“You keep drinking like that, and I might have to carry you home,” Will said.
“I don’t think so.”
“I could overpower you. I’m pretty strong.”
“So am I. And I know where to kick you.”
“Well, maybe you can carry yourself home. Just so Max Hazard isn’t in the picture.”
They quieted and listened as Audrey continued speaking.
“There is another reason I invited everyone here,” Audrey said to the crowd of their friends, a big smile on her face as she turned to look at J.D. “Since everyone we love is here in this room, I think it’s the perfect time for me to make good on a threat I made to J.D. last summer.”
Julia looked at J.D. He appeared surprised, clearly in the dark about whatever was coming next. So, Julia wasn’t the only one getting a surprise tonight. Julia leaned close to Will. She could smell the faintest scent of some kind of citrus aftershave. She liked it. “What’s this all about?”
Will shrugged. “She didn’t fill me in on this one. I bet it’s going to be good, though. Poor J.D.”
Audrey had walked over to J.D. She took his hands and pulled him up until he towered over her. “If you’ll remember, J.D., I told you that I’d give you six months to propose to me, before I took matters into my own hands and proposed to you.”
The room exploded in a roar of laughter and clapping. Zoe’s voice rang out from the end of the table. “Well, finally!”
That brought more laughter, even from Will. He had a deep laugh that matched his voice, a pleasant sound that Julia hadn’t heard much of since they’d seen Lucien Lockhart hanging from a rafter on his back porch.
J.D. was grinning, too. Pleased as punch. He gave Audrey a bow and waited. “Well, go ahead, hit me with it,” he said, to the crowd’s delight.
Audrey laughed, too, and said, “J.D. Cass, will you marry me, or not?”
“I do,” he said, eliciting more laughter.
Then he sobered and took Audrey’s hands. The crowd quieted again, then oohed and aahed as J.D. went down on one knee. “I will,” he said. “That’s why I brought this ring along tonight. You just beat me to it.”
Now it was Audrey’s turn to look stunned. She watched as he flipped open a small black velvet box. He took out a large diamond ring that flashed and sparkled in the overhead lights. “Will you marry me, Audrey Sherrod?”
“You bet I will, J.D. Cass.”
There was murmuring throughout the crowd as J.D. slid the ring on her finger, and they hugged and kissed as the whole room cheered.
“Well, I’ll be damned. I never figured J.D. for a romantic,” Will whispered, close enough to Julia’s ear to send a cold chill racing down her arm. “Looks like there’s going to be a wedding. If that transpires, I guess you know you’ll actually have to drop your tomboy persona and put on a dress.”
“I’ve had a dress on, Brannock. Once. And that was once too often,” Julia answered, but that wasn’t true, of course. As she watched Audrey and J.D. kissing, she got a big lump in her throat and tears burned her eyes.
Good grief
, she thought,
what in the world is going on here?
But in her heart, she knew. She was just happy, so happy for her brother to have finally found the love of his life. And, by the looks of things, Audrey Sherrod was definitely his soul mate. Embarrassed, she surreptitiously dabbed at a tear. Will noticed. He placed his hand over hers, where it lay in her lap, and gave it a comforting squeeze. She looked at him, and even before he spoke, she could see the understanding in his brown eyes.
“I know. It’s because you’re happy for them.”
Swallowing hard, she looked down at her hand covered completely by his long, tanned fingers. So Will Brannock could be nice and comforting and compassionate, too, as well as all that supersexy and crazy-masculine and more-attractive-than-humanly-possible stuff he possessed in such gargantuan quantities. On the other hand, he was still her partner and pretty much hands-off.
Well, that’s just great
, she thought, irked to high heaven.
I finally find a guy that turns me on and causes ripples to shiver over my flesh, and he’s off-limits. Wow, how lucky can one girl get?
Her gaze connected with Will’s concerned eyes again, and she smiled to herself. Then again, they wouldn’t be partners forever, now would they? Another reason to catch this psychopath Tongue Slasher as soon as possible. Maybe then, but only then, the time would be right for her and Will Brannock to hook up and see what would happen.
