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“You know I always follow protocol, sir.”
“And your idea of protocol is improvising?”
Why did this conversation not seem different from the one they’d started out with?
“I’ll be honest, I’m worried about you, Matthews. How many undercover operations have you been part of in the last year?”
“Three.”
“And while two have been successful, I wonder if it’s too much.”
Okay, taking down high-risk criminals was intense work. Pretending to be someone other than himself for extended periods of time took a toll. He’d learned to conceal the fear or anxiety in a dicey situation, while reveling in the adrenaline rush during a bust. He had no problem arresting the bad people under surveillance when the time came. It was the innocent bystanders who were pulled into a criminal lifestyle by association or relationships that did a number on his head. Undercover jobs weren’t for everyone, but it worked for Dante.
“I think you should sit out the next assignment. Handle more routine calls coming into the department.”
Dante controlled his annoyance by staring at the family picture of Chambers, his wife and kids displayed on a credenza behind the desk. Family. It’s what got him into law enforcement in the first place, a love-hate relationship he dealt with daily.
“Is this coming from you or higher up?” he finally asked.
“A mutual decision.”
He nodded. At least he wasn’t suspended, or worse. He’d made a mistake. Would take his lumps, even if it meant the dreaded desk duty.
“Is that all?”
“One last question.”
Dante swallowed a sigh.
“Do you wish to move up in your career?”
Unexpected. Chambers had never discussed Dante’s career path before. “Move up, sir?”
“You do know we need to fill the sergeant position.”
“Everyone knows.”
“You passed the exam. It’s been brought to my attention that a supervisory position might be a good move for you.”
The sergeant job? Yeah, it sounded appealing, but with his rep, he doubted he’d be in the running. And he doubly doubted Chambers wanted him in the position.
“Think about it,” the lieutenant said, rising, which Dante took as his cue to end the meeting.
“I will. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.”
As Dante closed the door behind him, he yanked at his tie. The conversation with Chambers set his mind in motion and the idea of being weighed down in paperwork didn’t thrill him. Would there be reams more if he made sergeant? A definite check in the con list.
He’d just settled in his chair when Eloise caught his eye. She was busy writing something on a yellow legal pad. No doubt jotting down notes on a case or for a trial. She was organized that way. Making sure to cross all her t’s and dot all her i’s. Had mad computer skills he lacked. But there was an air of uncertainty about her that he understood. It made him want to coax a smile out of her. She took everything in life so seriously, not even recognizing his teasing until they were well into a conversation. Calling her Ellie was just icing on the cake. He knew it rattled her and thought it might secretly please her.
Beneath her starched, professional persona, she possessed a determination that impressed him. He’d noticed it a few months back when they’d disagreed on a certain department policy. Most colleagues gave him wide berth. Not Ellie. She stated her reasoning, concise and to the point, and he took notice, real notice, of her for the first time.
And why that mattered, he couldn’t say. Just knew he liked her. Admired her dedication to the job. Along with her knowledge. She had a way of catching his eye and kept him looking. What else was hidden in those still waters?
She closed a file and tapped it on her desk to even the edges. A satisfied smile curved her lips until she glanced across the room and their gazes collided. Behind her glasses, coffee-brown eyes widened. Her cheeks turned pink. He found himself wondering if she dated and, if so, what kind of guy she went for. When she turned away, he knew his procrastinating had come to an end. With Chambers breathing down his neck, he needed to get some work done.
Her phone rang, and after a short conversation, she grabbed her bag and left.
The afternoon dragged on during his stint working the front desk. Hating every minute of being confined, it irked him that he answered the phone but couldn’t go on any calls. He took a break to pour himself some coffee, hoping caffeine would give him a much-needed jolt. Maybe he’d see which guys were participating in the mud run or engage in some office gossip to perk himself up. When he went back to the squad room, he noticed Ellie had returned.
Mug in hand, he sauntered to her desk. Leaned against the side.
“Heard you’re going to the mud run.”
Her head jerked up. “What? Who told you that?”
