How to Land Her Lawman (4 page)

Will didn't miss the sadness in his father's blue eyes and knew he was thinking about losing his wife in a car accident. He'd come home for the funeral but couldn't stay long. He had to get back to his job and proving himself to the seasoned veterans in the Chicago Police Department. Or was that just what he'd told himself to shut down the guilt he'd felt for leaving the people he loved?

He and April had hooked up and it was the last time they were together. Considering they'd just buried his mother, it was probably the best and worst night of his life. She had made him forget the pain for a little while.

“It's good for Eddie to have you here,” Hank said.

“Why?”

“You have a lot of big-city experiences. Blackwater Lake won't be on that scale, but there's a lot you can teach him that I can't.”

“I'm happy to do what I can, Dad, while I'm here. But—”

There was a light knock on the door then it opened and the doctor walked in. In his white lab coat over light blue scrubs, Adam Stone greeted them both and shook hands.

“It's good to see you, Will.”

“You, too.” They'd met a couple months ago during his dad's health crisis.

“So, how's the patient doing?”

“Feeling great, doc.” Hank pulled his T-shirt off as the doctor removed the stethoscope worn draped around his neck.

“Take a deep breath.” Adam pressed the round thing to various places on his dad's chest and back, carefully listening each time he moved it. “Sounds good. Strong heartbeat and your lungs are clear.”

He carefully inspected the scar on Hank's chest and nodded approval. “This looks awesome.”

“Chicks dig scars,” Hank joked.

“Then you should be very popular, Dad.”

Adam laughed. “It's healing well.”

“How's the wife and kids,” Hank asked.

“Great. Couldn't be better.” The doctor smiled broadly. “C.J. is loving Cabot Dixon's summer camp and has decided he's going to be a cowboy when he grows up. Or Robin Hood. He's been taking archery classes with Kate Scott, actually Dixon now. They got married,” he explained to Will. “And C.J. can't make up his mind whether he likes riding horses better than shooting a bow and arrow.”

Hank laughed. “And that little girl of yours?”

“Beautiful. Just like her mom.” His voice grew marginally softer when he mentioned the two women in his life. “Although I could do without the terrible twos. If she's as good at everything else as she is at that, she'll be incredibly successful in her chosen field.”

“Yeah, I remember that stage,” Hank said wryly. “My wife handled it and that's why Kim and Will grew up so well.”

Will marveled at how his father got people to talk, to open up. He considered it part of his job to know the citizens of his town and the man was a master. That was very different from Will's work in Chicago. There was no way law enforcement could spend the time to get to know everyone.

Adam met his gaze. “How is it being back?”

Will figured he should be used to that question by now but it seemed every day in Blackwater Lake made his feelings a little less clear. So all he said was, “Good.” Best to leave it at that and change the subject. “So my dad is doing okay?”

“Pretty remarkable actually. Pulse, heart rate, breath sounds, blood pressure are all where we want them. Anything you think I should know?” Adam asked.

“No. I'm feeling good,” the patient said.

“I'm going to order some blood work.”

“Heaven forbid I should get out of here without someone sticking me with a needle,” his dad joked.

“Man up, Hank. You should be used to it by now,” the doc said.

“Not really.”

Adam glanced through the chart. “You're still exercising and watching your diet?”

His dad's expression was wry. “Have you met my daughter, Kim? You know, the pretty, bossy one?”

“Okay. Point taken. I'm betting that skill was sharpened by working with teenagers.” Adam laughed. “I'll take that as a yes. So keep it up. At this pace you'll be ready to go back to work when your medical leave is over at the end of summer.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

“I want to see you again in six weeks. You can make an appointment with the receptionist on the way out.” He shook hands with both of them again. “Take care.”

Twenty minutes later they were in Will's SUV and headed home. After leaving the clinic his dad had grown unusually quiet, a stark difference from the gregarious man who was keeping up with the personal life of someone who lived in his town. The checkup couldn't have gone better. So what was the deal? Will was a police officer and trained detective but without clues he was unable to draw a conclusion.

And then there was this dandy technique that cops used to find out stuff. It was called interrogation. “What's going on, Dad? You're pretty quiet over there. The doc gave you high marks and said you'll be back to work soon.”

“Yeah.” The flat tone was a clue.

“Is this about work?”

“In a way. I've been thinking about retiring. I knew it was creeping up on me but didn't give it a lot of thought until the heart attack and surgery. Now...”

“What?”

“It's been on my mind. And you know that pretty, bossy sister of yours? She's been relentless about me slowing down. Taking it easy. Traveling.”

