Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jessie awoke to the rich aroma of coffee, her head still pounding from all the stress. She couldn’t believe the nightmare was over—that Amanda, who’d admitted killing Clinton and Sadie, was dead. Her former friend also took credit for a lot of other crimes, but Jessie would just have to take her word she’d committed them.
Her visit to Judge Simmons seemed surreal even now. He looked almost proud when she told him the news of his daughter’s death, acting as if Amanda had done something heroic for the first time in her life. It disgusted Jessie to think that kind of man was an elected officer in her town. If she’d had proof that he’d assaulted his daughter, she would have hauled his ass into jail.
She sat up in bed and remembered there was a mass and then a closed casket service for both Sadie and Clinton at six tonight. When they’d bury Amanda was anyone’s guess.
Jessie shoved off the covers, shivered from the cold, and rushed to get dressed. Dax had said he’d be leaving this morning, and she wanted to say goodbye. Actually, what she really wanted was to throw herself in his arms and beg him to stay, but deep in her heart, she knew he had to leave. Kerry offered nothing for him, and she’d never abandon Nana to work in Baltimore. His hometown might be nice, but big city life wasn’t for her.
Her cousin, Sky Nash, worked in New Mexico at the sheriff’s department and frequently suggested she check out her neck of the woods, but Jessie had always said no. She liked the Kerry people too much because for the most part, they were hard working, honest citizens. This town represented who she was—a small town girl.
Jessie pulled on the denim skirt and sweater Amanda bought for her. Amanda, Amanda. Jessie decided to remember the fun loving side of her, and not the woman who’d turned bad. Some memories should be kept, while others needed to be discarded.
Jessie went downstairs, holding onto the handrail. From all the activity yesterday, her leg was bothering her, but she wouldn’t let on. Dax would worry.
He and Nana were at the table talking softly. When he looked up then glanced away, her heart cracked. She couldn’t tell from that quick look if he was feeling guilty for leaving or excited to get back to his fast paced life.
“Sit down, dear. Let me get you some breakfast.”
“Thanks, Nana.”
Jessie rubbed her forehead, trying to make the throbbing go away. Stress, depression, and frustration were doing a real number on her head. She inhaled and painted on a semi-cheery smile “So when are you taking off?”
“After I finish eating.”
Say something. Tell him you’ve fallen in love with him. When she opened her mouth to speak her mind, the words wouldn’t form, and begging wasn’t her style.
Now that both murder cases had been cleared, the town would settle down and life would turn dull. It wouldn’t be fair to ask him to stay.
Nana pushed open the kitchen door with her butt and carried in a feast. “I can’t eat all that food,” Jessie said.
“Do your best.”
Maybe if she ate slowly, Dax would stay a bit longer. Aw, hell, it would serve no purpose to delay the inevitable. Whether he left in ten minutes or an hour from now the pain would be equally as intense.
The smell of scrambled eggs and bacon made her mouth water, but when she took her first bite, her appetite disappeared. Not wanting Nana to notice her listlessness, Jessie chewed each tasteless bite, one after another. Finally, she set her fork on the plate. Dax Mitchell was about to walk out of her life and she wasn’t going to stop him. What a wimp.
“Dax, I have to get to the station, so why don’t I walk you out?” she said, her gaze focused on her coffee cup. Jessie couldn’t look at him, or rather wouldn’t look at him, because if she did, she might cry.
“Why, Jessie Nash,” Nana said. “Are you trying to get rid of your young man?”
“No, Nana, but the sooner he leaves—”
“The sooner you can get to work,” Dax and Nana said in unison.
Jessie shook her head and a small smile lifted her lips. “You two are a pair.”
Dax looked uncomfortable as he pushed back his chair. “Margaret, it was a pleasure meeting you. I wish it had been under better circumstances.” He hugged her and Jessie swore Nana’s eyes watered.
“Now, don’t talk like it’s so final. Maryland is but a hop, skip, and a jump away. Don’t be a stranger. You know you’ll always be welcome.”
“Thank you. I’ll try to stop by.”
Dax picked up his suitcase and Jessie followed him out, her heart breaking. He stuffed his gear in the front seat of his truck, turned back toward her, and ran a callused thumb down her cheek. Her pulse fluttered. Tell me how incredible I am and that you can’t live without me.
