“Do I have to go back to Detroit?” That was her biggest fear. She wouldn’t feel safe in the city. Plus, she had to admit, she didn’t want to leave Ryan. She was very attracted to him and wanted to see where things could go between them.
Ryan shook his head, sitting back in his chair when all he wanted to do was go to her and hold her in his arms. “Not yet. Not until the trial, and that won’t be right away, so let’s not worry about that now. Right now you’re under my protection. Detective Garcia is okay with that. He knows you are safer here than back in Detroit anyways. He offered to talk to your landlord to hold your apartment until Chico and his gang are caught.”
She nodded and turned back toward him, feeling a little uneasy at his cold attitude. W
as it because they were at his work place or did he regret asking her out and kissing her last night? She sat back down in the chair and looked at him. She could see none of the warmth or passion she saw last night in his eyes. Had she read last night wrong or maybe Emma was back in the picture and he didn’t know how to tell her?
“Is everything all right, Ryan? You are acting very strange. Did I do something wrong?” she asked, feeling very uneasy and cold.
Ryan sighed heavily, tapping on the desk with a pencil. It was a habit he had when he was nervous. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Look, Lacy, I just don’t think it’s a good idea for us to get involved romantically while we have this case with Chico between us.” He winced inwardly. It sounded lame to his own ears, but he really didn’t want to hurt Lacy’s feelings. She was beautiful and gentle and he was so tempted to just grab her and kiss her again, but his doubts consumed him. His head and his heart were at war, wanting two different things.
Lacy felt a sharp pain go through her heart. What a lame excuse! Why didn’t he just admit he didn’t feel the same way she did when they kissed last night? When would she learn her lesson concerning men? No man had staying power, from her dad to every man she and her mom had ever met. “Okay, if that’s what you want,” she said carelessly, refusing to let him see how his words wounded her.
“You wanted to see me, boss—oh oops,” said a voice. A uniformed man stood in the doorway waiting to be invited in. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Ryan sighed with relief. He was taking the cowardly way out but his mind was filled with conflicting emotions. He wanted Lacy desperately, but he wasn’t ready to enter another relationship yet. Not when he still had Emma constantly bothering him.
“Lacy, this is one of my deputies, Logan Wilson,” he said, introducing them. “Logan, this is Ms. Martinez.”
“I need you to witness me taking her statement.” He went on to explain Lacy’s story to Logan, and they all sat down and listened to Lacy go over the exact details of what she had seen that day.
It was frightening to remember every detail but she knew it was important. Ryan typed it up and all three of them signed it. “Let me get Helen to fax this over right away. Detective Garcia is anxious to get the ball rolling on this.”
Lacy looked over at Logan once Ryan left the office. He had black hair in a military buzz-cut style and dark brown eyes. He wasn’t as tall as Ryan, but he had wide shoulders and a muscular build. It was obvious he spent a lot of time working out. He was making her nervous the way he was looking her over blatantly, but she didn’t want to offend him by telling him to stop.
“It must’ve been terrible to witness a murder. You’re a brave girl,” he stated, leaning back in his seat in a relaxed pose, looking at her with a charming smile. He was obviously a practiced flirt.
Lacy shook her head in denial. “Not really. I got scared and ran away. That was wrong of me and that’s why I want to fix my mistake.”
“That’s admirable,” he observed. “I heard talk there was a beautiful new waitress at Ally’s. Been wanting to go in there but I haven’t had a chance yet.” He was a handsome man, but, despite Ryan’s awful behavior, she was still attracted to Ryan and wasn’t sure how to handle this situation without causing any tension.
Lacy just smiled back but said nothing and wished Ryan would hurry up.
Logan kept smiling at her. “I’m sure glad to meet you, Lacy Martinez. Maybe we can get to know each other over dinner or dancing?”
Ryan walked in at that moment and interrupted them. “We are done for now, Lacy. I’ll keep you updated on the situation. Thanks for coming in.”
Lacy kept her head down. She didn’t want Ryan to see the hurt in her eyes over his obvious dismissal of her. Ryan was letting her know he was not interested in her romantically and that hurt. She knew he heard Logan asking her to go out yet he acted like it didn’t matter to him if she went. He acted like he liked her one minute and like he barely knew her the next minute. What a jerk he turned out to be! How could she have been so wrong about Ryan?
Logan stood up along with Lacy. “I’ll give you a ride back to the diner. It’s chilly outside, no need to walk.”
Ryan arched his eyebrows at Lacy and looked at her accusingly with his arms folded across his chest but he didn’t say one word in protest or offer to give her a ride himself.
Lacy kept her gaze away from Ryan and toward Logan as Logan eagerly led her out of the office. Lacy wanted to break down and cry but she just kept walking and followed Logan out the door as he kept talking.
Ryan stood at the doorway of his office watching Lacy and Logan leave. “I thought you were dating Lacy?” Helen asked in a puzzled tone, blocking his view of the leaving couple.
“We had one date but I don’t need the headache. Emma gives me enough of those,” he stated angrily. He didn’t mean to snap at Helen but he was mad at himself. He had wanted to tear Lacy away from Logan and hold her in his arms and apologize for hurting her but he had just stood there like a statue instead. He was letting all his doubts overrule his heart and what he truly wanted, Lacy.
“So you’re letting Emma make you feel guilty for dumping her and supposedly breaking her heart when everyone in town knows she’s been partying at Thorn’s Bar every night and not alone either!” Helen scolded Ryan, angrily.
If only Ryan would open his eyes and see that Emma wasn’t heartbroken, only angry that Ryan hadn’t fallen in with her wishes to get married.
Ryan said nothing just went in his office and slammed the door, feeling the day going downhill from there.
Chapter Five
Over the next two weeks Lacy tried to keep herself busy at the diner and discovered she really enjoyed it. She had never enjoyed waitressing before. It had just been a job to pay the bills. But now she enjoyed getting up in the morning and coming to work. Maybe it was her change of attitude or maybe it was the friendliness of the people. She was getting to know her regular customers’ likes and dislikes. She liked being able to call them by name now whenever they came in, and she hardly ever got the orders wrong these days. She felt proud about that accomplishment. Some of the customers still playfully teased her about all her mistakes those first few days, but she’d laugh right along with them, not taking any offense.