Starks' Reality (7 page)

“Sure,” Tucker said.

Coop tossed the can into the air and Tucker caught it with one hand.

Jake waved off the offer. “You know my neighbors?” he asked Tucker. “
Bill Cooper, and his daughter, Heather?”

Tucker
nodded. “Coop and I run into each other now and then. But, I haven’t officially met Miss Cooper.”

“Heather, this is Dave Tucker, a friend.”

Tucker tipped his ball cap and Heather nodded.

She was almost smiling when she looked up at Jake. Sunglasses hid her eyes, but he knew how beautiful they were. Her
bare arms glistened, and the low neckline of her sleeveless T-shirt fired his imagination.

“I didn’t know you liked to fish,” he said.

“Someone has to keep an eye on him.” She shoved her father’s shoulder playfully.

Coop nodded. “That’s true.”

“Coop,” Tucker said, “why don’t you and your daughter come up to my place tomorrow evening? I’m having a party. Nothing fancy, just beer and music.”

“I never turn down free beer,” Coop said. “We’ll be there.”

A frown flashed across Heather’s face, but she didn’t say anything.

“Good. Fun starts at seven. See you then.” Tucker eased the throttle forward and pulled away in a slow circle.

Reluctantly, Jake pulled his gaze from Heather and returned to watching their path. But he couldn’t stop thinking about her, wondering if her skin smelled like warm coconut oil.

Tucker crossed the rest of the bay quickly and steered the boat alongside the dock with an expert hand. Jake tied off the lines, pulling the boat snugly to the bumpers.

Tucker turned his chair, stopped, and looked up at Jake. “You’ve already winked at that girl, haven’t you?”

Jake laughed
and shook his head. “I think maybe she winked at me.”

“What? You mean she’s got the elusive Ace Starks on the hook?”

“Could be.”

“I’m sorry, I just don’t believe it.”

Jake had a hard time believing it, too. But there was no doubt that just the thought of her affected him.

~~**~~**~~

Eight p.m. found Coop more sober than usual. He grinned as he chewed and washed the fish down with beer. “There’s nothing like fresh flounder, fried in beer batter.”

Heather had to agree; the fish was the best she’d had in ages. Having caught some of it herself while enjoying time with her father probably
sweetened the taste.

F
ried fish pieces still half-filled the bowl between them after they’d eaten all they could.

“You know,” Coop said, “it’s really a shame to have all this delicious fish go to waste
. Especially when there’s a guy about a hundred yards away probably making do with ravioli from a can.”

Heather
straightened. “What are you suggesting?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I just thought you might want to offer the chief some fish to make up for being so rude to him.”

“Rude to him?”

“Yes. Friday, when he came in the bar, you were a little harsh.”

“
Harsh
? Are you nuts?”

“Probably.” Coop’s grin widened across his face. “But I’ll make you a deal. If you take some fish over to our neighbor, I’ll clean
up.”

Heather glanced at the greasy stove and counter full of utensils and bowls. She’d dreaded the impending mess as soon as Coop announced his plan to make dinner.

Then she returned her attention to her father. Was he trying to play matchmaker?

Did she really ca
re? Having an excuse to see Starks was more thrilling than it should have been.

“All right,” she said,
biting back a smile. “But you have to wash the counters, too.”

“Done.”

Heather wrapped most of the fish in aluminum foil as Coop cleared the table.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, pushing the screen door open.

“Take your time. And don’t forget to tell him it’s from me, too.”

“Don’t worry.”

Fish in hand, she took the trail around the back of the bar. Then she walked up to the road and followed the edge of the pavement. The bar’s porch lights and a single streetlight lit her path most of the way, but the illumination faded as she approached Starks’.

She stopped at the end of the driveway and studied the house where only one interior light shone through the curtains. She saw no sign of movement inside.
Was he already asleep?

What was she doing? She felt like a schoolgirl, considering a stroll through the boy’s locker room. Her entire body started to shake.