“Mason. Said he heard it from some guy over at the Palm Beach PD.”
“Well, he heard wrong. I have no intention of running in mud.”
“Chicken?”
Her eyes narrowed at his challenge. “Sane.”
“It could be fun.”
“Says who?”
Her horrified look had him chuckling. “I’ll take that as a definite no.”
“Because my first answer was unclear?”
“Touchy.”
She blinked at him. “Bleary-eyed.”
“Guess my wrangling you into reviewing my reports is moot.”
“I can’t provide information I have no knowledge of.”
“That’s right, we’ve never worked on a case together.” He took a sip of the bitter coffee and grimaced. “Although that might change. I’ll be around more often.”
“No new exciting cases?”
He shrugged. “Not for me. For a while, anyway.”
“So you hone your detective skills in the meantime.”
“Saying I’m rusty?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never worked with you.”
She’d used his words against him. He held up his mug and grinned.
“Not that I’ve asked not to be paired with you.”
“I never thought you did.”
She relaxed.
Add nice person to the mental list he’d been making about her earlier.
“How come you never go out with your fellow officers after work?” he asked, genuinely curious.
“I don’t know. I’m not a terribly social person.”
“Why is that?”
She shoved her glasses up her nose. A nervous tick he’d noticed.
“Not good company, I guess.”
“Then why is a Palm Beach detective interested in you?”
Her mouth gaped open. “Why would you think that?”
“Because he told Mason.”
“Good grief,” she muttered under her breath, then met his gaze again. “I think work relationships are better left at work.”
Interesting. History there?
“Fair enough.”
The conversation lagged for a few moments. Ellie glanced at a clock on the wall. “I need to head out.”
“You never answered me about dinner tonight. Two colleagues discussing work over a burger and fries?”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea, but thank you.”
She stood, gathered her purse and slid the chair up to the everything-in-its-place desk. He wanted to mess it up and see her reaction. Instead, he moved aside as she passed, her light floral perfume following in her wake. “See you tomorrow.”
“’Bye.”
He returned to his desk, a little disappointed. He would have loved to wrangle the truth of why she avoided work relationships out of her, but not tonight. He settled back in and, to his surprise, finished the last of his tasks in no time.
An hour later he ran along the broad sidewalk in Soldier Park that was situated parallel to the ocean, loud, headbanging music keeping pace with his stride. After a day of being mostly cooped up, he needed to get rid of the excess energy. Running had always been a way to do just that.
Or cars. Tinkering with an engine always grounded him. He never understood why, just accepted the gift. Working on cars had not only given him focus, but he’d spent the best times of his life working alongside his dad. It was the one thing they’d had in common. And growing up with three older brothers, it was also the one thing he didn’t have to fight and scratch for to get his father’s attention. His bothers preferred other activities.
Coming to the end of his run, he slowed down. The sun was setting. The early-spring temperatures were still cool for Florida, but in the next months the thermometer would begin to inch up to the ninety-degree days of summer. Dante would have to get up at dawn to handle the heat while he ran, but it beat going to the gym. Just wasn’t the same as getting out in the fresh air, charging past couples out walking their dogs or parents playing with their kids at the playground.
He stopped the iPod and yanked out his earbuds. Instead of raging guitars, the water crashing onto the shore greeted his ears. He gazed out over the undulating water, taking a deep breath. Salty with a mix of suntan lotion. Sunset, his favorite time of the day. He found peace watching the sun disappear from the sky, dragging streaks of pinks and oranges fading to purple with it, until the sky went black.
He loved it here in Palm Cove. His brothers, Derrick and Deke, worked in different states, and Dylan, on the opposite coast of Florida. When Dylan found himself falling in love during a case, their mother had decided to move to be closer to the only woman who, she was certain, would ever be a possible daughter-in-law. Jasmine Matthews knew how to lay on a guilt trip just as her boys knew how to sidestep her tactics. It was a game they played, more so since their father had died. Mom needed a hobby and acting like her world would end if she didn’t have daughters and grandbabies worked for her.
