“Good morning, Abel,” a female voice from behind him interrupted their conversation. “I heard what happened at Kramer’s last night. Horrifying.”
Abel turned around to see Jane Lopez. She was holding a to-go cup in her hand. He sighed, knowing he shouldn’t be surprised word got around already despite it barely being eight in the morning.
“Who was it? I heard someone say it was a vagrant. They hang out at that old abandoned barn on Highway Fifty. I have reported several times. They try to panhandle,” she continued not looking fearful. Her long black hair was in a neat twist on top of her head and her navy blue suit and skirt looked perfect. She worked at city hall with the mayor as an assistant. Abel knew her well. She hung around with his mother but he suspected it was just Jane’s way of trying to get her claws in him. No thanks.
She just wanted more gossip to spread around town. Jane and her friends often started most of the rumors circling the gossip mill.
“We haven’t found him yet. We’re checking every possibility out so don’t worry, Jane,” he assured her, sipping on his coffee and going for the polite but not friendly routine. This was why he liked drinking coffee at home. No one talked to him since he lived alone, well unless you counted his dog Roscoe. Only Roscoe slept on the rug by the sink, leaving him alone to his thoughts.
“I get out from work late sometimes. Should I have someone walk me to my car?” she asked, batting her dark eyelashes at him. Abel knew she wanted him to volunteer for the job. No thanks, once she got her claws into him she’d never let go. He shuddered at the thought.
“If you have someone who can, then sure. It’s better to be safe than sorry, right?” He smiled politely. Jane was a nice girl who went to his church. His mother often listed every one of her attributes that would make her a good wife in her book. Abel told his mom over and over he would never marry Jane Lopez, but it went in one ear and out the other. He did not want to be tied down. He liked being absorbed in his job and not having anyone nag him about his schedule. Jane was the type to make out a schedule and expect him to follow it.
Jane walked away with a huff, her high heels clacking on the hardwood floor. Abel heard Becky chuckle. He looked at Becky with confusion. He thought he had been very polite.
“Your mama is hoping to call that girl her future daughter-in-law you know?” Becky chuckled, watching Jane stomp away in a fit.
Abel didn’t feel bad. His mom knew how he felt, she just hoped to nag him into changing his mind. “Lincoln just gave her Jessy to spoil, and Jessy’s little sister Lily is an added bonus. You think that would make her happy,” Abel grumbled, finishing up his coffee. “Being responsible around here takes up all of my time.”
“Jessy is a sweetheart. She joined our book club, but with her upcoming wedding she has missed a few meetings.” Becky smiled. “We’re starting to have them here on Thursday evenings now.”
“Mrs. Kensington banned you from the church rec room again?” Abel laughed. She was the pastor’s wife and got in a huff about something every other month.
Becky rolled her eyes and took his empty cup after he declined more. “She thinks our book was too racy and utter nonsense because it was about a werewolf falling in love with a human. She is telling the pastor to pray for us.”
Abel shook his head with amusement. This town was never boring that’s for sure. “See you around, Becky. Tell Mia if she needs anything to call me, okay?”
Becky nodded. He put some bills down on the counter. He resisted the temptation to visit Mia for himself. He could say he was just doing his job and checking up on her. He forced his mind back to his work schedule and walked back into the sunshine. Love was just a fantasy he had no desire to give in to.
Liar.
Chapter Three
Abel yawned as he drove down the empty main street. The dark clouds were ready to pour some heavy rain and he was glad he was heading home. Nothing like a good storm to help him sleep. He hadn’t slept well in the last week thinking of Mia. Another woman had been attacked at Kramer’s a few days ago. This time during the week. She had given up her purse and was unhurt, but people were angry and frightened. He had to place a few of his men patrolling the parking lot which left him shorthanded. The mayor was taking his sweet time in approving his request to hire more officers. Abel was determined to catch this guy before he hurt someone despite the bullshit of politics and budgets.
He had been up all night helping with a three-car accident on Highway Fifty heading out of town. He spotted a lone figure walking down the sidewalk. Who would be out so early in the morning all alone? None of the businesses were even open yet. As he drove closer he thought it might be Mia and his pulse began to speed up. Her blonde hair stood out like a shiny beacon among the gray clouds. He tried to be logical and tell himself to leave her be. It was a constant war between his brain and his heart. It seemed that fate was going to mess up his well-thought-out plans of avoiding one small, curly-haired woman.
She was looking down toward the sidewalk and had her arms wrapped around herself as if she was cold. His mind automatically thought of many ways to warm her up. He cursed under his breath. This was why it was smart to avoid her, but he could not leave her out on the sidewalk all alone. Especially not after what happened. The thunder sounded closer.
He frowned and pulled his cruiser up to the curve. He rolled down the passenger side window.
“Mia!” he yelled out, startling her. She turned to look at him with her wide blue eyes. He knew the moment she recognized him. Her shoulders sagged with relief. His eyes scanned every inch of her like a dying, thirsty man in the desert.
“God, you scared the hell out of me.” She placed a hand over her heart, drawing his gaze to her full, round breasts under her white sweater. He shouldn’t even be noticing them but he did. Despite the oncoming storm the air was warm and humid. Her hair was pinned on top of her head and it made him want to unpin it.
“What are you doing out here all alone?” His words came out harsher than he meant to, but she titled his world upside down. His brain turned to mush as soon as she was near so he avoided her at all costs. He knew from his sister she had gone back to work after a week home, but he had not had the courage to go visit her.
“My car broke down. I think it’s the battery.” She pointed to a small white car parked in front of the hardware store.
“It’s about to storm.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth the rain came pouring down hard. She yelped as the cold raindrops landed on her. He pushed the button to unlock the doors. “Get in here.”
She quickly obeyed and he rolled the window back up. He started heading toward the coffee shop.
“I’ll call Dylan to tow it to his garage as soon as I get to work. I was hoping to make it to the shop before the rain started.” She yawned and her voice sounded soft and a little sleepy. He wanted to take her home and put her next to him in his bed. He could imagine her small body wrapped around his much larger one. Damn, that sounded so good. The small confines of being in the car with her was difficult. He avoided looking at her and stared at the road ahead of him. Abel turned on the wipers and the heat.
“It’s not safe for you to be out this early all alone. No one is even open yet.” Great, now he sounded like a concerned father.
He could feel her eyes land on his body and he tried to hide how one glance from her made him so excited. His cock twitched behind his zipper. He had to exhale slowly, hoping she did not notice his body’s reaction.