“I’m touched by your faith in me,” Reid grumbled.
“Don’t sweat it,” Walker told him. “We’ll be single together. The favorite uncles.”
They both made fists and banged their knuckles together.
Conversation shifted to how Penny was feeling. Walker listened but didn’t participate. Dani had some interesting theories, but she was wrong about him. He wasn’t looking to get involved in any way.
Not that he would turn Elissa down if she showed up in his bed one night. She was great. Sexy. Funny. But only in the short term. Despite being a single mother, she had “marry me” written all over her. No way he was going there. He knew better.
Cal leaned close. “Any luck on the Ashley front?” he asked in a low voice.
“None of it good. I’m more than halfway through the list.”
“You’ll find her.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
Walker was on a mission and he wouldn’t rest until it was done. Without meaning to, he thought of Ben. The kid had always been ready with a joke. No matter how bad things got, Ben found something good to talk about. Walker missed him.
He remembered the time the kid had—
The memory shifted and bent until he saw them all standing in the snow. There were no tracks into the cave. There shouldn’t have been anyone inside.
But before Walker could check, there was a yell and the sound of a bullet being chambered. Ben had plowed into him with all his strength. Walker had staggered, but hadn’t gone down. Still, it had been enough. Ben had taken the bullet….
He shook the memory away and deliberately focused on the immediate conversation. He didn’t want to think about Ben—going into the past always made him feel weak. Helpless. He’d been supposed to look out for the kid. Instead, he was the reason Ben was dead.
E
LISSA GOT HOME AFTER DARK
Saturday night, and considering how long it was light in the summer, that was saying something. She was exhausted but wired from her successful jewelry party.
As she climbed out of her car, she considered leaving her supplies in the trunk and unpacking them in the morning. Except tomorrow was a usual jam-packed Sunday with a million things to do. Better to drag the boxes in now.
She walked around to the rear of the car and opened the trunk. As she reached for the first box a voice spoke out of the darkness.
“Need some help?”
She was so startled, she shrieked, then spun toward the speaker.
“Stop doing that,” she said, giving Walker a shove. The man didn’t move an inch. “You scared me! Were you the stealth expert in the Marines? Don’t you know how to walk and make noise at the same time?”
“I made a lot of noise. You didn’t hear it. Do you want me to help you carry your stuff inside?”
She thought about saying no, just on general principle, but then she realized that was stupid.
“Help yourself,” she said as she stepped back. “It all goes inside.”
“What is it?” he asked as he scooped up everything in her trunk.
“Jewelry. Supplies. Remember the earrings for Randy’s sister?”
He nodded as she closed the trunk and led the way to her apartment.
“I make that sort of stuff. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets. I use semiprecious gems mostly. I can’t afford the good stuff. But I keep costs down and pay attention to trends. I used to just sell to friends or through referrals, but over this summer, I’ve started having jewelry parties. This is my third one and they’ve been really successful.”
“Good for you.”
She unlocked the front door and led the way inside. As always, Mrs. Ford had left a light on in the living room. Elissa motioned for Walker to dump everything on the kitchen table and went to check on her daughter.
Zoe was sleeping soundly. Elissa kissed her cheek and stepped back into the hall. She returned to the kitchen and closed the door between her apartment and Mrs. Ford’s.
“I do individual pieces,” she said, pulling out a bracelet. “Or sets.” She opened a box that had matching earrings, a necklace and a bracelet.
“Very nice,” he said.
She laughed. “You couldn’t be less interested. Don’t worry. I’m not offended.” She crossed to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of white wine. “The good news is after I cash all the checks, I’ll have enough to pay you for the tire.”
“You don’t have to. Why don’t you keep the money and buy yourself a new rear tire for the other side?”
She appreciated his concern and the suggestion. “I’d like to do that, if you don’t mind keeping to our payment schedule.”
“You know I don’t.”
He was right. She suspected he wouldn’t care if she never paid him back.
She grabbed two wineglasses and led the way into the living room. As she set everything on the coffee table, she suddenly realized what she’d done. It was late, she’d gotten out wine and had assumed he would stay.
Oops.
“I, ah, just thought we’d talk,” she said. “I didn’t mean to imply or suggest that we’d…”
He raised his eyebrows. “We’d what?”
“Don’t be difficult. Do you want a glass of wine or not?”
“Are you going to make a pass at me?” he teased.
She groaned. “No.”
