watched Terri's approach. She bit down on her bottom lip and wondered if she should have said something about her daughter at the shop.
"Mommy, Mommy, Christie and me had hot dogs for dinner. How come you were so late?" Terri called as she crossed the distance from her best friend's house next door at top speed.
"Christie and I ," Carolyn corrected, giving her daughter a hug. " I had hot dogs."
"You did too?"
Carolyn heard Mac's soft chuckle.
"I'm sorry it took me longer tonight. Some work came up that I just had to finish," she said, skirting Terri's question. She looked at Mac over Terri's head and shook her head without Terri noticing. Mac seemed to understand she didn't want to talk about what had happened at the store. "I worked late and then I ate dinner with my new friend," she added, glancing up at Mac.
Terri turned to look at the man standing on the sidewalk. "Are you the friend my mom ate with?"
Mac nodded, but Carolyn didn't give him a chance to speak. She put her arm around Terri's shoulder. "This is my new friend, Mr. Macdonald," she said. "Come on. Let's all get in out of the cold."
Terri stepped into the front hall and proceeded to take her coat off. Carolyn turned to Mac who hadn't moved, but was watching Terri. "Would you like to come in and meet my daughter?"
Chapter Four
The strange look on Mac's face made Carolyn wish she'd said something about Terri earlier while they were eating pizza. She'd started to, but the subject changed and she never got around to mentioning it. Or had she avoided mentioning that she was a mother? Had she wanted to enjoy the time with Mac in a completely carefree manner, without the responsibilities they each bore coming into it?
She had to admit she hadn't tried very hard to tell him she had a child. He said he was in town temporarily. He would probably leave and never meet Terri. And Carolyn had enjoyed their time together. Just for a while, there in her tiny office with Mac, she had felt young and carefree again–able to enjoy the attentions of a handsome man without the real world intruding.
Was that wrong?
She drew her lower lip into her mouth and bit down on it. Mac stepped in past her, closed the inside door, and leaned against it. Terri hung her coat in the closet on the hook Carolyn had installed low enough for her to reach. She turned back to openly study Mac.
"Terri, Mr. Macdonald is the new Acting Chief of Police here in Lakehaven."
"Are you really a policeman?" Terri asked excitedly.
Mac glanced at Carolyn and then looked back at her daughter. "Ah, yes. I'm a policeman," he said as he hunkered down to be on a level with Terri.
"I've never met a policeman except one who came to school once."
Mac chuckled. "I think that's good."
"Do you carry a gun and everything?"
"When I need to," he answered after another quick glance at Carolyn.
"Are you arresting my mom? Is that why you're here?"
"No, honey, I'm just here to see that your mom got home safely."
Terri looked up at her mom with a surprised look on her face. Of course Terri knew nothing about the break-in, and Carolyn didn't want Mac's comments to make Terri worry about her when Carolyn was out and had to come home alone. She smiled reassuringly. "That's his way of saying he wanted to talk to me a little longer, that's all."
Terri turned back to Mac. "My mom gets herself home okay all the time."
Mac grinned. "I'm sure she does. You're a very pretty little girl, but I bet everyone tells you that."
Terri giggled. "Does everyone tell you you're handsome?" she asked earnestly.
Mac laughed out loud. "No, I can't remember anyone saying that."
"I think he's very handsome, don't you, Mommy?" Terri asked, turning to look up at Carolyn.
Carolyn looked from her to Mac and back again. She felt heat rising into her cheeks and wished she could end the conversation about Mac. She smiled, but didn't get a chance to speak before Mac did.
"Terri, may I ask how old you are?"
"I just
"Mommy, Mommy, Christie and me had hot dogs for dinner. How come you were so late?" Terri called as she crossed the distance from her best friend's house next door at top speed.
"Christie and I ," Carolyn corrected, giving her daughter a hug. " I had hot dogs."
"You did too?"
Carolyn heard Mac's soft chuckle.
"I'm sorry it took me longer tonight. Some work came up that I just had to finish," she said, skirting Terri's question. She looked at Mac over Terri's head and shook her head without Terri noticing. Mac seemed to understand she didn't want to talk about what had happened at the store. "I worked late and then I ate dinner with my new friend," she added, glancing up at Mac.
Terri turned to look at the man standing on the sidewalk. "Are you the friend my mom ate with?"
Mac nodded, but Carolyn didn't give him a chance to speak. She put her arm around Terri's shoulder. "This is my new friend, Mr. Macdonald," she said. "Come on. Let's all get in out of the cold."
Terri stepped into the front hall and proceeded to take her coat off. Carolyn turned to Mac who hadn't moved, but was watching Terri. "Would you like to come in and meet my daughter?"
Chapter Four
The strange look on Mac's face made Carolyn wish she'd said something about Terri earlier while they were eating pizza. She'd started to, but the subject changed and she never got around to mentioning it. Or had she avoided mentioning that she was a mother? Had she wanted to enjoy the time with Mac in a completely carefree manner, without the responsibilities they each bore coming into it?
She had to admit she hadn't tried very hard to tell him she had a child. He said he was in town temporarily. He would probably leave and never meet Terri. And Carolyn had enjoyed their time together. Just for a while, there in her tiny office with Mac, she had felt young and carefree again–able to enjoy the attentions of a handsome man without the real world intruding.
Was that wrong?
She drew her lower lip into her mouth and bit down on it. Mac stepped in past her, closed the inside door, and leaned against it. Terri hung her coat in the closet on the hook Carolyn had installed low enough for her to reach. She turned back to openly study Mac.
"Terri, Mr. Macdonald is the new Acting Chief of Police here in Lakehaven."
"Are you really a policeman?" Terri asked excitedly.
Mac glanced at Carolyn and then looked back at her daughter. "Ah, yes. I'm a policeman," he said as he hunkered down to be on a level with Terri.
"I've never met a policeman except one who came to school once."
Mac chuckled. "I think that's good."
"Do you carry a gun and everything?"
"When I need to," he answered after another quick glance at Carolyn.
"Are you arresting my mom? Is that why you're here?"
"No, honey, I'm just here to see that your mom got home safely."
Terri looked up at her mom with a surprised look on her face. Of course Terri knew nothing about the break-in, and Carolyn didn't want Mac's comments to make Terri worry about her when Carolyn was out and had to come home alone. She smiled reassuringly. "That's his way of saying he wanted to talk to me a little longer, that's all."
Terri turned back to Mac. "My mom gets herself home okay all the time."
Mac grinned. "I'm sure she does. You're a very pretty little girl, but I bet everyone tells you that."
Terri giggled. "Does everyone tell you you're handsome?" she asked earnestly.
Mac laughed out loud. "No, I can't remember anyone saying that."
"I think he's very handsome, don't you, Mommy?" Terri asked, turning to look up at Carolyn.
Carolyn looked from her to Mac and back again. She felt heat rising into her cheeks and wished she could end the conversation about Mac. She smiled, but didn't get a chance to speak before Mac did.
"Terri, may I ask how old you are?"
"I just
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