Chapter 12
Sweat pouring, breath heaving, blood pumping, Cathy Axelrod kept the fast jogging pace she’d set all the way to the end of the road that paralleled the river. Her German shepherds raced along with her. The Akita, his paw sufficiently healed to have returned home from Charlie’s, lagged behind as if he knew Cathy would just turn around and come back. He was the smartest dog, after all. Cathy had been a star cross-country runner in high school and college, with lots of ribbons to prove it. Since she’d joined the Wilderness Trail Running Association, she never missed a morning run, rain or sun, sleet or snow. It had a way of clearing her head, making her happy just to be alive, especially on a beautiful summer morning. She and Julia used to run together a lot when they were in their first K-9 training academy with Charlie, but she’d had to drag Julia out of bed if it was before seven o’clock. Dawn was totally out. Julia did like to sleep in. She smiled at the thought of the times she’d jumped up and down on Julia’s bed, forcing her to get up. And Jasper, of course, still a growing puppy back then, helped by yapping and licking Julia’s face. She was so thrilled her friend was in Chattanooga and actually lived right next door. Just like old times. She hoped they’d soon become as close as they once were.
It would be good to have someone like Julia for some serious heart-to-hearts, especially right now. Lonnie was truly struggling with his clinical depression, and she wanted desperately to help him get through the bad times. Those times didn’t happen very often, but when they did, he was so deeply sad that she suffered along with him. Anytime one lost a family member, it was very hard to survive. Lonnie’s loss had happened in late summer, around this time of year, many years ago, and Lonnie always sank into an introverted, depressed state when the last week of August rolled around. She was determined to help him snap out of his melancholy, and maybe with Julia around, he’d be more apt to talk. He had done well at Audrey Sherrod’s party, better than she had expected, and had actually cheered up a tad.
Charlie had been the one who had not seemed himself that whole night. Even with his old friend, Max Hazard, joking with him, Charlie had barely spoken to anyone until Julia appeared at their table.
Apparently, what Lonnie needed was friendly social diversions. Maybe she should plan a dinner party herself, and soon, just to cheer him up and get him out of his studio and back into the swing of things. Yes, that was exactly what she’d do.
Slowing down, about ready to turn back, she watched a black-and-chrome Hummer truck turn off the highway and onto their road. It was unusual for anyone to come visit, especially this early in the morning. Moments later, she recognized the driver as soon as he rolled to a crunching stop on the gravel beside her. Will Brannock, in the flesh, and some flesh it was. She’d met him last night at Audrey’s party, only briefly but he seemed very nice. Maybe a mite reserved, as Julia had described him, certainly a watchful and quiet man, but he had said nice things about Julia. That was good enough for Cathy.
“Well, fancy meeting you here, Mrs. Axelrod,” he said in his deep voice, rolling down his window and grinning at her. Wow, he was indeed a good-looking fellow. She was happily married, but she wasn’t immune. She noticed men who looked like Will Brannock, all right. Just like most other women did.
“Mornin’, Will. And please, call me Cathy.”
“You look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. Don’t tell me you’re a die-hard early-bird-who-always-gets-the-worm kind of person.”
Cathy laughed because the adage fit her so well. “Thanks, I think.”
“It’s a compliment. Nothing like watching the sun come up over the river. That’s what I always say.”
“Oh, so you live near the river, too?”
Will looked away and then changed the subject. “You’re the lucky one, with a place like this. It’s beautiful out here. Julia mentioned that this property’s been in your husband’s family for years.”
Cathy noticed that he didn’t answer her question. An inquisitive sort since she was a child, Cathy wondered why. She didn’t push it, though. “Yes. He still gets offers now and again, but he’s never gonna sell this place, you can rest assured of that.”
“Well, I can see why. It’s nice to have these woods surrounding your house. Does he hunt?”
“Sometimes. Deer and squirrels. Not so much since we got married.”
