Just a Memory (21 page)

He never should have followed Mac onto the little road, but how was he to know where the road led or how damned steep the hill that ended by the lake cottages was? Or how the fresh snow would affect it? Hell, there were no hills like this in his neighborhood in
Albany
. He knew how to get away on city streets, not here in the country. No one was around to help or to hear his angry curses when he tried again and again to get his car up the icy blacktopped stretch.

"Wait 'til I get my hands on you, Mac," he said with a string of curses. "All the boss has to do is give me the word and I'll take you out slowly and painfully and with pleasure!"

Mavis Ashton called the station with irritating regularity now. "That gray car parked again by my corner," she said. The next time she'd noticed it parked in the taxi stand. "It was across from the Police Station," she reported, "when I went shopping on my way home from
Ithaca
yesterday. I just know it was the same car because there's always a man in a baseball cap sitting in it." This mysterious individual was always nowhere to be seen, however, when a patrolman went to check it out. No matter what Ellie or the other officers tried to tell her about not worrying, Mavis didn't sound convinced.

Mac wasn't convinced not to worry either. He didn't like it. When Mavis called late one afternoon to say the gray car was parked opposite Carolyn's shop, Mac knew he would have peace of mind only when the riddle of the gray car was solved. "Hines, go up in your own car and in plain clothes to see what the guy in the gray sedan is doing. Get a license number, and then watch and see if anyone comes from working near there and leaves with him. He could be simply picking someone up after work, we don't know."

"Sure," Hines agreed easily. He always jumped at every chance to get out of his uniform early.

"You can report to me at Mama's
Pizza Place
. You're still planning to meet me there for dinner, aren't you?"

"Plan to, unless you got a better offer," Hines hinted.

Mac shook his head. "Carolyn's working late tonight. See you at Mama's."

Hines left the office whistling as soon as he'd changed his clothes in the file room. It didn't take him long to get to
Lake Street
. After driving around the block looking for the car Mavis reported and finding nothing, he parked several spaces back from the corner across from the Costume Nook. He watched the steady stream of traffic go by which included several gray cars. But none of them parked near the corner. He radioed in to Mac.

"It's not here, Mac. There's not a gray car on the whole block."

Mac gave him Mavis's address. "Can you see her building from where you are?"

"Yeah, in fact I see her at the window. Hey, man, should I wave?" Hines asked with a chuckle.

"Damn. Maybe she just calls in because she wants a little attention. It's probably nothing, but stay with it a while longer. I'm just about finished with this report, but I've still got to change out of my uniform yet before I can cut out. I brought my clothes here so I don't have to go to the apartment. I'll meet you at Mama's in about twenty-five or thirty minutes."

Hines agreed to stay put for a while and signed off. He was sliding down in his seat to get comfortable when someone knocking on his side window brought him up straight with a start. He saw Carolyn glaring at him.
Hell, I'm getting careless
. Living in a small town had ruined his carefully honed senses. He opened the window.

"Hey, girl. What's happenin'?" he asked, all smiles.

"I was just closing up and couldn't help but see you sitting here. You know, no one generally parks in the open space by the fire hydrant. Why are you parked here in your car?"

"Carolyn, ah…" He swallowed and tried to think of something to say. "Good to see you again. Quitting time, huh?" The casual approach didn't work, judging by the look on her face.

"Hines," she said with a warning in her voice and one eyebrow raised.

"Okay, okay. I'm just here to see if anything turns up. A car has been reported parked around here a lot, and I'm trying to catch a look at it. It
might
be connected with the break-in at your shop, but we don't–"

"You were sent out to check on a mystery car that happens to have been parked near my shop?"

He was out of the car in a flash and closed the door. He tried to steer her around the car to the curb and away from the dinner-time traffic in the street. He needed the time to pick what he would say next. He felt he'd already blown it because he knew Mac didn't want her to worry. Mac was worried though. First time Hines had ever seen his friend so concerned about a woman. He hoped it was a good sign.

"Okay, you see, Mavis Ashton called about a parked car with a guy sitting in it. She's called several times about a strange car near here and, well, Mac thought…"

"Did you come out the first time she called?"

Hines shook his head.

"Was that before I'd dated Mac, by any chance?"

"Um…I guess so."

"But this time when she called, Mac sent you out?"

"I was on my way by and Mac–"

"Mac sent you to watch me. Admit it." She didn't give him a chance to get in a word. She raised her hands to her hips and read him the riot act. "Well, listen, Hines, you tell Mac that I don't need a babysitter."

"No, no, I wasn't babysitting. No way!"

"I'll bet! Well, you're wasting your time. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself as I have been for a long time. I've learned not to depend on anyone. Just because Mac and I are… Well, just because we're… Listen. You can just go back and tell Chief Macdonald… No! No, don't say a thing. Never mind. I'll tell that man myself!"