A smile crossed his lips. He pulled out his phone and speed-dialed her number.
“Dante. It’s been nearly a month,” his mother accused in way of greeting.
“I was undercover. I told you and Dylan.”
“Dylan’s been busy chasing after criminals. You boys need to give me better details.”
“We can’t always do that.”
“Please.” She tsked. “Your father always did.”
Dante knew that wasn’t the case. Daryl Matthews had been on the force for thirty-five years. There was no way he told his wife everything.
“I was just thinking about Dad.”
Her voice softened. “A good memory?”
“Cars.”
She laughed. “You two did have fun. How’s the Cobra?”
The ’65 Mustang he was currently retooling. “You remembered.”
“I remember everything my boys tell me.”
Which was eerily true.
“Still tinkering, but I decided to paint it red.”
“Racy choice. Your father would have approved.”
Would he? In Dante’s choice of car color or career choice?
“Something troubling you?” she asked with her weird mom ESP vibe.
“Not really. I had a conversation at work today about my career. Not sure how I feel about it.”
“Since when have you not been able to make a decision? All my sons are very professional when it comes to law enforcement. I’m proud of each and every one of you, but out of the bunch, I worry about you most.”
He hesitated. Asked the question he’d never wanted to broach with his mom, but now seemed like a good time. “You don’t like me going undercover?”
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a few sleepless nights when I know you’re on a case.” The hesitancy in her voice made his chest clutch. “I may not know the particulars, but I know the situations you’re investigating can’t be good. Or safe.”
“I wonder sometimes if I could handle a job that required me to sit behind a desk more. It doesn’t seem natural.”
Jasmine laughed. “You never were one to be happy indoors.”
“Is moving up the ladder part of growing up? Dylan’s arrest rate at the DEA is impressive. Derrick has made a name for himself at the FBI and Deke is a well-respected forensic investigator. They’ve made great strides in their careers.” He tamped down the envy that threatened to bring him to his knees when he considered his brothers’ successes. He loved them; he just had a hard time following in their footsteps. “I guess I just never put a lot of emphasis on moving ahead in my career until now.”
“Then the question you need to ask yourself is, can you do the job?”
He thought about the sergeant’s test he’d passed. Studying had been excruciating, but he’d needed to prove to himself that he could do better than being the pesky kid brother who had to find inventive ways to keep up with his siblings.
He rolled his shoulders as he considered the question. Settled with, “I’m sure I could.”
“Okay, then ask yourself this. Do you want the job?”
He thought about his brothers again. Would he take a promotion just to be like them? To carry on the Matthews tradition to serve and protect? Or would he take a promotion, if it was offered, because he wanted the job?
“Guess I need to sleep on it.”
“Dante, whatever you decide to do in life, know that I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Your father would be, too.”
He swallowed hard. His father had supported him, but had also tried to temper Dante’s reckless streak when he was growing up. Tried to find activities Dante would find interest in to keep him out of trouble. And told his son it might cost him something he desperately wanted one day if he didn’t learn to control himself. Could a promotion be what he wanted? It certainly would have made his late father proud. Could he do it? The idea was planted in his brain now and he’d puzzle over it until he came up with an answer.
His mother broke into his thoughts. “When am I going to see you?”
“Maybe I can get over in the next week or two.”
“Don’t be a stranger. There’s this cute waitress who works at the local outdoor restaurant I’ve fallen in love with. She’d be perfect for you. I think—”
“Mom, I gotta run. Work might be calling me.”
“Might be? Dante Matthews—”
“Love you. Talk to you soon.”
Dante ended the call before his mother had him talked into calling this woman and asking her out on a date, sight unseen. He hoped Dylan got engaged soon, just to take the pressure off.
As he jogged back to his truck, he thought about work decisions, which then triggered visions of Ellie. Her lovely smile when she let her guard down. The deep brown of her eyes. She intrigued him, that’s for sure, which was odd, since she wasn’t his type. He went for women who were more put together in the looks department. Not that Eloise wasn’t pretty; she just hid behind the glasses, tightly pulled back hair and severe clothing choices. But his mother would love her.
