To Love and Protect (22 page)

"A small New England town might have its share of dark secrets," Shelley said, "but on a day like this, it's the best place to be.”

"And here I thought your dinner companion was the reason for that great smile of yours tonight."

Shelley grinned as she reached over and grabbed Matt's hand. "You're just the dessert," she teased.

He stopped in mid-chew, then gulped. "I hope so."

"How about doing something fun this weekend?"

"Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"Anything that doesn't involve large crowds with a potential gunman."

Matt's furrowed brow made it clear that he wished she hadn't mentioned their not-so-fair time at the fair. "Well, you know me, everywhere I go I find danger."

"I know."

Matt sighed. "I was kidding."

Shelley smiled, once more saying, "I know."

"I just thought of something we could do," Matt said with enthusiasm.

"Care to share?"

"Nope.” He stopped just long enough to plop a stuffed mushroom appetizer in his mouth. When he finally swallowed, he added, "It's a surprise."

"I don't know if I like the sound of that. I've had more surprises than I care to lately."

"But this is a good surprise."

"Okay, then when will this surprise take place?"

"Tomorrow morning, bright and early. I'll pick you up around nine."

Shelley leaned back in her chair, warmed by her feelings for Matt and the glow of the fireplace against dining room wall. It felt good to have a weekend to look to forward to − and to have someone special to share it with. Autumn was too beautiful of a season to be alone. For that matter,
every
season was too beautiful to be alone. She smiled with the realization that for the first time since Ted's death, she felt truly happy and fulfilled. Life was like a pie made up of equally delicious pieces. Family ... friends ... job ... interests ... love. Having only some of the pieces meant always feeling hungry for more, like a craving that went unfulfilled. Shelley loved her job, her friends and family, she loved her walks in the woods with her dogs, and curling up in front of the fireplace with a good book and her cats purring at her side, but she also loved being in love. And when Ted died, the pie was no longer whole. Until now … until a strong but caring man with an easy smile and warm brown eyes found himself in her clinic, and then found his way into her heart.

Shelley looked back at Matt, a wave of desire surging through her entire being. “You have something near your lip,” she said as she beckoned him to lean forward with a curl of her index finger.

Matt complied, and without hesitation she met him halfway – perhaps then some – and melted into a hungry kiss that pulled her in deeper and deeper, so much so that the anticipation of what could follow was overwhelming in its intensity, and Shelley felt her body grow almost numb before flooding with tingling desire again. It was out of character for her to be unconcerned about the possibility of making a spectacle of herself in a public place, although their back corner candlelit table did offer at least an air of anonymity. And apparently Matt had no qualms about a public passionate display either.  With one forceful heave, he slid her chair around the arc of the table until she was by his side.  She felt the warmth of his hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer as the other hand caressed the inside of her thigh, sending shivers the length of her body and relegating her surroundings into an indecipherable blur. The decorum of the earlier evening – the low-key conversation, the leisurely paced three-course meal – was now out the window, replaced by an even more ravishing treat.

Suddenly, within the outer blur, a streak of red. And still, Shelley was unable to disconnect from the inviting warmth of Matt’s lips.

“Um, excuse me,” a young female voice said hesitantly. “Are you Officer Reardon?”

As reality came crashing down, Shelley landed fully back in her chair with a thud, her breath still three paces behind. Matt cleared his throat and appeared momentarily disoriented. But he quickly regained his bearings. “Yes, I’m Officer Reardon.  Is everything okay?”

The young hostess’s eyes darted from Matt to Shelley and then back again. As Shelley patted down some wayward strands of hair, she wondered if Matt would be forced to arrest themselves for public indecency.

“There’s a call for you at the front desk,” the hostess said.

“I’ll be right over.”

“That’s odd,” Shelley said. “Why would someone call the restaurant to reach you?”

 “I left my phone in my SUV because I didn’t want any interruptions tonight.”

“Well,
someone
must know you’re here.”

“I mentioned to the dispatcher at the end of my shift that I had a reservation here. She and her husband come here all the time and she’s always raving about the food.  I thought it was a harmless enough thing to say – I didn’t know I would end up being tracked down here.”

“Oh boy … better go see what they want.”

Matt returned to the table a few minutes later, sighing and shaking his head. “I have to go out on patrol tonight.”

“You
what?
” Still savoring the fourth course of their outing, Shelley had eagerly been contemplating the possibility of a fifth.

“Joe Webber usually does the night shift, but he’s out with some flu thing, and everyone else is either away on vacation or can’t be reached.”

“That’s because they didn’t leave an itinerary with the dispatcher,” Shelley said wryly. 

