My Deadly Valentine - By Valerie Hansen & Lynette Eason Page 0,6
want to get to know this officer personally but it sure was nice to have him standing so close and ready to come to her defense. This was the second time her unknown nemesis had mentioned death. Under those circumstances she’d be a fool to purposely push away the one man who was poised and able to protect her.
Rachel managed to squeeze out a smile, realized how lopsided it was, and laughed at herself.
“That’s better,” Jace said. “I was wondering how long you were going to stay mad at me.”
“I’m more mad at myself than I am at you,” she admitted ruefully, eyeing the broken door. “I don’t suppose you can hang around till I can have that repaired?”
“I’ll do better than that. Get me a few tools and I’ll fix it for you, at least temporarily.”
“Is that allowed? I mean, you are on duty.”
“I’ll be securing a crime scene,” he said with a grin. “Besides, there’s not exactly an overabundance of trouble here in Serenity. Yours are the only real calls I’ve had since I came to work here.”
“That’s me,” Rachel quipped, “a one-woman crime spree. Anything to keep the local law from getting bored.”
She saw his smile fade and his eyes narrow, clearly concentrating on her as he added, “It’s okay to joke about it to relieve tension, but that doesn’t mean I consider these threats harmless. You do understand that, don’t you?”
Nodding, she met his firm gaze with resolution. There was a knot in her stomach and a lump in her throat when she said, “Oh, yes, Deputy Morgan. I understand it all too well.”
“You can call me Jace, if you want,” he said as he went to work with a hammer and screwdriver. “First names seem to be the norm around here.”
“For those of us who have lived here all our lives, they are. As a newcomer, you may find that some folks are a bit standoffish.”
“How long do you think it will take for them to loosen up toward me?”
Rachel laughed lightly. “Oh, two or three…”
“Months?”
“No, generations. If you stay all your life, your grandkids will probably be considered locals.”
“I see.”
He tried to concentrate on fixing the door but thoughts of the woman beside him kept interfering. She was spunky without being foolish, pretty without being conceited and intelligent enough to impress him beyond all expectations. That he’d even noticed was a surprise, especially since he’d sworn off women in general, beautiful ones in particular. He had his work, his career. It was his mission in life. He didn’t need the distraction of a romantic entanglement. That kind of thing had almost cost him his former partner’s life. He was not about to make the same mistake twice.
Still, he reasoned, if he made himself available to Rachel Hollister in his off-duty hours, he might be in a better position to solve the mystery of who was threatening her. In a close-knit community like this one, there was little chance he’d inadvertently stumble upon the information he needed to keep her safe unless he was totally immersed in the day-to-day activities.
As he worked, he kept his eyes on the door. “Where do you go to church?”
“Why?”
“Just wondered. I’m new here, as you know, and I thought I’d ask around for recommendations.”
“I—Serenity Chapel is nice.”
“Is that your church?” Noting her reluctance, he began to watch her, to probe her expression.
“I don’t go very often. Not anymore.”
Finished, Jace straightened to try the repaired door and test its strength. “Why not?”
“Because of Lance, mostly. His parents are important church members and I told you he was spreading false rumors about why we broke up, probably to save face. I started feeling uncomfortable because I could sense that so many people believed his exaggerations. They didn’t say so to my face, but…”
“Don’t you think you’re overreacting? The way I look at it, it may be nice to visit with friends at church but that’s not the real reason to attend. We’re supposed to be there to worship.”
“Tell that to Lance.”
“I will, if you’ll accompany me to the Sunday morning service.”
“Oh, I don’t think…”
“Don’t think. Just put on your big girl shoes and do it, as my granny used to say.” He could feel himself beginning to blush. “Of course, that’s not exactly how she put it but you get the general idea.”
“I’ve heard similar old sayings right around here.” Rachel frowned. “I thought you were from California.”
“I am. My grandparents, however, were genuine hillbillies, just like you.” He was pleased