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  “I’d love to accompany you. I missed you after I dropped you off,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to bother you, but I wanted you to know that I think of you a lot.”

  “Arghhhh,” she groaned frustrated, feeling intensely overwhelmed by emotion. Even her eyes felt like they were about to start watering from the feelings that were bubbling inside of her. He was incredible!

  “I’m really sweaty and filthy!” She couldn’t put it into words, but he knew. Jason understood and laughed, holding out his arms to her. She bolted straight into them and kissed him with everything overflowing in her. She tasted the saltiness of her mouth combined with the decadence that was simply him. His hands cupped her face lovingly as he held her.

  “The AC is out in the school,” she whispered against his lips as an apology. He leaned down and kissed her again several times. Tiny, sweet, tender kisses.

  “I don’t care. If you feel the urge to kiss me, I want you to do it. Everything about you is beautiful, even when you are sweaty.”

  “This is craziness,” she breathed, shutting her eyes against the feelings she felt right now.

  “This is perfection,” he admitted softly, with a chuckle. “Absolute perfection.”

  “I need to go get cleaned up for our date,” she said, apologizing as he kissed her forehead. Jason had not let her go yet. She liked that he felt the same intense urge to hold her or kiss her. Sheba was in the air-conditioned car waiting impatiently. Her large shiny nose was smearing streaks on the window glass in an effort to say hello.

  “And I’m still on duty, but I had to come by.”

  “I’m so glad you did.”

  “I’m glad I did as well, especially if fabric flowers get that kind of reaction from you. I will call later once I get off of work,” he promised, kissing her again. Melanie heard the radio crackle, alerting her to the fact that he was being called for. While she liked the man a lot, she could only imagine how difficult the job could be. She watched as he drove off with the lights on and glaring. Praying for his safety, she smiled down at the flowers and headed towards her car in order to drive home.

  Seven

  Hours passed and Melanie had cleaned up in order to prepare to go out when Jason got off of work. She had the radio playing in her quilt room. Sorting and selecting different shades of golds, browns and tan fabrics, she imagined a picture in her mind. Ironing the fabric carefully, she hummed to herself until her phone went off. Grabbing it, she swiped the button and set the iron down quickly.

  “Hello?” she asked, surprised at the time. It was well past eight in the evening. She’d lost track of time and it was a good thing. Right now, she felt herself growing slightly on edge thinking that perhaps he was going to bail on her. Maybe the interest had worn off already. It wouldn’t be unusual for a guy to lose interest once they’d gotten to know her. Many guys seemed to want a playful, adventurous girl and that simply wasn’t her. She was a home-body type.

  “Hey there.” His voice sounded so exhausted and worn out. There was an edge to it that immediately keenly struck a nerve. Something was incredibly wrong. This was not flirtatious or outgoing Jason. He sounded like he was lost.

  “Are you alright?”

  “I am,” he said thickly and coughed, like he was choking to say the next words aloud. “But Rick Martin didn’t make it tonight. He took a bullet and died in the ambulance. Do you mind if I cancel tonight?”

  “You shouldn’t be alone,” she ordered. “You need to be with people, other officers or…”

  “I’m not good company right now,” he interrupted quickly. “I can’t. I need to get out of the station and the emergency room. Melanie, I-I…” his voice broke. She could hear the ragged breath on the other end of the line.

  “Come over now, please?” she said simply. It wasn’t a request, it was an order.

  “I’ll be there in ten minutes or so,” he stopped, and she heard silence on the other end of the line. “I can’t leave Sheba,” he reminded her. “Rick watched her the other day…”

  “Bring Sheba’s food, she’ll be fine.” Melanie interrupted him, feeling tears spring in her eyes for the unknown man. She’d seen him once days ago at the airport.

  “You sure?”

  “Positive. You need her here with you.”

