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“Sounds like an excuse,” Caleb said beneath his breath. The deputy hadn’t heard him, and he wanted to keep it that way.
Again, he didn’t know how Carpenter, or Riker County, truly worked. He didn’t know their struggles or their points of pride. Jumping to conclusions about a broken fire alarm at an underfunded courthouse wasn’t something he needed to do. He certainly didn’t need to overstep his job description by trying to investigate a situation that probably wasn’t anything more than someone caught in the heat of the moment and deciding to break something.
At that thought, Caleb’s body went cold.
His hands balled into fists.
His thoughts turned tumultuous in a fraction of a second. Memories of what he’d done flew through his head.
“Foster! Stop! Dammit, Foster! STOP!”
But Caleb hadn’t stopped.
And now he was in Riker County because of it.
He began to pace again.
* * *
ALYSSA WAVED GOODBYE to Robbie and Eleanor. They drove away from the courthouse in Robbie’s little red pickup, both smiling as they disappeared down the street. Alyssa couldn’t help but smile too. There was nothing like spending a few hours at Danny’s—a local café with the best cake, according to Eleanor—with the couple to get her back into a good mood. Them laughing and smiling at each other had been contagious. Being with them always reminded Alyssa she was missing something they had been lucky enough to find. A partner. A best friend. Someone who would buy her morning cake without flinching.
Being that close to such a strong couple brought out a sense of peace in her too. Like the sight of calm waters after looking over the edge of your boat.
It had helped that, despite it being the day of the trial, they had sidestepped any talk of the Storm Chasers. It was a groove that had become familiar with them over the last year. A rhythm that had become second nature. They talked about happier topics, even mundane ones. Anything that filled the time.
But now Alyssa was back, staring at the front of the courthouse.
How she wished she could go inside, tell the jury what she’d seen and then watch as Dupree and Anna were led away in cuffs. Forever.
Alyssa let out a long sigh. She still had a few hours to go before she could get her wish.
“I might as well go soak in a bath,” she muttered to herself. If there was ever an answer to quell unwanted anxiety, a quiet, citrus-scented bath had to be at the top of the to-do list. She had started to walk around the building, mind already made up, when the sound of footsteps sounded behind her.
“Excuse me!”
Alyssa turned to see a man jogging toward her. He was brandishing a set of keys.
“You dropped these,” he explained, motioning to where she’d been standing when she was dropped off.
“Really?” Even though they were clearly hers—the wineglass pendant Gabby had given her was glinting in the sunlight—Alyssa still opened her purse to look inside and confirm they weren’t there. “Wow. I don’t know how I did that. I could’ve sworn they were buried in my purse.”
The man pushed his glasses up his nose. Alyssa mimicked the motion on reflex. Gabby always made fun of her for the “nerd” move, but when Alyssa was around her own glasses-wearing kind, she was happy for the little inclusion.
“You must have been thinking of other things,” he offered. “This Storm Chasers business has a lot of people around here distracted.”
Alyssa took her keys and tried on a polite smile. Though she didn’t like the way the man had said “here,” she agreed with him.
“Yes, it definitely has the attention of the entire community. It’ll be nice when it’s all over.” She jingled her keys, wanting to end the conversation. “Thank you for being less distracted than me.”
The man grinned.
“No problem,” he said. “Have a nice day.”
The way he said the last part, just like the word here, was so odd that it caught Alyssa a little off guard. She hesitated a few seconds too long. His smile wavered.
“Thanks again.” She tried to recover, heat exploding into her cheeks. She turned away and hurried to her car. When had she dropped her keys? And how?
She tried to mentally retrace her actions, and none of them included her opening her purse, let alone taking her keys out.
“Maybe I am way more stressed than I originally thought,” she mumbled, unlocking her door with the key fob. The day was hot and twinged with growing humidity. She held the unlock button down a few seconds longer. The front windows rolled down in response. She waited a moment, still trying to puzzle out the question of her keys leaving her possession, as a wave of heat poured out. It pressed against her skin with a maliciousness she’d come to expect from Alabama summers.