“Well, I won’t cool you down from the rest of your run. J.D. called this morning and asked me to pick up Julia out here. He forgot to tell her that he wants to come by later and pick up the Charger for a full diagnostic overhaul. Couldn’t get her on her cell.”
“She probably forgot to charge it. She’s bad about that.”
“Yeah, I noticed. J.D.’s putting on all new equipment for her, including four new tires. Says they’ve needed changing for a long time, but he kept putting it off.” He looked up the road toward Cathy’s house. “I take it I’m going in the right direction?”
“You sure are. We live in that log house up there on the left.” She turned and pointed up the narrow gravel road. “Julia’s staying in the boathouse about half a mile farther along the river.”
“Okay, I think I can manage that.” He patted the dashboard. “And this baby’s got GPS, if I get lost.”
Cathy laughed. She rather liked him. And he was such a hunk. He’d be perfect for Julia. Nice-looking, good profession, everything pointed to a great match. “Hey,” she said on a sudden impulse. “How about joining Lonnie and me for dinner on Saturday night? Julia will be there.”
Will Brannock didn’t hesitate a second. “Thanks for the invite, Cathy. That sounds great. Count me in.”
They chatted for a few more minutes, during which time he asked what he could bring to the dinner party, and then Will Brannock bid her good-bye and rolled off in his truck toward the boat dock. She watched him go, smiling after him. Julia had been alone ever since she lost Bobby Crismon in that awful domestic-dispute call; had hardly dated anybody since. And that had been three years ago. Maybe Julia was finally ready to move on, and Cathy decided right off that Julia and Will Brannock made one kickin’ couple—movie-star striking, both of them. Yeah, Julia needed a new man in her life, and perhaps Cathy could be the one to nudge that relationship up to the next level. She was one heck of a good matchmaker, just like her mother. Delighted with her new quest, she whistled for the dogs and turned back toward the house. She took off with her usual last hard sprint. Lonnie would be up soon and ready for breakfast. And she had a romantic dinner party to plan.
The house was dark, everything quiet except for the terrified screams. Julia pressed her back against the wall. Her breaths were coming fast and hard. Bobby was across from her, pressed against the wall on the other side of the front door. The woman inside was yelling bloody murder, calling hysterically for help. Then, abruptly, the screaming stopped and silence dropped over the night like a heavy, thick blanket. The call had been a domestic dispute, the husband a known felon with a penchant for violence and rage.
Bobby put his forefinger against his lips and signaled that she should go low when they went in. Her heartbeat went crazy inside her chest. Her weapon was out and pointed down, but she kept her finger very close alongside the trigger. She was tense, more so for Bobby than for herself. They had broken the departmental rules, begun to get romantically involved, and both would be reprimanded, possibly even demoted, if the chief found out.
“Let’s do it,” Bobby mouthed as the woman cried out again. He stood back, then kicked the door open. He went in high; she, low. It was pitch-black inside, but she could see light coming from an open door down a side hall. That’s where the woman was. Julia could hear her moaning now. They crept across the room, edging along opposite walls toward the light and the victim.
Julia froze as the sudden, loud blam of a gunshot blasted her ears. Bobby went down to his knees, blood blooming on the front of his light blue dress shirt and tie. A second bullet slammed into the wall beside her head, and then she heard the sound of a gun jamming. She got off a shot into the bedroom behind Bobby, and then another as the shooter came at her from the darkness, grabbing her by the hair, unfazed by the bullet in his body. Her heart hammered out of control as he shoved her up against the wall, knocking the breath out of her. They grappled for her weapon, and then he had his thumbs on the front of her windpipe, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing the breath out of her . . .
Will stopped the Hummer outside Julia Cass’s weathered boathouse, got out and looked around. She had definitely lucked into one idyllic little riverside nest, very private, almost isolated. The river flowed by, very close to the house. The constant rush of the water was soothing, the fluttering leaves of the old oak trees peaceful, and the twittering song of real early birds getting real worms was all over the place. He held the drink carrier from Starbucks in one hand and the box of doughnuts in the other as he climbed the steps to the screened porch.