Reason enough not to pursue the interest he’d discovered in her. He could already hear his mom humming the wedding march.
CHAPTER TWO
“HEY, ELLIE. WAIT UP.”
Eloise ignored the jolt to her heart and turned to find Dante racing through the parking lot the next morning. The sun was shining, the temperature hovered in the midseventies and Dante was calling her name. Did life get any better? She took a breath and kept her voice level. “What’s up?”
The bright morning light lifted the multiple shades of brown in his unruly hair. Dark sunglasses shaded his eyes, but not the cocky curve of his lips.
“I just found out we’re short a person for the mud run on Saturday.”
“That’s too bad.” Adjusting her purse strap on her shoulder, she was disappointed by his statement, though why, she couldn’t explain. She headed for the building.
“It won’t be if you’d join us.”
“I already told you, not interested.”
“See, here’s the thing. We haven’t lost a challenge to another PD in two years and we can’t lose now. We need you.”
She stopped. Faced him. Tamped down her annoyance.
“I can’t help you.”
“Sure you can. All you do is say yes, throw on clothes you don’t care about getting dirty and show up at the obstacle course at eight on Saturday morning.” He paused. “It’s for charity.”
Even though she stayed physically fit to keep up with the demands of the job and policy of the department, she wasn’t very fast. Or accurate. “Dante, trust me, no one wants me on their team.”
“I do.”
She wished she could read his eyes. Was he serious? Merely taunting her?
“I’m sorry, Dante. The answer is still no.”
She’d turned and had taken two steps along the blacktop when she heard, “Bawk, bawk, bawk.”
She whirled around. “Did you just make chicken noises at me?”
He shrugged. “If the chicken feet fit...”
“I don’t have chicken feet. And I’m not scared.”
“What, then?”
Oh, now he was taunting her. Her temper rose and she blurted, “Uncoordinated.”
Dante calmly walked to her. “Hey, it’s not my intention to upset you, but we really need you. We can’t find anyone else.”
“Be still my heart. Picked for a team last again.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just... It’s a team effort. You’re part of our team. Palm Cove PD, that is. We’d be honored to have you.”
Now he was laying it on thick. “There’s absolutely no one else available?”
“We need one more woman to even out the team. And even though you’ve expressed your displeasure at being part of the team, I’m hoping you’ll reconsider.” As backpedaling went, it wasn’t much, but the chagrined expression on his face granted him points. Even more points for actually listening to her. He wanted her to join despite her refusal.
“I’ve never done anything like a mud race before.”
“You come and do the best you can.”
She did want to feel accepted, be part of something bigger than herself. She’d forever been the odd person out. Vowed one day she’d change that status. Could it start with something as dirty as a mud run?
She pushed up her glasses. “You’re 100 percent certain you need me?”
He flashed her one of his charming grins. “Absolutely.”
Not sure if it was the team angle or Dante’s interest, but she nodded.
“Great. See you Saturday,” he said, then took off as if afraid she might back out if he hung around.
Which made her want to kick herself. She had three days to get ready. Well, today was already busy with follow-up interviews in ongoing cases, which essentially left her with two days. What was wrong with her?
Marching inside the building, she stopped short when Brandy ran up to her. “Something major’s going on.”
Holding up her hand to ebb the flow of information, she stalled by storing her purse in her desk drawer and pouring a much-needed mug of coffee. Brandy, nearly dancing with impatience to fill her ear with the latest news, was clearly ready to burst.
After a bracing sip of the supremely awful coffee, Eloise faced her friend. “This is a police department. Something is always going on. What makes today different?”
“There’s a rippling in the atmosphere. Plus, Chambers has been upstairs for over an hour.”
“He goes up a couple of times a week to meet with the chief.”
“I heard from the chief’s secretary that the sergeant position is a priority. Like the decision has to be made pronto.”