And here she was, about to go get into a hot bath. She sighed, wondering how that made sense, and tossed her purse into the passenger’s seat. She smoothed down the back of her pencil skirt and plopped down into the driver’s seat.
Click.
Alyssa paused, confused.
Click.
“What?” she muttered, trying to find the source of the noise. Last time she checked, her car had never clicked before. “I swear if it’s the AC crapping out...”
Alyssa didn’t have to look far. “Oh my God.”
* * *
CALEB’S PACING GAVE him a front row view of the woman named Alyssa Garner. He watched as Robbie and, presumably, his wife had dropped her off and then watched as she had started for the parking lot.
For a moment she had seemed happy, lighter than she had been that morning. Almost carefree. Her head was tilted up, lips in the same direction, and her shoulders were relaxed. At some point, wherever she’d gone, she’d even let her hair down. It cascaded over her shoulders and back, shining in the sun, more red than brown as it had looked inside. He wondered how she looked without her trendy black pair of frames on. Either way, he couldn’t deny that he found her attractive.
Alyssa seemed to be a quiet woman with an equally quiet beauty.
But Caleb now wondered if that was true...especially after what she’d done at the bank.
That anger that had startled him before began to rise in his chest again just thinking about the man Dupree Slater.
Caleb wondered if she had a scar from him.
Surprised again, he caught his thoughts before they became even darker.
He didn’t know Alyssa. At least not personally. He hadn’t even known she existed until that morning. He wasn’t close to her or, in fact, to anyone in Carpenter or Riker County. Having feelings for her like he was didn’t make sense. And wasn’t wanted.
You won’t be here long, he thought, resolute. Keep your head down, follow orders, and then you’re back home.
Caleb had started to turn away from the glass doors, giving Alyssa some privacy and his thoughts a firm shake away from her, when movement stilled his motion. A man ran up to her. He gave Alyssa something, but from Caleb’s angle he couldn’t see what it was. Or what the man looked like.
Could be a friend, he reasoned. Or a boyfriend.
No sooner had he thought that than he dismissed it. While he couldn’t see the man’s expression, he watched as Alyssa’s changed. Her brow furrowed and she frowned. Then she was smiling, but in a flash that smile fell away.
She was confused or unhappy. He couldn’t tell which, but it was enough to keep him watching as she left the man’s side and went to her car.
The man watched her go. He must have known her, Caleb thought. Why else would he just stand there watching?
Maybe he was admiring her too?
Either way, Caleb didn’t like it.
He left his post and stepped out into the heat. The humidity was suffocating. It amazed him that it still caught him off guard. And that people chose to live in it.
“Excuse me?” Caleb called out.
The man didn’t move.
Caleb’s gut started to talk.
And he didn’t like what it was trying to say.
“Hey,” he tried again, taking a few steps forward and giving the man the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he hadn’t heard him. “Hey, buddy!”
The man, now a few yards away, turned around. It was a slow, lazy movement. He didn’t seem surprised at a slightly agitated court deputy’s appearance, but the same couldn’t be said for Caleb.
“You.”
The man with the horn-rimmed glasses grinned. “Hello, Deputy. How can I help you?”
Caleb hung back at the bottom of the stairs. His gut was full-out yelling now. It prompted him to really look at the man.
Over six feet and thin, the man wore glasses, but they had the opposite effect that Alyssa’s had on her. Instead of giving the impression that he might be on the quiet side, they turned his sharp facial features and thinness into an overall look of aggression. The descriptor popped into Caleb’s head so fast he realized he’d already had the thought the first time he saw the man. It didn’t help that his body was seemingly speaking an entirely different language with how he was dressed—slacks, a dark red vest and dress shoes—and where he was.
He was comfortable and anxious. While he greeted Caleb with a grin, Caleb noticed one of his hands against his thighs, his fingers tapping out a rhythm. A nervous tic. An anxious activity like pacing but more controlled.
“What are you doing out here?” Caleb asked, acutely aware of the space between them. “Are you still waiting for your friend?”
The man’s grin widened.