She turned back.

Before she could
get away, the half-tailed dog ran down the driveway, barking. Heather put her hand out for him to sniff. Almost immediately, the porch light came on and the door opened.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s, um, me. Heather Cooper.”

“Really?” Starks flashed an impish grin into the darkness.

Heather’s face burned. She walked slowly forward, giving the blood time to return to the rest of her body.

He held the door with one hand. The other hand he hid behind his back. His open shirt revealed the muscles she’d suspected, and a line of
dark hair down the middle of his chest.

Blood rushed back to her face as she looked up into his
sparkling eyes.

“Come on in,” he said.

Heather squeezed past him, careful not to actually touch him. The heat from his body made her stomach flutter. Once inside the main room, she turned around to face him.

Starks stuck a small revolver into a leather holster on a shelf just inside the door and then buttoned his shirt.

“Coop sent over some fried flounder,” she said, holding out the package.

He took it, his grin growing, and walked to the table. “Thank him for me.”

She nodded.

“Will you join me?” he asked, pointing to the kitchen table.

“We just ate.”

“How about a cold drink? I could use the company.” He took two cans of
iced tea from the refrigerator, handed her one, opened the other, and sat.

Unable to come up with a reason for refusing his offer, Heather popped the top and sat across from him. She
drank as he opened the foil and sampled the fish.

Starks looked up and grinned again. She wished he wouldn’t do that.

“Wow, this is fantastic.” He held up a chuck of fish, studied it, and then popped it into his mouth. “Ummm.”

“
Fried fish is Coop’s specialty.”

Starks ate several pieces quickly,
and then leaned back with his cold drink and smiled at her. “You and your dad are close, aren’t you?”

“I guess so. We have our problems, but it’s been the two of us for most of my life.”

“What happened to your mother?”

Heather dropped her gaze to her can. Again, it was none of his business, yet, she felt compelled to answer. “My mother left when I was three.”

“Do you hear from her?”

“No.”

He looked down at the table as if lost in thought. After a long moment, his eyes jumped to hers. “I was just thinking about my kids.”

“You have kids?”

He nodded. “Two girls. I haven’t seen them in a long time.”

She hadn’t thought of Starks as a father. Somehow, it softened her image of him.

“Why not?”

“When my ex remarried, I signed custody over to her husband. He’s a decent guy, a teacher. I figured it would be better for the girls if they considered him their father.” He shrugged a little. “I was pretty screwed up at the time. It wouldn’t have been good for them to be around me.”

“When was that?”

“Nine years ago.”

She thought about her mother, gone from her life all these years. “Do you wonder about them, what they’re like now?”

“Yeah, I do. I’ve thought about finding them just to see what they look like.
Watch from a distance.” He took a long draw from his drink and then sighed. “Maybe someday.”

The sorrow in his voice made her throat constrict.
He’d never do it.

“What kind of engineer are you?”
he asked.

“I’m not any kind, yet, but I plan to be an environmental engineer.”

“What does an environmental engineer do?”

She raised one shoulder. “It depends. I could work for the EPA or the state, or for a consulting firm. I’m interested in water quality in coastal areas.”

“
So, you might end up testing the water out here in the bay?”

“Maybe.
But I’d rather get into the research side, more variety.”

He nodded. “Are you going back to school in January?”

“I hope.” She glanced into his eyes and then looked at her tea again. “Money’s a little tight.”

“I guess this business with the restaurant isn’t helping.”

“No, it’s not.”

“I hope we get it straightened out quickly.”

When she glanced up again, she caught him studying her, his smile gone. His eyes held hers in the strangest way, as if he were looking into her soul. She couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t until one corner of his mouth rose in a half smile that she was able to break the hold.

“I better get back,” she said, teetering a bit as she stood. “Coop’s liable to make a mess of the dishes.”

He walked around her to the door, held it open, and stood in the doorway.

