridge allowed her to cross over to the south side of the park. The sun blazed, and the warmth made her drowsy. Several families still milled around, but the largest crowd of tourists had dwindled to a dozen or so people.

Out of nowhere, the sensation of a thousand ants marching on the back of her neck caused her to pause. A finger of tension slid between her shoulder blades. An instinctive habit, she scanned the area. As far as she could tell, there was nothing but small children and their parents enjoying a pleasant day. Several park employees were interacting with the younger kids.

Movement in her peripheral vision made her glance to the right. Otis Warren stood a couple of feet away staring at her. Her nostrils flared as anger replaced fear.
No. I’m doing better. I don’t want you to be here.
She stepped forward and gripped his worn sweatshirt.
Leave me alone. Wait.

“Oh. My. God. You’re real.” She backed away so fast she lost her balance and landed on her bottom. The thin man shuffled toward her.

“I just want to talk to you.” He extended one hand as if to help her.

“Don’t touch me,” she shrieked. Using her legs she scooted farther away.

People stared at the commotion, and an older man squatted down next to her, blocking her vision.

“Miss, are you all right?”

On the verge of a meltdown, she bobbed her head. The man winced when she squeezed his hand. “Did you see him?”

The man next to her moved, and she followed his gaze. The outline of a man ducked behind the nearest building. She fumbled to her hands and knees. One of the employees had now joined them, and he helped her stand. She pulled free then stumbled, determined to catch the man.
He was real—

She reached the corner and raced around to the side. Where it was empty. One of the tour guides came through a hidden gate in the fence. As the pimply teen passed by she gripped his arm.

“Did you just pass anyone?” she demanded, harsher than she’d intended.

“Uh, no ma’am.” The kid’s eyes were wide with apprehension and he tugged to free his arm.

She forced herself to loosen her tight grip, and he hustled out of the alley. The park employee who’d helped her before stood a few feet away watching her. Without the rush of adrenaline flowing through her, she deflated against the wall taking deep breaths.

“Ma’am, do you want me to call someone for you?”

Laughing, she shook her head. “I’m okay. You can’t believe how good I am right at this moment.” She paused. “Because you did see him, right? The man in the green sweatshirt?”

“Yes ma’am, I saw him.”

At their last meeting, Riley had discussed the feelings of paranoia plaguing some of them. She refused to participate in the conversation, afraid if she admitted it out loud it would be true. Questions whirled through her mind. Who was he? What did he want with her?
Who cares, he was real.

Refusing to remain any longer, she hurried to her car on rubbery legs. Butterflies raced in her stomach. She rocked back and forth humming, trying to calm down. Waiting just long enough for her hands to steady, she drove out of the lot. This realization was huge. A live person she could deal with.

Too anxious to return to an empty apartment, she searched for some place to stop. The need to be surrounded by people right now filled her. A nice, safe public restaurant would do well.

She was suddenly starving and drove until she located the perfect place. When was the last time she’d been hungry? After she had found a spot to park, she entered the bustling restaurant. The central seating area had a waiting line, so she inquired if she could eat dinner in the bar.

The bartender was in the process of wiping down the counter when she passed through the doorway. His apparent interest flattered her, and she gave him a wide smile.

“Hey, lovely lady. What can I get for you?”

She read his name tag. “Well, Jake I’d like a glass of chardonnay and a menu, please.” He left to pour her drink order, and she sat back to peer around. Local memorabilia covered the rough lumber walls. She loved this place. He returned with her wine along with the menu.

“I’m at a disadvantage here. You know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

Jake’s handsome grin made her do a double take. He was one good looking kid. Kid? When did the bartenders get so young? Her own thirty years of age hadn’t felt young in a very long time.

She sighed, trying to remember the last time she’d ventured out to a restaurant on her own. Proud of the changes in her life, happiness welled up her throat and threatened to spill out. Sitting up a little straighter, she held her hand over the bar.

“Kelsey Brackston. It’s nice to meet you, Jake.”

He met the smile and shook the hand that she offered. “Are you new around here? I would remember if you’d been here before.”

“I’m sort of new. I moved a few weeks ago, but this is my first time to be in here.”

“Well, I’ll keep on my toes, to make sure you want to come back.”

She couldn’t help but laugh when he gave her a saucy wink before waiting on another customer. The food selection was limited, but they offered several items listed as healthy fare. Jake returned, and she put the menu down.

“I think I’m going to try fish tacos with sweet potato fries.”

“Good choice. The fish comes in every day, so it’s fresh from the river. I’ll get this turned in for you.” He left for the kitchen.

She sipped her wine as images of a pushy cop flashed into her mind. All week she’d done her best to avoid thinking about him. He hadn’t sought her out since their last argument. It didn’t bother her. Really. She would phone him later and tell him about the man at the park. It would be a professional call, of course.

The front door of the restaurant banged open, and a boisterous group entered. They veered straight into the bar. She didn’t turn around, but the noise level and verbal jabs told her several guys had ventured into the bar.

She picked up her glass and realized a warm body was standing too close. Way too close. One muscular leg rested on the rung of her barstool as a large arm landed on the counter beside her. Only one person would dare to crowd her personal space this way. She lowered her head down to the counter.

Thump.

Thump.

“Hello, Princess. Is banging your head on the table a cute way of saying you’re glad to see me? What’s a fancy girl like you doing in a place like this?”