The breeze pushed her hair over her face, and Dax hooked a strand behind her ear. His touch sent shivers of delight through her.
Don’t cry, don’t cry. Be strong.
“Hope you get the sheriff’s position,” Dax said lowering his hand. He opened his mouth then shut it.
Was he about to tell her he loved her but couldn’t stay? He squeezed her arm and hopped in the driver’s side. Jessie remained in her drive, seeing her breath frost in the air, but feeling no cold.
When his truck was out of sight, she dragged herself inside, but the second she stepped in the door, she knew there was going to be trouble. Nana stood there with her hands on her hips. “Why didn’t you tell him you loved him?”
“Nana, sometimes there are things better left unsaid. Can we discuss this later? I have to get to the station and tell Brian about his brother being back in town.”
“All right, but we are going to have that discussion whether you like it or not. Remember, the funeral’s at six.”
“I’ll be there.”
Nana ducked back into the kitchen.
Great. Now, even her grandmother was pissed off at her. Jessie grabbed her bag and Pea coat and headed to the cruiser. She should have been ecstatic that she’d solved all the crimes in the given time frame, only she wasn’t. She wanted to crawl in a hole and mourn the loss of her friend, mourn the loss of the one man she’d grown to love in such a short period, and mourn the loss of the town’s innocence.
She parked in her usual spot in front of the office, and as she trod up the steps, she frowned at the wilted flowers, once so pretty but now dried up. They were like her—the dried up part, not the once pretty part.
When she entered the office, the former deputy, Frank, had his feet propped up on the desk and Lena was pouring him coffee. The domestic scene almost made her smile.
As quickly as was possible for Frank, he dropped his feet to the floor. “Oh, hi, Jessie. Didn’t expect you in today after all that happened.”
“I have work to do.”
Hunter sat in one cell, Brian in the other, and both looked miserable.
She turned to Brian. “Did Hunter tell you about George coming back to town?” Jessie asked.
Brian looked sheepish. “Yeah, but Hunter didn’t let the cat out of the bag. I knew George was here. Hell, he’d already moved into the house before I arrived in town.”
“He had? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to get him into any more trouble. He was the one who created the meth lab. Not me. I wanted to tell you, Jess, I swear, but I couldn’t. He’s my brother.”
She stepped up to his cell. “Did you know he planned to sabotage the nuclear sub?” She couldn’t believe Brian would keep such a secret, especially when National Security was involved.
“No! I swear. George never breathed a word about why he was here. You’ve got to believe me.”
The desperation in his voice broke her heart.
“Jessie,” Lena said. “You’ve got to let Brian go. He’s innocent.”
“Innocent of making meth, perhaps, but not of harboring a criminal or knowing about the lab.”
“She’s right, Lena,” Brian said. “I’ll take whatever punishment is due.”
Jessie turned back to Brian. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d been arrested for stealing guns?”
“Brian?” Lena said. The softness in her tone implied she’d gone sweet on him.
“I was framed. I know you won’t believe me, but as God is my witness, it’s the truth.”
“We will have to wait for the new judge to decide.” First, she had to call the mayor and report what Amanda said about her father. With her death, it might be a case of he said, she said, but it would be a real shame if the man got off. While Judge Simmons was being investigated—by hopefully an unbiased sheriff from a different town—Kerry would need to bring in someone else to settle the disputes.
“Thanks.”
A knock sounded on the door, and Jessie turned, half expecting the loving duo of Kreplick and Lucas to prance into her office and tell her they didn’t care that she’d solved the crimes. They wanted a man to be sheriff.
But it wasn’t them. It was… “Roberta?” Joy raced through her. She couldn’t believe Nana’s friend was alive.
The sleeve of her dress was torn, her hair looked like rats had taken up residence, and her face was smudged with dirt. But damn if the woman wasn’t smiling and seemed to have more pep in her step than ever.
Lena and she rushed over to greet her. “Roberta? Are you okay?”
“Hi, Jess, Lena,” Roberta said in a rather dreamy way. She looked up at Frank. “Hi, Frank.” Roberta tugged on her blouse as if she were flirting with the old guy.
