need backup? I mean, do you know anyone else here in town you can call on?”
Yeah, actually. He knew a lot of people here in Derryville, from his kindergarten teacher to the owner of the feed store. From the girls who worked in the hair salon on Great Lakes Lane to most of the men on the small police force. He’d been away for ten years. Not long enough for things to change in a town like Derryville. That was one of the reasons he’d had to escape, to break free. Growing up here had been like living in a fish tank. Everyone saw every move, commented on every turn.
Getting out hadn’t been something he’d wanted to do. It had been what he’d had to do. If for no other reason than to get some damn privacy for the first time in his life.
Still, during the few times he’d come back, he had felt a twinge or two of nostalgia. No matter how much he’d longed to escape Derryville, it would always be home to him. Particularly now. In the fall. Yes, summer had becomehis favorite season since moving to Chicago. But sitting here, with a woman who smelled of apples and had golden eyes and hair the color of sunshine, he remembered that it hadn’t always been that way.
As a kid, nothing had compared to the excitement he’d felt when October rolled around. His thoughts would turn to scary costumes, pranks and parties. Many of his favorite childhood memories were from the holidays from October to December.
Maybe that’s why coming home was feeling so right tonight. On Halloween.
“Miles?”
He finally answered her nearly forgotten question. “Yeah. I have people I can call on who are nearby. If the need arises.”
Like family. His cousin Mick, and Mick’s sister Sophie. Their parents. Jared’s own parents were snowbirds who’d already taken off to spend Halloween with his sister and her kids in Florida. But his grandfather was still here. And everyone in Derryville knew his grandfather, Samuel Winchester. He’d been police chief for twenty years before stepping aside so his son, Jared’s dad, could take over the job.
Then he’d waited, expecting Jared to do the same. Everyone expected that, knowing Mick was too much of a playboy to be a cop. When Jared hadn’t…Well, his grandfather was from the old school. Betraying tradition meant betraying your family. He and his grandfather hadn’t had a real conversation in eight years.
“Why are you frowning?”
Jared thrust the disturbing thoughts of his grandfather out of his mind and focused instead on his attractive playmate in this weekend’s game. “It’s nothing.”
“So, do you have a plan, or backup, or anything?”
“I can take care of myself.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the small, fake handgun, which would be useful only if she pulled out a cigar and asked for a light. Her eyes widened, so he slid it back into his pocket, patting the bulge in the leather jacket. “As you can see, I came prepared. We’ll be fine.”
She pursed her bottom lip. “I don’t particularly care for guns. But my Aunt Hildy knows how to handle one.”
Aunt Hildy. Another player? “Is she here this weekend?”
“Oh, of course.” Then she frowned. “We have to keep her in the dark about this. Aunt Hildy is a trifle…eccentric. If she had the faintest idea what was going on, she’d want to start snooping in rooms or doing full body searches of the guests.”
Jared briefly considered offering to help with the full body searches—at least of one particular guest. The one sitting beside him, looking so damn sexy he couldn’t think straight.
“Okay, we won’t tell her,” he agreed.
“So, should we, uh, do anything right now?”
Oh, yeah, he could definitely think of some things he’d like to be doing right now. But he had the feeling she was talking about the game, not about hot and heavy sex. “I don’t think so,” he replied. “I could just use a little time to formulate a strategy.”
“About what’s going to happen this
Yeah, actually. He knew a lot of people here in Derryville, from his kindergarten teacher to the owner of the feed store. From the girls who worked in the hair salon on Great Lakes Lane to most of the men on the small police force. He’d been away for ten years. Not long enough for things to change in a town like Derryville. That was one of the reasons he’d had to escape, to break free. Growing up here had been like living in a fish tank. Everyone saw every move, commented on every turn.
Getting out hadn’t been something he’d wanted to do. It had been what he’d had to do. If for no other reason than to get some damn privacy for the first time in his life.
Still, during the few times he’d come back, he had felt a twinge or two of nostalgia. No matter how much he’d longed to escape Derryville, it would always be home to him. Particularly now. In the fall. Yes, summer had becomehis favorite season since moving to Chicago. But sitting here, with a woman who smelled of apples and had golden eyes and hair the color of sunshine, he remembered that it hadn’t always been that way.
As a kid, nothing had compared to the excitement he’d felt when October rolled around. His thoughts would turn to scary costumes, pranks and parties. Many of his favorite childhood memories were from the holidays from October to December.
Maybe that’s why coming home was feeling so right tonight. On Halloween.
“Miles?”
He finally answered her nearly forgotten question. “Yeah. I have people I can call on who are nearby. If the need arises.”
Like family. His cousin Mick, and Mick’s sister Sophie. Their parents. Jared’s own parents were snowbirds who’d already taken off to spend Halloween with his sister and her kids in Florida. But his grandfather was still here. And everyone in Derryville knew his grandfather, Samuel Winchester. He’d been police chief for twenty years before stepping aside so his son, Jared’s dad, could take over the job.
Then he’d waited, expecting Jared to do the same. Everyone expected that, knowing Mick was too much of a playboy to be a cop. When Jared hadn’t…Well, his grandfather was from the old school. Betraying tradition meant betraying your family. He and his grandfather hadn’t had a real conversation in eight years.
“Why are you frowning?”
Jared thrust the disturbing thoughts of his grandfather out of his mind and focused instead on his attractive playmate in this weekend’s game. “It’s nothing.”
“So, do you have a plan, or backup, or anything?”
“I can take care of myself.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the small, fake handgun, which would be useful only if she pulled out a cigar and asked for a light. Her eyes widened, so he slid it back into his pocket, patting the bulge in the leather jacket. “As you can see, I came prepared. We’ll be fine.”
She pursed her bottom lip. “I don’t particularly care for guns. But my Aunt Hildy knows how to handle one.”
Aunt Hildy. Another player? “Is she here this weekend?”
“Oh, of course.” Then she frowned. “We have to keep her in the dark about this. Aunt Hildy is a trifle…eccentric. If she had the faintest idea what was going on, she’d want to start snooping in rooms or doing full body searches of the guests.”
Jared briefly considered offering to help with the full body searches—at least of one particular guest. The one sitting beside him, looking so damn sexy he couldn’t think straight.
“Okay, we won’t tell her,” he agreed.
“So, should we, uh, do anything right now?”
Oh, yeah, he could definitely think of some things he’d like to be doing right now. But he had the feeling she was talking about the game, not about hot and heavy sex. “I don’t think so,” he replied. “I could just use a little time to formulate a strategy.”
“About what’s going to happen this
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