“Believe me, I’m not happy about this either.”

Shelley knew she couldn’t blame Matt for the change in plans.  “Oh well, I guess it’s just as likely that I could have gotten a call for an emergency surgery.”

“Maybe we should both just ditch our jobs and run off to an exotic island.”

Shelley grinned.  “Speaking of running off … are you going to be up for this surprise venture tomorrow if you’re working extra late?”

“Hell, yeah!  I can still catch a few z’s, and once I double up on coffee in the morning, I’ll be good to go.”

“By the way,” he said a short time later as they headed out to the parking lot.  “I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a meal more than this one.” He stopped, pulling her close and resuming their earlier kiss with equal passion. “And the food was good, too.”

His hand slid up the front of her shirt, adding fuel to the fire that she had tried earlier to squelch once she realized the night had to end. “Don’t forget you have to go to work,” she said breathlessly as they hid in the shadows behind the building.

“I know.”

“Tease.”

He sighed as he forced himself to pull away. “Remember how I said I love my job?”

“Mm hmm …”

“I’m not loving it right now.”

Shelley grinned. “I guess my plan worked.  And all I had to do was pay that dispatcher twenty bucks to call you away.”

“You what−” Matt paused, shaking his head but smiling nonetheless.  “Nice try.” As he kissed her once more, Shelley couldn’t help but look forward to all that the weekend had in store.

"All set to go?" Matt asked Shelley as she opened the front door the next morning.

"What's that on your head?" she asked.

He took off the object in question and studied it closely. "I
think
it's a cowboy hat, but I could be wrong.”

"I know
that, wise guy. I just didn't realize you wore one."

"I do occasionally. And so will you."

Shelley raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Come on, I'll show you. It's in my car."

"I look like a fool," Shelley said as Matt plopped a brown cowboy hat on her head, complete with silver studs and a few rhinestones.

“You look adorable. No − make that sexy. Definitely sexy. All we need now is to get you a pair of tight jeans." He looked down at her pants, smiling mischievously. "Never mind. You already have that taken care of."

Shelley playfully slapped him. "So is this hat part the surprise?"

"You'll know in about two hours."

"The trees are absolutely gorgeous," Shelley observed an hour into the drive, nearly mesmerized by the brilliant reds, oranges and yellows that further lit up the sunny day.

"It's even nicer in the Berkshires."

"The Berkshires − so that's where you're taking me," Shelley said, referring to an area of western Massachusetts renowned for its foliage.

Matt looked straight ahead, grinning. "Maybe."

It was almost 11:30 a.m. when Matt pulled into a driveway off of a narrow country road. Shelley read the mailbox on the way in. "Reardon? Is this your family?"

"My brother, Ken, and his wife, Nicole. What you can't see from here are the horses they have in the back pasture."

Shelley broke into a wide smile. "You're kidding. I love horses!"

"Something told me you would."

"So we're going riding?"

"There are miles of trails out in the back. We could be gone all day if we want."

Shelley reached over and hugged him. "This
is
a great surprise!"

Matt's brother and sister-in-law met them in front of their house.

"Hi," Nicole said, shaking Shelley's hand with a firm, confident grip. She looked at home on a horse farm, with faded jeans, cowboy boots, and a face as wide open as a Kansas prairie.

Her husband, Ken, was a blue-eyed version of his brother, Matt, with the same broad-shouldered build and warm, easy smile. "We figured you guys should take Mutt and Jeff out on the trails," Ken said. "They're spunky enough to get you where you're going, but they probably won't buck you into the trees or anything."

"Probably?" Matt repeated warily, readjusting his hat.

Shelley laughed at his cautious reaction. "This is going to be fun!" 

They headed out on the trails with a hefty lunch pack, thanks to Nicole, and a six-pack of beer, courtesy of Ken.

"For a horse named Mutt, this guy's awfully big," Matt observed of the massive gray gelding.

"He's a Percheron," Shelley explained as she admired the draft horse's sturdy frame and thick legs. "They're larger than most of the other breeds. Buck a lot better, too."

Matt glanced over despairingly, then quickly ducked just in time to miss a low-lying branch.

"Look at you!" Shelley laughed. "You don't mind staring down the barrel of a loaded gun, but put you on a horse and your face is grayer than his fur. Good thing you're not in a mounted police unit."

Matt threw back his head and laughed, holding tightly onto the reins to keep his balance. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you. I actually like horses. I just haven't had much experience riding them. This is only my third time out on a trail."

"How were the other two times?"

"Let's just say that at some point along the way, I found myself looking up at the treetops from a flat-out spot on the ground.”

"You mean you fell off?" Shelley asked incredulously.