Heath’s suspicions had bugged her for days. Even though the new assistant chief had kept his word and said nothing more about Darrell, the question of her husband’s innocence hung between them on every occasion. And there had been a lot of those since the hamburger outing.
As if he was trying to make up for the wound he’d inflicted, Heath turned up frequently to take her to lunch, to help with the storm clean-up, and last night he’d even stopped by at closing time with a pizza.
Figuratively speaking, a girl could fall in love with a man who enjoyed a thick crust supreme with double cheese and Canadian bacon as much as she did. Though the ladies at the salon tried to fan the flames of romance, Cassie simply rolled her eyes and carried on. Given her track record with men, they should know a friendship when they spotted one. Darrell was her one and only, but being nice to the new people in town came naturally. It was who she was—even if the newcomer was especially handsome and charming and male.
Still, Cassie was strangely disquieted that she could like Heath at all. That she could get an extra buzz of energy when he cruised past in his big, fancy Expedition or popped into the shop to say hello. And that on this Saturday evening after a long day on her feet, she would be eager to leave the relaxed comfort of her PJs and crochet hook. But she was.
“You look amazing.” Annalisa waddled in from her evening walk, moving slower by the day. Her newly full face glowed with the effort. One hand rubbed round and round on her large belly; Tootsie, the apricot poodle, trotted alongside, a willing but unlikely protector.
“Thank you.” Cassie glanced down at her attire. Nothing fancy. Jeans and bright blue top with strappy heels. The usual. Except for the chiffon scarf and blingy bracelet she’d added. And the spritz of perfume. “You look miserable tonight.”
Annalisa groaned as she stretched her back. “I feel miserable, too. Junior here is taking up space I don’t have.”
“A few more weeks and you can breathe again.”
“Yes, thank the good Lord.” With affection and pride, the pretty blonde patted the top of her belly. “Is Heath coming over?”
“Should be here any minute. We’re going to the concert in the park. He’s unofficially on duty, as always, and needed a friend to hang out with.”
Her sister-in-law smiled a Mona Lisa smile that suggested more than friendship was in the air.
“Don’t start,” Cassie said, pointing a freshly done nail. “I get enough grief at the salon.”
“Then why not admit you like him for more than a friend?”
“Friendship is all I have to offer.”
“Love can come more than once in a lifetime, sweetie.”
“Not for me.” She’d been numb so long she wouldn’t know love if it dyed its hair chartreuse and rode shotgun in her Nissan.
“He’s a terrific guy. Everyone seems to like him and he goes to church, too.” Annalisa pointed a puffy finger. “You should give him a chance.”
Cassie had never told either Austin or Annalisa about Heath’s insinuations, of how he’d insulted Darrell’s good name. She didn’t want anyone to think less of her late husband and a stain on his reputation was sure to happen if word got around. The sting had faded but she hadn’t forgotten what Heath had done. She couldn’t. “Friends, Annalisa. That’s all.”
Her sister-in-law eased her swollen body into a chair, holding the padded arm as she went down with a groaning sigh. “Look at the size of my feet!”
“Whoa, honey! You have to get those puppies elevated.”
At the word puppies, Tootsie trotted to her side and looked up with bright, eager eyes.
“Not you, darling.” Cassie smooched at the dog as she pushed the ottoman into place and gently lifted Annalisa’s feet. “Is your blood pressure up again?”
“A little.”
Cassie gnawed the side of her cheek. From working with women all day, she knew high blood pressure could spell danger during pregnancy. “Have you called your doctor?”
“Yes, Mommy. This morning.”
“Let me nag. That’s my one and only nephew you have in there. Can I get you anything?”
“No, but you’re sweet to offer. Austin will be in soon and he will rub my back. It’s killing me today for some reason.” To prove the point, she arched and squirmed trying to get comfortable. “Your brother gives the best back rubs.”
A mix of sympathy and envy stirred in Cassie. As much as she delighted in her brother’s happiness and the coming child, they were a constant reminder of what she had missed.
Even though Annalisa had asked for nothing, Cassie went into the kitchen, poured a glass of filtered water and carried it to her sister-in-law. Tootsie trotted merrily along, tags jingling.
Life had certainly changed since her brother had married. The once-quiet ranch was lively with family preparations, baby talk, dreams and plans for the future. There had never been any question about her continuing to live at the ranch after their wedding, no hint that she was in the way, but sometimes she wondered. Newlyweds with a baby on the way needed their space.
But where would she go? This was home.
She went to the window, uncharacteristically discontent. A shiny black SUV wound down the long driveway.