She swiveled her stool around and rolled her eyes. “I
was
having a peaceful drink.”

Jake ambled over to them. “Hey, dude. How’s it going?”

Bode moved and sat beside her. “Life couldn’t be any better. How about pouring me a root beer?”

“So, I take it you two aren’t strangers?” Jake asked when he brought the frosty mug over.

“We go way back, don’t we, honey?” Bode waggled his brows and took a long draw from his glass.

She set her chin in a stubborn line. “We worked together for about a week.”

“You didn’t tell me you were a copper!” The bartender’s expression lit up with laughter and mock outrage.

She couldn’t help but smile at Jake’s antics. “I’m not. I worked at the District Attorney’s office.”

Jake chuckled and sauntered down to the other end of the bar to wait on someone new.

Her eyes darted sideways at Bode. Sweat stains and dirt covered his clothing, making it obvious he’d been outside. His sweat-dried hair stuck up in several places. Her traitorous hormones screamed
yummy
.

“What are you doing here?” She ate a few of the bar peanuts to cover her nervousness.

“Some of us guys get together once a month at the local boys club. We get to know the kids and try to keep them off the streets.” He drank some of the dark soda. “Most of them don’t understand they have other options besides drugs or gangs.”

That surprised her. Granted, she hadn’t seen all of the area yet, but so far she hadn’t seen any of the usual signs. “Does the city have a lot of gang activity?”

He sat back on his stool. “Not as much as in the bigger cities, but it’s here, and we need to make sure they make good choices.”

She admired his strong sense of responsibility and realized the more time they spent together, the more she liked him as a person.

The corners of her mouth twitched. “Okay, I’m impressed. What else do you do besides being super cop and community activist?”

A devilish smile made a shiver run down her back. “Well, lately I’ve been chasing a stubborn little gal who won’t let me catch her.”

She grunted. “You haven’t been chasing very hard.”

His eyes twinkled. “Are you complaining?”

“Hardly. I’m just stating the facts.”

“Well, the fact is, after our last meeting I got the idea you needed a little space from me trying to woo you.”

She choked on a swallow of wine. “Woo, me? What is that even supposed to mean?”

His hand patted her back making sure she could breathe. “You know, date you. I seem to have a knack for making you mad, so I decided to back off and give you some time to miss me. Did you?”

“No, as a matter of fact I did not. I’ve been working and getting familiar with my new home.”

One of his hands gave her shoulder a light squeeze. “I know. I kept track of you through David and Ann. You’re doing great, Kelsey. You must be proud of the progress you’ve made. I’m proud of you.”

And just like that, the barriers around her heart shattered. This big jerk had somehow squirmed his way inside.

She avoided his frank gaze, afraid her emotions would be there for anyone to see. It was true he made her want to pull her hair out. But when he was around, she was happier than she’d ever been. His absence over the last two weeks had driven her crazy.

When she gained control again, she met his stare. “Thank you. That means the world to me.”

A slow, sexy smile spread across his face. “Now, let’s get back to the wooing.”

She laughed as he’d intended. Her cell phone rang, and she searched through her purse to find it.

“Hello.”

“Kelsey, I’m sorry.”

She didn’t recognize the caller and adrenalin surged through her veins. “Slow down, you’re talking too fast. Who is this?”

“Oh, honey, this is Mrs. Bradly. There’s a problem. Can you come home?”

The loud background noise made it hard to hear the older woman, but her anxiety came across the line loud and clear. “I’m leaving now. I’ll be there as quick as I can.”

Hanging up the phone, she reached for her bag on the counter. “I need to go. Something’s wrong at my apartment.”

“What’s going on?” All his earlier playfulness evaporated.

“Not a clue but I guess I better go. Maybe a pipe broke.”

She waved a hand at Jake to indicate the money she threw down to cover her ticket. A solid presence behind her warned her that Bode was hot on her heels. She issued a piercing look toward him that screamed
where do you think you’re going
?

He ignored her glare and spoke in an upbeat manner. “I’ll follow you. Not to toot my own horn but I’ve been called a jack of all trades.” A firm grip on her arm, he led her to the parking lot.

On the ride over to the apartment, she let her mind replay the fun she’d had sitting and talking to him at the bar. Once she admitted to herself how much she liked him, she conceded that she wanted them to spend more time together.

When they arrived in her neighborhood, they stopped down the street from her address due to a fire truck and various police cars. Bode waited for her by the time she parked and got out.

She frowned. “What do you think’s going on?”

“Let’s go find out.” He steered her toward the activity. A uniformed officer was stationed at the bottom of the driveway keeping people back.

Bode strode up to him. “Smith, what do you know so far?”

“Detective, there was a small fire in the garage. I think the pumper has it controlled.”

She squeezed Bode’s hand. “Where’s Mrs. Bradly? Is she okay?”

A frail voice called her name. The landlady stood by her own back door with several more policemen.

Kelsey hurried to the older woman with Bode by her side. Reaching her, she hugged the thin body. “Are you hurt?”

Mrs. Bradly was on the verge of tears. “No, but I don’t think your apartment will be as lucky.”

Bode touched Kelsey’s arm and inclined his head, telling her without words he would go get the details. She acknowledged his signal and comforted her landlady.

“Mrs. B, I gotta tell you. I’ve learned in life that you can’t worry about the stuff. Everything I own is replaceable, but you, you’re one of a kind.”