Authors: Cheryl Douglas
Pushing away from
the counter, he took a deep breath and forced himself to put one foot in front
of the other as he walked toward the bedroom. He didn’t want a breakdown in
communication to cost him another chance with Ashley because he knew, with
everything in him, this was his last chance to get it right.
When he returned
to the bedroom, she was snuggled up under the duvet, sound asleep. He smiled.
It was a little thing, watching her sleep, but it had been too many years since
he’d been able to enjoy that small luxury. He missed it. Hell, who was he
kidding? He missed everything about her: her smile, her laugh, the way it made
him feel when she told him she loved him.
He’d spent the
past twenty-five years comparing every woman he met to the woman sleeping in
his bed, and he knew he’d spend the next twenty-five living in the same quasi-limbo
if he didn’t find a way to make her believe in him again.
He eased in beside
her and pulled her tight against him. Morning would come soon enough. They
would have plenty of time to sort out their relationship when the sunlight
finally forced them to face their fears.
Ashley woke the
next morning cocooned in Derek’s strong arms, her head on his bare chest,
listening to the steady beat of his heart. Before she could bid him a good
morning, the cell phone on the bedside table rang.
He groaned as he
lifted his head off the pillow and opened one eye to look at the screen. “Damn
it, it’s work. I have to get it.”
She sat up to
allow him to retrieve the phone.
“Hey, Martin,
what’s up?” Derek sat up, running his hand over his tousled hair. “No shit?
Hell yeah, I wanna be there to interrogate him. Okay, hold him ‘til I get
there.” He glanced at the neon numbers on the alarm clock. “I shouldn’t be more
than four hours.” He laughed. “Yeah, that worthless piece of shit best get used
to bidin’ his time behind bars. Hey, thanks for lettin’ me know, man. Yeah…
later.”
Ashley’s whole
body tensed at the news he was leaving town. He was going back to his old job,
his old life. Would he opt to stay in Arkansas after all? Would he decide that
giving up everything that was familiar to him would be irrational when his
future in Nashville was still so uncertain?
He turned to her,
a grin splitting his handsome face. “I guess you heard. We finally got him.
Damn, I’ve been workin’ on that case for the better part of a year. I was
beginnin’ to wonder if it would ever happen.”
She drew her knees
up to her chest. She wanted to share in his joy, to be happy for his success,
but it was difficult when there was still so much uncertainty plaguing her.
“Congratulations.”
He leaned in to
kiss her cheek. “Thanks, hon.” He pushed the covers back. “I guess I better
grab a quick shower. Looks like I’ve got a plane to catch.”
“Do you want me to
fix you some breakfast?”
“No time,” he
called over his shoulder. “I’ll just grab a bite at the airport.”
Just like that, he
dismissed her, like some annoying one-night stand who was intruding on his busy
life. “Um, okay.”
He closed the door
behind him with a definitive click.
She stared at the
raised pine panel, trying to make sense of what just happened. Last night he was
so loving, so demonstrative, making her feel as though their relationship was
the most important issue in his life. But this morning, he was like a
completely different person.
Ashley decided she
could work through her feelings in the privacy of her own home, curled up in
her own bed, where she would be free to cry without being caught in the act.
She wasted no time getting dressed and scribbling a note, which she left
propped on the kitchen counter between his keys and wallet, where he’d be sure
to find it.
Derek,
I had a great
time last night. Thanks again for the beautiful gift. Good luck in Arkansas.
Stay Safe,
Ashley
She knew it was
impersonal and certainly less than he deserved, given the incredible night they
spent together, but she couldn’t very well bare her soul on a piece of lined
paper.
Besides, she knew
his mind was somewhere else right now, as it should be. She’d followed the case
he was working on, along with the rest of the world. He and his team got a
dangerous serial killer off the streets before he could claim another victim.
He had every reason to be proud of his accomplishment and to be stoked about
seeing the case through to the end. Arkansas was clearly the place he needed to
be, at least for the foreseeable future. Beyond that, only time would tell.
Derek was
whistling when he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his
waist. His life was finally coming together. He had the woman he wanted, the
perfect job waiting for him upon his return, and he could leave Arkansas
knowing he and his team were responsible for getting another dangerous criminal
off the streets.
He frowned when he
saw the rumpled bed. Pausing mid-step, he listened for some hint that she might
be in another part of the house. Silence. “Shit,” he muttered, walking quickly
into the main living area. He walked into the kitchen when he saw the scrap of
paper on the counter. He read it once, twice, three times, before he crumpled it
up in his hand and tossed it into a nearby wastebasket.
Derek glanced at
his watch before reaching for the phone. He didn’t have a moment to lose, but
speaking to Ashley took precedence over everything else. Without her, his work
didn’t matter. He would have no reason to come back to Nashville at all if he
wasn’t coming home to her.
Cursing his
stupidity as he paced the floor, listening to the ringing signal that preceded
her voicemail message, he berated himself for not talking to her sooner. He
knew something was bothering her last night. He should have forced the issue
then. He should have put his case on hold to talk to her about it when he had
the chance. Now she was gone, he couldn’t reach her, and he had no choice but
to get on a plane and pray to God she’d still be willing to talk when he
returned.
Derek had been in
the interrogation room for twenty-two of the last forty-eight hours. He was
exhausted, physically and emotionally, but he knew he couldn’t put this
conversation off any longer. He’d already accepted the job in Nashville. Now it
was time to say farewell to the team that had been like family to him for the
past fifteen years.
He tapped on the
door and waited for his chief to respond.