Jessie dragged over a chair. “Please, sit down. We’ve all been so worried about you.”
Roberta sat. “I don’t know why. I’ve had the most wonderful adventure.”
Jessie couldn’t fathom how something that left a person a mess could be so wonderful. “Tell me what happened.”
“I fell in love.”
“You did? So where is Mr. Wonderful?”
Roberta glanced upward. “He had to go back to his home planet.”
Home planet? She had to be kidding. All the joy drained out of Jessie. Someone had stolen the woman’s mind and replaced it with oatmeal. “Roberta, tell me what really happened,” she pleaded.
Roberta stood, and as if she were in a trance, walked over to Clinton’s desk. The bomb detector with its colorfully lit buttons sat on top, and Roberta picked it up. “Where did you get this?” Her eyes shone with excitement.
“We found it in Cyril Harper’s barn.” Amanda must have dropped it. “Why?”
“My alien used it on me. I can’t tell you how wonderful I felt afterwards.”
Refusing to dwell on the implications, Jessie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
* * *
With every mile Dax drove away from Kerry, his heart grew heavier. Yes, Jessie was the woman for him, but if he’d stayed, he’d only be in her way. She liked her space and liked to take control. He couldn’t ask her to change—for him.
Ask her, fool. Find out for sure what she wants.
Mile after mile, Dax ignored his conscience. He was doing what was best for both of them. As he neared home, he pulled into a gas station to fill up. When he was about to slide up to a vacant pump, a shiny, black Mercedes slipped in front of him and took his spot. Nerves frayed, anger blasted him. He bet that level of rudeness would never happen in Kerry.
Dax jerked the gear into reverse, backed up, and waited for another pump to free up. Once he finished, he opened his wallet to put back his credit card, and the photo of his fiancée smiled up at him. This time the familiar rush of seeing her face didn’t materialize. While Laura had been a pretty woman, she’d never been as warm as Jessie. Sure, Laura and he enjoyed each other, but Jessie and he were soul mates on a molecular level. She understood him like no one else ever had.
He fingered the photo, regretting he’d never taken even one picture of Jessie.
Jessie.
A small smile lifted his lips. Never once had she made fun of his limp or for him not having a real job as his brother David would say. Hell, Jessie didn’t even mock him when she’d learned of his panic attacks. Dax shook his head. When he had been with Laura, his hormones had ruled him, not love. After meeting Jessie, he finally understood what a true relationship could be like.
I love her. Plain and simple.
Yet, here he was, about to return to Baltimore to be surrounded by people he never spoke to. Hell, he barely knew the man who lived next door to him. That wasn’t any way to live. Odd as it sounded, he knew more people in Kerry than he did in his own town where he’d lived in for so many years.
Go back to her. If she shoots you down at least you tried.
Decision made. Dax charged out of the station and headed back the way he came, hoping he wasn’t going to make a fool of himself. Happy he was letting his heart be his guide, he studied his surroundings. As he neared Kerry, the leaves appeared greener, the houses neater, and the sky brighter. The ride back grew prettier and prettier the closer he came to Kerry—pretty, just like Jessie.
With no clouds to block the sun, Dax rolled down his windows and turned on the truck’s heater. He wanted to feel the air on his face, smell the freshness of the air, and enjoy the fact he was alive.
As he approached the town, he pulled over before he crossed the bridge to Kerry and stepped out. He looked down at the town like he had before. For some reason, the one road in and one road out didn’t bother him anymore. This time, the glistening water spoke of welcome and not of some dark evil. He knew what he had to do, and if Jessie said no, he’d stay until she changed her mind.
Dax Mitchell wasn’t going to let the best thing in his life get away from him.
* * *
Jessie was tired and hungry. She leaned back in the office chair, pleased Brian wasn’t the bad man she thought after all. She would have felt guilty if she’d had a hand in putting him away for a few years if he had been innocent.
Even better news, Lena hadn’t gone to pieces when she’d learned about Seth’s injury. In fact, she too seemed pleased that he got what he deserved. But perhaps the most astonishing news was that Roberta had come back safe and sound. Nana was going to be the happiest woman alive when she learned of her friend’s adventure.
