Summer Kisses (226 page)

“Anxious to see Luka?”

“Yeah.” Her cheeks warmed again, knowing Will had picked up on her anticipation. “He sounded excited on the phone, knowing I’d be sleeping with him tonight.”

“He missed you. Sharon said he asked if you called almost every hour. FYI, he didn’t ask for his dad.”

Nicole dropped her gaze to her lap where her fingers played with her purse’s strap. How could she have left her son behind? At the time the decision seemed like the best for him. Thank God Will had been the agent with them. Another officer would undoubtedly have followed protocol to the letter of the law and given Luka back to his father or Gorgon’s parents. Will had stuck his neck out for her and Luka. How could she ever repay him? Nicole moistened her lips. “Thank you.”

Will’s brow ceased. “For?”

“For keeping Luka safe. And for coming to find me.”

“Just doing my job.”

She saw Will’s lips purse for a second and noticed the way his fingers tightened on the steering wheel. He wasn’t fooling her. Both Will and his partner had gambled their careers by not turning Luka over to child services.

“Right. I hope you won’t get into trouble doing what you did––you know, giving Luka to Sharon.”

“Maybe a slap on the wrist. Nothing I can’t handle.”

When she;d first met Will, he had come off as this bad-ass cop who didn’t know the word empathy, but she’d learned Will had more heart than anyone she’d ever known. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Depends on whether the subject has to do with national security.” He shot her a lopsided smile and she couldn’t help but smile too.

“What made you become a U.S. Marshal?”

His smile disappeared like her question had wiped his jovial mood away.

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer if it the question is too personal.”

His shoulders straightened. “I wanted to do something that made a difference in the world.”

“You were instructed to give that answer, weren’t you?”

Will smiled. “Part of the U.S. Marshal public relations speech, but it’s true.” He stretched his neck and she knew there was more to his story.

Nicole yanked on her seat belt, loosening it, and shifted on her seat, in order to face him. “You know all about my past. Tell me something about yours. Where did you grow up?” she asked.

“About forty miles south of Pittsburg in a little town called Sawville.” He’d given the information without thought, so she’d assume he was telling her the truth. “Does your family still live there?”

“My parents do. My brother moved to Pittsburgh after he graduated from college. More jobs.”

“What does he do?”

“He works in marketing for a large mushroom company.”

Her nose crinkled. “Mushrooms?”

He chuckled at her reaction. “What? You don’t like mushrooms?”

“No. Are you sure there is a mushroom company in Pittsburgh?”

“Yes. The Pittsburgh area is one of largest producers of mushrooms in the world. They grow well in the old coal mines.”

“Humph. You learn something new every day.” She snuggled into the seat, feeling very comfortable, talking to Will like they were old friends. “Did you like living in Sawville?”

“Yeah. It’s a nice place. A small town of about a thousand people. Everyone knows everyone.”

“Humph.
Sawville sounds a lot like my home town.” She pushed away the melancholy feeling before the mood settled on her shoulders. “So why did you leave?”

“I joined the army.”

“Really?”

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and then concentrated on passing a tractor trailer. “Does that surprise you?”

“No. Where were you stationed?”

“Several bases here in the States and I served in Germany for two years.”

“What did you do?”

“Classified.”

“I should’ve guessed.” She sniggered. “How long were you in the army?”

“Just four years. I got out and applied for a position with the U.S. Marshals. Here I am.”

“So, why the Marshals and not the FBI or CIA or Secret Service?”

“You’re not going to give up, are you?”

She smiled. “I’d like to know. There’s not much you don’t know about me. It seems only fair.”

The Beatles song
Yesterday
filled the silence between them and Nicole thought how appropriate the song was to their conversation, and their lives.

Will’s upper lip curled between his teeth. Lines edged the corners of his squinting eyes. She sensed whatever Will would share was going to be very personal.

“I joined because of my best friend, Joe,” Will said. “We knew each other our entire lives.”

“He’s a U.S. Marshal too?”

“No.” His nod was almost nonexistent.

She had a bad feeling and was almost afraid to ask where Joe was, but since she’d pushed Will to open up, she had to ask. “So what does Joe do?”