  Melanie hung up the phone and stared at it. His friend, his coworker, died tonight. It just reaffirmed how dangerous Jason’s job could be. Did she want to get involved in someone’s life that could be taken from her in the blink of an eye? She already felt herself becoming enamored of the handsome officer, but could she deal with the trauma or fear in being part of his life? Always wondering, always waiting for the worst to come.

  Hearing a knock on the front door, she opened it to see that Jason was still in his uniform. He’d come directly from the hospital. His face was pale and colorless; his beautiful golden-brown eyes were lifeless as he stared at her.

  Sheba was beside him whining pitifully and crouching down in a protective position beside him. She knew something was wrong with him and it bothered her terribly. Sheba bared her teeth for a moment at Melanie and then whined again desperately as if she knew that help was coming.

  Jason was completely unresponsive and looked shell-shocked as he stared past Melanie. How had he driven himself here? She felt bad for asking him to come over, but he had to distance himself from the situation.

  “Come inside and sit down, Jason.” Melanie then glanced at the dog watching her guardedly. “Shhhhh, Sheba. C’mon inside with your daddy,” she crooned at the large dog.

  “I don’t think I can,” he blurted out horrified, suddenly seeing her as his eyes focused on her face. “I think I have Rick’s blood on my clothing.” His face looked devastated as he just realized what he said aloud. He dropped a small grocery sack onto the floor. A can of Sheba’s food rolled out on the carpet, yet neither moved an inch.

  “I…I… I don’t want to be alone,” he stammered helplessly, staring at his hands held out in front of him. The unseen events were still raging through his sightless eyes. He looked traumatized, and it broke her heart.

  “Jason. I’m here. Let’s get you into something else. You shouldn’t be alone right now,” she whispered encouragingly, resting her hand on his forearm in an effort to reach him. “I don’t have anything that will fit you, but do you have a gym bag or something? I can wash your uniform and you can relax here.”

  “Actually, I do,” he admitted shakily, still staring at his hands. “Do you mind if I wash my face? I just can’t focus right now.”

  “Go. The bathroom is on the far left. I’ll get your bag.” She had no idea where it was in the car, but fetching it seemed to be the least she could do. Sheba sat by the screen door watching her dig around in the squad car. Finding the small duffle bag, she locked the doors and hurried back inside.

  “Jason?”

  “I’m here,” he said thickly, holding back what he could. Melanie came down the hallway and saw that he’d yanked his shirt off and was holding it away from him, staring at it like it was some wretched nightmare he couldn’t escape from. His bare, muscled chest was stark with a smear of brownish stain on his chest and stomach.

  “I held him, Melanie. I held him in my arms when he died. He was so scared and I couldn’t breathe,” he told her brokenly as tears slowly ran down his cheeks. Tears he couldn’t hold back any longer. “I don’t know what his wife and baby are going to do without him.”

  “Shhhh,” she crooned and set the bag down. She wanted to hold him and comfort him but when she reached out, he pulled back immediately, his eyes wary, and shaking his head to tell her no.

  “Melanie, the blood. I can’t,” he bit out painfully, his eyes tortured.

  “Get a shower and get changed. I’m glad you are here. We’ll talk about Rick in a few. Let me have your shirt,” she ordered softly in a calm voice. He was moving in jerky motions, traumatized. He handed it right over to her without any argument. “Get cleaned up, Jason. Take all the
time you need. Call out if you need me or Sheba, okay?”

  He nodded and shut the door. She stood there for some time listening, her heart breaking as he let out a shaky breath and he sniffled aloud. They must have been so close, and she was sure that it was bringing up all the old scars from his own loss of his wife. How did someone get through losing someone you love? She had no idea.

  Once the water for the shower started, Melanie walked away to the kitchen to treat the front of his uniform shirt. She put it to soak in cold water first. Even though his uniform was black, several patches and ribbons once had been covered in white lettering.