Heather paused beside him and looked up.

Starks examined her face, as if memorizing details. His gaze stopped on her mouth and he leaned forward a little. His hand on her arm startled her, and burned her skin like a brand.

“Tell Coop I said thanks for the
fish,” he said, his voice deep. Then he straightened and released her arm.

Heather’s stomach flipped over.

She turned and tried to take the steps nonchalantly, but stumbled on the last one. Fortunately, she didn’t actually fall.

He watched her walk down the driveway. She could feel his gaze. Behind her, the door squeaked as he closed it slowly.

Heather took several deep breaths of cool, night air and blew them out as she walked. His handprint tingled on her arm.

The man was more tempting than
chocolate.

~~**~~**~~

Jake stared at the foil as he took another bite of fish.

To hell with not
getting involved. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his nights alone.

He wanted to spend
them wrapped in Heather Cooper’s long, sexy legs.

He’d eventually be sorry, but it didn’t matter. The woman already had possession of his fantasies. As long as he guarded his heart, he’d be all right.

Jake rose and walked slowly to the door. He handed Dog the last two pieces of fish. After locking the house, he stretched out on the sofa.

The bed felt too big to sleep in alone in his frame of mind. He closed his eyes and covered them with one arm.

Yes, he’d have to do something about Heather Cooper. Soon.

CHAPTER
5

“H
ey there, darlin’.”

Jake looked up at the sound of Red’s voice in the outer office as the patrolman greeted
dispatcher Helen Potts.

Red appeared as jovial as he sounded when he
rapped on the open office door. “Morning, Chief.”

“Good morning, Red. Come
in.”

The man walked in with a bounce to his step and dropped into the visitor’s chair. “You make out okay this weekend?”

“Yes, thanks.”

“Well, good. Look, Chief, about Friday—”

Jake raised one hand. “Don’t worry about Friday. I assume because you’re here, you’re willing to work with the change in rules.”

The man nodded. “
I am.”

Now for the real test. Jake handed Red a copy of the new work schedule.

The man scanned the page, but registered little more than mild surprise. He was scheduled for the first and fourth Saturdays, and second Sunday. Maybe he’d expected worse.

“All right?” Jake asked.

“You bet.”

Jake leaned back in his chair. “I guess you heard about what happened this weekend.”

“About Coop’s Place? Yeah. I understand the Department of Health closed him down.”

“They closed the kitchen
for now. I was about to call the hospital to see how Ed Taylor’s doing.”

Red shook his head slowly. “The old man’s pretty tough.”

“His wife said he was an important government official.”

Red
chuckled. “Yeah, he ran the mailroom in the capitol for thirty or forty years.”

“
So, I guess it isn’t likely there’s a conspiracy under way.”

“Not very.”

The phone rang and Jake picked it up.

“Police.” He hadn’t yet figured out quite how to answer.

The voice on the other end hesitated for a moment. “Is this Chief Starks?”

“Yes. May I help you?”

“This is Madeline White. I’m an RN at Callaway County Medical. I have a note to contact you. Ed Taylor died at seven forty-two this morning.”

“He
died
?”

“Yes.”

“From food poisoning?”

“The coroner hasn’t done an autopsy yet. Mr. Taylor had been in a coma since he was admitted on Saturday, and went into cardiac arrest this morning. We weren’t able to revive him.”

Jake took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Thanks for calling.” He returned the receiver to the cradle and looked up at Red. “Ed Taylor’s dead.”

“Oh, shit.
”

“Yeah.”

“You know the old lady’s going to sue the pants off of Coop.”

“And Tran, I’m sure,” Jake said. “I’ll see if Parks and Wildlife has any info yet.”

“Anything I need to do?”

“
I’ll take care of this.”

“Okay. I guess I’ll make the rounds and see what’s happening.” Red stood, turned toward the door,
and then stopped and looked back. “If that’s all right with you.”