“Then I’ll stay.”
He took a seat while she poured them each a glass. She settled at the far end of the sofa and faced him.
“To a good day,” she said, holding out her drink.
“A good day.”
They each took a sip. She doubted he was used to drinking anything this cheap, but she refused to apologize for her choice. It fit her budget and it wasn’t too bad.
“You like color,” he said, glancing around at the living room.
“I do,” she said. “The landlord doesn’t care if I paint the walls or put up drapes.”
“Sure. You’re taking on all the costs and the labor. What’s not to like?”
“You should see Zoe’s room. It’s princess central. I painted a mural that looks like a castle. Everything is either lavender or pink. Very girly. You probably had an all blue room.”
“I think there were some green accents. But yeah, it was all boy.”
“Why did you go into the military?” she asked. “Lifelong dream?”
“I’d thought about it,” he told her. “I didn’t know if I wanted to go to college. My parents died when I was young, so my grandmother raised me. She’s a tough old bird.”
“Like Mrs. Ford.”
He looked at her. “Aside from being female and over seventy, they have nothing in common. Gloria is determined and manipulative. She wants everyone to do what she wants and she does what it takes to get that to happen. The harder she pushed me, the harder I pushed back. Some of it was her, some of it was me being a teenager. Finally I got so mad, I joined up the day after I graduated from high school.”
“To spite her?”
“Yeah. It was worth it, just to see the look on her face.”
She couldn’t imagine having that kind of relationship with her grandmother. Not that the woman was still alive, but she and Elissa had been close before she died.
“That doesn’t sound very familial,” she said, trying not to be judgmental.
“Gloria isn’t a family person. I try sometimes with her. I can’t figure out why she won’t bend. I’m close to my two brothers and my sister, though.”
Elissa had a feeling Walker wanted a better relationship with his grandmother. Now that he was out of the Marines and living nearby, maybe that would happen.
He looked at her. “What about you? Have you lived in Seattle all your life?”
“Except for a brief time in Los Angeles, yes.” She hesitated, then shrugged. “I was a typical middle-class kid. When I was a senior in high school, I fell for a guy in a band. Mitch. He was sexy and dangerous—at least in my seventeen-year-old eyes. When he left to go back to L.A., I went with him.”
“Zoe’s dad?” he asked.
“No. That would be too simple. Once I got to L.A., I realized Mitch wasn’t a rock star. He wasn’t very good. Or faithful. We split up. I was upset and humiliated and determined not to go crawling back home until I’d made something of myself. And I liked dealing with the music business. I ended up getting a job as a roadie of sorts. I arranged travel, food, that sort of thing. I was good at it.”
He smiled. “A rock star roadie. I would never have guessed. So what happened?”
She grimaced. “I met Neil. I’m still not sure why we hooked up. He’s seriously into the drug scene and I never was. I couldn’t see the point.” She sighed. “Don’t get me wrong. I partied plenty, but I’m a cheap date. Two margaritas and I’m on my butt. Anyway, Neil’s emotionally tortured, self-absorbed, and borderline abusive. Perfect for a displaced nineteen-year-old pretending to be an adult. I fell hard and he let me. When I found out I was pregnant with Zoe, I came home.”
The family-friendly version of the story,
Elissa thought, but she didn’t know Walker well enough to tell him the truth. More to the point, there was no reason for him to know every last sordid detail of her past.
“What about you?” she asked quickly. “Any exotic ex-wives lurking in the background?”
“Never married,” he said. “I don’t do serious relationships. It was too difficult with my job. I was gone six to nine months a year, every year. I saw a lot of guys get left. I didn’t see the point.”
“And now?”
“Now I’m still not looking.”
“So we’re both determined to stay single,” she said.
“And not have sex.”
She smiled. “Is that your rule, too?”
“It is with you. I intend to respect your wishes.”
Damn. Just her luck to be attracted to the one man on the planet who planned to actually do as she requested.
Any other guy would have just gone for it. Honestly, what was he waiting for? It was late, they were alone, alcohol had been imbibed. She wouldn’t say no.
That was the killer, Elissa thought glumly. Walker tempted her in a way no man had. Ever. She shouldn’t be attracted to him, but she was. Despite her rules and the foolishness of getting involved with the guy living upstairs, if he suggested getting naked right that second, she would have stripped in three seconds flat. The need to feel his mouth on hers, his hands on her body, was almost painful in its intensity.
