Lawfully Wild Read online

  “It’s no problem.”

  “No, but it’s much appreciated.”

  “I will follow you, if you’d like?”

  “No, I think not. I barely know you and this was testing the limits of trust allowing a stranger to drive me away from the hospital.”

  “And you are smart to think that way. Self-preservation and all, but I promise you that I won’t hurt you,” he told her, walking over towards where she stood. The light wind caused his hair to muss up in the breeze and she felt the urge to smooth it back down.

  “Just potentially arrest me?” she asked breathlessly as she stared back up at his warm expressive eyes that raked over her face as he watched her.

  “If necessary and required by the law,” he admitted and suddenly grew solemn. “I’d rather that you have coffee with me tomorrow afternoon though.”

  “I don’t know…” she hedged at the intensity in his gaze. He reached up and tucked an errant strand behind her ear. It surprised her that he’d reached out and he must have realized it because he froze in place and then put his hand back down by his side. A faint embarrassed smile suddenly emerged on his sheepish face.

  “Maybe we can talk and get to know each other a bit? I’d like to start over, Miss Strow.”

  “Coffee only, no false arrests or looking for me to do some nefarious deed, okay? And my name is Melanie.”

  “Just coffee, Miss Melanie.”

  “I’d like that Officer Wild.”

  “Call me Jason,” he told her with a wide, relieved smile. “It’s very nice to meet you Melanie. Do you want to meet at Starbucks in town? It’s pretty public so you don’t have to worry about nefarious deeds,” he teased, making her feel silly for having brought it up.

  “Two o’clock?”

  “Perfect. Sounds like a date.”

  Four

  Melanie drove home, anxiously looking into the rear view mirror the whole time. She must be insane. He was a cop. A stranger. He’d arrested her. Him and the other cop, but this guy was the only one hanging around – and why? It was terribly sweet of him, and he claimed it was the Christian thing to do, but again – why?

  It just didn’t make sense.

  Officer Jason Wild seemed like quite a mystery. One moment, she was looking at him through feverish eyes at the airport, thinking how cold he seemed, uncaring almost. The next moment, he is smiling at her and actually looking concerned. And, he’d asked her out!

  She had nothing in common with an officer. Her life was solitary and safe. She taught geometry at the high school. The kids were nice; well, most were usually. She could talk to them, handle them when they got out of hand. She believed in talking to them as adults since at fifteen, they were practically there. In her spare time, she didn’t play video games or go shopping. She quilted. In fact, she had an entire bedroom of her house dedicated to her work.

  Tiny squares were pinned in place on a large felt screen that ran from the ceiling down to the floor on one blank wall, so it was easy to step back and place the colored pieces of material. She loved creating and the sense of accomplishment it gave her. She had small pieces that she’d made all over her house. A runner for the table. Placemats that she’d seen in a magazine. A large hanging over the mantle of an unused fireplace. Everything was her touch, her creation, her heart poured into each piece.

  Being a quilter was a different circle she ran in. It wasn’t to hang out, but simply to bounce ideas off of each other or overcome problems. She barely knew the ladies’ names but recognized their faces when she saw them at fabric shops or during quilt hops. Quilt hops were so much fun, racing through the countryside stopping at a variety of stores to get tools, ideas, booklets or fat quarters of fabric. She had so much fabric right now, but there was never enough. There was always something else, some other material that was perfect for an idea. Her scrap bin was monstrous and when it was time to clean it out, she made watercolor quilts.

  In fact, she’d just put the finishing touches on a quilt she was planning on showing soon at a quilt show. She’d entered it on a whim and decided to jazz it up with some beads and sequins. Each stitch was hand-done meticulously. When she was in a hurry, she’d use her sewing machine or borrow a long-arm at the quilt shop she visited often in town. It happened to be near the Starbucks they were going to be meeting at tomorrow.

