Behind The Red Doors (Santori Stories #1)(32)
Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson

Carter winced. With the security assignment at The Diamond Mine scrubbed, he was looking at an endless, mindless stack of paperwork on a light-duty desk. “Fine, Chief. I’ll come by the station to see you tomorrow.”

“Can’t. I’ll be in city council meetings tomorrow and Wednesday. Make it Thursday—” papers rattled in the background “—at four, but don’t be late. I’m taking off early to buy my wife something nice for Valentine’s Day.” The older man sighed. “I plain forgot last year, and I thought she was going to shoot me with my own gun.”

Carter frowned into the phone. “I know that feeling.”

“Well, what can I say, son? Some things are worth the trouble. See you Thursday, Lieutenant. Oh, and stay out of jewelry vaults.” The man belly-laughed and disconnected the call.

Carter dropped the phone into its cradle and walked to the kitchen for a beer. The robbery attempt had been all over the news, with much being made about the fact that he and Faith had been locked in the vault all night together. The guys at the station had been ribbing him mercilessly.

On the way to the kitchen, he heard his next-door neighbor’s stereo blast on. A teeny-bopper song thumped through the walls at decibels loud enough to send Trudy under the table. Carter pounded on the wall. “Turn down the music, dammit! Other people live here, you know!”

In answer, the volume was turned up a notch. Carter gritted his teeth and considered citing them for disturbing the peace, but next month it would simply be a new renter with a louder stereo and probably even worse taste in music. He cracked open a beer and looked at Trudy, hunched under the table with her head on the floor and her paws crossed over her nose.

“You know,” he said, pointing his finger, “we should buy a house.”

Trudy lifted her head.

Carter shrugged. “Why not? I can’t rent forever and, frankly, this place is a dump.” He crouched to rub her ears. “Maybe a little backyard so you won’t have to wait on me to come home to do your business.”

She licked his hand, and the tightness in his chest eased a tiny bit. He didn’t miss Faith—really, he didn’t. It was only the proximity in the vault and robbery scare that had thrown their emotions into overdrive. And so what if he’d replayed their lovemaking over and over in his mind? He hadn’t slept with a woman in months; it was a natural response.

Although he never remembered it being quite so…memorable.

He pulled out a chair at the table and fingered the blue Tiffany’s ring box he’d set next to the salt and pepper shakers and Tabasco sauce. After another swallow of beer, he opened the box and stared at the diamond his great-great-grandfather had bought for his great-great-grandmother as a token of their undying love. The great joke of the Grayson family was that the ring had fallen to him, a confirmed bachelor. A stunning, rare stone, and no finger to put it on. He knew he’d be hard-pressed to find a woman who would truly appreciate its heritage. Unless it was someone like Faith. And the irony was that every time he looked at the ring, he pictured it on Faith’s hand.

He pulled a hand down his face. How scary was that? Faith made no bones about the fact that she was looking for a lifelong commitment, and as much as he admired her and was physically attracted to her—okay, that last part was an understatement—could he truly promise her forever? Forever was a long time to a man who didn’t even own a watch.

Let’s face it, Carter, you are not commitment material.

Faith was right. And if he waited for this…attachment to wear off, everything would be fine. He had the perfect excuse not to call her again—she thought he was going to marry another woman.

He propped his legs on the corner of the table and tipped up his beer for another swallow. Yep, everything was going to be just…fine.

CHAPTER NINE

Wednesday, February 12, 2003

Dear Ms. Sherman,

As a token of our incalculable appreciation for preventing the loss of the priceless Valentino diamond, enclosed is a cashier’s check to be allocated in whatever manner you deem appropriate among your security staff. And as soon as the diamond is ready for public viewing again, we would very much like for The Diamond Mine to be our first host.

THE LETTER WAS SIGNED by an executive of the company that owned the diamond, a name Faith recognized from her many conference calls with the company and its insurers. She unfolded the check and lifted her eyebrows. Nice.

And rightfully Carter’s, every last cent. Jamie, she knew, would agree.