“You’re good with faces,” he said. “I didn’t think you’d remember mine. But no, I’ve already seen my friend.” He glanced toward the parking lot and then back to Caleb. “I’m on my way now. Have a good day, Deputy.”
He didn’t wait for a response. Putting both hands in his pockets, he moved away from Caleb to the sidewalk in front of the courthouse. Caleb thought about following him and demanding his name at the very least, but then his gut was twisting again.
He turned back to the parking lot.
Something felt off.
Alyssa’s outline could be seen in her car in the middle of the visitors’ lot, but she hadn’t started it yet. Why she hadn’t at least turned the ignition just to get the AC going, Caleb didn’t know. Maybe Alabamians were made with more heat resistance than he was.
Still, the lot wasn’t in the shade and the sun wasn’t being kind. It beat down on the little Honda like it had been doing all morning.
The inside had to be hot as hell.
Caleb took a moment to debate whether or not he should check on her. Maybe she was having issues with her car. Or maybe the man with the glasses had said something that upset her. Maybe it wasn’t any of his business either way.
Caleb adjusted his belt and turned back toward the courthouse.
Keep your head low, he reminded himself. It isn’t your place.
Halfway up the stairs, his feet stalled.
No, it was going to be impossible to keep his head low when his gut was telling him to do otherwise.
* * *
IT WAS SO HOT.
Alyssa’s muscles were straining to not move while sweat began to roll down her skin without any such constraints. While the windows were down, no breeze moved throughout the car. Her only company was a stifling, unforgiving blanket of wet heat. It was turning her situation into more of a nightmare. The hammering of her heart hadn’t broken the silence, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t beating against her chest in terror.
Sure, there was a chance she was overreacting. Paranoia. But what if she wasn’t?
She tried to take in another deep breath to help tamp down her nerves.
It didn’t help.
Especially not when someone approached the open window.
“Excuse me?”
Alyssa let out a shriek and gave a small jump in her seat. It was enough movement to make her adrenaline surge higher.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” the man said.
Alyssa allowed herself just enough movement to look at the stranger. Although he wasn’t just any man. The golden-haired deputy was staring back at her. She found his eyes, the perfect middle ground between golden and green, and felt genuine relief at his presence. However, she guessed her expression said something else entirely. His light brows drew together so quickly that she knew he knew something was wrong. “Are you okay?” he asked, voice ringing with authority.
Alyssa took a deep, wavering breath. “Have you seen the Lethal Weapon movies? You know, with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as cops?” she asked.
The deputy raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Yeah...”
“Well, you know the one where Danny Glover’s character is sitting on the toilet?”
“Yeah, that’s the second movie,” he said. “When he realizes there’s a bomb strapped to it. Why?”
A chill ran up Alyssa’s spine at that four-letter word.
“Well, this is probably going to sound ridiculous,” she started, “but I think there’s a bomb under my seat.”
Chapter Five
The deputy squatted down on the other side of the door so that his gaze was level with hers. Under any other circumstances she probably would have been distracted by the proximity, but right now her mind kept going to what might or might not be beneath her seat.
“You’re going to have to elaborate on that one for me.”
Alyssa licked her lips. They were already drying out despite her lipstick.
“Okay, so when I sat down I heard something click,” she started. “I hadn’t turned the car on yet, so it confused me. Then I heard two more clicks and actually felt those coming from under me. Under my seat. And then I saw the light.”
“The light?”
Alyssa moved her head to try to motion to the floorboard. She still wasn’t about to move the rest of her body if she could help it. Her hands were on her lap, fused together with sweat and nerves. In the movie, once Danny Glover’s character had gotten off the toilet it had exploded. And she was not about to blow up in a Honda.
“I can see the reflection of a red light blinking on the floorboard,” she answered. “It’s faint but it’s there. And it hasn’t stopped blinking.”
The deputy didn’t ask for permission, not that she was going to begrudge him for the invasion anyway, and moved his head in through the window to look toward her feet. Alyssa caught a whiff of either shampoo or body wash that smelled intoxicating as he moved into her personal space. Some kind of musk and spice infusion. Something she definitely shouldn’t be distracted by at the moment.
