Lana woke up exhausted and drained. Her mind couldn't comprehend her surroundings. At first, her thoughts were blurry. She hadn't slept this late in a long time. This reminded her of the good old college days of binge drinking and not getting up until noon. It took a few seconds to gain her bearings. When her mind lost its fuzzy feeling, overwhelming fear gripped her. Where's Mike?
As she peeked into the bedroom, she discovered him sound asleep. He only had the sheet covering him, and he was curled up in a fetal position. It saddened her heart to think how much he had sacrificed for her. He had laid her on the couch next to the fire to keep her warm and gave her all the covers. That one small sacrifice showed her how much he cared. Her eyes watered as she saw how beautiful he looked. Quickly, she grabbed the blankets from the couch and covered him.
She couldn't resist snuggling in beside him; to spoon him hoping to warm him. Within a few minutes, he started to relax. She adored watching him sleep, the way his face twitched as though he's dreaming and his eyes moved under his eyelids. The crackling of the fire synchronized with his snoring. He rolled over and stirred just a little; just enough that the sheet slid off his left shoulder. His face tilted toward her. She adjusted and propped herself up on one elbow. It was just enough for her to get a proper look at one of his most handsome features, his gorgeous lips.
For the first time, she noticed how full they were. She ran her fingers along the outline of them without touching him. Any woman in the world would love to own those lips. She smiled wondering if his daughter ever put lipstick on them as most little girls did with their daddy.
His five o'clock shadow had quite a bit of gray in it, far more than on his head. Most men were like that, but she didn't know why—maybe there's a scientific reason for that. His eyebrows, thin and with a perfect arch, had no gray. He had small ears, and they were flat to his head. His chest and face were tanned. She imagined him as a child running around in the summer and getting as dark as a little Indian. His hair felt silky and thick. Balding as he aged would not be an issue for him. She wanted to remember everything about him.
All of a sudden her stomach let out a loud growl from hunger. She snuck out of bed and went to the fridge to dig out Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. She made the coffee stronger than normal.
Both she and Mike needed that extra boost of stimulant. She made a smiley face with the frosting on the cinnamon rolls and grabbed two mugs of piping-hot freshly brewed coffee. One cup had cream and the other black, just like they both liked it. A smile crossed her face as she remembered how Mike ribbed her mercilessly their first morning together.
She balanced the plate and mugs as she walked to the bedroom in a slow scooting motion.
The snail's pace was well worth it, not one drop of coffee spilled. As she entered the room, the first thing she noticed was a wiggle under the cover. The covers were piled so high she couldn't see Mike's face at first. But as she rounded the end of the bed he was facing her. He peeked through one eye and smiled up at her. It made her day when she saw his baby blues shine through those incredible black eyelashes.
He moaned, still half asleep. "I think I smell some coffee and cinnamon rolls." His arm reached out from under the covers to help her.
She sat the rolls and coffee on the nightstand and took a flying leap into the middle of the bed.
He reached over and blew air on her neck, making a farting noise.
She giggled while crawling under the cover. "When I was growing up we called blowing air on the neck a squeegy."
"Squeegy, I like that. I think that is a word you need to get used to."
"I waited until my stomach started to growl before I got out of bed. I wanted you to sleep as long as you needed. I thought maybe I should get you stirring because it is nearly lunch time. I thought we could drive into town and grab an early lunch. What cha' say Mr. Federal Agent?"
She laughed as he tickled her until she saw the cuts and bruises on his arms and face. Then her face turned solemn, and she looked away because it hurt her to see them. She noticed a small scratch on the left side of his chin near his dimple. It looked like one of the guys threw a strong right hook. Then she noticed a deeper cut below the right ear that still looked a little bloody.
He did acknowledge her concerns about the cuts in a nonchalant way. He began eating a cinnamon roll and said, "These cuts mean nothing; you should see the other guys. These are delicious, and the coffee is delicious. You make good food baby." It was obvious he was more hungry than concerned about the cuts, which made her feel less disconcerted. She remembered seeing worse cuts on her son when he played football.
"I thought it might be nice to wake up to something delicious." Enough sweet talk, it's time to get down to business. She took a deep breath, and while holding his hand and nervously playing with his fingers, asked, "Okay Mike, what happened last night? Curiosity has gotten the best of me." She sat in the middle of the bed facing him with her legs crisscrossed, intently listening. She grabbed a blanket and covered her bare legs, scooting close.