“Sure
.”

The man’s eyes still held a spark of fight.
One way or another, he’d show his true colors within the next week or two. Jake didn’t need a patrolman he couldn’t count on.

“Helen?”

The woman poked her head through the doorway. “Yes, Chief?”

“Get Parks and Wildlife on the phone for me. See if Hernandez is around.”

“Sure thing.”

~~**~~**~~

Heather wasn’t sorry to see Starks pull up in front of her house. She didn’t hurry to the door—no need to appear too anxious—but she straightened her T-shirt and pushed the hair back from her face. As soon as he knocked, she opened the door.

“Good morning,” she said.

When he took off his sunglasses, the intensity of his gaze made her gulp.

“Good morning.” He took a deep breath and looked away for a moment. “I have some bad news.”

“What?”

“Ed Taylor died.”

“
What
? Oh, my God.” A wave of dizziness washed over her and she clutched the doorframe.

“Whoa.
” Jake grabbed her arm. “Let’s go inside.”

He led her to a chair and waited until she sat before releasing her. She couldn’t catch her breath; her vision tunneled to a pinpoint.

“Heather, lean forward and put your head between your knees.” His voice came from right beside her, but she couldn’t see him.

She did as instructed.

After a moment, her senses cleared and she straightened.

Starks knelt beside her, his hand resting between her shoulder blades. When she met his gaze, he rose and took the seat across from her.

Heather cooled her cheeks with her palms as she took deep breaths. Ed Taylor had eaten in her restaurant. She was responsible for ending the man’s life. “I…can’t believe it.”

“You can’t blame yourself,” he said. “You didn’t do this.”

“But I did. I put the plate in front of him, and now he’s dead.” Pressure built in her chest. “God, it’s horrible.”

“Heather.”

She looked up.

“You did nothing wrong.”

Oddly enough, his words felt almost like an absolution. The tightness in her chest loosened.

“Are you listening?” he asked.

She nodded.

“I called Parks and Wildlife. They didn’t find anything unexpected in the bay. They’re watching the dock now, monitoring incoming oysters. I also called Yarro at the Department of Health. He said some of the tests on the shells are coming back positive. He’ll get back to us with more information tomorrow or so.”

She nodded again.

“I think you need to be prepared.”

“For what?” she asked.

“Mrs. Taylor
could decide to sue everyone involved.”

“Oh,
I hadn’t thought of that.” The blood drained from her head again. “Coop will lose everything. And Tran. Poor man. He has five children. What will they do?”

Starks raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t think you should jump to conclusions. I mean, we have no idea what the outcome of all this will be. I just thought you might want to discuss it with Coop.”

Heather nodded.

“Think I can get some coffee?”

“Sure.” When she jumped up, the room spun.

Starks reached for her, but withdrew his hand when she regained her balance. He watched her with concern, his gorg
eous eyes tracking her every move. Why did she have such a strong desire to throw herself into his arms?

Working to ignore the urge, she filled two cups from the coffee pot and
carried them to the table. She returned to her seat and stole a glance as he sipped.

He was attractive, but it wasn’t movie-star-type male beauty. He was strong, steady, solid. Her father had always been someone who turned to her for strength. And every one of her boyfriends had
been some version of her father: someone who needed her help. Even Matt.

Starks didn’t. He didn’t need her at all.

She wanted him.

The very thought was ridiculous, especially under the circumstances.

“What is it?”

She looked up. “What?”

“You shook your head.”

“Oh
. It’s nothing.”

They sat without speaking
as the kitchen clock ticked.

Starks broke the silence. “You have a college guy waiting for you back in Austin?”

Heather straightened. “That’s none of your business.”

“True.” He grinned.

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

Starks narrowed his eye
s. “Let me guess, his name is…Lyle.”

“No.”

“Biff?”

“No, it’s Matt.”

“
Matt
.”

