Part 8 (2/2)

Did you play with Garrett McQuire when you were kids?

Since third grade. You could say we were inseparable.

Thats why youre his sons G.o.dfather.

Yup.

Did he play sports with you in high school?

No. He worked pretty near full-time after school from the minute he was old enough to get a permit.

Ah. A workaholic from an early age.

No. Simply trying to stay out of his foster parents way. Trying to earn something he could call his own.

She stopped scrubbing. Did the sheriff go to Iraq, too?

No. Even though the water was still running, Mack shoved the power-wash wand into its holder. The outsides clean enough. Im going to drive the car over to the vacuum station. I brought old towels. You can dry. Ill get the inside.

He got in the cruiser and pulled out of the bay. In the rearview mirror he could see her watching. Could sense the gears in that quick brain of hers clicking.

Well, he wasnt going to talk about Iraq. Not with her. Not with anybody. That place was relegated to the other side of the globe. And his nightmares.

Now he knew how to control any rogue thoughts of Chloe and him between the sheets. All he needed to do was remind himself she was hardwired to probe for answers. With someone like that, hed never find peace.

At the vacuum station, he began excavating fast-food wrappers from the car. He could hear the clop-clop of boots as Chloe approached, but he didnt look up. Not even when he could sense her standing right behind him.

Why dont you want to talk about your service experience? she asked softly.

G.o.d, the woman didnt let up.

Clutching two fistfuls of trash, he stalked to the trash can and unloaded the wrappers before unhooking the vacuum hose. How many quarters do you have left?

She brought over the remaining coins, then stood facing him.

What do you want from me? he asked, unable to keep the growl from the back of his throat. My army tour has nothing to do with my job in the sheriffs department. So leave it alone.

Folks around here look up to you. As she spoke, she placed the quarters in his hand. One at a time. Deliberately. Underscoring each sentence. In part because you didnt s.h.i.+rk your duty when called. The respect makes your job run more smoothly.

Thats what you think, huh?

Unless you tell me otherwise. Having placed the last coin in his hand, she stared at him, studying him. His palm felt hot where shed touched it. If you have medals, I a.s.sume you received an honorable discharge.

I did. Although no one was ever going to convince him he deserved one.

When he broke eye contact to jam quarters into the machine, Chloe knew shed been shut off. Apparently shed pushed Mack too far. And again his war experience had been the line in the sand. Deirdre would tell her to use sources outside Colum County to find answers, but Chloe didnt know. She just didnt know. Maybe her mantra about facts and information wasnt powerful enough to push her into anothers obvious pain.

For the past fourteen years, shed kept people at bay when theyd wanted to know more about her than bare-bones statistics. For the first three years out of college, shed checked other peoples copy for errors before the Sun sent the articles to print. She didnt get close to her coworkers. Not emotionally. For the past two years, shed written articles on seasonal plants, on drought conditions, on garden-club meetings, all the while thinking she wanted to get out and write about meatier issues. But meatier issues meant asking tough questions that she wouldnt want asked of herself.

Coming up against a man very much the same, she had her first doubts about her chosen career.

She took one of the towels stacked on the back seat and began to dry the exterior. She finished in silence. As she sat with the pa.s.senger door open and exchanged the ugly rubber boots for her shoes, she didnt even listen to the conversation Mack was having with the dispatcher on the two-way radio.

Finally turning his attention to Chloe, he simply said, We need to stop back at headquarters before picking up the processes at the courthouse.

Can I get something to eat? I left Junes without breakfast.

She expected him to snap at her. He didnt.

You can go upstairs to the staff kitchen while I take care of some business with Nash. Although his voice was flat, there was a hint of relief. Relief that she wouldnt be hanging around for this particular transaction?

She didnt push the issue. Instead, on the ride back to Main Street, she tried to sort out the thrust of her article. A clear story arc. Trouble was, this was her fourth day in town, and her thoughts were still jumbled and her notes of little use. If Deirdre asked for her copy now, Chloe could write up a description of the sheriffs department, complete with history, duties, personnel descriptions and impact on the community. But that wasnt the real story.

The real story was Deputy Mack Whittaker, but he wasnt giving it up.

Back at headquarters, she left him talking to the dispatcher while she climbed the stairs to the kitchen. Deputy Rollins sat at the central table. Hed been introduced as the rookie on the force, although he looked maybe ten years older than Chloe.

Glancing up from his newspaper, he nodded in greeting.

From the sidebar, she got a cup of coffee, a container of yogurt and a banana, then sat beside him.

You know, he said, lowering the paper, Ive been trying to place you. The name Atherton rings a bell.

Well, I didnt grow up around here. She licked the peeled-off yogurt lid.

Me, neither. Im from Atlanta.

Chloe froze with her tongue halfway out.

Wh-what brings you to the mountains? she managed to ask, steering the conversation to him.

My wife, he replied, giving Chloe one long, final look before shaking his head. She wanted to raise our kids on some land with a garden, a dog and chickens.

Hows that working out? She made herself nonchalantly stir the yogurt with her plastic spoon.

Not too good. Word traveled fast that my wife is a soft touch. We have seven dogs now. All of them dropped off on different occasions in the dead of night on our front porch. Im going broke with neutering fees.

Chloe breathed more easily now that the conversation had turned from her. Theres a special place in heaven for your wife. But how about you? The job treating you okay?

Sure is. I dont feel like a cog in a wheel the way I did in the city. Because Im not always pulling double s.h.i.+fts, I have more time to work on my songs.

Youre a songwriter?

You can catch my act on Sat.u.r.day at the Pillar and Post. Have Whittaker bring you.

The idea of Mack out for a night of fun was a thought hard to get her mind around. Do you see him much after-hours? she asked.

<script>