He put some thought in how he wanted to approach the details. "When I couldn't get hold of you yesterday, I got worried. I called the police department to see who was on duty, and David had just started his shift. I asked dispatch to have him call me. When I expressed my concern about you, he said he would be glad to come by for a welfare check."
There was a little bit of icing on his lip. She couldn't resist, she licked the icing from his upper lip. He grinned at her, wanting more than a lick.
He squeezed her leg and continued, "He called me back and told me about the incident with the guy delivering the wood and your concerns about him. He found the guy and ran a check on the truck but everything checked out on them. I found it odd they just strolled down the beach and didn't take their truck to their friend's house. The reason for my concern was the rentals nearby are empty. Why would they walk a great distance and then walk all the way back to their truck? Plus, with the frigid cold weather, they wouldn't want to walk very far. I still had a lot of paperwork to do, but this kept dwelling on my mind, and I became too worried to stay at work.
So I decided to come home."
"This is one time I'm glad you're a cop. Only a cop could know when something didn't appear right."
"You're right. When I got here, you were gone and so was your car. I knew you might come back since you left the light on in the kitchen. I waited for a little while, charged my phone and tried to call several times, but no answer. Your clothes were still in the closet, so I knew you didn't go home. The next logical explanation was you got scared and went to a hotel. You were at the second one I called. By the way, that was smart of you to listen to your instincts."
"Mike what if I wouldn't have been at a hotel when you called?"
He didn't want to tell her how scared that thought made him. He also knew if he would have walked in and they were hurting her, he would have killed them. No doubt in his mind. "I thought of that, and I would have every cop in the state looking for you. But that didn't happen, so I don't want you to think about it again."
"That's pretty good detective work, copper." He tapped the bed for her to lie down next to him. She didn't have to be asked twice, and she snuggled in close. "Continue honey, I want to hear more."
"You know the rest from when we left the hotel and saw the truck and got here, and we saw the flashlight through the window. I can't even imagine what it would have been like if you would not have seen the truck. That was when I shifted into cop mode." To show his cop pose, he raised his arm to make a curl with his biceps, and he did look like Mr. Universe. His arm had to be at least twenty inches around. When she patted his muscle, it felt as hard as a rock.
He continued, "Turning off the headlights gave me an advantage." He rubbed her arm trying to console her. "What I have to say next might bother you, but I want you to know I'm here for you and I promise to keep you safe."
Oh wow, what he had to say did not sound good. A little anxiety started to flicker in the pit of her stomach. "Okay," she said as she swallowed hard.
"When I walked up to the door, I could hear talking in the house. I stood there and listened for a little bit, and they were whispering about where they would hide so they could surprise you.
I decided to take keys and jiggle them as though I was you. I heard them scurrying around, and I knew they were hiding. Once they finished hiding, I thought I could get the upper hand. I walked in and acted as though I was heading for the bedroom, not saying a word. I figured they were in a closet, so as I walked by closets I quietly put chairs in front of each door so they couldn't open them. Right as I walked in the bedroom..."
He pointed to where it all happened.
"…the one guy who hid in the pantry started squawking when he couldn't open the door.
When the guy in the pantry yelled, the other guy who was hiding in the bedroom closet jumped out to help his partner. He assumed his partner had you. He was in for a surprise when I had my gun pointed at his head. He tried to run, but I grabbed him and we fought. Fortunately, he was in such bad shape I took him down with ease. I took him to the kitchen and held the pantry door closed until the police came. That was when I got these cuts and bruises. I think you need to kiss my booboos and make them better," he said with a devilish grin.
While ignoring Mike's request, she asked, "They were after me? I told them I had a family, and they were on the beach. They had to know they would be taking a chance… right?" Thank God for women's intuition. She knew in her heart something didn't seem right.
Mike laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"It was funny to see them in shock—they screamed like girls for each other to help."
"That's too funny." Now she knew why Mike had laughed.
"Well, it all boils down to everything worked in your… our… favor. There is one thing I can say about my work."
"What's that?"
"Criminals are stupid. And that should answer your question. Criminals take stupid chances, and they took a chance that you were not married, but they didn't anticipate me."
