Page 32 of Dark Memories
Although she doubted the man would show up tonight, she couldn’t blame Zach for being worried. Eve thought it was Robbie’s cellmate, Garth Davidson, who was missing, but they weren’t certain yet. Would the man vanish? Take off to somewhere and hope the police never found him? Or would he be out for revenge?
She’d planned to go home after she and Zach talked, but decided to stay. Even though she didn’t expect trouble, she would never forgive herself if she wasn’t here and the man did decide to come after Zach or Kali tonight. She stared into the fire, her thoughts a scrambled mess.
If she could turn the clock back two days, to when her boss had called her into her office and given her this assignment, she would have confessed right then that she and Zach had a history and someone else needed to be given the job. Then she wouldn’t be sitting here tonight considering the possibility of having Zach back in her life.
“Gah,” she muttered. She picked up her glass to finish off what was left, then set it down. No drinking when on duty, and shewasback on the job while one of Kali’s kidnappers was on the loose. Collecting her wineglass and Zach’s half-finished drink, she stood and flipped off the fireplace switch.
Kali’s bedroom door was open, and she paused and peeked in. The hall light cast a soft glow into the room, enough to see that Zach had made a pallet from a comforter and pillow, and was sleeping on the floor next to Kali’s bed.
Oh, Zach. How was she supposed to harden her heart against him when he did things like that?
* * *
Zach sat up and massaged his back. He was too old to be sleeping on the floor. Kali had cried out once during the night but hadn’t woken. He’d whispered soft words to her, telling her he was there, that she was safe, and she’d settled back into sleep. At the moment she and the dog were buried under the covers.
After a few stretches, he got up, collected his makeshift bed, and headed to his room. A hot shower helped his sore muscles, and now he desperately needed a cup of coffee. As he headed downstairs, he called Jackie and told her he wouldn’t be in the rest of the week and to reschedule his meetings. Fortunately nothing critical was on the agenda, and even if there was, it would have to wait. Kali’s needs came first.
The aroma of coffee drifted to him when he reached the bottom of the stairs. Delaney had stayed, which made him ridiculously happy. He hadn’t been sure that she would. When he entered the kitchen, she was standing at the sink, a cup of coffee in her hand as she stared out the window. He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.
“Good morning, Delaney.”
“If you say so.”
“Grouchy this morning?” He leaned his face near her hair, inhaled her scent, and couldn’t help smiling. Soap. His no-nonsense girl smelled the same as she always had. She’d never worn perfume when they’d been together. Said it made her sneeze. He liked that her scent hadn’t changed.
She took a few steps to the side, out of reach. He wanted to drag her back and start their morning with a hot kiss that would wake them up better than any coffee could.
“You must be sore from sleeping on the floor. Why didn’t you put Kali in your bed?”
“Three reasons. One, I didn’t want to start something. After what she went through, she’d feel safer there, and it would become a battle to get her back into her own bed. Two, she now comes with a dog, and I have a no-dogs-in-my-bed rule. And three…” He sidestepped until he was in front of her, trailed his knuckles down her cheek, and said, “Pay attention because this is the most important one. The extra space in my bed is reserved for you.”
“Zach—”
He put a finger over her lips. “Don’t Zach me, Delaney. Itwillhappen. Not as fast as I want it to, but it’s inevitable. When you’re ready.”
“Daddy?”
Excellent timing, Baby Girl,he thought when Delaney snapped her mouth closed on whatever she was about to say. Probably something about him never finding her in his bed. He gave Delaney a wink, then held out his arms.
“Come here, Baby Girl.”
“Daaadddy,” she wailed. “How many times do I have to tell you I’m not a baby?”
Maybe not, but she flew into his arms anyway. He lifted her and the dog, gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek, and smiled when she giggled. Not to be left out, the dog licked his chin and then hers.
“You ready for some breakfast, Big Girl?”
“Can I have pancakes?”
“Sorry, but James isn’t here. I’ll call him and tell him to make you pancakes tomorrow for breakfast. For today how about some scrambled eggs and toast with strawberry jelly?”
“Okay. Can Ollie have some, too? He’s hungry.”
“I don’t think dogs are supposed to eat people food.” He needed to make a run to the store and get Oliver supplies.
“I have some breakfast for Ollie,” Delaney said.
“Where’d all that come from?” he asked, noticing for the first time the stuff piled up on the kitchen island.
