Friendly Fire (7 page)

“I didn’t know you were dating Brent Maloney,” Logan said, looking straight ahead. He picked up her restless breathing.

“I’m not, really. He asked me out for dinner, and I said yes. I don’t think that signifies dating. He’s nice,” she said rather sharply.

Logan glanced over at her and the way she was biting her lower lip. “Does he make you nervous?”

“No, of course not. He’s my girls’ math teacher. Why would he make me nervous?” she replied too quickly.

Logan didn’t say anything. He knew when someone was lying. Maybe she was lying to herself, but why would she do that? “Well, I’d rather see you safe—so I’m glad, just the same, to be driving you home. How well do you really know him?”

“Oh, about as well as I know you, I’d say,” she snapped. “He’s from Boise, has an aunt in Florida and a sister who died. Tell me, Logan, what do I know about you?” The seat rustled as she slid around to face him.

Logan wondered why Rose told him Brent had a large family and came from Chicago. She must have been confused. He’d have to talk with her tomorrow, but at least he could have Clinton start looking in Boise.

“I have four brothers,” he began. “I’m the oldest and have been watching out for each of them. Joe just got married, Ben is some swanky oil executive, Samuel is just finishing up law school, and baby Jake is a football star. I grew up in Post Falls and enlisted in the marines when I was eighteen. I would have retired in the marines if not for the bomb ending my career. My parents are still together, retired and living in Boise. Anything else you want to know?” he asked, smiling at her grudging interest.

“Why do you call your brother ‘baby Jake?' If he looks like you, he can’t be very small.”

“No, Jake’s in college on a football scholarship. He’s as tall as me, but he’s the youngest, and we always looked out for him. Don’t remember who gave him that nickname, but it stuck. We still call him that to this day. Mind you, he doesn’t appreciate it much now.”

She didn’t say anything else about it, gesturing to a road a block over from where he lived. “Down there, on the end.”

She really didn’t have to tell him, since he’d already made a point of finding out where she lived, as well as the names of her girls, Dawn and Trinity. Rose had told him that one was a trickster, her sister always trying to smooth over whatever she had done. That had made Logan smile, picturing his brothers and his mama. The twins were a handful, he’d bet, but he’d like to get to know them and their mother better.

Logan pulled into Julia’s driveway and shut off the engine. “Tell me, Julia, what kind of idiot would ever let you go?”

She seemed to pull away in her seat without moving an inch, jutting her chin awkwardly as if fighting to hold back something that was causing her a world of hurt. “He cheated on me, had been the entire time we were married. I was the only one who didn’t know.” When she looked over at him, she wore a sad smile. “I guess I’m really not all that smart. You know what hurt the worst? After he told me he was leaving, I found out it was for his assistant, who’d been working with him for years. All our friends, even the receptionist, said, ‘Well, how come you didn’t see it? Didn’t you wonder what he was doing, all those long lunch hours and late nights?’ I could honestly say no, I had no idea; and everyone looked at me with such pity. It was like that saying, kicking someone when they’re down. I moved me and my girls here, where nobody knew us; where no one would look at me like that again.” She just stopped talking and tapped her purse.

Logan, who was resting his arm on her seatback, reached over and touched her tightly fisted hands, running his thumb over her knuckles. She didn’t pull away. All she did was look up at him, and all he would have to do was lean in closer and touch her lips with his. The kiss would be so easy, and she was so vulnerable. “Then he’s a damn fool, and so are those so-called friends,” he finally replied.

Her eyes went right to his lips, and her breath caught. For a moment, he imagined a rope bringing them together. He leaned foward and kissed her, running his mouth so lightly over her lips, soft and sweet, and she opened for him without hesitation. He deepened the kiss, tasting her and sliding his hand over her cheek, into her hair, and angling his mouth to hers. When he pulled back, feeling her warm breath and tasting wine on her...he knew that, whatever it took, he was going to find a way to make her his.

Chapter 11

W
hat the hell had she been thinking? All night, she had tossed and turned, burning as she relived the million-dollar kiss Logan Wilde had set on her in his Jeep; scrambling her will, leaving her so weak in the knees that she had barely been able to walk to the front door.