Frank must have noticed Roberta for the first time because he offered to escort her home, and knowing him, he’d probably ask her out to dinner. Frank might not be an alien, but she bet he’d give Roberta some much-needed attention. Somehow, Roberta would have to figure out a way to let Doc down and not hurt his feelings.
Jessie closed her eyes and sighed. The circle had closed on so many issues. The only hole left open was for Mayor Kreplick to stop by and drop the bomb that she could kiss her job goodbye.
Hell, maybe it would be a good thing if they kicked her out of town. If Nana were willing, perhaps they’d sell the house and move to New Mexico. She hadn’t seen her cousin in years, but Sky always said they were looking for more officers.
On the other hand, Jessie could go to Baltimore and look up Dax, or had finding Sadie been just another job to him? Sure, when he was trapped in the mine and thought they would die, he treated her like no other man ever had, but if he’d really cared, he wouldn’t have left.
She hated self-pity, but right now she wasn’t in the mood for anything else. She’d wallow in sorrow for a while, then pick herself up, dust herself off, and go on as if none of this nastiness had ever happened. It was how the Nash women handled life.
The door creaked open, and she sagged against her seat. Here comes the brush off from the mayor. Jessie swiveled around to face the next tragedy in Kerry.
“Hello,” said the sexiest man alive.
“D-Dax! What are you doing here?” Jessie shot up out of her chair and pressed her hands down her skirt then tried to detangle her hair, but adrenaline, lust, and excitement, ripped the air from her lungs.
He walked toward her with a gleam in his eye. “I want you to come with me.” He held out his hand.
“Where?”
He let out a loud breath. “Jessie, trust me. Okay?”
“I want to but I can’t leave.”
The door opened again and Frank strolled in. “Heard you needed some coverage.”
Dax glanced back and nodded. Wasn’t he the sly old dog? “Okay then,” she said with a smile.
“Better bring your coat,” Dax said. “There’s a chill in the air.”
She nabbed her purse too, just in case. In case of what, she didn’t know, but she wanted to be prepared. Holding hands, they crossed the street and headed south, which meant they weren’t going to the diner. His truck was parked in front, so they probably weren’t going far. Jessie couldn’t fathom what he was up to, but as long as that something involved Dax, she was willing.
Peter Lucas stepped out of the bank, waved, and walked down the street. She expected him to rush over and rant about how the town had suffered so much because of her incompetence, but instead he smiled and strolled on. After all, Kerry had lost electricity for several hours because she’d pissed off Amanda, and no telling if Mr. Catchman would sue once he found out his precious mine had been ruined.
Cars dashed down the street, people honked, and the fresh smell of fall filled the air. Dax kept looking down at her and smiling, and she wanted to ask him what was going on, but then decided to let him take the lead.
When he turned into the Kerry Hotel, she halted. “Are you crazy? I can’t just waltz into the hotel with you?”
“Why not?”
“How would that look to the good citizens of Kerry if I spent an afternoon in a room with a man?”
He had the gall to laugh. “I think they’d clap. I’m sure most of the town is waiting to see that in-control veneer of yours crack. Come on, Jessie. Lighten up. It’s the twenty-first century, not the eighteen hundreds.”
She looked around. The clerk at the front desk was on the phone not paying her any mind, and two city councilmen were having a drink in the front parlor seemingly unaware they’d even come in. Aw hell. Life was too short, as Sadie always said. “Lead the way.”
“Yes.” Dax practically raced toward the elevator.
When he pushed the button several times, she had to laugh. “It doesn’t come any faster if you press it more than once.”
“I know, but I don’t want you to change your mind.”
“Me change my mind? Why would I do that? You haven’t told me what you have planned.” Well, okay, she could guess—Dax, bed, sex, wow.
The elevator doors opened and she and Dax stepped in. She almost expected him to kiss her in the confined space until she remembered he probably wasn’t comfortable in the three-foot by four-foot box.
As soon as they reached his floor, he rushed out and led her down the corridor where the soft carpet cushioned her tired feet. Dax stopped at room 304, swiped the keycard, and twisted the handle.
When Jessie stepped in, her heart almost stopped.