She took a deep breath and said, "I'm glad about that. What were their names?"
"The older man's name is Sam Couried, and his son is Charles Couried."
"So their last name was not Johnson?"
"No."
"So where is John Johnson?"
"We don't know. They're looking for him now." When Mike's mind snapped back to reality, he rolled over frantically. "What time is it?"
She glanced at the clock next to her, "It's ten-ten, why?"
"Oh… we have plenty of time." He played around as though he was going to eat the last cinnamon roll. He swirled it under her nose, tempting her. Temptation got the best of her, and she had to take a bite, then he fed her the rest.
"What are you talking about, time for what?" She took a swig of coffee and frowned, not realizing it had gotten cold.
"Later this afternoon we have a memorial service for Frank. I need to be there, but I'm not going to leave you, especially after yesterday." He wasn't going to worry Lana, but until they got to the bottom of everything he would stay with her.
"You need to be there, and that's final. You will not miss this memorial," she said with forcefulness. She noticed he never mentioned anything about her going. She concluded he thought it was too soon for his friends to see them together and ask questions. Maybe Mike was like her and wanted to take their relationship slowly. Admittedly, it did hurt her feelings he didn't want to show her off to his friends. Maybe he was a player, and he didn't take the women he dated to any business functions. She looked away because she didn't want him to see her hurt feelings.
He propped himself on his elbow and ran his hands around the outline of her breasts then raised her shirt to see her tanned tummy. "I thought… hoped… you might go with me."
Relief inundated her as her heart instantly changed from sad to happy. I'm such a girl, worrying about silly things. "Mr. Ramsey, I thought you would never ask."
"Hey, I'm a red-blooded all-American male with a beautiful lady lying right next to me. You have me thinking about other things. Need I say more?" he asked as he started to rub her tanned tummy.
Lana saw love in his eyes, not just lust. Every time he looked at her his eyes softened more and more. They didn't do that when they first met. Mike always had a serious, intense look in his eyes. A soft look of love replaced the hard gaze. She couldn't imagine being a criminal receiving that mean stare.
"What time is the memorial?"
Mike pulled away a little as if trying to concentrate. "Two o'clock."
Lana jumped out of bed. "Mike I have to buy a dress and shoes and all that stuff and I have to shower and put on my make-up before we have lunch. What were you thinking not letting me know before now?"
He laughed hysterically.
"Are you laughing at me?"
"Your t-shirt goes below your knees. You look so cute with your hair all messed up and unkempt in that baggy shirt. You look like my beautiful little lady." Damn, she looks gorgeous.
He hoped tonight they would make love. Wanting women for sex needed to be shoved to the back of his mind because that way of thinking was part of his history. Yes, he did use women for sex, but he knew it was mutual. He always informed them that he was not interested in a long-term relationship. Most women agreed, or at least that's what they said. Maybe they hoped for more. Mike didn't want to give anymore, until now, with this woman. With Lana, he wanted to give it all, every ounce of his being—heart and soul.
She was happy he said that, but she knew she had a lot to do. Frustrated she asked, "You have one hour to get ready. Do we need to run to your house to get a suit?"
"Oh crap, I forgot about that." He jumped up and they both quickly made the bed. She took a quick shower then he showered and shaved. With pen and paper in hand, she sat on the bed and made a quick look through her things to determine what she needed to buy at the store; dress, hose, shoes, coat, and earrings.
When Mike finished shaving he sat next to her with only a towel wrapped around him.
"What is the paper for… taking notes?" he asked while taking a swig of coffee.
"I'm making a shopping list, so I don't forget anything." When he first sat down, she got a faint whiff of his Clive Christian cologne. She loved the clean scent and inhaled—enjoying the fragrance. It had been a long time since she sat next to a man fresh from the shower, and it was a temptation to her heart and body. For the first time, she noticed he had an eagle tattoo on his right arm. When she looked closer she saw the names Kathy, Brianna, and Kyle in the wings of the eagle, and she decided those names must be his wife and kids. He also had 442 tattooed in the claw. She remembered it was his badge number. She wondered if he ever would get a tattoo with her name in it. "You better hurry up and get dressed before I take the towel off you," she muttered while licking her dry lips. Going to the funeral was more important than what she had in mind—at least for now.
"You will not get an argument out of me on that." He winked and went back in the bathroom, whistling.