"You go, girl!" Hines encouraged with a broad grin.

She started toward the shop, but turned back suddenly with a concerned look on her face and gripped his arm. "Would you stay with Terri in the shop for a little while?" she asked. "I don't want to leave her alone."

Hines grinned. "Happy to. I've wanted to meet the cute munchkin I've been hearing about. Give me a minute to radio in that the mysterious car's not around."

"Don't you
dare
warn Mac I'm coming," she told him sternly, shaking a finger at him. "Got that?"

He raised both hands with the palms out in a surrender position. "I'm cool, I'm cool."

"I'll go tell Terri you're coming to stay with her for a little while."

Hines watched her shoot back across the street through a break in the traffic, her jacket flying open. "Mac, old buddy, I think you've met your match," he murmured as he climbed back into his car. He radioed in and got connected to Mac.

"Any car there?"

"Nah, Mac. None in sight."

"Well, go on to Mama's. Ellie's just leaving. It'll take a few minutes more to finish this report and get out of this uniform and then I'll leave too. See you there." Mac didn't bother to wait for Hines to speak before he signed off.

Hines stared at the handset and spoke to it without depressing the button. "Okay, Mac, but in case I have to remind you later, old buddy, just remember you wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise."

He hung the handset on the hook, and with a big smile ran across the street to Carolyn's shop.

Carolyn arrived at the police station in record time, just as Ellie was locking the front door on her way out.

"Hi, Carolyn. You looking for the Chief?"

"I sure am, Ellie. Is he still here?"

"Yeah, he's the last one out as usual. Is he expecting you?"

"No, I don't think so. It's a…surprise."

Ellie knew Mac and Carolyn were dating, but Carolyn didn't want to begin to identify the strange smile that filled Ellie's face when she learned Carolyn was surprising Mac with a visit.

"He's in his office, finishing a report," Ellie said. "Gave me orders to leave without disturbing him."

"I won't take long."

"I'm sure it's okay. Go on in." Ellie motioned toward the glass doors to the parking lot beside them. "I've got to lock these behind me, but he can unlock them for you when you want to leave."

"Fine. Good night."

Ellie echoed her and exited the building.

Carolyn headed straight across the dimly lit room to Mac's office. She was going to tell him a thing or two. Dating him was fine, fun in fact, but she was no fragile china doll. He must understand she didn't need a keeper. She didn't want any special treatment or guards. No way. She marched with renewed determination to his door. Expecting to see Mac behind his desk, she dispensed with knocking and quickly opened the door and walked directly in.

His chair was empty. She saw a movement to her right and looked over to see him standing there. Her eyes widened with surprise as she took in the sight of him.

Mac was getting dressed. His jeans were on, hugging his strong legs, but the waistband button was still undone. His arms were frozen in the act of pulling on a cotton turtleneck. Tiny black curls spread across his chest, down to the vee at his jeans zipper. Her gaze finally came to rest on his right shoulder. From above the nipple to a spot over the top, there was a curved red scar marring the otherwise flawless skin. Another scar began below the nipple and curved down to his side, which Carolyn could now see because Mac had lowered his arms to his sides.

"The ugly reddish color may take a year to disappear," he said quietly.

Tears welled up in her eyes. The surgery to repair where the bullets had ripped into his body had left the scars. She thought of the pain he must have felt and it sickened her. She couldn't stand the thought of him being hurt. She'd been through that before. She'd watched Richard die. He had been in such pain and there was nothing she could do for him. Her reason for coming to Mac's office forgotten, Carolyn blinked rapidly and willed the tears to stop.

Mac's hands rose as fists. He started again to push them into his sweater when she stepped closer. She put her fingers on his arms to still their movement. "From the shooting?" She had to be certain.

"Yeah. Some souvenirs, huh?"

She could feel her tears track down her cheeks as she blinked hard to gain control over her eroding emotions. "Does it still hurt?"

"No, not much anymore unless I forget and try something stupid with my arm. The shoulder blade has more healing to do, but mostly it's just achy." He stood absolutely motionless as Carolyn ran her fingers over both scars and then leaned forward and gently kissed each one. She trailed her lips softly along the top one as far up his shoulder as she could reach.

"Oh, Carolyn," was all he managed before his shirt hit the floor. He pulled her into his arms and lowered his mouth firmly over hers. He couldn't kiss her hard enough or deep enough to make her stop wanting more. She wanted to be closer, to have him fill her.

Once again it was Mac who remembered where they were. He broke the kiss and held her head against his shoulder while their breathing slowed. Her cheek rested on a scar.

"Do you know what you're doing to me, Carolyn?" he whispered.

What she was doing to him was very obvious and pulsing against her stomach. She smiled and, after another moment, she stepped back. "What do you expect? You put your shirt on!" she ordered. "How do you expect a woman to behave with all that gorgeous flesh showing?"