“I should go,” he said as he set down his glass and stood.
Obviously not a mind reader.
“Thanks for helping me with my boxes. Let me know if you change your mind about wanting any jewelry. As a gift or something. Or if you get your ear pierced.”
She followed him to the door where he paused and smiled at her.
“Do I look like the ear-piercing type?” he asked, his voice low and sexy enough to make her shiver.
“No, but I’ve been wrong before.”
“Not about that. ’Night, Elissa.”
W
ALKER LOOKED OVER
the list of Ashleys he’d made shortly after moving into the apartment. “Damn popular name,” he muttered as he looked at those yet to be crossed off. Ben had gone to four different high schools in four years. Walker had looked ahead two grades and back three to make sure he covered as many of the women as possible.
Several of them had moved out of state. He’d gone to see a couple and had been forced to speak with two by phone. Not his first choice. He had a feeling that whomever Ben had been dating already knew he’d died, but in case she didn’t, Walker wasn’t comfortable passing that information on over the phone. Plus, he had his letter to deliver.
He needed to…
He paused and listened. There was something—
“Hello? Walker?”
He stood and walked to the front of the apartment. After opening the front door, he saw Mrs. Ford standing at the foot of his stairs. She had a dish towel wrapped around her left hand and seemed a little shaky on her feet.
“Sorry to bother you,” she said. “I can’t climb that many stairs. I seem to have cut my hand. It’s silly really. The knife just slipped and—”
He ducked back inside, grabbed his first aid kit and ran downstairs.
“Let’s get you inside,” he said, ushering the old lady into her apartment and out of the sun.
“I wouldn’t normally bother you with something like this,” she said as he took her to the sink and peeled back the towel. “But the bleeding doesn’t seem to want to stop.”
She’d gone deep, slicing the top of her hand and the base of her thumb. Through the pulsing blood, he was pretty sure he saw bone, which was never a good sign.
“You’re going to need stitches,” he said flatly and reached for the first aid kit. “Let me patch you up temporarily and then we’ll drive to the hospital.”
“I’m sorry to be a bother,” she said, barely wincing as he applied a pressure bandage. “I was watching
Buffy.
You know,
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
? Anyway, it was the episode where Buffy and Angel kiss for the first time and she finds out he’s really a vampire. So of course you understand why I wasn’t really paying attention to what I was doing.”
“Right.” He guided her to a chair and urged her to sit. “I’m going to run upstairs and grab my keys. You stay here.”
He debated calling for an ambulance, but by the time they arrived, he could be at the hospital. He wasn’t sure how much blood Mrs. Ford had lost, but she was lucid and in decent health for her age. If he kept her calm and hydrated, she should be fine.
In addition to his keys, he took a bottle of water from his refrigerator, then ran back downstairs. He found Mrs. Ford waiting by the front door, her handbag over her arm.
“You don’t believe in following directions,” he said as he helped her outside and locked her door behind them.
“Directions are for sissies.” She stared at his car. “I’ve never been in one of these before.”
He looked at her short legs and sensible shoes, then opened the passenger door, scooped her up in his arms and carefully put her on the passenger seat.
She giggled. “It’s been a long time since a man did that to me. I’d quite forgotten how much I like it.”
Great.
He loosened the top on the bottle, then lowered her seat all the way back. He clicked the seat belt in place.
“Keep your arm up on the armrest,” he told her. “It needs to stay elevated. Sip the water, but only a little at a time and stop if you feel nauseated.”
“You’re very take-charge,” she told him. “Elissa needs that in her life.”
“No thanks.”
She smiled. “I’m an old woman, Walker. How exactly do you plan to stop me from matchmaking?”
Good question.
He closed her door and hurried around to his own. Minutes later, they were on the main street and heading toward the hospital.
“Do you have a cell phone?” Mrs. Walker asked.
“Sure.” He pushed the activation number on his steering wheel. “Who do you want me to call?”
He expected her to say a relative, or her doctor. Instead she said, “My reading group. They’ll be expecting me. Oh, dear. It was my turn to bring wine.”
He held in a groan, then asked for the number. “I’ll put you on speakerphone,” he said.
The sound of a phone ringing filled the vehicle.
“Very impressive,” Mrs. Ford said.
A woman answered. “Hello?”
“Phyllis?”
“Betty? Is that you? Your voice sounds strange.”
