Connecting Strangers (Discovering Emily) (18 page)

She lifts her head up off the pillow, stares at me for a moment, then flops back down. “You just keep digging, honey, but it’s gonna get awful cold down there pretty soon.”

“I’m not saying we haven’t been together, but we aren’t. It’s just…” Sex? I don’t like how that sounds. What else could it be? There was an immediate connection which lust could explain. The amount of heat between us, the combustion, could be attributed to physical attraction. But there’s so much more between Adam and me.

When I’m with him, I want to stay, and when we’re apart, I’m counting the moments until I can see him again. The touch of his hand sets me on fire, but his voice ignites me in a different way. In Adam, I’m found someone who listens to me, who isn’t just there because he wants sex.

Whatever is between us goes way beyond sex. I’m just not sure we’ll have time to sort it out before I’m shipped off to prison.

“You’re trying to figure it out yourself, and it’s not working,” Francine points out with all the finesse of an eight-legged giraffe. “No use in defining it. It is what it is, but I’ll bet you dollars to donuts it’s about more than just sex. Adam could have sex with any woman he wanted.” She gives me a stern look. “And when you first showed up at the diner, I could tell you were about as interested in men as my ninety-eight year old great aunt, Hilda. So something happened to change things. You expect me to believe he just charmed you out of your pants? No way I’ll ever believe it’s all about the flesh. I see the way he looks at you.”

It’s hard to swallow past the lump in my throat. “We’re attracted to each other. Of course he’s going to look at me differently. I suppose it’s the same way I look at him.” I’m not ready to tell her what’s going on in my head.

A snort, similar in tone to a fog-horn, breaks forth. “You just need to stop trying to convince yourself you and Adam don’t have a good thing going.” She raises one finger. “And don’t you say one word about time. My folks met, got engaged, and married within three months. They were married for fifty-eight years before my dad died. So time has nothing to do with it. Sometimes you just know.”

“Is that how you feel about Gary? Do you just know?” I turn the tables efficiently.

Francine switches off the light. “This isn’t about me and Gary.”

“I didn’t even know there was a you and Gary until tonight.”

“That’s because there’s not.” Her tone switches to pure surliness. “Now you need to get some sleep. You’ve got one hell of a day ahead of you tomorrow.”

I retreat to my bed and slide beneath the covers. The pillow has lumped up again so I punch it a few more times. “Whatever happens with all of this, Francine, I meant what I said back at the jail. I’m really glad I came to Juniper Springs.”

“I’ll bet Adam is, too.”

Groaning, I bury my face in my pillow. “I meant because I met you and Art.”

“And Adam.” Her voice is thick with humor now that she’s neatly changed the subject back to one of her favorites.

“Why do you want me and Adam together so much?”

“It’s not about what I want, but besides the fact the two of you make a nice couple, both of you deserve some happiness. You’ve found that with each other.”

When I don’t respond, Francine finally falls silent, and minutes later, her snores threaten to rip the wallpaper off. I smile and close my eyes, even though I won’t be able to sleep.

Tonight is my last night in Juniper Springs for what could be a long while. The last night with people who actually give a damn about me.

At just past five, Adam’s at the door. Francine is still mumbling in her sleep when I let him and a blast of cold air in.

“You get any of that?” He jerks his head toward her when she rolls to her stomach and smashes her face into her pillow.

A smile is my only response as I go to wake her. “Francine, Adam’s here. We’re leaving.”

Her reply is muffled. “Gary will be here in a half an hour to get her. I’ve got coffee in the truck.” Adam is already leading me to the door.

“Who’ll be here?” Francine sits straight up in the bed, her hair sticking out like a stalk of ripe wheat.

His hand at the small of my back, Adam looks over his shoulder to respond. “Gary. He’ll take you to the station. I haven’t gotten word from Broomtown as to when the deputy will be arriving, but I want to get Emily back before anyone gets to the station.”

He’s lost Francine’s attention. She’s on her feet and bolting toward the bathroom when he closes the door.

“Wonder what that was all about. I’ve never seen her move that fast.”

Keeping Francine’s secret, I shrug. “Did you stay at the station all night?”

“No. I had something else to take care of.” He opens the passenger door and helps me into the seat.