  Opening a can of chicken noodle soup, she microwaved it for them. Something warm in his stomach might make him feel a bit better or knock him out if he was exhausted emotionally. Pouring it in two mugs, she took it into the living room. Sheba stared at her expectantly and her tail wagged. Melanie smiled at the dog. If she set the mugs of soup down, she would have helped herself. Instead, she dug around in the plastic bag on the ground near the front door that Jason had dropped. Opening the cans, she realized that Sheba had found a new best friend. The dog probably loved whoever fed her the most.

  “Fickle thing, aren’t you?” she said absently. “I’ll feed you first, so we can eat in peace okay? Your daddy needs some people around him right now.”

  “I’m glad I came to you.”

  Melanie looked over her shoulder to see him standing there watching her. He looked a bit calmer, a bit more collected than he had earlier. His white t-shirt and gym shorts didn’t hide much from the eye, but she wasn’t exactly looking for a thrill right now either. Her friend, her boyfriend, needed company.

  “I thought maybe you’d like something comforting right now…or maybe you want a beer?” Melanie had a few cans at the back of the fridge for when she cooked or a really bad day, but those cans were liable to be so old they were turned.

  “This is fine.”

  “Let’s sit down,” she suggested, handing him a mug of soup. “We can talk, watch a movie or just relax for a bit.”

  “I don’t think I want to talk just yet. It’s too much to process, hurts too much. Can we watch a comedy or something? Rick was always doing one-liner jokes at the station.”

  “I think that’s a great idea,” she agreed. He stood there watching her, unsure of where to sit. Melanie took the reins and sat down on the couch near the end, giving him plenty of space. She was more than happy to see him sit down next to her.

  “Am I too close?”

  “No, I think this is just right.”

  “Thanks again, Melanie. I didn’t want to be alone.”

  “And you shouldn’t,” she agreed whole-heartedly. “Now, let’s find something to watch.” She handed him the remote controls, giving him free reign to pick something that would appeal to him. Right now, she couldn’t care what they watched as long as he relaxed. His pale, lost face would haunt her. They sat there for some time together, Jason holding her hand. There was nothing overtly intimate; he simply needed comfort and reached out to her.

  At some point, he’d gathered her against him. She was exhausted and imagined he was as well. Both dozed off from sheer exhaustion, feeling secure for the moment. Yet, still the tv droned on in the background simply to silence his turbulent thoughts. Sheba had finished her food long ago and now lay across Jason’s feet as if she knew something was wrong.

  Eight

  The next morning, she awoke first and left him there on the couch. She spread a small throw over him and tip-toed into the kitchen. It was odd having a man sleep in her house, but it had been a strange twenty-four hours. Making coffee, she opened a can of dog food for Sheba as quietly as possible with her handheld can opener. She didn’t want to wake Jason. The huffing, wolfing, gulping sounds the dog made as she inhaled the food was shocking.

  “Shhhh. It will be there in ten seconds, you know that? You can take time to taste the stuff, Sheba,” Melanie whispered; sniffing the can, she frowned. “Maybe you shouldn’t after all. Yeesh, this smells like…”

  “Like dog food?” Jason’s sleepy voice chimed in. She jumped at his presence. He looked gorgeous in the morning, standing there ruffling his hair as he yawned. “I’m so sorry I intruded- I can go if you’d like?”

  “My pristine reputation is already ruined,” she teased. “The neighbors will think the worst. Would you like some coffee?”

  “Please.”

  “Do you have to go in today?”

  “No, Sarge gave a few of us the day off to be with our families.” Melanie blushed as she realized that he’d came here.

  “Do you want to see your Grandpa today?”

  “I’m not sure,” he answered honestly. “I’d kinda like to stick around for a bit or maybe just unwind. They are supposed to be contacting me with funeral arrangements.”

  “Do you want to go see Rick’s wife?”

  “No, I think that would destroy me right now,” he admitted softly, taking a sip of coffee. “Last night was hard enough. I went through my own private horror when Kate died. I found solace in the church and in training with Sheba. I didn’t have a child to take care of or family to reach out to, but Sally does. Her whole family is here for support. I would be just one more messed up guy in the crowd right now.”