“You've always wanted to,” Will reminded him. “I remember you talking about it when Kim and I were kids.”

“Not so much after your mom died.”

Will felt a jab of guilt again that he hadn't been around much after the funeral. “I know that was a hard time for you.”

“It was. And I'll always love her. But I'm not grieving the loss anymore.” A big sigh came from the passenger seat. “Since Josie—”

“The widow who rents a room from Maggie Potter. I met her when you were in the hospital.” Nice woman, he thought.

“Yeah. She stayed in Copper Hill to be there for your sister until I was out of the woods.”

“I liked her.”

“Kim does, too. And if she didn't—”

Will laughed. “It wouldn't be pretty.”

“No kidding.”

“You should take a trip,” Will said. “With Josie.”

“I'd like that, but I feel a responsibility to the folks here in Blackwater Lake. Can't just turn their welfare over to a rookie deputy, no matter how smart and eager he is. Not with the hotel and condos getting closer to opening every day.”

“Yeah, I can see where you're coming from.”

Will knew this was his dad hinting for him to make this temporary sheriff thing permanent. He remembered what that kid at the photo shoot had said about his hurry to get to the big city. In fact Will had told April he understood where the kid was coming from. But it felt like forever since he'd been obsessed with excitement, getting away from this town to do something more important.

“I know you do, Will. And I always knew you wanted me to be proud of your accomplishments. You have no idea how proud I am of you, the man you've become.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“And you're older now. Age has a way of making you look at things differently. This town really has a lot to offer a man.”

Just like that an image of sassy April Kennedy popped into his mind. She wasn't that skinny little girl anymore, but had grown into a beautiful, confident, accomplished woman. So many of his good memories were wrapped up in her, but she was the girl he'd left behind. It hadn't worked out for them and no matter what Will accomplished in his career the failure in his personal life would always bother him.

“Blackwater Lake was a good place to grow up. Tim is thriving here.”

“Yes, he is. He's a great kid.” There was grandfatherly pride in his voice, but there was something flat in the tone.

Will glanced over to the passenger seat and saw the look of resignation on his dad's face. He should have known the man wouldn't miss the way Will had deliberately changed the subject. There was no point in taking the idea any further. He would be going back to Chicago at the end of the summer.

That was just the way it was.

Chapter Four

I
n her kitchen, April peeked out her sliding glass door with its great view of Will's house across the alley. She knew he ran every morning and she did, too. In spite of Kim's dire prediction that she and Will were bound to run into each other, so far it hadn't happened. That was about to change. She hadn't seen him since he'd helped with the teenage photo shoot and that had been a couple days ago. The time had come to give her game a kick in the pants.

It was Sunday, the one day of the week that she didn't open the shop until afternoon. But she got up a little earlier than usual, put on her running clothes, stretched out and now watched the Fletchers' back door. If he didn't show soon she'd have to do her run solo and think of another way to get this flirtation show on the road. Then an ego-deflating thought hit her.

What if he just didn't like her at all?

Before she had a chance to blow that out of proportion his rear door opened. It was him, and he leaned back inside for a moment. This was her chance.

She left the house and hurried up the sidewalk until reaching the alley, then pretended not to see Will, who stopped at the edge of the grass behind her.

“April?”

She glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, Will. Morning.”

He caught up with her and fell into step. “Mind if I tag along?”

“Nope.” It took effort not to look smug.

“How far do you go?”

“About six miles. Up Deer Springs to Spruce. Around the elementary school, down Elkhorn Road and back.”

“Works for me.”

She glanced over at him in his running shorts and snub gray T-shirt with the bold black letters
CPD
written on it. The wide shoulders and broad chest were pretty impressive and that was darned annoying. Why couldn't he be fat? Would it kill him to have male-pattern baldness setting in? But she wasn't that lucky. He was even better looking than when she'd loved him.

“Try to keep up,” she said and increased her speed.

Will stayed right with her and it was easy for him because his legs were muscular and so much longer than hers. If he wanted to, he could leave her in the dust. But he didn't, so it wasn't a stretch to assume he didn't mind her company. She would go with that working theory.

“How's your dad?” She happened to look over at him and saw his mouth pull tight. “What's wrong?”

“He's fine.” With the baseball hat and aviator sunglasses it was impossible to read his expression. “Had a checkup the other day and doc says he's the poster boy for how to recover from a heart attack.”

“Oh, good. You scared me there for a minute.” That was a relief. Hank Fletcher was the father she'd never had. “It's just that you had a weird look on your face and I went to the bad place.”