She was so lucky to have such a gorgeous man to love, and to love her. She took a deep breath and sighed. In the back of her mind, she wondered if he remembered telling her that he loved her.
*****
On their way into town, they discussed what kind of food they liked. She hated to mention it, but she felt like Mike needed to know. "Mike I don't like seafood."
He had mentioned several times how much he loved seafood. He even commented on the
advantage of living near the ocean because he could get seafood any time. "What? Are you kidding, you're visiting Massachusetts and you don't like seafood?" He couldn't believe his ears, he thought everyone loved seafood. He couldn't imagine otherwise.
"Is that a deal breaker?" She knew he would say yes just to tease her.
"I'll have to think on that one." He was so crazy about this girl, he could care less if she liked seafood or not. All he had to do was change his eating habits and find restaurants that served chicken or whatever her heart desired.
"We can have seafood as long as they offer steak or chicken as well." She regretted telling him about her dislikes, she was afraid he might go someplace different just for her. She didn't want to deprive him of something he loved so much.
"I think we can find a place that has chicken." He glanced over at his sweetheart and thought how beautiful she looked. Depriving her of anything was a task he would never allow himself to do—ever.
She looked out the window and knew it was a sad day for Mike. She also knew the
memorial would rekindle the dread and anguish she felt a few short weeks ago. A wave of sorrow overwhelmed her; she never dreamed she would be attending another funeral so soon.
Mike noticed she was quiet and distracted. "Babe, what's the matter?"
"I guess I'm sad about the memorial, that's all."
"If going to the memorial bothers you, we don't have to go. Everyone certainly would understand considering what happened last night."
"No, we're going to the memorial. I'm just a little tired, that's all." She wasn't lying about that. She hasn't slept well since she's been in Plymouth.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure." Within seconds, they pulled into the parking lot of the Pelican Restaurant.
Thank goodness the snow slowed down to just a few flurries. Under normal circumstances, they could have a snowball fight. The freshly fallen snow appeared light and fluffy. The last thing she should be thinking about was a snowball fight; Mike had to work. Suddenly, she felt guilty. "You know Mike, I can go back to Tennessee so you can get your work done. With all that's happened, it's important for you to be with your men. I feel as though you're missing out by babysitting me, and I don't want you to do that."
For the first time since Lana arrived, Mike felt panic, and it forced his stomach to form knots. Could it be she had second thoughts about him? He decided to lay out his feelings. "Are you serious? No, I don't want you to go back to Tennessee, and if it were up to me, I would have you move here right now. When my wife Kathy died several years ago, I never thought I would find someone to love. Then you waltzed into my life. Last night when everything was over, I realized you could have been alone in the house. That angered me, knowing they could have hurt you. Also, it made me realize how much I care for you. The cop in me knows you never take your loved ones for granted. You have to tell them you love them every day when you go to work because you don't know if you'll come home or not. That was why I told you that I loved you."
He pulled her close and took her face in his hands, kissing the top of her nose. "It was important to me that you know I love you before I entered the house. Lana, I love you with all my heart. Immediately I had a physical attracted to you, and when I heard you talk with a southern accent, I was hooked. I fell in love the minute you talked, the minute you walked, the minute you took your coat off, the minute you touched me. I never believed in falling in love at first sight, until now. So please baby, don't talk about flying back to Tennessee, okay?" Feeling this vulnerable was not something he was used to, or liked. Never had he allowed himself to feel this way. Lana changed that. He wanted to protect her, love her, live with her, live through her.
He wanted her to see the vulnerability in him, see what she had done to him. Holding his feelings back for her was not an option, not ever.
His eyes never left hers, and she knew he meant it and all she could do was cry with happiness and nod her head.
"Please baby, don't cry, I can't stand it, and I don't want you to feel bad or feel you're not safe. I'm off the rest of the time you are here. The only stumbling block we have today is the memorial, and you're going with me. But if we don't hurry up and eat we will not have time for me to get my suit and your dress." Time was of the essence, but he also wanted to change the subject.
"Let's go, I'm starving," she said. She wiped the tears away, and was mad at herself for being such a whiney woman. Mike had enough to worry about without her acting like a baby.
As they walked in, the hostess greeted them. "Hi Mr. Ramsey, how is my favorite officer today?"