Logan hadn’t just dropped her off and run. In fact, he had taken her keys, walked her to the front door, and unlocked it—even checking the house to make sure everything was locked up while Julia paid the sitter. Then he’d driven Susie home, which was only at the end of the street, making it clear that he wasn’t about to let a kid walk anywhere alone at night—no matter how small the town was or how close she lived. He hadn’t just left and let Julia shut the door, either. No, he had hung out in the doorway for what felt like an eternity, though it was actually only a few seconds, letting her know in his unspoken way, as his gaze lingered, that he too was reliving that kiss—or at least that was what she hoped.

Of course, without a good night’s sleep, Julia was both cranky and overtired this morning. She was late opening up, and several customers were standing outside, peering in through the window. In her haste, she then burned herself on the new steamer and broke a plate and mug. Now she had a phone order from the firehouse and was hurrying to get their eight meals ready for pickup before the lunch crowd came in. The jangle on the door had her glancing up from where she was spreading mayo on bread, and she damn near choked when she saw Logan. He angled his chin and started toward her, and damn it all if she didn’t feel a blush warm her cheeks. She tried to duck her head but ended up knocking over a container of chicken.

“Oh, shit,” she muttered as she dropped to her knees and grabbed the container holding the last of her chicken. Then she just looked up at Logan from where he stood above her, looking at her amid the mess.

“Are you okay?” he asked in a light, teasing way.

She wondered for a minute whether he was making fun of her. She grabbed at the chicken on the ground and stood up, dumping the rest in the sink and then wiping her hands on a dishcloth, trying to steady her nerves enough to look up at him.

Maybe he already knew how much he had unsettled her, because the next thing she knew, he was setting his fingers under her chin and lifting. His thumb was rough and calloused, and it felt so good.

“Are you okay?” he repeated. This time, he was serious, and she set her hand over his, strong and steady, something she could really lean on. She wondered whether he’d try to kiss her again.

“I’m fine, really. I’m just…”

“You’re a beautiful woman, Julia.”

She had to stop him, so she shut her eyes as she set her hand on his chest, which was a mistake. She could feel the hard muscles, the heat, and she longed to run her hand under his light shirt and touch his bare chest. He wore no coat today, just his jeans and a light button-up shirt. She wanted to undo each one of those buttons and take her time exploring that magnificent chest and every other inch of him.

“No, I can’t do this,” she said. “You’re dangerous…”

“I’d never hurt you,” he said, setting both hands in her hair, holding her face so she had to look up at him. She wanted him to kiss her, to taste her. She wanted a lot more.

“You just say that, but you don’t really know what’ll set you off. I can’t go through it again. I won’t do that to my daughters.” She made herself step back, pulling her hand away.

Logan rubbed his thumb over her ear, cupping her cheek, and she leaned in, fighting the urge to whimper. “There’s something between us,” he said. “There’s no way you can say you don’t want me. I can see it in you. You can’t hide something like that, Julia.”

“Well, maybe that tells you how screwed up I am, because I shouldn’t want you,” she said, trying to convince herself, though her body wasn’t getting the message.

The door dinged, and she didn’t have to turn around to guess who was there, as Logan’s face darkened. She stepped back again, letting his hand fall away. Brent stood in the doorway, taking in Logan beside her as if he knew what she was thinking and what was sizzling between them. She lowered her gaze, but Logan made no move to step away.

“Good morning, Brent,” she said, forcing a stiff smile to her face. Unfortunately, she just wasn’t able to pull off anything genuine. She was embarrassed; feeling awkward after last night and how Brent had behaved.

He glanced over to Logan. “Just wanted to apologize for last night, Sheriff. You were absolutely right to see that I was driven home, and thank you for seeing that Julia got home safely, as well.”

Wow, she hadn’t expect that, considering she’d seen a side of Brent last night that she didn’t quite like. Then again, Logan had been pretty heavy handed, as well.

“Thought I’d stop in for lunch and an espresso,” Brent added, shaking off his jacket and pushing up the sleeves of his mustard-colored turtleneck, which really looked sharp on him. He was so trendy and clean cut. “So, Sheriff, do you have any kids?”