She picked up the phone to call directory assistance for Carter’s home number, but the likelihood of his live-in lady answering the phone changed her mind. The last thing she wanted was a sweet, little voice to go with her visualization of the Barbie doll.

Having the check couriered to his home was a possibility. She sat back in her chair and pursed her mouth. But seeing him face-to-face would give her a chance to clear the air about what had happened between them. After all, she wouldn’t want him to think that she was pining for him. And she wouldn’t want him to carry a guilty conscience down the aisle. The night in the vault was an impulsive mistake, and she had already put it out of her mind.

Or so she would tell him.

In truth, she had thought of little else, to the point that she had to force herself to concentrate at work. Her assistant, Stacy, was starting to suspect something was wrong. Jamie and Dev called her what seemed like every fifteen minutes to “check in.” And Dixie had developed the most annoying habit of handing her a napkin every time they passed in the halls.

Then another option occurred to her: she could hand deliver the check to Carter at the station. She pulled out the phone book, dialed the main number for the Chicago Police Department, then asked to be transferred to Carter’s precinct. When she asked for Lieutenant Grayson, she was told he was expected in tomorrow, around four. She thanked the person and hung up, her heart tripping faster at the mere thought of seeing him again.

She had it bad.

But she would play it cool. She was planning to take off tomorrow afternoon, anyway, to help Jamie pick out a dress for Valentine’s Day dinner with Dev—at least she had someone to be happy for. In spite of their differences, her brother and her best friend made a great couple, and there was no one she’d rather have for a sister-in-law than Jamie.

And she still had a tiny bit of shopping to do for her trip to Captiva. When she had booked the trip, she couldn’t have known she’d have so much more motivation to leave town, but now she was doubly glad she’d have somewhere to escape to when she closed the store on Friday.

But first, she had to bluff her way through her final meeting with Carter. And this time he’d never suspect that she cared more than he did.

“I’M GOING AWAY,” Faith said.

“Why?”

“Because, Carter, I’m looking for something you’re not prepared to offer.”

He watched helplessly as she climbed into the cab. His feet were cemented to the ground. Don’t go, he wanted to shout. Give me a chance. But his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth.

“Goodbye, Carter.” Slam.

“Goodbye, Carter.” Slam.

“Goodbye, Carter.” Slam.

Rain started to fall, first in droplets, then in large wet slices.

Slowly, Carter blinked himself awake to find Trudy licking his face as if it were a salt block. He moved, and his muscles protested. Arrggghh, he’d fallen asleep on the couch…again. He was beginning to think he might never get another good night’s sleep. The woman was haunting him, day and night.

Trudy licked him again. He winced and wiped his cheek. “All right, I’m awake.” He gingerly sat up and stretched his cramped neck and arms. Trudy picked up her leash from the floor and held it in her mouth.

“I’m looking more and more forward to that backyard,” he said.

She wagged her tail, as though in agreement.

He pushed himself to his feet and walked to the kitchen, washed his face and hands at the sink, and toweled off. He shrugged into a heavy coat, and when he walked back through his apartment, Trudy was sitting by the front door waiting. He had to smile—as much trouble as the mutt was, she was worth it.

What can I say, son? Some things are worth the trouble, his captain had said.

He rubbed at the tightness behind his breastbone, but was starting to suspect that whatever was in there wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Sure, he had feelings for Faith…but love?

He hooked Trudy’s leash to her collar and opened the door to a leaden day, bitterly cold and with the promise of snow. He walked across the parking lot to the common area set aside for a dog walk, and strolled behind Trudy a few feet while she went through her normal routine of sniffing and stopping, sniffing and stopping.

Love. Someone should come up with a euphemism for the word that didn’t have such momentous expectations attached to it. Even if he did love Faith right now, he could never foresee living up to her expectations for the future.

He squinted as the light of truth glared back at him. Dammit, he did love Faith right now. And if he were honest with himself, he had been well on his way to falling in love with her last year when she dumped his ass for being such a moron. He’d taken the breezy bachelor bit too far, showing up late and taking her to places more suited to hanging out with his buds than romancing the classiest woman he’d ever known. And being so clueless as to forget Valentine’s Day? He would have dumped his ass.