“There’s Heath,” she said. “I have to grab my purse.”
“He better not expect me to get out of this chair.”
With a snicker, Cassie whipped her phone from her back pocket. “I’ll text him a pregnant woman alert.”
Annalisa’s hands rested on her belly. “You do that.”
Cassie hurried down the hall, grabbed her purse and the file folder she’d prepared. By the time she reached the front porch, Heath was out of his vehicle and halfway to the house. The limp that had slowed him down for weeks had disappeared, replaced by a confident stride. No swagger, no over-the-top machismo. Just confidence and strength. No wonder he was a great cop and the folks of Whisper Falls had taken him in like a native. He had an air about him that made people feel safe and protected.
“I got your text. Is everything all right with Annalisa?” he asked as they met on the grassy lawn.
“She’s been like this for a week. Being nearly eight months pregnant is wearing her down.” When he took her elbow, she let him guide her to the passenger side of the truck, enjoying the mannerly attention of a non-related male.
“Up you go. You look really nice.”
“So do you. Green is your color.” The Kelly-green shirt turned his eyes to emeralds.
“I’ll blend into the grass in the park. Do-wrongs won’t see me coming.”
“About the only do-wrongs you’ll find at a May concert in the Whisper Falls park will be teenagers making out behind the trees.”
He pumped his eyebrows, his gaze dropping to her mouth. “We may have to do a stakeout.”
Cassie was certain her face turned as red as her lips. The idea of kissing Heath, of the feel of his scant mustache against her mouth exploded in her head. Unable to shake the thought, she did the only thing she could. She rolled her eyes. Heath laughed. There was something about that short, intense laugh of his that sent pinpricks of pleasure dancing over her skin.
The laugh. The man. The thought of kissing him. What was wrong with her?
She tightened her grip on the file folder.
Heath saw the movement and hitched his chin toward her lap. “Whatcha got there? Words to Rocky Top so we can sing along?
Cassie opened the file, letting his joke slide. Any self-respecting fan knew the words to the famous bluegrass song.
Might as well get this over with. “This is a file on Darrell.”
He jerked, spun his focus toward her, eyes wide and surprised. “You kept a file on your husband?”
“No, silly. I made one.” She tapped the folder. “This has our honeymoon itinerary, phone records, hotel reservations, even the bill for the flowers he sent me the day of his death. Every record I could find or print off the computer. After you accused him of being a criminal—”
“I didn’t accuse him, Cassie. Asking questions is not an accusation.”
Why didn’t that make her feel any better? “Then let’s say you insinuated. Whatever term you want to use, you raised questions that I want answered.”
“I thought you didn’t want to discuss this again.”
“I didn’t at first but the more I think about what you said, the more it bothers me. Darrell was not a criminal. I want to help you prove that.”
Heath refocused on the country lane. His square jaw worked. Nostrils flared. Finally, he gave her a quick, hard glance and said, “What if you’re wrong?”
She’d thought about that, had lain awake more than one night pondering her late husband’s activities, wondering if she’d been the biggest fool on earth. The questions nagged at her like an ingrown toenail, cutting into every good memory she’d treasured up to this point. Closure had become a necessity. “Louis may have been involved in bad things. That wouldn’t surprise me at all. I can’t believe it of Darrell.”
“All right. Tell you what. If I can prove him innocent, I will. But I’ll need your cooperation. Everything you know.”
“These records are all I have. What else can I do?”
“Witnesses often don’t know what they know. You see or hear something, some anomaly that doesn’t quite fit but you blow it off thinking it’s nothing.”
“I guess that’s possible,” she said doubtfully.
“Oh, it’s possible. Even likely. Trust me on that.”
What choice did she have? She’d already betrayed Darrell by digging through his computer files with a suspicious eye.
“Tell me everything you know, every detail you remember, especially about the trip to Mexico.”
“I did that already.”
“You gave me the short version. I want the long one. Times when you weren’t with Darrell. Where did he go? Who did he meet and do business with? How did he act before and after? Did anything seem out of place? Were you ever worried or suspicious? Did he ever say anything, get a strange phone call, a note he didn’t let you see, anything that didn’t fit?”
Cassie’s gut clenched into a knot. Now she understood how people felt during an interrogation. It wasn’t fun.
“Nothing.”
“If you think of anything, write it down, text me, call me.” Heath hammered away with rapid-fire questions, asking things she’d never considered. Cassie dug deep, searching for any clue, though nothing she told him seemed that important.
By the time she reached the park, Cassie was no longer excited about a bluegrass concert.