“Sorry. Didn't mean to send you there. Dad passed everything with flying colors. Doc even said if he keeps up the good work he'll get the green light to go back to the job at the end of summer.”

“That's great.” Then she noticed the muscle in his jaw flex and wondered what he was leaving out. “So why do you look like someone disconnected the siren on your cop car?”

He met her gaze and one corner of his mouth quirked up. “Because someone disconnected the siren on my cop car.”

“Okay. Roger that. You don't want to talk about it.”

April remembered a time when he told her everything, but obviously things had changed. It shouldn't bother her that he no longer confided in her. The fact that it did even a little was evidence that getting closure was the right way to go.

For about a mile they ran without talking. Then Will broke the silence. “How's business?”

“Good. Summer tourist traffic in the shop is up significantly from last year. Plus weddings keep me busy. 'Tis the season for them.”

“Are you taking the pictures when my sister gets married?”

“Of course.”

“But you're her best friend. Who's going to be her maid of honor?” Will asked.

“I don't think she's having one.” She and Kim had sort of danced around this. If her friend had chosen someone else April would know. “I'm doing the bridal shower and everything the MOH is supposed to do before the actual ceremony. I'll just be too busy commemorating the important moments for posterity to actually take part in the important moments.”

As they finished the loop around Blackwater Lake Elementary and headed back, Will asked, “Does it ever bother you to miss out on stuff because you're documenting memories?”

“I love what I do.” If she missed out it wasn't because of taking pictures. People left her. Her father did before she ever knew him. Her mom died. Will... He found someone else.

“Now you're the one with a weird look on your face.”

As their feet hit the asphalt in a rhythmic sound she glanced over, annoyed again. This time because he still knew her well enough to know when something bothered her.

“I have cramps,” she said.

“Do you want to slow down? Walk the rest of the way?”

“No.” She kicked up her speed again, enough that it kept them from talking.

April had done this route so many times she knew to start slowing down at the intersection of Deer Springs and Spruce. By the time they got back she was walking and stopped at the edge of her grass to stretch her muscles so she didn't really get cramps. Instead of saying goodbye, Will did his postrun stretching alongside her.

Again she couldn't help noticing how masculine he looked, his T-shirt showing darker spots around his neck and arms from the sweat. And, doggone it, that was sexy. If any health-care professional had checked her heart rate right then she could blame it on the run, but that would be a lie. The spike had nothing to do with exercise and everything to do with the Fletcher effect. It wasn't cause for alarm, just appreciation for a good-looking man. But it was still more evidence that she needed to ratchet up this flirtation in order to put him in her past where he belonged.

“Do you want a bottle of water?”

Will straightened slowly, clearly checking out her legs as he did. She was wearing a stretchy pink shirt over her sports bra and black spandex capris that fit her like a second skin. And she'd give anything to know if he liked what he saw. Darn sunglasses.

“I can throw in a cup of coffee,” she offered, “and a muffin baked fresh this morning.”

“Blueberry? Like you used to make?” There was a husky quality to his voice that amped up the sexy factor.

“Yes. Did that sweeten the pot?”

“Not really. You had me at water.” He grinned. “But I wouldn't say no to a muffin.”

That was why she'd made them. He'd always raved about her baking. If the spandex hadn't worked, muffins were her fallback strategy. The way to a man's heart through his stomach and all that.

“Come on in.”

He followed her into the house, where she grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator, then handed one to him. He twisted the top off, then drank deeply, again one of those profoundly masculine movements that made her heart skip.

This was where she got it in a big way that the last time she'd kissed a guy had been longer ago than she could recall. The resulting knot of yearning wasn't a flaw in the plan, she told herself with a confidence that took some work.

“I'll turn on the coffee.”

“Can I help?” He sat on one of the high stools at the bar separating kitchen and family rooms.

“No. Thanks.”

Water and coffee grounds were ready to go; she only had to flip the switch. As soon as she did a sizzling sound started and almost instantly the rich coffee aroma filled the room.

“You've made some changes since the last time I was here,” he commented.

“Yeah.” She looked around the kitchen. This place was where she'd spent her teenage years. Now it was part of her inheritance, although she'd give it up in a heartbeat to have her mother back. “I updated the cupboards and changed the countertops to granite. Along with the house, my mom left me a little money and after I got the shop up and running there was enough left to do a few things.”

“It looks good.”

“I like it.” She reached up into one of the cupboards and pulled out two mugs—one that said I Don't Do Mornings and the other sporting the Seattle city skyline, including Space Needle.

“Have you been to the Pacific Northwest?” he asked.

“Yeah. I went with a friend.”

“Anyone I know?”

