Due or Die (27 page)

Lindsey would have cried out, but a hand was clamped over her mouth and a voice said, “Shh. You’re safe.”

Edmund came around the corner, and Officer Plewicki surged out from an open shed, knocked him to the ground, took his gun and cuffed him all in the time it took Lindsey to inhale.

She turned to see who held her. It was Sully, and she sagged against him with relief. He wrapped his arms about her and held her close. Lindsey could feel herself starting to shake as the hysterics began, but she buried her face against his wool coat and kept breathing until it passed.

“Pretty smart to call Nancy and leave your phone on,” Sully said.

“It was an accident,” she said.

Chief Daniels joined them, with Bill at his side.

“You had your phone on?” Bill asked her. She nodded and he said, “Well, that was smarter than my driving.”

“Your driving was brilliant,” Lindsey said. Then she smiled. Who’d
have thought that under his immaculate attire Bill had the heart of a hero?

“That was something,” Chief Daniels said and clapped him on the shoulder. “Tell me, have you ever considered a career in law enforcement?”

T
he rest of the afternoon was spent at the police station. When they arrived, Nancy was there with Heathcliff. As Lindsey wrapped her arms around his wiggly dog body, she realized one of her biggest regrets had she been killed would have been never seeing her dog again.

Sully hunkered down next to her and scratched his head. “He’s not the only one who is happy to see you in one piece.”

“Thanks,” she said.

“So, Edmund turned out to be not all that,” he said.

He was glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, and she knew he was trying to gauge her reaction. Well, she had a reaction for him.

“At least Edmund actually asked me out,” she said. She rose to her feet and looked down at him. “I like you, Mike Sullivan, there’s no question about that. I like that you’re well read and funny, when you choose to talk. I like how gentle you are with your big man hands when you pet my dog, and I like the dimples that bracket your grin, which is a stunner. But damn it, I am not going to chase you. If you want to ask me out, you’re just going to have to strap on a pair and get it done.”

Sully’s mouth slid open in surprise and then turned into a grin that outshone the sun.

“Lindsey, we need you back here.” Emma entered the main room from the back of the station.

“Not now!” Nancy said. “Can’t you see she’s busy?”

“Oh, God, did I say all of that out loud?” Lindsey asked, horrified. “Near-death experience, please forget what I just said.”

She spun on her heel and hurried around the counter after Emma.

“Not so fast,” Sully said. The entire station went quiet as everyone turned toward him. “Lindsey Norris, I like you, too. I like that you’re smart and funny and can remember what everyone in town likes to read. I like that you ride a ridiculous bike to work in terrible weather, and I like that your eyes change color with your moods, like the sea reflects the sky. I like that you adopted a puppy who needed you, and I like the way the wind tangles up your hair when you let it loose, and I do like it loose.”

Lindsey was riveted, her gaze locked onto Sully’s while her breath stalled in her lungs. She could feel everyone watching them, and the heat in her cheeks reached the scorching level of DEFCON five.

“So, will you go out with me?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. It came out breathier than she would have liked, but he seemed fine with that.

“Friday at seven?” he asked.

Unable to speak, she just nodded.

“Are we done now?” Emma asked, but she was grinning.

“Yes, I think so,” Lindsey said. With a small wave, she left the main room, with Heathcliff on her heels, and headed back to the interview rooms. As she turned the corner, she saw Nancy give Sully a knuckle bump.

“I
found Heathcliff and Catharine’s love to be very unrealistic,” Violet said.

It was crafternoon Thursday, and in honor of Lindsey’s new puppy, they had read
Wuthering Heights
.

“Did you?” Nancy asked. “I thought it was powerful, especially when Catharine declares, ‘I am Heathcliff.’”

“But then she marries Linton,” Lindsey said. “I found that very sad, especially for Heathcliff.”

“But did they truly love one another or was it more of an addiction?” Violet asked.

“It seemed to me that they were all disappointed in love and then intent upon destroying those unfortunate enough to love them,” Beth said. “Very selfish people, really.”

“A lot like Edmund Sint and Markus Rushton, if you ask me,” Nancy said.

“
How is Carrie doing?” Violet asked.

“Better now that she and the kids can plan Markus’s funeral and start to heal,” Lindsey said. “Bill Sint was so upset by his nephew’s actions that he has even offered to help her keep her house.”

“You know, this tragedy has really shined a light on Bill,” Nancy said. “Who knew he had so many layers?”

“I suppose it takes a crisis, like how we locals really banded together to get through the storm, to see what a person is made of,” Lindsey said.

She, for one, was very glad Bill had turned out to have more going on beneath the starched shirts and perfectly creased pants. He had undoubtedly saved her life.

“How’s that scarf coming?” Nancy asked her.

“See for yourself,” Lindsey said.

