Page 11 of Justice for Aleta

“I have to ask…”

“Yeah?”

“Do you put sugar in your cornbread?”

Aleta laughed loudly. “Well, no!”

His mom didn’t put sugar in hers either. He’d never met another woman who didn’t put sugar in their cornbread. And she used buttermilk. What were the chances?Don’t take that as a sign, Jack, his brain whispered, but he couldn’t help it. Was the universe speaking to him? Was he fighting it?Go for it, it murmured. “That’s good. I hate sugary cornbread.”

“Well, look at that! Then you should enjoy this. Cornmeal, buttermilk, and an egg. Fresh griddle cakes coming up!”

“What can I do to help?” he asked without even thinking.

“You can get a couple of bowls out and ladle some chili out for us so it’ll be cooling or it’ll be too hot to eat.”

Jack grabbed two bowls, then lifted the lid from the chili’s pot. It smelled amazing, and he filled both bowls to the brim and set them on the table.

In ten minutes, he was telling her about his basketball victories in high school and the time he spent at the academy, and she was listening intently, paying more attention to what he was saying than any other woman ever had. He ate a second bowl of chili and cursed theclankof the spoon in the bottom when it was empty. His excuses to stay were gone, and try as he might, he couldn’t think of another one. “I suppose I really should go now,” he said, rising from the table. “But thank you, Aleta. This was… It was a great way to spend my day off.”

“Oh my gosh! I forgot?you were supposed to be picking up a shotgun! I’m so sorry! I’m so stupid sometimes, stupid and needy and?”

He knew he’d hate himself later, but he reached out, grabbed her waist with both hands, yanked her up against his chest, and kissed her.Oh, you’ve fucked up now, Fletcher, that voice in his head screamed, but she didn’t squirm or move away. Matter of fact, as soon as his tongue slipped between her barely-parted teeth, she met it with her own.

Her husband and son had only been dead for four months. What the hell was he thinking? He pulled back abruptly and stared down at her, but her face was smooth, the corners of her lips upturned in a tiny smile. “Shit! Aleta, I’m so sorry! I don’t know?”

The smile turned to a frown. “You’re sorry? I… I thought it was a really good kiss. What was wrong with it?” Jack started to laugh. It began as a tiny chuckle and in a few seconds, he was outright laughing. “Was it that terrible?” Aleta cried out in such a way that he felt bad for his outburst.

“No, it wasn’t bad at all! It was great! But I shouldn’t have done that,” he answered, trying to calm his laughter. “That was totally inappropriate.”

“And totally hot,” Aleta said and gave him a wink.

That did it. He grabbed her and kissed her again. This woman… Everything about her tripped his trigger and made him tremble with anticipation. He thought about Heather for a split second and remembered something she’d said: “Jack, don’t die a martyr for me. Find someone to love you and hang onto her just like you would’ve hung onto me. I love you so much. If you stay alone and sad, our love will have meant nothing.”

Is this her? Is she the one?His mind reeled and his heart slammed out of control. As he kissed her, he thought about the first time he’d seen her, coated in quarts of blood, and how far she’d come. That was something to honor, that resiliency and spirit.

And he’d give her what? A man who worked impossible hours, confronted all kinds of dangers, was shot at, had knives slashed toward him, and was always on patrol on holidays? Then he realized something important.

Aleta had never had a say. There wasn’t one thing about her life that she’d gotten to choose. If she wanted to be with him, to take all that on, that washerdecision, not his.Sheshould finally get to choose. That time when he pulled back, he kept his arms wrapped around her waist and looked down into her eyes.

Bliss?pure, unadulterated bliss was painted on her face. She was calm, happy, and smiling. “Aleta, I… Come over here and sit down.” Taking her hand, he led her to the sofa and sat down, then patted the cushion beside him.

“This is where you tell me you made a horrible mistake and you’re not interested in me,” she said, her lower lip quivering.

“No. That’s not at all what I was going to say.” He brushed a crooked index finger down her cheek to soothe her. “You need to know that I’m all about my job. I get shot at, people try to stab me, I’m involved in high-speed chases, and drunks puke and piss on me. I come in sometimes with black eyes and goose eggs on my cheekbones. I’ve dislocated my shoulder trying to take a meth addict down, and I’ve pulled a hamstring chasing a robbery suspect. My life isn’t easy, and it’s fairly dangerous. And you need to know all that so you can make an informed decision.”

“About what?”

“About whether or not you’d ever want to get involved with me.”

He was pretty sure the smile she gave him was the sweetest smile he’d ever seen. “Jack, you’re my angel. If there’s anybody who can help me put my life back together and learn how to be an independent woman, it’s you. For once I’d like to be with somebody because Iwantto, not because Ihaveto. And I don’thaveto be with you.” Then she grinned. “But if you’re going to kiss me like that every time, Iwantto.”

Jack turned sideways on the sofa to face her and took both of her small, fine hands in his big ones. “Okay then. I’ll take you to dinner Friday night, if you want to go, and we’ll go from there.”

“A date? I’m going on a date? Whoo-boy! Where are we going? What should I wear? Will it be very far? Will there be walking, so should I wear sturdy shoes? Are we going to?”

“Whoa, whoa! Slow down! I’ll be thinking about where I’m going to take you, and I’ll let you know where and what to wear, okay?” Then a thought passed through his head. “On second thought,youpick where we’re going and tell me whatIshould wear.”

“But I?”

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