Midnight Caller (4 page)

Tess blushed like a schoolgirl.

Erin chuckled.
This guy can charm the socks off of anybody
. When the phone rang, she gestured for her aunt to remain sitting and got up to answer it.

“Hello?” The soft rumble of conversation from the table drifted toward her and made it difficult to hear. She strained to listen for a voice on the line. “Hello?” The silence continued and an insidious trickle of fear knotted her stomach. She slammed down the phone.

Erin knew Tony had noticed the trembling in her hands when she rejoined them at the table and, ashamed of herself for being so easily scared, she folded them on her lap. Feeling the need to explain, she shrugged and said, “Heavy breathing. Hang-ups. Nothing to get upset about.”

“How long have you been getting these calls?” Tony asked.

“Since Thursday.”

“How often?”

“Hard to say. No set times or frequency.”

“Except at night,” Tess interrupted. “He’s been calling five, maybe six, times a night. No one in this house has had a solid night’s sleep in days.”

“Have you reported it to the police?” Tony asked.

“Erin has a thing about police. She hates cops. Didn’t she tell you?” Tess ducked the censoring look from Erin.

Tony’s lips twitched. He seemed to be struggling not to grin. “Hate cops, do you? Well, you’re either a convicted felon who’s done hard time or a lead-foot driver with multiple tickets. Which one is it? My nickel is on lead foot.”

Tess laughed out loud. “See, lass. They don’t call him a detective for nothing.”

“About those calls?” Tony’s eyes held concern and kindness.

“I filed a complaint earlier today,” Erin assured both of them.

“The best bet is to let your answering machine screen your
calls,” Tony continued. “Pranksters won’t call for long if their calls are never answered. I don’t think they have as much fun heavy breathing into a recorder.”

Tess chuckled.

“I think I’m going to change my number and let the answering machine screen the calls,” Erin said.

“Wow, hitting them with heavy artillery. They must have scared you a little more than you’re willing to admit,” Tony said.

She stared into his eyes. Her silence communicated how right he was.

A young boy’s voice filled the air. “I’m ready for my hot chocolate and cookies.”

All three adults turned when Jack entered the room. Erin and Tony stood to greet him.

The boy, his wet hair plastered to his skull and still dripping on his blue and green dinosaur pajamas, scooted his walker up to the table. “Hi. You’re the man from the park. What are you doing here?”

Erin’s eyes met Tony’s and a grateful smile graced her lips. “He’s giving you your wish, Jack. He’s going to be your dad-for-a-day.”

E
rin’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes burned.
I will not cry. I won’t
. She watched from across the parking lot as Tony and Jack inched their way toward the front of the bus line. It had never been more evident to her than now that she couldn’t be everything her son needed. He needed a dad in his life. A dad she had been unable and unwilling to provide. Sadness threatened to overwhelm her. A lone tear escaped and slid down her cheek.

Tony paused before boarding the bus and looked over his shoulder. His eyes locked with hers. He winked, just as he had when they met, sending her a silent assurance that he understood and everything was going to be okay. Then, he lifted Jack to carry him up the steps.

Erin shook her head when she looked at Jack. His cowlicks stood at attention no matter how hard she had tried to gel, mousse and spray them into place. But it was Jack’s grin, so wide it barely fit his face, that clenched her heart.

“Bye, Mom,” he yelled, waving furiously. His contagious excitement made Erin bounce and wave in return despite the tears that stung her eyes. Her baby was growing up.

From the second they had passed through the turnstiles, Erin had understood why they named it the Magic King
dom—from the quaint gift shops, the incomparable anima-tronic rides, the fireworks behind Cinderella’s castle and the parade down Main Street. The day had been long but exciting and memorable. Tony had been great with Jack. Never losing his patience with the ever-talking, constantly-in-motion boy as they waited in lines or made their way through the crowds. It had been more than Erin expected, much more. For just today, she had allowed herself to pretend they were a family and realized that Jack wasn’t the only one who missed having a male figure in their lives.

Tony elbowed his way through the restaurant. “Where do kids get their energy?” he asked as he placed their trays on the table.

Erin helped Jack position his wheelchair and then slid on the bench beside Tony. “He doesn’t look energetic now.”

Jack, stuffing chicken fingers and fries into his mouth, looked like he could fall asleep chewing. His eyes were heavy and even the din of people talking and bustling past their table didn’t faze him.

Erin’s legs throbbed and muscles she didn’t even know she owned screamed in protest from the hours they had spent racing from one side of the park to the other, not wanting to miss a single thing. She leaned down and rubbed the painful knot in the back of her calf.

“You okay?” Tony asked, nodding his head at her calf. “I can get rid of that cramp for you.”

“No, thanks. It’s okay.”

“Look, trust me.”

Trust him? He had no idea how impossible that would be
.

“Pull your toes toward your nose. It releases the cramp. When you get home, massage your calf and put a warm compress on the muscles. It should help.”

She pulled her toes upward and the seizing pain subsided.

He hid his grin at the surprised look on her face.

“So how do you know so much about leg cramps, Detective?”