“I’m calling from a car. You’re on speakerphone. Isn’t this exciting? So high-tech.” Mrs. Ford giggled. “I’m afraid I won’t make it to book club today. I’ve cut my hand.”
“Betty, no. Are you all right?”
“Walker said I need stitches, so we’re off to the hospital.”
“Hospital?”
“I’ll be fine,” Mrs. Ford assured her.
“I hope so. Is that Walker person there with you?”
“He’s driving the car.”
“I’m here, ma’am,” Walker said, holding in a sigh.
“Are you taking good care of…Betty, did you say Walker?”
Mrs. Ford smiled. “Yes. My new upstairs neighbor.”
“The one as good-looking as Angel?”
“That’s him.”
“Just kill me now,” Walker muttered under his breath.
T
HREE HOURS
, several stitches and some fairly strong pain medication later, Mrs. Ford was released from the emergency room. Walker drove home slowly, trying not to jar the old woman’s swollen hand. Then he wondered if he should bother. In her current condition, he doubted she would notice.
“The doctor was very nice,” she said with a sigh. “And a woman. Pretty. Did you notice?”
“Not really.”
“Is that because of Elissa? I think it’s very sweet. She’s a good girl. So caring and hardworking. She needs a man, you know. Not just to take care of her, but in her bed. A woman can only go without for so long. It’s fine at my age. I don’t expect to get lucky. But Elissa is so young.”
He couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. He’d thought the comment about him looking like some damn TV character was the real low point of the day, but he’d been wrong.
“We’re here,” he said, perhaps with more relief than necessary as he pulled into the driveway of the apartment building.
Elissa rushed out and opened the passenger door. “Are you all right?” she asked Mrs. Ford, then looked at him. “Is she all right?”
He’d phoned her from the hospital to let her know what was going on. Ironic how he’d moved to this apartment in this neighborhood where he didn’t know anyone so he could live quietly and anonymously. So far that wasn’t happening.
“She’s good,” he said. “Loopy from the pain medication, but otherwise fine.”
“I have stitches,” the old woman announced. “And the doctor was very pretty, but Walker didn’t even look at her. He only has eyes for you.”
“How thrilling,” Elissa said. “Let me help you inside.”
“I’ll carry her,” Walker said. “Take her purse and open the door.”
She did as he asked. He picked up Mrs. Ford and started toward the apartment.
“At least you don’t have to lug me upstairs,” she cackled.
“That wouldn’t be a problem,” he said. He doubted she weighed eighty pounds.
Elissa hovered by the door. “I’ve already turned back her bed. She’ll need to rest. Just put her there. We can get her changed later.”
He was going to assume the “we” on the table was her and Zoe, because he had lines he wasn’t willing to cross.
Once Mrs. Ford was in bed, Elissa sat on the edge of the mattress and smoothed back her white hair. “You scared me.”
“I’m fine, dear. It was all my fault. I wasn’t paying attention.” She yawned. “Oh, goodness. It must be that pain medication. I so rarely nap.”
But her eyes were already closing.
“Want me to put on the television?” Elissa asked.
“That would be nice. Maybe QVC. There’s a jewelry showcase this week.”
Elissa found the channel, then eased out of the room.
“What happened?” she asked Walker when they were back in her kitchen. He could hear the sound of a video in the background and guessed it was on to entertain Zoe.
“She said she was watching TV and cut herself. The cut was deep so I took her in for stitches.” He pulled out the prescription bottle from his shirt pocket. “These are painkillers. She’ll need to eat when she takes them so she doesn’t get sick to her stomach. And she’ll need to make an appointment with her regular doctor to get the stitches out in about ten days. The good news is the cut is on her left hand and she’s right-handed. She’ll still be able to do things.”
Elissa leaned against the counter. “I’m grateful you were here. If you hadn’t been…”
“She would have called 911.”
“I’d like to think so, but she’s so independent.” Elissa touched his arm. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Thanking me isn’t your job.”
“Not many people would have bothered.”
“I don’t know many who would have let an old woman bleed to death.”
“You know what I mean. You’ve been great and you didn’t have to be.” She smiled. “I still think it’s a surprise you’re not married. There had to have been women.”
“Why are we talking about this?”
“We don’t have to if you don’t want to. Is it a commitment issue?”
He groaned. “Elissa, let it go. You told me you didn’t want to have sex with me and I believed you. So you should believe me. I’m very content being alone. Don’t try to save me. I’m not worth it.”