“I know I could be overreacting, but I guess I’ve just seen so many movies and TV shows where clicks and flashing lights equals bombs,” she admitted. The fear that had tensed her every muscle was now starting to feel a little silly. “And if it isn’t a bomb, which it probably isn’t, I’ll just be mortified for life.”
The man pulled out of the space and back into a squat next to the door. His expression gave nothing away.
“Can I open your door?” he asked, voice even.
Silly thought or not, the request scared Alyssa.
“If there’s a bomb under your seat, opening the door shouldn’t trigger it,” he added.
“But if it does?” she couldn’t help asking. A drop of sweat rolled down the side of her face. It was so hot.
The deputy’s expression stayed neutral when he answered.
“Then, I promise you, we won’t know the difference.”
Alyssa felt her eyes widen.
“I don’t know if I’m happy with that logic.”
The man didn’t apologize for it.
“I won’t do it if you don’t want me to,” he said. “I just need to take a closer look.”
Alyssa chewed on her lip but nodded.
“What’s your name?” she tacked on. The man raised his eyebrow. “Just in case we do blow up.”
“Caleb Foster.”
“I’m Alyssa Garner,” she introduced. “I would shake your hand, but I’m terrified that if I move I’ll—Well, you know...”
Caleb flashed a smile. It didn’t last long.
“Then let me do the moving for now,” he said. Alyssa watched as his attention focused on the car door’s handle. Her muscles tensed further.
Please don’t let us blow up in my Honda.
But nothing went kaboom when the deputy opened the door wide.
Alyssa let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.
“Okay, well, if it’s a bomb it’s not connected to the door,” he pointed out. He moved closer to inspect the space between the seat and him. “I can’t see anything here.” He met her gaze. “I’m going to try to look under your seat now, okay?”
Alyssa nodded, even though she was already trying to do the logistics of that in her head. She was on the shorter side and had her seat closer to the dash because of it. Which meant Caleb Foster was about to get really close to her.
He dropped to his knees on the concrete, braced himself with one hand on the inside of the door and then very slowly hunched over so that his head was near the floorboard. Alyssa felt his breath against her bare legs as he moved between them to get a better view.
The most irrational fear that she’d missed a spot while shaving flitted through her head. When Caleb popped back up after only a few seconds, she wondered if she really had. His expression was the definition of neutral.
“So, was I being ridiculous?” she asked, hopeful.
But that ray-of-sunshine feeling lasted only an instant.
Deputy Foster pulled out his phone, but he took a moment to look directly into her eyes.
“I need you to keep doing what you’re doing a little longer, okay?” he said, tone calm.
“You want me to keep sitting still,” Alyssa spelled out, just to make sure they were on the same page.
Deputy Foster nodded.
Before she could stop it, her breathing went off the rails. It was one thing to think there was a bomb beneath your seat while also thinking you were being a bit insane. It was another for a man of the law to tell you to keep sitting perfectly still.
It was real now.
“So there is a bomb under my seat?” she asked around two short breaths.
“There’s something under your seat, yes,” he hedged.
“But is it a bomb?”
“I don’t know for sure, but—”
Alyssa sucked in a breath and had the deepest urge to grab the man by the collar of his shirt. “You answer me right now, Deputy Foster. Do you think there’s a bomb beneath my seat or not?”
He seemed surprised by her outburst, but who could blame her?
This time the deputy didn’t hedge.
“Yes,” he said. “I do. Which is why I need you to keep calm until we can deal with this. Okay?”
Despite his answer Alyssa decided to panic. Or, at least, her body did. The heavy air in the car, the heat of the day and the sheer thought of having survived a gunshot to the back only to be blown up in a parking lot were all too much to take. Her heartbeat wasn’t just galloping anymore—it was full-out trying to exceed the speed of light. Its pursuit was having a chain reaction on what was left of her calm. Her breathing was no longer erratic. It was rushed, clumsy and impossible to conquer. It was starting to make her vision blur.
The urge to swipe her glasses off and completely freak was escalating. She wanted to try to scramble out of the car and escape the heat and fear that were tripling at an alarming rate. If the deputy hadn’t been between Alyssa and the door, she might have attempted an escape plan.