  “Do you ever think about the dangers of your job or was this a surprise?”

  “Of course, I do. It’s dangerous work that can tear a person apart, but the rewards can be tremendous. I get the chance to talk to others and influence people. I truly believe that people are generally good, but sometimes go down the wrong path. That is what I do: I make sure that lost people find their way back and if not? I do my best to prevent them from pulling others down with them.”

  “That is why I teach,” she told him. “I wanted to influence others, to show them the beautiful things they could do, or create with math. People are always surprised that I love geometry so much, but when I apply it to my quilting? The beauty and sense of satisfaction is gratifying. I want to teach that love, that sense of accomplishment.”

  “We both want to give”

  “But you could get hurt at your job.” He stopped and looked at her in surprise and concern. Melanie had tried to hide the fear in her voice, the deep worry that suddenly ate at her as she realized that he had such a dangerous job. A job that could take him from her at a moment’s notice.

  “Would that stop you from being with me?”

  “It scares me to death,” she admitted quietly, staring at her hands. “I’m not going to lie to you. It is currently at the forefront of my mind that I could get a phone call that you are hurt or worse.”

  “But if you live worrying about the worst that could happen? Then you can’t see what’s right in front of you. A man that is falling for you,” he whispered gently. His hand reached out and touched hers, his fingers lacing with her own. Such strength, such tenderness in that touch. It was the quiet security he brought to her life that she feared being ripped from her. That quiet, loving presence.

  “I knew that I had to come to you last night; I had to hear your voice. You were the only person I could think of that gave me hope and happiness.” Jason knelt in front of her, not releasing her hand. His other hand cupped her face. His eyes locked with hers. “I needed you and you were here for me. That meant more to me than words could ever say.”

  “You don’t think this is all too soon, too fast between us?”

  “No, I trust the path that I have been put on. His path. I was lost and hurting for a long time, but somewhere deep inside I knew I had more to give. It just wasn’t time yet. When I picked you up at the airport and put you on the stretcher,” he stopped and looked away, a faint, embarrassed smile touching his lips for the briefest moment. “You are going to think I’m crazy.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I could have sworn I heard Kate’s voice tell me to go,” he said thickly. “I knew I had to go with you to the hospital. It was the right decision and I knew it deep insi
de that I was being led for a reason. To meet you.”

  “I’m here,” she reaffirmed, her voice a mere whisper. “I’m terribly worried and concerned right now, but always here for you. I also believe that we are guided by a higher hand. And deep down inside, I can’t believe that He would let me meet someone that seems so right, so perfect, only to take him away.”

  “Exactly.”

  “But my faith is a little shaken right now because I’m sure that is what Rick and Sally once thought too,” she admitted softly, looking down at her nervous hands. Jason pulled back his own and stood up at her words. “And now he is gone.”

  Jason nodded and looked away. Truthful words spoken aloud had created a chasm between them. Neither one had answers of what the future could hold, nor did they want to see if they had the faith required. It was just a matter of whether or not they would take the next steps, if they even could, or would if fear would hold them back.

  Nine

  They spent the morning talking over breakfast and coffee. It was a treat for Melanie to have company so early in the day; she just wished it was under different circumstances. She tried not to mention the events of last night, but it was in the forefront of both of their minds. She needed a distraction. They both did.

  “I think I need to stay busy,” he admitted.

  “I can understand that.”

  “Do you have to go to the school today?”

  “No, my room is finished, and classes start Tuesday. I will return to work on Monday. The only thing I have to do is a quick once-over of my quilt. Would you like to see it?”

  “I’d love to. I saw the piece above the fireplace and it’s really beautiful.”

  “Thank you. This one I finished is my favorite so far though,” she announced eagerly and grabbed his hand. She led him down the hallway to her quilt room. It was beside the bathroom he’d taken a shower in last night, but he’d been in such shock that it was natural to overlook the room. Besides, you couldn’t see anything because she’d moved the quilt from the wall and hung it in order to ready it for the show.