“Of course you are, but it’s interesting that you don’t believe it. Besides, no one really wants to be alone.”
“Using your argument I could say no one really wants to go without sex.”
“I’m trying to make smart choices.”
Too bad she wasn’t trying to drive him crazy because then this conversation would be a big win for her.
“So am I,” he said.
“Fine. Dinner is in two hours. I’ll be taking care of Mrs. Ford, so you’ll have to come get your meal instead of me delivering it. Want me to pound on the floor when it’s ready?” she asked with a grin.
“Sure. Or you could just call.”
“Far less interesting, but okay.”
He started to leave, then paused. “I didn’t know who else to phone,” he said. “For Mrs. Ford. Family. When she didn’t suggest anyone, I didn’t want to pry.”
“There isn’t anyone else,” Elissa said with a sigh. “She lost both her sons in the Korean War. Her only grandson died in Vietnam. All her brothers and sisters are already gone. She’s all alone in the world.”
“No. She has you and Zoe.”
“You’re right. We’re each other’s family.”
He nodded and left. But as he climbed the stairs, he wondered about Elissa’s family. She’d mentioned growing up in the area. Where were her parents, siblings, aunts and uncles? Was she as alone as Mrs. Ford or did she have people who cared about her? And if she did, why weren’t they the ones watching out for her?
E
LISSA KNEW IT WAS TACKY
and even borderline embarrassing. Only someone really desperate would let her five-year-old daughter manipulate the situation. But here she was, being that person.
“I put out the napkins with flowers, Mommy,” Zoe said as she stood back and admired the table. “They’re pretty.”
“I agree.”
Elissa took in the three place settings. Three because when Elissa had explained that Mrs. Ford wouldn’t be joining them that night, Zoe had said Walker could have her place. Now if he wanted to explain to Zoe why he couldn’t make it, that was fine. But Elissa was willing to bet he couldn’t.
She’d already delivered a light dinner of soup and toast to her elderly neighbor. Mrs. Ford had eaten a few bites, then gone back to sleep. Elissa made a mental note to check on her in a couple of hours. In the meantime, she had another neighbor to deal with.
There was a knock at the door. “I’ll get it,” Zoe called as she ran to the front of the house. “Hi, Walker. Mommy made spaghetti, ’cause it’s my favorite. There’s a really big salad, too. But not with onions. I don’t like onions. Are you hungry? We have brownies for dessert. I frosted them all by myself and I made a design. It’s supposed to be bows, but it kinda doesn’t look like bows. That’s why I’m telling you what it is, so you’ll know.”
They walked into the kitchen with Zoe dragging an obviously reluctant Walker behind her.
“You’ll sit here,” Zoe said, pointing to a chair. “Mrs. Ford is still sleeping, but that’s okay ’cause now we have you.”
She smiled winningly. He shot Elissa a trapped look, which she ignored.
“Did you wash your hands?” she asked her daughter. “Dinner is ready.”
“Okay.” Zoe raced toward the bathroom. “Walker, come on. You have to wash your hands.”
He chose not to follow her to the bathroom. Instead he moved close to Elissa and said in a quiet voice, “Pretty low, Towers, using your kid against me.”
She held in a smile. “‘Using’ is such a strong word. Zoe’s been curious about you. I know you’re concerned about her bonding or whatever, but she sees you practically every day. One dinner isn’t going to scar her for life. I’m trying to say thank you, here.”
“It doesn’t occur to you to thank me by adhering to my wishes?” he asked.
“Not really.”
“What if I ignored yours?”
His dark eyes claimed hers as she recalled vehemently stating she did
not
want to have sex with him. What if he ignored her wishes and made a pass at her?
She should be so lucky.
“I’m ready, Mommy,” Zoe said as she bounced back in the room.
The next few minutes were a scramble of getting food to the table, drinks poured and seats taken. Once everyone had been served, Zoe leaned toward Walker and smiled.
“Do you have any kids?” she asked.
“No.”
“Do you like kids? Some grown-ups don’t. Do you?”
“They’re fine.”
“Do you like
The Lion King
? I love Simba and Pumba the best. Mommy took to me to see the play.” Her hazel eyes widened. “It was in a theater and I’d never been to a theater before. There were people playing the animals. It wasn’t like the cartoon. It was magic and there was singing.”
Elissa stepped in to give their guest a break. “It was Zoe’s birthday present. She’d talked about wanting to see the play and when the touring company came here, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.”