  As she pulled into the garage, she shut the door behind her and entered the house. Sighing happily, she smelled the faint aroma of apple pie. Her newest candle she’d bought. She loved apples and the warm scent of it. It made it homey, old fashioned, welcoming. Her car had an apple scented air freshener in it. She had a wax warmer in her classroom and here at home? There were a variety of Yankee Candles on the coffee table. Apple pie, apple spice, McIntosh apple, etc. There was something special about coming home and it feeling like a home. That was why she quilted. It needed to feel like it was her home, her nest. You could live anywhere, in any size house, but until it was personalized? It was just four walls and a place to rest your head. This was home. This was her.

  Dropping the mangled purse and items from the hospital on the coffee table, she walked into her quilt room. She smiled and felt peace flow over her as she looked at her entry for the quilt show. It was a quilt she’d made for her second home, St. Mary’s Church. She loved the simplicity, the humble and welcoming feeling she got when she walked into the building. Everyone was always welcomed into their sanctuary and she wanted to show her appreciation. It hit her one day while sitting in the pew. She was looking around and she felt compelled to make this quilt. It was beautiful, and she planned on gifting it to the church.

  Turning off the light to the room, she found herself suddenly exhausted. She took her antibiotics, undressed and crawled into bed. As she lay there on the cool sheets, she found herself thinking of Officer Wild’s gorgeous smile.

  * * *

  Early the next morning, she got up and padded around barefoot in the house, moving from room to room. She moved her entry quilt from her quilting room to hang it from a set of clips that she had mounted on her bedroom wall. It was time to start another quilt project and in order to do so, she had to clear her palette.

  Shortly before 2pm, she found herself anxiously awaiting the chance to see Officer Wild again. She had needed a good night’s sleep in her own bed and felt much better today than she had in the last week or two. Classes at the high school resumed on Tuesday and this felt almost like a last-minute treat at being able to meet up with him.

  She was sitting outside in the shade at one of the umbrella tables with a cappuccino, just enjoying the warm breeze, when she saw him. She was glad that she’d selected an outdoor table because Sheba was with him again. It was like the two were connected at the hip, surprising her. He was dressed casually, and it made him look almost approachable when he wasn’t in uniform.

  “Good afternoon,” she said with a warm smile, getting to her feet politely. She’d not realized how he was a few inches taller than her. She liked that.

  “You too,” he said with a grin. He surprised her by taking her hand and kissing the back of her knuckles. “Thank you for coming.”

  “Well, you are laying it on thick, aren’t you?” she teased nervously, pulling back her hand and cradling it to her chest. Her hands shook at the simple old-fashioned gesture. She’d never had anyone kiss her hand politely like that.

  “No ma’am,” he countered as he put a bowl down for Sheba under the table. “I was raised by my grandpa and he always told me that if you want to impress a girl, you treat her like a fine lady. I need to get Sheba some water. I’ll be right back,” he quickly said and darted inside the building, leaving Sheba staring at her. She sat frozen, watching Melanie. It was obvious that she was extremely well disciplined. No threat, more of a curiosity. Her intelligent eyes and her head cocked to the side, the large dog had unspoken questions about her just like she had about her master. Jason was different. He returned a moment later with a bottle of water, and two cups of coffee
.

  “I thought you might like a refill since you beat me here. I thought I was early coming here, but you beat me to it hands down. I like that. It gives us more time to get to know each other.”

  “Oh yes, I had a few errands to do around town and I thought I would enjoy the fresh air.”

  “I hope I’m not keeping you from your errands?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Good.”

  They sat silently for a few moments, unsure how to start a conversation. It was a bit awkward. The rasping of Sheba slurping up water noisily under the table and the cars in the street were the only sounds nearby.

  “She’s really thirsty” Melanie began, taking a sip of coffee.

  “She can eat and drink like a horse,” he teased. “I’ve got dog food in the car and bring a bowl with me everywhere.”

  “Does she go everywhere with you?”

  “Yeah, she’s been a life saver. She’s my partner.”