“You know what? I have to get these sandwiches done,” Julia interrupted. “Brent, just let me finish up this order, and then I can take yours.” She turned away and had to take a breath to get her head together so she could finish her order, hoping there was enough chicken left.

She listened as Logan said to Brent, “No, I have no kids. Haven’t been lucky enough to meet the right woman.”

“Ah, but there’s still time, really, Sheriff. Meet a great lady and settle down,” Brent said. Julia didn’t know why he was trying so hard, because after the head-butting of the night before, she was pretty sure the two men could never be civil to one another.

“Maybe,” Logan said. He set his hand on Julia’s shoulder lightly to get her attention. “I’m going to go. If you need anything…” He didn’t finish, but the look he gave her made her turn all soft inside. He walked away, and she didn’t have time to analyze and wonder, because the man who had phoned in the order arrived.

Chapter 12

“C
linton,” Logan called out when he stepped into the bullpen, where Clinton was hunkered down at his desk, reading something from a file.

“Yes, Sheriff?” He slid back his chair and stood up. “You know, I’ve found nothing on Brent Maloney, that new teacher. Frankly, that bothers me, sir. Maybe we should speak with the principal at the school to find out more? After all, he has to have provided a resume and a teaching certificate.” Clinton clicked his pen, his expression serious. Maybe his concern stemmed from being a parent himself.

“That’s probably a good idea, but let’s hold off right now,” Logan said. “I don’t want Maloney wondering why we’re checking him out.”

“Well, why are we?” Rose asked, stepping up behind him.

Logan should have been startled, because Rose hadn’t been at her desk when he came in, and no one ever snuck up on him. “No reason in particular, just a feeling,” he replied.

“And would this feeling have anything to do with Julia Cooper?” she asked.

He couldn’t believe Rose would bring that up, even though she was absolutely right. “Let’s just say that something about him doesn’t ring quite right. Like you mentioned, Rose, he’s from Chicago, has a big family and was a teacher there, yet Clinton can’t find anything on him in the entire state of Illinois. Julia said he’s from Boise, with only an aunt and a sister, who died. So, Clinton, start in Boise. If nothing comes of that, I’ll be inclined to go have a chat with the principal.”

Logan took in the air confusion around Rose. She glanced away as if considering something before shaking her head and saying, “No, Sheriff, he told me plain as day that he was from Chicago. If there’s one thing I do well, it’s finding out everything about people. I’m not some scattered old woman who can’t remember what she had for breakfast. Julia must be mistaken.”

Logan took in the determination in her expression. “Maybe so, but the fact remains, Rose, there’s something not quite right here. There’s one thing I don’t like, and that’s a missing piece in the puzzle. Right now, I bet you anything that Brent Maloney is hiding something; so I mean to get some answers,” he said, taking in the shared glance between Rose and Clinton.

“Sheriff, you let me know where I can help,” Rose said before she was interrupted by the telephone ringing. She hurried away, and Logan listened as she answered in the background.

“Clinton, start in Boise,” he said. “I think I might just go pay the principal of the school a visit right now.”

“Her name’s Sue Griffin, Sheriff,” Rose called out over her shoulder, phone stuck to her ear, still talking to someone and listening to him at the same time. He glanced back at Clinton, who shrugged as if this was normal behavior from Rose.

Logan would have to remember to be careful around her. Ears that could pick up anything could be useful; but they could also be a problem, if he wasn’t careful.

****

Logan parked in front of the new, single-story, brick schoolhouse. He remembered hearing that the old one had burned down ten years back. The kids had been bussed to another district, for quite some time, until portables were brought in and a new school could be built. The building was first class, too; with a fancy playground and climbing apparatus that must have set the county back a dollar or two. The office was clearly marked at the front door along with a sign for visitors to check in.

Logan stopped at the long counter. A woman with long gray hair was looking at the desk, writing something down with the phone to her ear. She glanced up and noticed Logan, and her blue eyes widened when she took in his gun and the sheriff badge pinned to his chest.

“Sheriff, I’ll be right with you,” she said.