“Don't think so. Joe moved here after you left for Chicago.” She poured coffee in the Seattle mug and handed it to him. “Do you still take it black?”

“Yup. Do you still drink yours the sissy way?”

“Of course. Cream and sugar.” She smiled at the memory of how he used to tease her about this. “But these days it's nonfat and sugar substitute.”

“Why?”

“A girl has to watch her figure.”

“Some girls maybe, but not you. Guys will do that for you.” Maybe it was wishful thinking but it sounded like there was a slight edge to his voice. “What does Joe do?”

“Construction. While he was here.” She handed him a paper plate with a muffin on it.

“Does that mean he's gone?” He folded the cupcake paper down and took a bite of muffin.

“Yeah. He went back to Seattle. It's where he's from. We went there to visit his family.”

“Do you keep in touch?” Definitely an edgy sarcasm in his tone.

“No.” She poured cream in her coffee, then took the container and put it back in the refrigerator. When she turned back, she caught him staring at her butt and legs. And if her feminine instincts weren't completely rusted out, she was pretty sure he approved of what he saw. “There was no point. Long-distance relationships don't work.”

“April—”

She held up a hand. “That wasn't a dig at you. Really, Will. It's just the truth.”

He looked at her over the rim of his mug as he took a sip. “Okay.” Then he glanced at his watch. “I have to get going. On duty in a little while.”

“I guess peacekeeping is a seven-day-a-week job,” she said.

“'Fraid so.” He stood. “Thanks for the coffee and muffin. We'll have to do this again sometime.”

“I'd like that.” She walked him to the door. “Bye, Will.”

“See you.”

She watched him walk over to his house and remembered the approval on his face when he'd checked her out. A glow radiated through her and it wasn't just about the fact that her revenge plan was back on track.

No, this was about the fact that Will wasn't completely neutral where she was concerned. It was personally satisfying and she looked forward to more.

* * *

“I swear Luke and I are going to Vegas for a quickie wedding.” Kim plopped herself down on the couch in the family room.

Will picked up the remote and muted the sound of the baseball game on TV. He'd only turned it on to keep himself from thinking about April. It wasn't working very well. The memory of her in those tight black running pants had his mind on things it had no business being on. The White Sox could wait. His sister, on the other hand, was on the verge of a meltdown if not already there.

“What's wrong?”

“Everything.” She threw up her hands dramatically.

“Where's Dad?”

“At the movies with Tim. You're it, big brother. There's no one else here to deal with me. I don't need a big wedding. A small backyard barbecue would be perfect, don't you think? Or even something at the park. Easy peasy.”

“You know you want a big wedding,” Will reminded her.

“Why? What was I thinking?”

“That you've never been married before and you're only doing this once, so it's going to be a blowout affair.”

“That's a direct quote, isn't it?” she asked.

“Yup.” He looked at her beside him. “You said it the night before Dad had his surgery.”

“Talk is cheap. Making a grand pronouncement is a lot easier than taking the steps to make it happen.”

“Talk
is
cheap. But I can't help if you don't spit it out, Kimmie. What specifically is making you freak out?”

Tears welled in her blue eyes. “I got a call from the bridal shop. My dress is back-ordered and might not arrive in time.”

“So pick out another dress.” When big, fat tears started rolling down her cheeks, he knew that was the wrong thing to say. “Hey, come here.”

She slid over and leaned her head on his shoulder. “It's just...I w-wanted that dress.”

“And it might be fine. Back-ordered isn't a definite
not going to happen
. But maybe you can pick out a runner-up just in case?”

“That's way too sensible.” She sniffled and probably rubbed her runny nose on his T-shirt. “I just wanted to be bridezilla for a day. Throw a tantrum.”

“And it was a beauty, sis. Way to be an overachiever.” He put his arm around her shoulders and tucked her against him. “The thing is, I can guarantee that no one, including your groom, will know that any dress you wear is not your first choice.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because you'd look beautiful in a burlap sack.”

“Aw. That's sweet.” She sniffled again and looked at him. “Makes me feel bad about blowing my nose on your shirt.”

“It's yours now.”

She smiled as intended. “How do you know Luke won't know it's a second-best dress?”

“Because guys don't care about that stuff. He'd be happy if you walked down the aisle naked.” He winced. “I can't believe I just said that to my sister.”

“It's okay. I took it in the spirit and all that. It's not a news flash that guys are pigs.”

“That's harsh. We just have an acute appreciation for the female form.”

“Right.” She rubbed at an imaginary spot on the leg of her jeans. “Speaking of female forms, I saw you and April go running the other day and you went in her house when the two of you got back.”