Hot air is blasting from the heater, and I hold my hands in front of the vents while I study Adam’s profile once he slides in next to me. Stubble lines his jaw, and the shirt he’s wearing looks familiar. Like yesterday familiar. I take a quick look around to confirm my suspicions. A Thermos is propped against the gear shift, and empty granola bar wrappers litter the floor. A thick fleece blanket is draped across the back of his seat, and I have my answer even before I ask the question.

“You stayed out here all night, didn’t you?” I never thought to check outside the window. Now that I study him, I should have.

He puts the truck in reverse. “Needed to keep watch.”

“Adam.” My hand goes to his thigh. “No one else knew we were here. Francine and I were safe.”

“I wanted to make sure of that.” His fingers curl around mine. “I’ve already talked to Harry, and he’s going to Broomtown right behind you. He wants to be there when you’re taken in. He thinks you’ll be arraigned this morning.”

My stomach churns, and I slid my fingers in between his, needing the feeling of his warm palm against mine. This connection would be gone soon, and I’d need to stand with my own strength. Inside I feel capable, determined. Mark isn’t going to win, no matter the outcome. His lies might take away my freedom, but they won’t take away who I’m becoming.

“What are you thinking?” The gentleness of Adam’s tone brings tears to my eyes. I don’t want to cry. Not yet. When I’m alone in the police car on the return trip to Broomtown, then I’ll give into the tears I’m holding at bay.

“That’ll I’ll miss Juniper Springs.” Not a total lie.

“You’ll be back.”

“I just don’t know when. No matter how much I want to fight Mark, he could still win this, taking me away for a very long time.” I didn’t add that he probably will. With his father safely corralling the county judge’s, the odds were fully in my ex-boyfriend’s favor.

Adam brings my hand to his lips and presses a kiss against my skin. “You’re not alone in this.”

“I don’t expect anything from any of you. This isn’t your fight.”

“The hell it isn’t.” His reply is sharp, and he releases my hand at the same time. “And I’m getting a little tired of hearing you say that, like this means nothing to me. You think I want to see you hurt? That I feel nothing when you’re in pain? Maybe you need to spell things out for me, Emily, because I’m beginning to wonder if I should give a damn.”

My lungs ache with each breath. The pain is so strong inside of me, I could shatter into a million tiny pieces. But I’m holding on. Wherever this strength is coming from, I’ve got both hands wrapped around it. “I didn’t mean to make you angry.” I shift in the seat, more away from him than toward. “I just don’t want you to think I expect anything from you.”

He makes a noise I can’t decipher. “What do you want, Emily?” The anger has dissipated from his voice, but there’s a residual simmer.

“A normal life, whatever that is.”

“That’s a generic answer. What do you really want?”

I’m not sure what he’s hoping to hear so I say what comes to mind next. “A chance to escape my past and be happy. If that sounds generic to you, then that’s just how it is. I’ve lived too long in Mark’s shadow, and I don’t want to do it anymore.”

“Do you want to come back here?”

Now I understand, and I reach across the short distance to touch him again. The muscles on his thigh are tight with tension. “I don’t want to leave.”

He pulls the truck over to the side of the road, throws it into park, and turns to face me. “But do you want this?” He sweeps a hand back and forth between our bodies for clarification. “Do you want us?”

Heart leaping, I swallow hard several times. This is the last discussion I expected to have with him this morning. Most men would rather take a bullet to the balls than have a serious discussion about a potential relationship.

Finding my voice takes me several seconds, and when I respond, it doesn’t even sound like my own. “I’m not sure I know how to be part of an us.” When he starts to pull away, I grab his hand. “But I want to try.” I barely get the words out before he’s released the catch on the seatbelt. He lifts me out of the seat and onto his lap where he wraps his arms around me so tightly I can barely breathe. I just bury my face into his neck and rest my cheek against his warm skin.

“I won’t let you go under, Emily. Whatever happens, I’m there.” Hands stroking my back, he holds me while I absorb the comfort he offers. I don’t know how much time passes before he slides his hands against my cheeks to lift my face. “We have to go.” He presses his lips to mine in an all-too brief kiss. I want more and grasp hold of his shirt to pull him closer.

