Beauty and the Chief (6 page)

“No problem. I know where the clinic is, and it would probably be easier to put her in my SUV.”

He could tell the last was a deciding factor. “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind her in your car?”

“It’s fine.”

“Thank you. Sam volunteered to sit with her to keep her down while I drive, but I’d rather sit with her.”

“We’re set then.”

It took only a couple minutes to drive to Jillian’s condo. Jordan climbed in the back seat with Sam leaving Jillian to slide into the front seat. The boys immediately started talking excitedly about the game.

As the adults were left out of the conversation, Mark started. “So you played soccer in school?”

“Yes. I started with the youth programs, played on the high school team then my first two years of college.”

“Really, why’d you stop?”

“I messed up my knee in the second game of the third year.”

Mark pulled up at a stoplight and glanced at her legs. He could barely make out the two tiny white scars on her left knee now that he was so close. It was hard not to look at the total long, beautiful length of them. “How did it happen?” After the question was asked, he cringed realizing that might be something she felt uncomfortable talking about.

“Slide tackle, got me instead of the ball. She caught me from behind. I didn’t see it coming, couldn’t avoid it. Put me out for the rest of the season.”

“And then some.” He made the guess.

“Yeah, I was on crutches the whole semester.”

“You didn’t go out the next year.”

“No, I had a large load, trying to get the credits I needed to graduate, and I was doing an internship that took a lot of time.”

“It’s too bad you had to give it up.”

“Yeah, I miss it. I do love soccer. This has been fun working with the boys. I don’t let them slide tackle on my team. Too much chance of them getting hurt or them hurting the other person, and it’s not because of what happened to me. I’ve never liked or used them.”

“But you enjoy coaching?”

“Yes, more than I thought I would. I’m glad Sam asked me. I had been helping him practice so he knew all about my playing.”

“Well, the boys did great today.”

“Yes, they did. I’m very proud of the way they acted. I think they’re going to do well together.”

Mentally, Mark agreed, but his thoughts shifted to her. “I hope you don’t mind if I get nosey, but yesterday when you told me you weren’t meeting a date, I got the impression there wasn’t anyone special in your life. Is that right?”

She was quiet a second then turned to look at him. There was a challenging look in her eye. “Before I answer, can I ask if this is Mark asking, or the Chief?”

“Mark,” he said firmly. “Would it make a difference?”

“No, the answer would be the same, but it will make a difference in what I say next.” She brushed back a lock of hair that had slipped from her ponytail.

“Fair enough.”

“I’m not dating anyone right now. I’ve spent a lot of time the last two years getting my business going. I’m not into the bar scene or the casual date thing.” She paused again, but this time she seemed to be gathering her courage, which surprised him until her next words came out.

“What about you? Jordan mentioned his parents were divorced, and I understand his mother isn’t around.”

“We’ve been split up over six years. And no, I’m not dating anyone right now. Well, I occasionally go out, but no one regular.” He pulled into a parking lot, turning his attention to her.

Her lips were quirked up at the corner.

“What?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m just trying to get the image of you right in my mind. There seem to be a lot of twists, and I can’t figure out which is right.”

“I’ll tell you what. Let’s go in and order, send the boys to the arcade next door for twenty minutes, and you can tell me what you’ve come up with, and I’ll tell you how you did.”

Five minutes later they settled in a booth by themselves, the boys only too happy to leave them.

“Okay, so you’ve had a minute to think. Tell me what you’ve come up with,” Mark challenged.

“You love your son.”

“Very much, but that’s too easy.”

“No, I mean, you really love your son. He means the world to you. You’d do anything to protect him. That’s why you have him and his mother doesn’t.”

“Yes, but she wasn’t really into motherhood.”

Jillian nodded. “So between work, which is also very important to you and Jordan, you don’t have a lot of time for yourself. You like it that way. Occasionally, you date a woman, but mainly when it’s called for.”

She was getting into it now. “Or when a friend sets up a date you can’t get out of. Then, if you like the woman, you might go out again until you decide whether she’d fit into your life. It doesn’t take you long, only a couple dates to decide, and you end the relationship before you lead her on. You are alone because you’ve yet to meet the one that’s right.”

He tilted his head in concurrence. “Very good.” He was impressed. “You’re not interested in being a detective by chance?”

She laughed. “No thank you. In my business, you have two kinds of decorators. Some go in, do what they want, make these nice little show-cases. The others listen to what the client wants and pull it together in a pleasing manner. I try to be the second. I try to listen to and read people.”

“You’re very good. I have police officers who have known me for years but couldn’t come up with what you just did.”

“It’s because you’re a touch of an enigma. There are just some things that don’t quite fit.”

“Like what?”

“Jordan’s mother. You’re the faithful sort. You work out problems. The ‘marry for true love’.”

Mark shifted again surprised at what she saw in a short time. He picked up a straw from the table and rolled it in his fingers.

“I’m sorry,” Jillian reacted unconsciously reaching out to put her hand over his.

“No, it’s okay.” He turned his hand over to catch hers, so they were linked palm to palm. “I admit marrying Jordan’s mother was not one of the smartest things I did. It was the timing.”

He paused to put the straw in his drink and took a swallow. “I had just come off working narcotics. It was a hard set. You see some of the ugliest parts of police work. It’s all there; murder, abuse, just filth. I can’t say I was cut out for it. It was a learning experience. One I needed, but not fun. I was new in the detective division, still feeling my way through. Proving I was my own man, not there because daddy pulled strings.”