Heath felt like a jerk even though he shouldn’t have. Extracting this kind of information from Cassie had been his intent from the start, his reason for making excuses to see her every day. Now he wasn’t so sure. Part of him wanted to forget the investigation and have a good time with a woman he liked. Yet the badge in his pocket burned with the flame of justice.
The Whisper Falls Municipal Park sat at the west end of town where Easy Street became the highway leading out of town. To park, a car simply pulled off the road and found a spot. Sometimes that spot happened to be in someone’s yard but as long as there was no Keep Off sign, people parked where they wanted to. It was a system that had served since the town’s founding and unless progress paid for paved parking, the system would continue.
Heath found an empty, grassy space next to the funeral home—which was kitty-cornered from the park—and pulled in. He killed the vehicle and turned toward his date. A relationship that had begun as a means of obtaining information had become more. He wasn’t ready to put a name to his feelings, but Cassie meant something.
“Have I put a damper on the evening with my questions?” he asked softly.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Sure it does.” He gently took the folder from her and slid it under the front seat. From the bandstand, a fiddle played high and sweet. “Let’s put this away, try to forget about the case for a while and enjoy ourselves. The music is calling.”
“Okay.” But she looked so serious now.
“Hey.” He tilted her chin with his thumb and stared into a pair of sorrowful irises of pale green that stayed in his mind even when he wasn’t with her. Like the rest of her. Cajoling, he said, “I’ll buy you a pizza. Extra large.”
A hint of amusement flickered. “All to myself?”
He stroked his knuckle along her jawbone. Her alabaster skin, beautiful with her very black hair, was every bit as soft as he’d expected. Like sun-warmed rose petals. Without knowing it, he’d let her creep into his subconscious. “Only if you want to see an officer of the law salivate in public.”
Her nostrils flared, the makings of a laugh, and he knew he’d won when her red lips bowed. “When do we get this pizza?”
Heath took his hand away. Brushing Cassie’s skin interfered with his reasoning—and a lawman had to be alert. “Whenever you say.”
“Pizza Pan stays open until midnight on Saturday night.”
His mouth curved. “Concert first. Pizza later?”
“You’re on, big boy.” She raised her hand for a high five. He slapped her smaller palm and gave her hand a quick squeeze. A secret promise that he’d do his best to protect her, all the while hoping he didn’t have to break her heart in the process.
They exited the SUV and sauntered across the freshly mowed grass into the park. Popcorn scented the air. The band was in full throttle, banjoes dueling while a stand-up bass thumped out a rhythm. Hard to stay in a dark mood with that kind of energy vibrating the airwaves.
Heath gazed around, scoping out the environment. “Good crowd.”
“The weather is perfect, and Whisper Falls is known for good bluegrass events.”
He catalogued the spots he considered problem areas, though he was here only as backup in case something hinky went down. No one expected that in Whisper Falls. Except him. He always expected trouble. Maybe that’s why it found him so often.
The band kicked into the next number. A lively, sawing fiddle took center stage.
“Name that tune,” he said.
“‘Orange Blossom Special.’”
“Impressive. Are you a fan?”
She smiled. “I’ve been to these concerts before.”
“Cheater.” He snagged her hand and when she didn’t pull away led them through the milling crowd. Cassie was a people magnet and stopped frequently to greet customers and friends and church members, drawing him in. For a man who’d been rootless since college, belonging to a town was different but nice. He liked the town, enjoyed the friendly Southern people.
All during the exchanges, Heath remained alert in his role as security. When a pair of teenagers hooked up in a fight, he left Cassie with friends and hurried toward the rumble. The small circle of onlookers saw him coming and the fighters broke apart, breathing heavily. One kid had a nosebleed.
Heath stepped between them. In a calm, firm voice, he settled the issue, took the nosebleed to a makeshift first aid station and contacted parents. By the time he’d taken care of business, Cassie wasn’t where he’d left her. He pulled out his cell phone and flipped through the contacts for her name. Before he could complete the call, the blonde and beautiful Michelle Jessup approached him.
“I saw what you did, Heath. So brave.”
He fought an eye roll. “They’re just kids.”
“Still, kids today...” She shook her long hair as if she thought all of today’s teenagers were one step away from mass murder.
“Well.” Offering a polite head bob, Heath started to leave. “Good to see you.”
She stopped him with a hand on his arm. “I would sure love a nice cold drink. And after the concert, dinner perhaps? I know the coziest little place down in Moreburg that serves thick, rare steaks and double baked potatoes.”
A couple of weeks ago, he would have said yes. Something had changed, something that troubled him.