But the deputy was there.
And his eyes were enough to hold her in place long enough for his words to reach her.
“Alyssa,” he said, moving as close to her as he could without making contact. “From what I’ve heard, you’ve handled a lot worse than this.” His lips quirked up into a grin. “All you have to do right now is sit still, okay? You think you can handle just sitting?”
The way he said the last part, like he was looking down on her for her worry, made something snap within her. Like he was the parent and she was a child who was being ridiculous. She took a deep breath, exhaled and took another one before she answered.
“Yes, Deputy,” she said with a little too much attitude. “I think I can handle it.”
Deputy Foster’s grin grew.
It made her feel better. If only for a moment.
“I’m going to take a few pictures and then I’m going to make a lot of calls,” he said.
“You aren’t going to leave, are you?” she asked, already panicked at the thought.
The deputy shook his head. “I want you to know one thing for certain, Miss Garner. I will not leave you.”
Alyssa hadn’t realized how good that promise would sound.
But, boy, did it sound good!
* * *
THIRTY MINUTES.
That was all it took for all hell to break loose.
True to his word, the deputy had made several phone calls after he snapped a picture of the maybe-but-probably bomb. He’d done it far enough from the car so that she couldn’t hear what was said—no doubt, his intention—but not far enough that Alyssa felt alone. Because, also true to his word, he didn’t leave her.
Not even when the bomb squad showed up and confirmed the maybe-but-probably bomb was in fact a probably-and-definitely bomb. Though the head of the squad, a towering man named Charlie, encouraged the deputy to clear the area while they assessed options.
Options.
That was a word that might have brought Alyssa a sense of hope, or even fear, if she wasn’t baking alive. The day had gone from hot to hell and she was stuck in a vacuum of it. She no longer had the energy to panic. All of that had left her body in waves of sweat, adhering every article of clothing she was wearing to her like a second skin.
And yet the deputy kept coming back.
Along with Charlie, who was now suited up with a helmet and clear mask in front of his face to boot. He lifted it to address Alyssa directly.
“Miss Garner, how are you doing?”
“I’m okay,” she lied.
Deputy Foster raised his eyebrow.
“Alyssa, how are you doing?” he repeated with a tone that reminded her of a parent. She managed a defeated sigh.
“I think I might pass out soon,” she admitted. “It’s getting really hard to breathe.”
If this alarmed the deputy, he didn’t show it. In fact, neither man did. Which meant she probably looked as bad as she felt and they had been expecting it. The cold water she’d had through a straw hadn’t been enough. Just like the fan that had been set up next to the car. It had only pushed the heat toward her. In no way did it alleviate the temperature she was currently suffering through.
“Then why don’t we get you out of here?” Charlie said.
“That would be nice,” she responded. Picturing a bathtub filled with ice cubes with her name on it. Forget about citrus bath salts.
A man she didn’t recognize walked up to the car and cleared his throat.
“Can I have a moment, sir?” he asked Charlie.
He nodded, flashed a quick smile to Alyssa and then walked off. Again, she couldn’t hear what was discussed, but the movement brought attention to the far end of the parking lot. It was being cleared. The staff from the courthouse, and even some people from the sheriff’s department next door, were moving farther away.
Alyssa looked back at Deputy Foster. She realized he was wearing a bomb vest. “So, do they think they can really get me out of here?”
The deputy followed her gaze to his vest. He straightened it and then lowered himself to meet her stare head-on.
“I’ll be honest with you,” he started. “I don’t know them personally, but the sheriff and Captain Jones both say Charlie and his team are the best in the South.” He cut another grin. “And they think they’re going to get you out of this with all limbs attached, so I’m going to bet on a yes.”
Alyssa gave the smallest of nods. Her vision was starting to blur a little. She tried to pull in a calming breath. The air was so wet she felt like she was drowning.
“Hey, listen to me,” he continued, tone tough. Stern. “When they get you out of here, how about I take you out for a nice jug of sweet tea? That’s something you guys seem to like around here, right? Sweet tea?”