  “I thought that was the other guy at the airport? What do you mean? At work she’s a life saver?” Melanie was confused. She didn’t realize that when you accepted a K-9 animal that the dog became your partner. She just has assumed incorrectly that the dog was another facet of the job, like having a specialist with you when needed.

  “Nah, Rick and I are assigned to the drug unit. Sheba’s just for me. I needed the companionship and she’s man’s best friend, you know? Tell me about yourself,” he suddenly prompted with a bright smile. Too bright. Jason had skeletons in his closet apparently that he didn’t feel like talking about right now. That was okay. She was extremely patient.

  “Well, I teach geometry for a living. Single. No pets. Pretty boring.”

  “I doubt that. You like math?”

  “I like shapes, puzzles. They seem to fit together and piecing them out, measuring, it seems to be a fascination of mine.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Well I like to quilt in my spare time.”

  “Really?” he said surprised.

  “What?”

  “Well, I thought that was something… uh… never mind.”

  “Let me guess, you thought old women did quilting? You thought wrong. It’s a fascinating project and I like the feeling of accomplishment that I have made something beautiful. What do you do for fun?”

  “Play dominos with my grandpa at the retirement center.”

  “Now who’s old?”

  “I guess I deserved that,” he joked. “Honestly, my grandpa always said that I was an old soul and that is why we got along so well when I was growing up.” She completely understood. She often found herself thinking that she was born in the wrong time, wrong era. It boggled her mind sometimes at how forward women were and how much of a prude it made her feel. Even on her trip, she’d packed an extremely modest swim suit with a cover-up while the other girls picked out teeny string bikinis. She wished she felt brave enough to wear something fun and exciting like that.

  “You said he raised you?”

  “Yes. My dad died before I was born, and my mom couldn’t handle it. She turned to drugs and alcohol to cope. When I was five, she lost custody to my grandpa. She left town and never returned. I was upset, but it was a relief too. I remember being happy that I was with him because things had gotten really bad.” Jason looked down at the coffee cup in his hand, hiding his expressive eyes. They say that eyes are the windows to the soul, and he was hiding the pain away. Maybe it wasn’t buried as far down as he thought.

  “The memories are fuzzy now, but I remember her yelling and crying. I think that is what drove me into law enforcement. I wanted to do everything I could to keep anyone else from the destruction that drugs can cause to a person, a family.”

  “A noble cause,” she nodded sagely, impressed by his resilience in his character. It took a lot to rise from a bad situation and not everyone could do it. He must be a very strong man in his soul, the very core of him. “I’m sorry to hear that you had to go through that.”

  “It makes you a stronger person for it.”

  “Yes, it does. So, old man,” she teased. “Thank you again for the ride home yesterday.”

  “I preferred it when you called me wild man instead of old man,” he countered with a grin. “Why don’t you tell me about how you grew up, so I can see how best to woo my girl?”

  “Woo? Wow, you are really showing your age,” she laughed happily. Sheba’s tail thumped happily as she glanced up at Jason. He refilled the bowl with some cool water, to which she promptly began drinking happily again. She was an easy-going animal that was dedicated to her career. Melanie was willing to bet that Jason was exactly the same.

  “Woo? Court? Enchant? You choose the word but know this: I am very interested in you.” The earnestness in his face and intense eyes made her stop laughing. The man minced no words at all, laying down all his cards at once. He didn’t beat around the bush, but rather came at you head on. While it made her stop and hesitate, it was only because it was so strange to have someone address her so casually and bluntly.

  “Really?” she whispered in shock, looking at his intense expression. She knew he was trying to read her, gauge how she would react or handle him. It was like being put on the spot; she almost wanted to ask if this was good cop/bad cop and was someone else coming out of the bushes to ask questions.

  “Really. Does the idea of going on a date with me bother you? Because I find you absolutely fascinating.” He dropped his voice intimately, so it was just a discussion between the two of them. His voice reminded her of warm honey. It rolled right over her and touched her ever so sweetly, making her crave more. She was interested in him possibly just as much as he was in her.