Hands full of breakfast, he kicked the bottom of the screen door a couple of times with his toe, rattling it loudly on its old hinges. Startled, he watched Julia shoot up to a sitting position on the daybed pushed against the back wall. Her black hair was all tousled around her shoulders, the way he had always wanted to see it, those incredible eyes heavy with interrupted sleep. Unfortunately, she also had her weapon in her hand and trained on his chest. He ducked instinctively, nearly knocking both coffee cups off into the rosebushes.
“Whoa, whoa, Cass! It’s me! Put that gun down!”
“What the devil are you doing here?” she snapped, lowering the Glock. “Trying to get yourself shot?”
“Good God, do you sleep with your weapon?” he said, slightly unnerved by her extreme reaction to the unexpected noise. She could’ve shot him dead.
“Yeah, don’t you?”
He did, but decided not to admit it. He had better reason to, though, or at least he thought he did. They stared at each other for a moment. Her voice was still hoarse with sleep as she placed the weapon on the side table and threw back the faded blue-and-white patchwork quilt. Shapely bare legs swung over the edge of the bed. “You should know better than to sneak up on a cop and bang on the door when they’re sound asleep. What time is it, anyway? Crack of dawn?”
“It’s six thirty, and J.D. asked me to pick you up. He’s taking the Charger in for a tune-up and new tires today. He tried to call you. So did I.”
“No, he didn’t, or I would’ve been ready. Why didn’t he just let me take it in?”
Will hitched a shoulder. “How should I know? But it’s okay. I’ve been wondering where you lived. Pretty neat place you got here.”
Julia frowned as she stood up, obviously not pleased with his unexpected visit or being rousted out of bed so early. Will tried not to stare at the way her breasts mounded provocatively underneath the thin pink cotton T-shirt, but he couldn’t drag his eyes away. The shirt was short, too, and the same went for those long, tanned legs of hers as she padded barefoot across the porch and flipped up the hook on the screen door.
“I brought you coffee,” he said, stepping onto the porch. “Take it as a little thank-you for not blowing me away a minute ago. By the way, do you always draw your weapon if somebody knocks on your door?”
“I was having a bad dream, if you’ve got to know. The banging on the door played into it.” Julia eyed his grin as she took the Starbucks cup he held out to her. “Black, right?”
“You bet. Just the way you like it. I do try to please, Jules. It’s pretty clear to me at the moment that you’re not going to win any awards for Most Cheerful Morning Police Officer.”
“No, I’m not, and so what? I, for one, can’t stand anybody so chipper and smiley this early in the morning.” But she gave him a faint smile as she ran her fingers through all that tumbling, silky, black hair of hers. She hooked her flowing hair behind her ears. “What, no doughnuts? What kind of partner are you, Brannock?”
“You sell me short, Cass,” he countered, holding out the box of goodies.
“You better have some jellies in there.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re out here at six thirty a.m. Early birds, jeez, I can’t figure what makes you guys tick. Cathy’s the same way. It’s disgusting. Anyway, you should’ve given me a call.”
“And you should keep your phone charged.”
Julia was smiling now, though, and Will followed her inside the boathouse, thinking that he did like those deep dimples in her cheeks. He wished she’d smile more often, and wear thin cotton T-shirts more often. In fact, he wished she was a flight attendant and not the partner he had to work with every single day. And despite his earlier complaint, he also liked the fact that she slept near her weapon. He had learned to do that the hard way. He wondered if her other partner’s death had triggered that habit.
Stopping just inside the door to the house, he glanced around the room while Julia pulled on a short, white, terry cloth robe that, lucky for him, still showed those great legs of hers. Good God, this place was antiquated, to say the least. Antique city, to be exact.
“Who lived here last, Cass? Grandma Moses?”
Julia pulled her sash tight and frowned at him. “What’s it to you, Brannock? I think it’s got a nice homey feel. Comfortable and well taken care of.”