As she pulled her hook through the last stitch on the edging, she couldn’t help but feel quite pleased with herself. Five feet long by six inches wide, her mohair-cashmere scarf was finished.

It was a frothy confection, and with its sea foam green color, it looked as if it could have been snatched from an unsuspecting mermaid and washed ashore during a storm.

“Oh, now that turned out just darling,” Violet declared.

“You can wear it on your date with Sully,” Beth teased her.

Lindsey felt her face get hot. “Aren’t we supposed to be discussing
Wuthering Heights
?”

“Not without me,” Charlene said as she dashed into the room with Mary right behind her.

They took the last two seats and immediately pulled out their projects. Charlene had a ways to go to be finished with
her ripple afghan, but Mary had finished her tea cozy and was now working on a red doggie sweater for Heathcliff.

Violet had brought the food today, and it was a calorie-inducing spread of homemade sticky buns, fruit salad, hot tea and a deli platter. Lindsey folded up her scarf and tucked it into her bag, then she filled up a plate and settled back in her chair. The fire crackled in the room, keeping the January chill at bay. She would have been happy to stay here all day.

“I think Lindsey is just trying to avoid talking about her date with Sully,” Nancy said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Tomorrow, isn’t it?” Mary asked.

Lindsey took a bite of sticky bun and indicated that she couldn’t talk with her mouth full.

“Where is he taking her?” Charlene asked Mary.

Lindsey would have protested this discussion of her personal life, but her mouth was still full.

“I don’t know,” Mary said. “He’s being very close lipped about the whole thing. It’s very annoying.”

Lindsey swallowed and said, “Did you know that Emily Brontë originally published under the name Ellis Bell and was believed to be a man?”

“There she goes, changing the subject,” Beth said with a tsk.

“The subject is supposed to be
Wuthering Heights
, not my personal life,” Lindsey said.

“Can we at least talk about what you’re going to wear?” Violet asked. “It is a first date, so it’s somewhat critical.”

“I’ll wear my scarf,” Lindsey said. “Happy?”

“If that’s all you’re planning on wearing, I know Sully will be, happy, that is,” Mary said.

Lindsey felt her face grow hot. “No, that’s not what I meant, oh, you!”

The women were laughing now, and Lindsey couldn’t help but laugh, too. She supposed it was a big deal, her first real date since her breakup almost a year ago. She had no idea where Sully was planning to take her, but it didn’t matter. She was happy just to spend time with him.

In fact, after escaping Edmund with her life, she was happy just to be here with her friends, sharing good food and a good book, and looking forward to seeing her puppy later. It made her realize that it really was the little things that made life worth living. Okay, that and a hot date.

What is a crafternoon? Well, in Briar Creek it is a meeting between close friends where they discuss a good book, work on a craft and share some tasty food. Here are some ideas for having your own crafternoon.

Start with a good story. Lindsey recommends revisiting the classic
Wuthering Heights
and has included a handy discussion guide in the back of this book.

Share a craft, such as crocheting, where participants can work on their own project at their own pace. See the following pages for the pattern Lindsey used to make the crocheted scarf for her first date with Sully.

Don’t forget to bring some scrumptious food, and if you’re including pets in your crafternoon, you may want to pack them a snack as well. Recipes for Nancy’s peanut
butter cookies for people and one for pooches follow the crochet pattern.

Finally, the most important part of crafternoons is to relax and have fun with people you enjoy!

by Emily Brontë

Emily Brontë’s only novel,
Wuthering Heights
, is a passionate tale, considered to be one of the greatest literary works of all time. It was published in 1847 under the pen name Ellis Bell with only two hundred and fifty copies printed.

1. Wuthering Heights
   is considered to be one of the greatest love stories ever written. Would you consider it a romance? Must all romances have a happy ending?
   
2. Catherine loves Heathcliff and Edgar, but her feelings for these men are very different. What is real love? Which of these two men should she have married and why?
   
3. Vengeance is a powerful motivator in the novel. In fact, it is what drives much of Heathcliff’s actions. How is revenge related to love? Are Heathcliff’s actions justified? Is Heathcliff a hero or a villain?
   
4. The setting of the novel is Yorkshire, England. Catherine loves the moors of this landscape. What does this tell us about her character? What do the moors represent in the novel?
   
5. Social class and class distinction play a pivotal part in the novel. How does the social position of each character affect his/her actions? If Heathcliff and Catherine’s places in society were switched, how different would the novel be?
   

LINDSEY’S CROCHET SCARF

Crochet Hook K (6.5 mm)

100 g baby mohair

100 g cotton cashmere

Work the two yarns together.

ch = chain

sl st = slip stitch

sc = single crochet

ch 2 sp = chain 2 space

dc = double crochet

Beginning row: Ch 18, sc in sixth ch from hook (ch 3, skip 2 ch, sc in third ch). Repeat across until last 2 ch, ch 2, dc in first ch of foundation chain.