Somehow, when he said it, it sounded dorky.

Her face warmed. “Yes, Matt Vanderhoff. He’s very nice, and he’s pre-law.”

Starks’ grin grew slightly fiendish as he watched her. “Good
.”

What was that supposed to mean? Was he teasing her?

“
Good
?”

“
I wouldn’t want to think of you spending all your time studying. Life’s too short.”

She drank her coffee
instead of telling him she’d broken up with Matt before leaving school in May. She wasn’t about to admit that Matt was the one she’d thought she’d marry. She hadn’t even told her father how serious the relationship had become, and certainly hadn’t told him that his name had come up more than once during that last blowout. When she’d tried to explain why she had to go home, Matt had accused her of babying her father. He couldn’t begin to understand their relationship, seasoned by years of caring for Coop is if he were the child and she was the parent.

No, she couldn’t tell anyone about that last week at school. The wounds were still too fresh.

“You going to the party tonight?” Starks asked.

Heather shook her head. “
I’m tending bar. If we don’t keep Coop’s open, customers will get used to going elsewhere. Besides, I wouldn’t feel right about going to a party now.”

He nodded again, but didn’t say anything.

“How do you know Dave Tucker?” she asked.

“He was my partner for a few years in Dallas.”

“I’d heard he was from Dallas,” she said, “but I didn’t know he was a cop. Why is he in a wheelchair?”

“He was shot.”

“On the job?”

Starks nodded.

For the second time, Heather felt an icy hardness from him that frightened her a little. He was probably capable of staring down a killer without flinching. For that matter, he was probably capable of pulling the trigger if he needed to. Had he done that? Had he ever shot anyone? That was what cops did sometimes, wasn’t it?

“I better go.”
He stood and carried his cup to the counter. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“You’re welcome.” She followed him to the door.

He didn’t look back until he was in the car, backing out of the driveway. He wasn’t smiling.

With Starks gone, her thoughts returned to Ed Taylor and her father. She needed to find Coop. He would definitely be upset when he heard the news.

~~**~~**~~

“Ace, I want you to meet someone.”

Jake followed Tucker’s chair through the growing crowd. At least thirty people stood around t
he main room in small clusters.

When
they approached one of the circles of four, it opened to include them.

“
Let me introduce Jake Starks, our new chief of police. Jake, this is Eileen Murphy.”

The woman, about thirty, thin and pale, had auburn hair to her waist. She was the model type—one who looked better through the lens of a camera. Jake shook her hand, careful not to squeeze too hard.

“You know Mayor Stevens.”

Jake nodded as he shook hands with the mayor, who had been out of town since shortly after hiring Jake over the phone. The man fit the image J
ake had of him perfectly: fiftyish, graying, out of shape, but with the handshake and smile of a politician. No doubt he had his eye on higher office.

“This is Betty Stevens.”

Puffy, dyed blond hair, expensive dress, not much in the way of natural beauty, but a good handshake for a woman.

“And Tanner
Radisson.”

So, this was Port Boyer’s playboy. He was about thirty, tall, and lean—a little underweight. He had
a look that said,
I’m better than you and I can do what I want
. It was a look Jake had seen hundreds of times. He loved busting those guys with their weed or blow and hearing
yes, sir
and
no, sir
suddenly become part of their vocabularies. Radisson, however, was nursing a beer at the moment and definitely not high.

“I hope you’re finding our town to your liking,”
Radisson said. O
ur
sounded like it meant
my
.

Jake smiled.

“Damn shame about the problems down at Coop’s,” the mayor said. “I assume you have that covered.”

“Yes, sir,” Jake answered.

“Then, I know we’re in good hands.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to meet all of you.”

As the group started to converse with each other, Jake stepped away.

“C
ooler on the back porch is full of beer and cold drinks,” Tucker said.

“You want something?”

Tucker lifted a beer bottle from a cup holder mounted on the side of his chair. “Got one.”