“I’m here with someone,” he said, glad it was true. Michelle was beautiful and the type of woman he would have dated a year ago, but he simply wasn’t interested. Not anymore.
“Oh.” She pouted, an adorable pout that had doubtless worked on men all of her life. “What about our rain check?”
He removed her hand from his arm and gave the fingers a squeeze. His cell phone rang and, glad for the interruption, he said, “Excuse me,” and pushed the talk button.
“Heath?” Cassie’s voice sounded breathless. “I can’t find you. I have to leave.”
“I’m at the first aid station.” His hand tensed on the smartphone. “What’s wrong?”
“Can you take me home? I need to go to the hospital.”
“The hospital?” Adrenaline surged into his bloodstream. With an apologetic glance, he turned his back on Michelle. Frantically, he searched the crowd for Cassie’s familiar black hair and bright blue shirt. “Are your hurt? Sick? Talk to me.”
“Annalisa is in labor.”
“Meet me at the SUV.”
She hadn’t expected Heath to come with her, but, after making sure the auxiliary officers had everything under control, he’d insisted on heading straight to Fayetteville to the hospital. In his Expedition.
When they’d arrived at Regional Medical Center and started across the parking lot, Cassie paused. “You don’t have to go inside.”
“Want me to leave?”
“No, I’m glad you came.” The admission surprised her. “But I don’t want you to feel obligated, either. Driving me this distance was above and beyond the call of duty.”
They paused at the crosswalk to let a car pass. The hospital was large and busy. One ambulance was pulling away as another came in. People entered and exited, some in street clothes, others in medical scrubs with security name badges on their chests.
“This isn’t duty, Cassie. I’m here because I want to be. If you’ll let me, I’d like to stay.”
When Heath reached for her hand, Cassie was glad for the contact. Her fingers were cold against his hard warmth. Secure. Safe. “I’d be glad for the company.”
“Look at you,” he chided softly. “You’re all shaky. Good thing I didn’t let you drive yourself. You wouldn’t want to end up in a ditch on a dark, lonely stretch of road.”
The reminder of their first meeting brought a fleeting smile, but worry nagged too much to joke. “Annalisa is only eight months along. Do you think the baby is all right?”
His eyebrows raised. “Like I’m an expert?”
She huffed a short laugh that had absolutely no effect on her jitters. “Me, either. All I know about childbirth is what I’ve learned standing over women’s hair. The stories are terrifying.”
“Fifty hours of hard labor with no anesthesia and only a rusty bullet to bite down on?”
“Close enough.”
“I’ve been with my brothers a couple of times when their kids were born.” He stood to one side and let her enter the building first. “Everything went fine, but they were basket cases.”
As Cassie stepped into the entry, cool air from overhead vents prickled the skin on her arms. She rubbed at them, belly jumping with nerves for her family.
“That’s why I’m here. Austin will need me, even if he doesn’t realize it yet. He is so in love with Annalisa, if anything should go wrong, he’ll crumble.”
“Did he say anything was wrong?” Heath punched the elevator button. A pair of passing nurses gave him the once-over before exchanging grins, though he seemed oblivious.
“No, his call was brief. He said she was admitted and in labor and he was waiting on the OB-GYN to arrive.”
“Then say a prayer, and don’t borrow trouble.”
“Right.” Heath wasn’t a man who talked a lot about his faith but she knew he believed. Prayer and faith was the right direction, no matter what the problem.
“That’s exactly what I’ll do.” It was what she’d already done all the way to Fayetteville, but until Annalisa and baby were declared fit, she’d keep on praying.
They rode the elevator to the designated birthing floor, finding Austin without having to ask at the desk. The big, good-looking cowboy was standing outside a room talking to a doctor clad in green scrubs.
“He looks worried.” She grabbed for Heath’s hand, aware that she’d repeatedly clung to him today. Right now she wasn’t even going to question the reasons. He was here and he made her feel better. Enough said.
“He’s a first-time father. Of course he’s worried. Midnight feedings, kindergarten, buying a car when the kid’s sixteen, prom night, paying for college, and then there’s the rehearsal dinner at the wedding.” Heath raised his free hand in exclamation. “A man could go nuts.”
He was joking to ease her tension and Cassie loved him for it. “You’re pretty handy in a scary situation, you know that, Officer?”
“That’s me. Sworn to protect and serve.”
He was a lot more than that, but she didn’t say so. They approached Austin who saw them coming.
Her brother looked at her with a beleaguered expression and said in a haggard voice, “I’m glad you’re here, sis. We’re in trouble.”