“Come in,” he
muttered. Chief Roberts was a cantankerous old man, but he was still one of the
best cops to ever don the uniform, and every man and woman under his command
respected that. He wasn’t just their boss. He was their leader, and Derek knew
he wouldn’t be in the position of starting his dream job if not for the fact
that Chief Roberts had taken a chance on him fifteen years ago.
“Hello, sir. I was
wonderin’ if I might have a moment of your time.”
The chief offered
one of his rare smiles as he pointed to one of the leather guest chairs on the
opposite side of his big mahogany desk. “There’s the man of the hour.” He
extended his hand across the desk. “You and your team conducted a flawless
investigation, McCall.”
“Thank you, sir.
I’m just glad we got him.”
“There was never a
doubt in my mind. I know you wouldn’t rest until you had him in custody. I know
you’ve been eatin’, sleepin’, and breathin’ this case for months. You should
take the rest of that vacation time you have comin’ to you. You deserve a
little R&R.” He sobered, sitting up straighter in his leather swivel chair.
“I was sorry to hear about your brother, McCall. It’s always a damn shame to
lose a good man that way.”
Police forces
across the country lost too many men and women in the line of duty every year,
and even when you didn’t know the officer personally, it still felt like you
were losing one of your own. That was one of the things Derek loved most about
being a cop, the camaraderie, knowing you had an extended family that always
had your back.
Derek cleared his
throat. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.” He sat down, lacing his hands in
front of him. There was no easy way for him to say this, so he decided to take
the direct approach. “Chief, I’ve decided to accept another position.”
The chief leaned
forward. “No.”
“I’m afraid so.
I’ve decided to move back to Nashville. Given what happened with my brother, I
want to be closer to my family so I can help them through this.” It was true,
but he knew he wouldn’t be making the move if he didn’t think he had a chance
of making it work with Ashley.
Chief Roberts
sighed as he rubbed his hands over his face. “Damn, it’s tough to argue with
that, though you know I want to. Do you mind if I ask what they’ve offered?”
“Chief of
Investigative Services.”
He muttered a
curse. “You know you’d be up for that job here, too, but not for a few more
years. When Michaels retires…”
Derek nodded. “I
understand, sir.”
“I wish I could
match that, but we both know I can’t.” He slammed his palm down on the desk.
“Damn it, you’re one of the best cops I’ve ever had the pleasure of working
with. I’m gonna hate like hell to lose you.”
“I appreciate
that, Chief.”
“Okay, what are we
lookin’ at here? How much time can you give us?”
“I thought I’d
stick around for a couple of weeks, tie up a few loose ends, but I really would
like to get back to Nashville as soon as I can.” He’d tried contacting Ashley
half a dozen times over the last two days, but he kept getting her voicemail.
It was making him crazy, not knowing where she was or what she was thinking.
“Why do I get the
feelin’ you’re just offerin’ us a couple of weeks because you think you owe it
to us?”
“I do, sir. I
would never want to leave you in the lurch. Besides, I want to make sure
everyone’s up to speed on the cases I’ve been workin’ on… That is, when y’all
decide how my caseload will be redistributed once I’m gone.”
“Tell you what,
I’ll get Taylor on that now. You give me the rest of the week, and you can
check out of here on Friday. Taylor’s a good man. You’re leavin’ mighty big
shoes to fill, but I think he’s up for the challenge, don’t you?”
“Taylor’s a good
cop. One of the best.” Derek knew Taylor had a young family to support and he
would welcome the promotion. He was also a good man and a good friend. Derek
was happy to know he’d be leaving his open cases, and his department, in
capable hands.
Chief Roberts
stood up and extended his hand. “I guess that settles it, then. Just know
you’ll always have a home here if things don’t work out in Nashville.”
“I appreciate
that, sir.” Derek grasped his boss’s hands. “It’s been a pleasure to work for
you, Chief. I’ve learned so much. I know I’m a better cop because of your
influence.”
He smiled. “Good
luck, son.”
For the second
time this week, Ashley was casting aside her fears and taking action to get
what she wanted. She hadn’t responded to Derek’s phone messages because she
knew they needed to have this conversation in person. So instead of resigning
herself to another sleepless night, she got the address from Josh and was
navigating a compact rental car through the busy afternoon traffic on her way
to Derek’s condo.
Her hand trembled
when she finally picked up the phone in the lobby and pressed the series of
buttons linked to his name on the list of tenants. A female voice answered
almost immediately. “Oh, I’m sorry; I must have dialed the wrong number. I’m
looking for Derek McCall’s suite.”
“This is Derek’s
place. He’s at work. He should be home soon if you want to come up and wait for
him.”
Who the hell was
the woman making herself comfortable in Derek’s home? Ashley was dying to ask,
but someone walked in behind her, clearly waiting to use the phone. “Okay,
thanks.”
The heavy glass
door swung open and Ashley walked through, trying to look more self-assured
than she felt. She came all this way because she believed in Derek and their budding
relationship. Was it possible she misread his signals the other night? Had he
been calling to tell her he decided to stay in Arkansas?
Ashley stepped off
the elevator and raised her hand to the door as she tried to force air into her
lungs. She didn’t know what scared her more: the prospect of seeing the woman on
the other side of the door or the possibility of losing Derek to her.
The door flew open
and a pretty brunette in fitted jean shorts and a tank top stood on the other
side, smiling at Ashley. “Hi, come on in.”
“Thank you.”
Ashley tried to ignore the fact that the woman was clearly fifteen years her
junior, with the kind of hard body she had prior to her pregnancy.