Tony shrugged. “Played football in college. Dealt with a couple dozen of them.”

She smiled up at him and the bright sparkle of her green eyes stole his breath away. Wispy red curls framed her oval face, cascading in waves over her shoulders and down her back. Full, rosy lips drew his attention. To his surprise he found himself wondering what they’d feel like pressed against his own.

Tony gave himself a mental shake. He was here to do a favor for a boy. Nothing more. He had no time in his schedule or a place in his life for a woman—and most definitely not a single mom with a kid. He needed a distraction and he needed it now. When he glanced across the table, he laughed out loud. Jack, his head propped on his elbow, his mouth hanging open, was sound asleep.

“Looks like Jack’s down for the count.” Tony grinned. “I thought if he didn’t wind down soon, I’d be the one sitting in that wheelchair with him on my lap.”

Erin laughed and the delicate, musical sound made him think of wind chimes in a gentle breeze.

“Maybe we ought to call it a day and head back toward the buses. What do you say?” Tony asked.

“My thoughts exactly.” She gathered the empty food containers and stacked them on her tray.

Tony didn’t want to be but he was drawn to her. Despite his internal alarms telling him to run to the nearest exit. Despite the knowledge that he had nothing he could offer her. This type of woman wanted commitment, permanence. Two words not in his vocabulary.

Yet she intrigued him. She was an enigma. Vulnerable yet strong. Feminine yet fiercely independent. He found the com
bination intoxicating. He slid his arm around the back of her chair and lifted the edge of her jade silk scarf, letting the delicate fabric slide through his fingers. “This color looks good on you, brings out the color of your eyes.”

“Thank you.” Her words came out in a husky whisper. Her pulse drummed against the slenderness of her throat. Erin stood and began clearing the table. “Jack had a wonderful day,” she said, keeping her eyes averted and her head down. “I don’t know how to repay you.”

“How about dinner Friday night?” Tony winced the second the words flew out of his mouth.

Erin almost spilled the tray. She set it back down, took a deep breath and faced him. “Nothing personal, Tony. You’re a great guy.”

Tony didn’t know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or be offended.

“Ouch,” he said. “Men know those words are the kiss of death.”

“You’ve been really good to Jack…and to me,” Erin said. “But I’m not looking for a relationship right now. And even if I was…which I’m definitely not…I have an ironclad rule. I don’t date cops.”

“Rules are meant to be broken,” Tony replied.

Wasn’t that the truth? Wasn’t he breaking his own ironclad rule to avoid all women with strings attached? No one had more strings than a single mom
. He cocked his head and studied her. “A man must have hurt you deeply.”
Maybe that was what pulled him. Just his protective instincts rising up. He could deal with that.
Before she could answer, he said, “It doesn’t matter. I’m not asking you for a date.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Dinner Friday night is not a date?”

“Nope. It’s another opportunity for you to shower me
with thanks for a job well done. It’s a chance for me to talk about myself to a captive audience. It’s even an opportunity to discuss world events and the weather. But it certainly isn’t a date.”

His lopsided grin almost broke her reserve. She ducked her head so she didn’t have to look into those gorgeous brown eyes. She liked this guy. And she didn’t want to.

She carried the tray to the trash. Lost in thought, she didn’t notice a person trying to squeeze past until it was too late. He slammed into her with the force and speed of a defensive football player. Making a frantic grab for the nearest post to break her fall, she glanced over her shoulder. The man not only hadn’t slowed down, he had already disappeared. Steadying herself, she vowed to pay closer attention to her surroundings and keep her mind off of Tony before she got plowed over.

When she returned to their table, Tony’s silence made her think he had accepted her answer. Erin bent down to gently wake Jack, but before she did, she stole a glance in Tony’s direction. When their eyes met, he did the only thing he could have done to stop her dead in her tracks. He winked.

“He did what?” Carol asked as they sat together behind the nurse’s desk in the emergency room.

Erin chuckled. “The egotistical, know-it-all winked at me.”

“Are you going to go out with him Friday night?”

“No. He can wink all he wants. A rule is a rule.”

Carol finished writing her nurse’s note. “The nerve of the man. Well, that’s it, then. You have to kill him. And there’s not a jury in the world that would convict you.” She leaned over Erin’s chair and stage-whispered in her ear, “Because they would be too busy finding you certifiably insane.”

“Ms. Erin?” Lenny Richards, one of the hospital phlebotomists, interrupted their conversation. “I’m headed to the lab. Call me if you need me.”

“Sure, Lenny.” Erin smiled at the man and his face lit up. She watched him walk to the elevator and a pang of sympathy hit her. Nature had played a cruel joke on him. Deeply pitted skin left over from adolescent acne coupled with ears sticking out from his head seemed harsh enough. But his mouth didn’t quite fit his face. He held his lips slightly parted so often she wondered if he could close them.

“The guy gives me the creeps,” Carol said.

“Says the Christian, Bible-toting woman in the room,” Erin chastised.

“I’m polite when he’s around. I don’t speak negatively about him to anyone—”

Erin raised an eyebrow.

