But this was the life she had to deal with. Despite Benjamins squiggles to climb down and resume the game, she wedged him firmly on her hip. Why is there a police car parked in front of my house?
I let Detective Kincaid in, dear, her mother explained. Hes only been here a half hour or so. I checked his ID before opening the door. Dont you remember him?
Of course I remember
Better let me handle this. The man shed known as Tom Sawyer, a bartender with a sweet but misplaced sense of responsibility for the waitresses who worked with him, smoothed the scattered strands of hair off his forehead and rolled to his feet. He stood. And stood. Melissas pulse quickened with an instinctive self-preservation and she backed away.
His warm brown gaze darted to the subtle movement of her feet. But she didnt apologize or make excuses.
He didnt ask for any. Its good to see you again, Mel.
She forced her gaze up past the evening beard that studded his square jaw, and acknowledged his greeting with a nod. Tom.
He raised his focus and skimmed her face, probably noting the newer, shoulder-length cut of her hairprobably satisfying his curiosity about how her injuries had healed as well. You look great.
He lookedmale.
Ignoring the little tremor of awareness that blipped through her brain, Melissa concentrated on all the reasons why shed never picked up a phone to resume their friendship, never encouraged him to turn that friendship into something more. One, he was an old-fashioned kind of guythe sort who held open doors, sent flowers and whod try to make everything right for her. Two, nice as hed seemed back at the casino where theyd worked together, hed lied about who he was. What he did for a living. Why hed been so interested in her. And whether or not the lie was unavoidable and he really was one of the good guys, she couldnt afford to be fooled by good intentions and false promises. She couldnt allow herself to drop her guard and be taken in by any maneven a nice one. Especially a nice one. She needed her independence in order to survive.
And three? Oh, hell. She remembered thinking Tom Sawyer Kincaid might be the one man in her life with the brawn and bravado to stand up to her ex-husband. The man whod come galloping to her rescue. But any chivalrous fantasy she might have toyed with scared the hell out of her, too. Shed forgotten just how imposing he could be, with those broad shoulders and thick forearms, every sinew and hollow made blatantly evident by the sticky second skin of his damp white shirt and rolled-up sleeves.
She couldnt help but compare. Thered been so many times she wished shed met a man like Detective Kincaid before Ace had ever walked into her sheltered life back in South Dakota. But wishing didnt help reality. There were no more fantasies to be dreamed, no trust to be given. There was only survival.
So she sloughed off his compliment and ignored the spark of interest her female instincts tried to rouse in her. I look worn-out from a day thats gone on way too long.
Its been a long one for me, too. He splayed his fingers at his hips, drawing attention to the badge with the black stripe bisecting it that was clipped to his belt. Did that black stripe have anything to do with this surprise visit?
More Get me! Benjamin pushed against Melissas chest, saving her from the compassionate impulse to ask about that black stripe and the length of his day.
Not now, sweetie. Its getting late. She stroked his silky black hair and hugged him a little tighter, to settle her own nerves as much as his. But she kept her eyes on their guest. She needed a safer topic. Whats it been? A year?
Not quite. I havent seen you since last July.
Not so safe.
Last July shed been in the hospital, broken and unconscious. Even now, the events that had put her in that ICU bed were hazy. But she remembered his last visit. Though she couldnt recall his words, she remembered being just as frightened as shed been pleased to see him. Hed asked for something from her, something she couldntwouldntgive to a man again.
Her affection? Her trust? Permission to give those things to her? Was that why he was here tonight? Did he think enough time had passedcould ever passfor her to give a new relationship a chance?
So what are you doing here? she asked again.
He reached for a dark blue uniform jacket draped over the back of a chair, and picked up a holstered gun hed set high up on the mantel of her fake fireplace. Hed come here armed? With another officer sitting outside? This visit wasnt personal, after all.
Can we talk? Someplace private?
Even if that grin had stayed in place, she would have suspected his motives for showing up at her home unannounced.
After a slight hesitation, she nodded. Giving him a wide berth as she circled around him, Melissa handed Ben off to her mother, trading a reassuring hug with the older woman and giving her son a kiss. Benjamin needs to be getting to bed. Do you mind starting his bath?
Of course not. Thanks for the company, Mr. Kincaid.
I appreciate the coffee, maam.
Benjamin stretched out both arms toward his new playmate and curled his fingers into a wave. Bye, tective.
See ya, Big Ben.
Her mother reached out and squeezed her hand. Honey, Mr. Kincaid isnt the enemy. Melissa weathered a sad, maybe even apologetic, frown, then turned away as Fritzi carried her grandson down the hallway toward the bathroom at the back of the house.
We can talk in the kitchen, Tom.
He followed her across the hallway to the room where she could turn on the brightest lights and put a solid piece of furniture, namely the width of her kitchen table, between them. Thomas is my first name, but I go by Sawyer in real life.
Real life. Ha. Shed been crazy to worry for even one moment about him seeing the changes in her appearance after a shattered face and reconstructive surgeries. Her reality didnt include old friends stopping by for lets-get-reacquainted visits. Her reality included living paycheck to paycheck, working when she wasnt going to school, updating restraining orders and looking over her shoulder.
She flipped on the overhead light switch beside the door and crossed to the sink to turn on the light there, too. But the bright lights and distance between them did little to diminish his overpowering presence. The smells of earthy dampness clinging to their clothes and skin intensified in the smaller room, giving the atmosphere an intimate electricity she shouldnt be feeling.
Attraction of any kindemotional attachments beyond her mother and sonwerent an option for her. She needed to be on guard. Always. The last six years of her life had taught her that.
She unfastened the top two buttons of her raincoat and straightened her collar before crossing her arms in front of her and bracing herself for whatever he had to say. OkaySawyerdoes this have something to do with the Wolfes illegal activities at the casino? When I gave my deposition at the hospital, the D.A. said he didnt think Id have to testify in person.
As far as I know, you wont. Watching him unhook his belt and strap his gun and holster back into place wasnt exactly reassuring. To my knowledge, the case against Theodore Wolfe is still tight. Once the state of Missouri is done with him, hell be taken back to London to face international charges.