Though he mumbles a protest against my mouth, he doesn’t pull away. An ember ignites in the pit of my stomach, the burn spreading through my veins like a flash fire. I shift so that my knees rest on the seat next to his hips and push him back against the leather.

I want to feel his skin, but as I start to unbutton his uniform shirt, he catches hold of my hand and breaks the kiss. “No. We can’t. I want to. God knows I want to, but we don’t know what time the deputy will be here.”

“Damn.” I rest my forehead against his.

“There’ll be another time.” Hazel eyes meet mine. “I promise.”

Chapter Thirteen

The deputy arrives less than thirty minutes after Adam puts me back in a cell. I don’t recognize him which means he was probably just deputized for the trip. Broomtown only has two deputies and a sheriff, and it’s been that way for a long time. Can’t see them looking to expand now.

Introducing himself as Bud Rivers, he shakes Adam’s hand before tipping his hat to me. I don’t really pay much attention to him because my knees are shaking again, and I have to sit before I fall.

“I have all the paperwork here, Sheriff, if you’d like to take a look.”

Adam accepts the short stack and rounds his desk. No one speaks while he scans every page. When he finally looks up, he keeps his finger pointed to one portion of text. “Says here a deputy of the same gender is supposed to transport all female suspects. Do you have another deputy in the car?”

Deputy Rivers looks over his shoulder then clears his throat. “Well, unfortunately, sir, Broomtown only has two deputies. Sheriff Abernathy couldn’t spare either of them, and since I’ve done some freelance work for them before, he deputized me for this assignment. He didn’t mention anything about needing a woman with me so I guess he didn’t think it would be a problem.”

“Well, he’s wrong.” Adam stands. “If I turn this prisoner over to you, I’m violating the guidelines your own police department has established. If anything were to happen to her en route to Broomtown,” his voice deepens in a manner I recognize as threatening, “not that I’m anticipating it will, both of our departments could be sued.”

The tips of the deputy’s ears redden, and when he shuffles his feet, I want to reassure him. He seems harmless enough, and I don’t mind traveling back to Broomtown with him. But Adam doesn’t look like he’s interested in backing down, and I’m not sure what the delay tactic is all about. He knows I have to go. At best, this will buy me a few more hours in Juniper Springs. At worst, it’s going to bring Sheriff Abernathy here.

My nose wrinkles at the thought. Best friends with Ike Metzger, Gus Abernathy is a barrel-chested bully with a gun. He runs Broomtown as though he owns it, bending the law as he chooses, and sometimes, looking the other way entirely while Ike and Mark wreak havoc. Throwing a monkey wrench into his plans like this won’t make him happy, and while his displeasure doesn’t worry me, a confrontation between him and Adam does…especially since I know Adam wouldn’t hesitate to disregard the star on his chest. I can’t let him do that, not when this job means so much to him, and he’s damned good at it.

“Sheriff Madison.” I’m thankful I remembered to use his official title. “I have no problem with the lack of female accompaniment. I’m certain Deputy Rivers is only here to do his job.” The emphasis I place on the last sentence is a not-so-subtle nudge.

Adam studies me for a moment then gives a slight inclination of his head even though he doesn’t look at all happy with my decision. “I’ve got the paperwork here for you to sign for transfer.”

All traces of worry dissipate from the deputy’s face. “Certainly, sir, and I can assure you nothing will happen to Miss Jacobs.”

Silence drops in the room while Rivers scribbles his name. When he scoots the paperwork back across the desk, Adam slaps his hand down on top of it. “For your sake, it had better not.”

I’ve never seen a man turn as green as Rivers does. “Well, uh, I’ll do my best.”

Sitting on one corner of his desk, Adam folds his arms across his chest. His massive frame has to be off-putting to the skinny deputy which I’m sure Adam knows. Nothing quite like using muscles to your advantage. “But you know, the more I think about it, the more this doesn’t feel right to me, at least not without confirmation. Just to be on the safe side, I’m going to put in a call to Sheriff Abernathy to make sure everything’s in order.” He stands and rounds his desk while Rivers face falls. Any second now I’m sure he’s going to lose his breakfast.

When I drop to the cot in the cell, I make a lot of noise, but I only get the briefest of glances from Adam. He’s too busy looking up the number for Broomtown’s police station on his laptop. I clear my throat several times with no success.