“Except to you. And you don’t count because you’re my best friend. I tell you everything.”

Erin shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh.

“Besides,” Carol said. “I don’t remember reading anything in the Bible about ‘Thou shalt not recognize creeps.’”

“I’m sure there’s a passage in there somewhere.”

“Tell you what, you find me the passage and I will not only repent, I’ll bake the man cookies every week for a month.”

“You’re just trying to get me to read more of my Bible. I recognize your underhanded ways.”

“Is it working?” Carol smiled widely. “Trust me, Erin. The more you read, the more you’ll want to read. God will speak to your heart and you’ll delve in there all on your own.”

Erin mentally pictured the leather-bound Bible that Carol had given her two weeks ago. She’d been reading it every night before bed. She knew what her friend said was true. The
words moved her, inspired her, and she found herself getting up a half hour early each morning to read more.

“Why do you dislike Lenny?” Erin asked.

“I don’t dislike him. I feel sorry for the guy. I’ve even put him on my prayer list.”

Erin knew her expression revealed her skepticism.

“I have,” Carol insisted. “But he’s creepy.”

“He’s probably lonely. It wouldn’t kill you to be friendlier to him.”

“Okay. You’re right. I’ll work on it.” Carol leaned on the arm of Erin’s chair. “Speaking of being friendly, you should be friendlier to Detective Marino. Ever since the Easter parade, the nurses have placed Tony at the top of their eligible bachelor list.”

Carol looked Erin straight in the eye. “Anyway, you have to admit he’s got the ‘it’ factor. Maybe it’s those brown eyes. Or that drop-dead-gorgeous smile. Or his soft, sensitive side when he leads a parade for kids or accompanies other kids on buses.”

Erin laughed and threw her hands in mock surrender. “Okay, enough already. I get the point.”

“All I’m saying is if you don’t want him, then you better step out of the way before you get trampled by the ladies in line behind you.” Carol’s eyes softened. “The man is kind to your son…handsome…gets along well with your aunt…handsome…makes you laugh.” She placed her index finger to her lip. “Oh, yeah, did I say he’s handsome?”

“He’s a cop.”

“He’s a man.”

“Yeah, that, too. Strike two.” Erin took a swig from her water bottle.

Carol scooted her chair closer. “He’s a good man. And we
both know from experience the good ones don’t come along very often.”

“Isn’t that the truth? I haven’t met one of those ‘good men’ yet. I’m beginning to think they belong in the same category as glass slippers,” Erin said. “Even if I wanted to take a chance—and I don’t—to see if he really is a good guy, I can’t. He’s a cop.”

“Cop is what he does, not who he is.”

“We both know that’s not true. They don’t turn off at five o’clock. They live and breathe their jobs 24/7.”

She reached out and cupped one of Erin’s hands. “You know I wouldn’t suggest something I thought would hurt you. You’re my BFF, remember?”

Erin smiled at the memories of the BFF, or Best Friends Forever Club, they had formed in middle school. She squeezed her friend’s hand in acknowledgment but remained silent.

“I think you’re wrong for not giving this guy a chance,” Carol said. “He’s the real deal. Single. Hardworking. Kind.”

“Yeah, a real Boy Scout,” Erin said.

Carol threw up her hands. “What am I going to do with you? This is the kind of man most women pray for. When the Lord blesses you by plunking him smack dab in your path, you don’t chase him away.”

Erin blinked hard to hold back tears. “I can’t. I want to but…I just can’t.”

After several minutes, Carol said, “Sometimes that baggage you carry around gets pretty heavy, doesn’t it?”

“Baggage? It wasn’t me who broke my marriage vows and cheated with every cute skirt in town. I’m not the one who deserted my son when he was born less than perfect. And it won’t be me who lets another man hurt me again—or my son. I just can’t take the chance.” Erin ducked her head.

Silence stretched between them.

“Well, if you can’t, you can’t. Come on.” Carol jumped up and pulled Erin from her seat. “No ambulance sirens. The board’s cleared. Ride up to the fourth floor with me. Sue Branson’s babysitting Amy and they stopped to see the clown. Maybe we’ll meet Mr. Right in the elevator. Who knows?”

“Wait a minute.” Erin followed Carol onto the elevator. “I thought you said Mr. Cop was my Mr. Right.”

“He is,” Carol said. The elevator doors slid shut. “Just not Mr. Right Now.”

“Since when does the hospital pay for entertainment for the pediatric floor?” she asked as they exited the elevator and elbowed their way through the crowd.

“Since they can get two for the price of one,” Carol said. “That’s Jim Peters. Sanitation engineer by day. Clown on the side. He loves the kids. He used to come and entertain them after work. The parents and kids loved him so much that Dottie, in Personnel, told me they decided to throw him a couple of extra bucks to do it officially once a month.”

A white-faced clown with orange hair, a big nose, a red outlined mouth and a single black tear painted beneath his left eye scooted among the children. He pulled coins from behind their ears. He made tiny action figures mysteriously appear in the pockets of their pajamas.