  Melanie put her cup of coffee down quickly and her hands in her lap. Her hands were trembling nervously. The idea of being singled out by this handsome man was overwhelming. She wanted to know more about him, for him to keep talking. She could listen happily to his warm voice for hours.

  She wasn’t much for socializing or chatting, but she didn’t want him to stop their conversation. A cold, wet nose slid easily right under her hand in her lap along with a slobbery tongue. Laughing aloud, she moved her hands away from the rampant tongue and petted the large dog’s head. Apparently, this was an open invitation to her because she suddenly put her front arms on her lap and lay her head down, eagerly waiting to be petted again.

  “Sheba has great taste.”

  “Her sniffer is broken, I have no food on me,” she bantered, trying to play it off. Being around Jason was heady and intoxicating. He was a flirt and seemed to have a way at reaching her on another level.

  “I think it’s working just fine. Say you’ll have dinner with me tomorrow, Melanie.”

  “I think I’d like that,” she found herself saying aloud as she petted Sheba, who began to thump her tail wildly. Suddenly two large paws were in her lap and she was being nudged on the belly by her large muzzle for more attention.

  “Sheba! Get down, girl.” The dog gave Melanie a soulful glance full of wistfulness. Those large black eyes spoke volumes. She liked being petted by her and frankly? She liked petting Sheba, even if she was the size of a small horse.

  “Good. What time can I pick you up?”

  “I don’t have any plans tomorrow.”

  “Then I will pick you up at six, if that’s okay?”

  “Perfect.”

  “I have to head out in a few. I’m on duty tonight with this young lady,” he said, ruffling Sheba’s ears affectionately. “Let me give you my cell number so you can text me your address.”

  Nodding, she dialed his number and hung up in order to save it to her address book on her phone. She appreciated the fact that he wanted to see her again so quickly. It was nice that there seemed to be no struggle on what to talk about or the fact that their coffee date didn’t drag on for hours. Short, simple, easy. It was like they were both testing the waters and he decided to jump in headfirst by asking her out again.

  Jason got to his feet
as the alarm on his watch went off. “I gotta go. I have to be at the station in twenty minutes. I’m sorry to make it short but I had to see you.” He quickly leaned over and unexpectedly kissed her cheek. She found herself breathing deeply the scent of his aftershave.

  “Enjoy your afternoon. I can’t wait for tomorrow,” he admitted quietly for her ears alone. Standing, he slapped his hand on his leg, calling the dog to attention. Melanie sat there stunned by the simple affectionate kiss and his words. She couldn’t remember the last time someone told her to enjoy her day, or better yet? The last time someone was excited to spend time with her.

  “C’mon Sheba!” he called out, putting his cup on the dish counter nearby. He rushed out of the fenced courtyard where they sat just outside the building. She raised a hand to wave goodbye, as he waved over his shoulder. She watched as the squad car disappeared from sight over the horizon.

  Suddenly feeling bereft, she picked up her own dishes and left the parking lot heading for her sanctuary: the quilt store nearby. Opening the door, she heard the bell ring above her head as if it was welcoming her home.

  She loved this store. The varying shades of fabric, the quilts on display everywhere, the classes being taught at the back of the building that anyone was welcome to attend. Perusing through the aisles, she was hoping for some sort of inspiration or idea to hit her. Instead, there was nothing. She found herself raiding the scrap fabric bin for some treasures and picked up several fat quarter rolls. Those rolls were wonderful. It was enough to accent squares, make strips and on smaller quilts? You could make thin bindings. A few pieces caught her eye along with a few spools of thread. Perhaps at the quilt show, she’d get inspiration or pick up a pattern. With a heavy sigh, she headed home and for the first time ever? She felt alone.

  Five

  Melanie found herself beyond excited for their date the next day. Jason had texted that he would pick her up promptly at 6pm. She asked where they were going, only to be told that he wanted to surprise her. She’d spent the afternoon trying on different things, wanting to look just right. He’d really given no hints as to where they were going or what. It could have been pizza, a movie or a fancy restaurant.