Eloise set the mug on her desk. Smoothed her black dress pants and straightened the collar on her white blouse while trying to contain her excitement. Would the chief of police seriously consider her?
“I don’t suppose you heard who the likely candidates are?”
“No. That information is being monitored, even more closely guarded than the gold at Fort Knox.”
Eloise blinked. Following Brandy’s thought process was like participating in a Ping-Pong match. If she wasn’t careful, she might get mental whiplash. Thankfully her friend was more focused when on the job.
“I can’t imagine there are that many choices. As far as I know, Dante and I are the only ones who have recently taken the test.”
Brandy’s lips curved. “Exactly.”
“You think...both of us?”
“Who else?”
Eloise sank down into her chair, her chest suddenly tight.
She knew it was a possibility they’d both be in the running. Although, when she’d learned Dante had taken the civil test, she’d been surprised. He’d never expressed a desire to be in a more supervisory role. Not that they’d had any lengthy conversations about their desired career paths or, let’s face it, lengthy conversations about anything much at all. She was lucky they got through their daily hellos. The man didn’t share his personal life with anyone that she knew of; why would he announce his professional career path to the entire department? Maybe it was because of the undercover life he’d adopted to so well. Keeping secrets, and his intentions, close to the vest.
Great. Did she have to worry about competition for the job? They were both qualified, and not to toot her own horn, but she was better suited for the position. But it didn’t matter what she thought. That decision came from those with a higher pay grade.
“Let’s not jump the gun here,” she reasoned. “Who even says they’ll promote someone from this station?”
“Why bring a new person from the outside when we have qualified candidates in this very building? Besides, anyone who knows you can’t argue about how awesome you’d be.”
The pressure in Eloise’s chest eased. “Thanks for the boost of confidence.”
“You have to get the job. For the sisterhood.”
Eloise laughed. “The sisterhood, huh?”
“Seriously. We have to stick together. It’s bad enough we work in a male-dominated field. We have the added pressure of proving ourselves every day.”
As Brandy sauntered away, Eloise considered her words. Her friend spoke the truth. The women working here did prove themselves daily, but for Eloise, this was nothing new. She’d been proving herself her entire life. First, to parents who hadn’t been thrilled when she came along, leaving her pretty much to her own devices while growing up. Their academic careers came first and, as much as it hurt, had been a sterling example of the work ethic she’d adopted from the start of her career.
She’d tried to fit in, at college and on the job, but there was always something keeping her from fully joining in. Letting herself go. Something protecting that little girl who’d longed for the love of her parents and acceptance of others.
Shaking off the direction of her thoughts, she looked up when she sensed someone at her desk. Dante, holding out a slip of paper.
“Patrol called in trouble at Parson’s Auto Mall.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Stolen vehicles. Damage.”
She stood and reached for her badge and a small wallet holding her ID and driver’s license. “Are you coming?”
“No. Still on house arre—I mean, desk duty.”
She would have smiled if his disgruntled expression wasn’t so fierce. Sitting on the sidelines had to be killing him.
“I wrote down the address for you.”
“Thanks,” she said as she took the paper, not really needing the address. Palm Cove was small enough that finding the major dealership wasn’t a problem. When Dante didn’t move, she asked, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just a little distracted today.”
Did she dare ask if he’d heard about Chambers’s meeting up in the chief’s office? No, she wouldn’t go there. Instead she said, “Sorry you’re stuck here all day.”
“Hopefully Chambers gets tired of seeing me around all the time and puts me back in the field.”
“You could bring him coffee. Ask him if he wants to talk about his day, what’s up with his family and then, if things are going especially well, ask if he wants to talk about his feelings.”
Dante shuddered. “As much as you meant that as a joke, if the guy doesn’t lighten up soon, I might resort to your suggestion.”
“Oh, let me know if you do. I want to stand by the door and listen to every word.”
“I’ll blame you.”
“Go for it,” she said as she walked away. “But he won’t believe that you and I ever had this conversation.”