“Your father is a police officer?”

“No, my father was a senator.”

“Senator Richards was your father?” she interrupted.

“Yes.”

“Oh, my. Your parents were killed in a car accident.”

“Yes, five years ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. Anyway to get on with it, I met Jordan’s mother at a fundraiser with my parents. As I said, I’d just come off a bad stint. She was beautiful, elegant, a million miles from what I’d been seeing, and she turned it all on me. After all the ugliness I’d been through, I ate it up. Fell hard for it. We were married within two months. That was when I started to find out what she planned. She thought I’d give up being a cop and go into politics. She thought I was just having my youthful experience and was using it as a stepping stone before I made a bid for mayor, then of course, on to governor or maybe senator, following my father.

“She couldn’t believe I could be happy in law enforcement and want to stay in it, and that I didn’t mind my ‘little’ apartment. By three months, I knew it was not good, but then we found out she was expecting. My parents were spending most of their time in Washington, and when not there, they’d go to the cabin so they suggested that we move into their house. That made Felicity happy for a while, though she didn’t like that I made her live on a cop’s salary. The money was my parents’. It helped that we didn’t have to pay rent.

“Anyway, Jordan was born. The house and name kept her in the social class she wanted, so she was happy. She went to all the events, joined the popular charities. Life went on. We were pretty much just existing together, and then she met someone who was what she wanted in the political scene and who had money. She told me she wanted a divorce. When I pressed for shared custody, she gave me full if I helped push the divorce through faster. I did. She remarried a month later and moved to California and is quite happy. She visits Jordan about once a year and sends gifts when she remembers.”

“Oh my, how could she not want to see him? He’s such a great boy.”

“Thank you for that. But it’s just not her. What she regretted most was that was when my parents died, I inherited everything, and she couldn’t get any of it.”

“She actually tried?”

“A brief attempt, but the marriage had been over for almost two years. She had signed full custody to me. I never asked for any child support or anything else. Her suit was rejected pretty quickly.”

“She actually thought you’d just pay her so it wouldn’t go to court,” Jillian speculated.

Again Mark was surprised at her perception. “That’s right.”

“I’m glad you didn’t hand it over.”

“So, you don’t think I’m a cold, vindictive man?”

She looked deep into his eyes. “No, I don’t think she deserves you or Jordan.”

“You’re only hearing my side of the story.”

“Yes, but I think I’ll trust your side, Chief Richards.”

“Thank you, but now that I’ve killed the lively mood with that thrilling story, why don’t I get the boys? The pizza should be here in a minute.” Mark stood before she could answer. Walking away, he couldn’t believe he’d told her the whole story. What a date killer. Not that it had been a date, but so much for the likelihood of getting one. He probably sounded like a bitter fool.

***

Jillian watched him walk away, fascinated with the man. There was so much to Mark Richards, so much underneath that he hadn’t said. He was one of those people who had strong goals and wasn’t afraid to do the dirty work to get to them.

He went into law enforcement because it fit his sense of honor. He moved up to police chief because it fit his drive. Not because it was politically expedient, but because that was where he could make a bigger difference. But before getting there, he’d made sure he knew what the departments were all about.

She looked up to see him walking back toward her. Her heart lurched. Dressed in jeans and T-shirt, he looked younger and − wow. His lips rose up at the corner as if he knew her thoughts.

“They’ll be here as soon as they defeat the demon horde.”

***

The pizza was great. The company was better. Mark sighed in contentment. This was the best date he’d been on in years, not that it was a date. Well, actually, it was. He had asked, she had accepted. It was a date, even if it was a spur of the moment thing with two boys.

He also learned one very important thing. Jillian Taylor had no problem being around his son. She didn’t act fake with him, didn’t try to play up to Jordan to get his interest. She was herself and accepted Jordan just as he was, a ten-year-old boy, who had a burping contest with his new friend at the end of the meal. Mark wanted to hang his head in embarrassment.

Jillian laughed and proceeded to tell the boys about one of her friends on her soccer team who could out-burp any guy, and that on an away trip, their coach threatened to tie her to the goal and let the team take shots at her if she didn’t stop. They were all laughing with her when she finished.

When the waitress came over to see if they needed anything else, Mark got the hint that it was time to go. “Shall we?” He held his hand out for her.

“I guess so.” She then looked at her watch. “Oh my, I didn’t realize. I have to pick up Abby by two.”

“We’ll make it. Come on boys.”

***

It took twenty minutes to reach the vet’s office. They made it with five minutes to spare.

“Sorry I’m late,” Jillian said as she rushed in the door.

“No problem,” Eliza Jones greeted them. She was a petite woman with a mass of curly brown hair and a lot of energy. “I knew you’d make it, and Abby has just been sleeping. Looks like you brought a crew. Chief Richards,” the woman said to Mark on seeing him.

“Dr. Jones,” he acknowledged.

“How much do I owe you?” Jillian pulled her wallet out of her purse.

“Oh, it’s all been taken care of.” The doctor looked at the police chief.

Jillian caught the motion and turned to him. “You paid for her?”

“Let’s just say it was taken care of by someone who wanted to remain anonymous.”

She eyed him a moment, wondering if he’d covered the bill personally, but his expression gave nothing away.

“You ready to take her home?” the vet asked.

“Oh, yes.” Jillian was more than ready. She couldn’t believe how much she missed her and it was worse knowing she was hurt. She followed Eliza into the back room where the kennels were.

“She’s such a sweetie, very well behaved.”