“Nothing.” Will’s Adam’s apple dipped low in his neck as he veered the car to the right side, taking the exit for the rest area and making her scrabble for the console to regain her balance and to keep her purse from falling off her lap. “He’s dead.”

“I’m so sorry.” Her heart told her to reach out to him, but his glare kept her hands on the console and purse. “What happened?”

“Long story.” Will steered into the first open parking spot, jammed the sedan into park and threw the door open. “I’m going to use the restroom. Lock the doors. If anyone comes near the car, lay on the horn.” Without giving her a chance to respond, he was gone.

Under the security lights, Nicole noticed Will’s broad shoulders bowed. She had a feeling there was more to Will’s story. Something that tormented him.

She wished there was something she could do to help him.

~~~

Metal tinged against metal as Will threw doors wide, searching the restroom stalls for anyone inside. Satisfied he was alone, he hit the sink and splashed handfuls of water onto his face. Cold droplets clung to his nose and whiskers. He was so goddamn mad he swore steam spiraled from the beads.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he growled at his refection.

No one besides his family, Gary, and his ex-girlfriend, Laura, the woman he’d thought he’d spend his life with, knew the truth behind what drove him to walk into scum hell and kill the sons of bitches that stole the lives of innocent children. And he regretted baring his soul to Laura. Yet, just moments before, he’d almost spilled his guts to Nicole because she asked. Why? Was it because she was a victim, like Joe’s sister? Or did he almost bare his soul because every damn time Nicole looked at him with those big puppy-dog eyes his gut twisted and he wanted to pull her into his arms and keep her safe.

Damn, he was tired. He washed away his next thought with another handful of water and yanked a half-dozen paper towels from the dispenser and scrubbed his face dry. A few more hours and they’d be at Gary and Sharon’s house, then he could get a decent amount of sleep. In the meantime, he had to keep his mouth shut and focus on doing his job which was to keep Nicole safe so she could help him take down the largest trafficking ring the northeast had seen in years. Right now, she sat alone in a car in a semi-dark parking lot visible to anyone.

Damn.
He was a stupid fuck.

~~~

Will had been exceptionally quiet since they’d left the rest area. Nicole smoothed her moist palms along her blue jeans and then readjusted her purse’s strap on her shoulder. She wondered if she had upset him in some way by asking about his past or had he called Gary while in the restroom and found out about some new development? She was going find out soon enough if the latter had happened.

Nicole stayed a step behind Will as he led the way up the sidewalk leading to Gary and Sharon’s home––a nice two story in a nice neighborhood. The lights dotting the property showed off the beautiful landscape of the well-maintained, large yard. The house was the kind of home she was raised in. The kind of home Luka deserved and she decided she would earn him that life by laying her own on the line.

Inside, she heard the squeal of children and the patter of fast moving feet climbing stairs. Nicole’s heart thumped against her rib cage.

Will pressed the lit doorbell and a scale of chimes flowed through the air.

She ran her tongue across her parched lips.

“Relax,” Will said, nudging her elbow. “There is nothing to be nervous about.”

She nodded, unable to get a handle on the ball of nerves rolling in her stomach at the thought of meeting Gary’s wife—the woman who cared for her son the last two weeks and in all likelihood, who also knew her story.

The door opened and Nicole fought the urge to step behind Will.

“Hi, Will.” Sharon’s height surprised Nicole. The woman didn’t have to stretch her neck to stare Will in the eye. “And this must be Nicole. I’ve heard so much about you from Luka I feel like I know you.”

The woman’s words smoothed Nicole’s jangled nerves. She smiled and placed her hand in Sharon’s firm grip. “Nice to meet you too.”

“Come on in.” Sharon pulled her across the threshold into a small tiled foyer. “You must be anxious to see Luka.”

The door closed behind her. She didn’t have to look over her shoulder to make sure Will was still there. She felt the comfort of his body heat through her thin sweater.

“Yes. Yes. I am.”

“Where’s Gary?” Will’s tone held a bit of business, making her wonder again if something was up and reminding her, this family had put their lives on the line to help her and Luka.

“Where else? In the study, on the phone.” Sharon crossed to the stairs and called toward the second floor, “Luka, you have company.”

“Is my mom here?”