"I'm doing great; we want to sit at the back table… okay?"
"Go right ahead. I'll send a waitress right over," she answered while still counting change to a customer. There were several tables scattered around in the three dining rooms surrounding the kitchen. The tables were so close together it took some maneuvering around chairs to get to their table. They were seated where Mike could see the door, a cop thing.
Their waitress handed them the menu and spoke in a soft voice. She seemed sad and never lifted her eyes from the ticket book. "Would you like to hear our specials today?" Lana could tell she didn't want to go over them again.
In a way, Lana didn't blame her. How many times did she say specials today? It would be much easier to paper clip them on the menu. Lana's heart felt sad for this weary waitress. She was an old lady whose face looked tired and worn. She had bags under her eyes and looked fatigued. She had her thin gray hair pulled back in a bun. She had a small hump back probably caused from this hard work and age. Lana would make sure she got a sizable tip, at least a ten.
Lana politely said, "That's okay we'll just look at the menu."
Mike pushed his menu to the side knowing what he wanted.
"So Mike, what do you recommend for me to eat? Besides seafood, I think chicken might be appropriate for me—especially after last night," she chuckled.
He raised his left eyebrow. "We won't even touch that subject, little lady. I know it has been a tough couple of days, but I'm off work, and I want to spend every moment with you. You're safe, and I'm safe, and there was a tragedy. Let's not bring up last night and just enjoy getting to know one another. Is it a deal?"
How could she say no? "It's a deal on one condition, when we get home you have to tend to the fire."
"Now that sounds like a deal. Better yet, I'll fix the furnace." They both laughed because it was supposed to have been fixed two days ago.
"Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it," she said with sarcasm. Immediately, she wished she could take that statement back. It was inappropriate of her to utter any words of negativity.
"You are grumpy—I need to feed you." He overlooked her statement.
"Mike I'm sorry I snapped at you, that didn't come out the way I wanted."
"Honey, I didn't take it that way, and it's okay. I know you're tired, and I appreciate your sacrifice going with me to the memorial. You could have stayed at the house and taken a nap."
He chose just the right words to make her feel better. "Mike?"
"Yes?" he answered but not paying attention while he played with her hands, trying to warm them.
"Mike? Look at me please."
"What babe?" He focused on her.
"I love you too!"
He looked in her eyes hoping he saw the truth, and he did. His heart leaped with joy. He got choked up and said, "Oh baby, I love you so much!"
"Mike, one more thing."
"What?"
"Earlier you talked about telling me you loved me before you go to work, just in case you don't come home."
"Yes."
"I wanted to tell you that I know you love your job, and I would never change that. But, I want you to remember as you go to work. I'd rather have three wonderful years with you than a lifetime without you. I guess what I'm trying to say—let's live every day as though it's our last,"
she said getting all choked up again. She quickly changed the subject before she started to cry again and messed up the makeup.
About that time, the waitress walked up to take their order. "I think I will try the southwest chicken."
Mike ordered shrimp and fries.
They chatted about Cape Cod and how beautiful it was in the summer. She imagined the beauty of the towns with all the hustle and bustle of vacationers.
Mike smiled when he thought of the beach in the summer. "Some of the cute things of the summer are the children running across the sand when it's hot. They jump and holler trying to get to the water where it's cool. They look like Mexican jumping beans. It's nice to see an old person fall asleep on the beach on a sunny cool day. On the other hand, the winters can be brutal. I live in Boston and some winters it can snow for several days straight." His face glowed just talking about living in the area.
She glanced out the window where everything looked white. "We might want to consider heading to your house. It looks as though it is snowing harder."
Mike's eyes pivoted to the window, and he noticed the road looked like a sheet of white. The sky was noticeably darker, making the street lights come on. "What did you think about the food?" He pulled out his wallet and dug out his credit card while they waited for the check.
Lana, unknown to Mike, pulled out a ten. She held it in her lap to put on the table when Mike turned his head. It was obvious the waitress needed a little extra money. Lana's mom had curvature of the spine, and she knew how her mom suffered. Maybe this little bit of extra money could help this elderly waitress. "I loved it, but I loved being with you more," she said with all honesty.
"Once we get through this memorial we will have a great evening. I have a surprise for you."
"I love surprises." Just anticipating a surprise made her clap her hands, just like a child.