At hearing Luka’s voice, Nicole stepped forward. She clutched the banister in an attempt to not be rude and charge up the stairway, invading the Wayne’s home without permission. “I’m here.” Her words had come out choked. She glanced past Sharon’s smile and met Will’s twinkling eyes.
How was she ever going to repay him?

“Mom.”

Will nodded toward the upstairs landing. Never had she seen a more glorious sight than her son charging down the stairs, wearing a glow that would outshine a hundred birthday candles.

“Luka.” Nicole dropped to her knees, her purse slipping from her shoulder to the floor, as she clung to her son, breathing in his scent. Their hearts pounded together. She was such a fool. She’d never leave him behind again. Never.

Through bleary vision, Nicole looked up. Two boys, twins, about Luka’s age knelt on the floor, peeking between the spindles and down at them. They favored their father more than their mother.

Placing a kiss at Luka’s temple, she pulled back. “I’m here.”

Worry and fear darkened Luka’s raven eyes. “Why are you crying, Mom?”

Her screw up had put him through hell too.
Damn.
She was an idiot. Nicole swiped the tears from her cheeks. But that mistake was in the past. They were moving beyond the past. “I’m just happy to see you, baby. Have you been a good boy for Mrs. Wayne?”

“He certainly was,” Sharon said, ruffling Luka’s hair. “I couldn’t have asked for a more polite guest.”

“I’m proud of you.” Nicole smiled at Luka and then grabbed her purse and rose, pulling Luka close to her side. “Thank you for taking care of my son.”

“You’re welcome.” Sharon clapped her hands and shot a glance at both Will and Nicole. “Now, you’ve had a long drive. I’m sure you’d like to wash up. I made an apple pie today and I have coffee and tea just about ready. Will, why don’t you head down to the study and let Gary know you’re here and that we’re ready whenever he is.”

“I can do that.” Will headed down the hallway along another railing which Nicole assumed was a second set of stairs leading to the basement. Rounding the corner, he gave her a reassuring look before he disappeared down the stairs.

“They won’t be long,” Sharon said before turning her attention to her two sons. “Have you guys finished cleaning up those toys?”

“Aw, Mom,” a chorus of two whined.

Sharon took a super-mom stance. “I’ve already let you stay up way beyond your bedtime because we have a special guest, but there will be no late night snack until everything is cleaned up.”

“What’s the snack?” the twin on the right chimed in.

Sharon cocked her head to the side. “Does it matter?”

The twin on the left elbowed his brother. “No.”

“Good. Luka is going to help too.” Sharon pointed up the stairs to Luka. “When you’re finished and everything is put away, meet us on the patio.”

“Are we doing s’mores?” Excitement pitched the boy’s tone.

“Maybe.”

“Yeah, we’re doing s’mores,” Luka cheered as he raced up the stairs and followed the scrambling twins.

Sharon laughed. “Your son catches on quick. He’s a smart kid.”

Luka had been in good hands. “Thank you. For everything you’ve done. I don’t know how I’ll...” Nicole dropped her gaze to the floor, clutching her purse.

Sharon took her hand. “The words are enough. I’m just happy I could help you. You’re one strong lady, Nicole. I like a woman with guts.” A smile grew on Sharon’s lips. “Come on, I’ll show you to the powder room and then you help me carry the trays out to the patio.”

“Sure.” Nicole returned the smile, knowing she had a friend in Sharon.

“Are you fuckin’ nuts?” With his fists planted on his desk, Mike Adams, Will’s superior, scowled down on him. The man’s face grew a deeper shade of red with each tick of the bold-faced clock hanging on the side wall above them.

Gary had used the same exact words just last night, after the kids were tucked in bed, when he and Nicole had laid out their plan to enter Gorgon’s house and break into his safe. This morning, it took him an hour to convince his team there wasn’t a better way for them to get to the Novokoffs in order to stop the madness now.

With Gary, Chase and Aden watching their backs and Jolene and Kyle planted underground, Will felt their chances of pulling off Nicole’s idea could work. He glanced over at Gary who shifted uncomfortably on the hardback chair. His friend’s eyes were trained forward. Chase and Aden stood behind him. While his team supported his decision, apparently he was going to have to sell the captain on the hair-brained scheme by himself.