Guarding Her Heart (Guardians Inc. Book 1) Page 9

  The aroma of freshly baked corn bread filled his nostrils, bringing back dozens of memories from childhood. His stomach began to grumble loudly as tantalizing aromas invaded his senses. With a knowing smile, Aurelia told them to head towards the dining room to sit down for supper. She had lined up the food on the side table - biscuits, gravy, chicken and dumplings, fried okra, fried corn, meat loaf and grits. After listening to Aurelia bless the table, he dug into the food with a vengeance, barely paying attention to the pleasantries exchanged between the two women. By the time dessert was served, Matt couldn't believe he actually had room in his stomach for Key Lime pie and ice cream. Marissa really had a healthy appetite, he noted with surprise as he watched her add two scoops of vanilla ice cream to her pie. The moment the sweet treat entered her mouth she closed her eyes and let out a sigh of delight, then stacked her spoon with another mouthful.

  When he looked up he noticed Aurelia watching him with a pleased expression, her warm eyes sparkling with delight and amusement. Matt furrowed his brows and shot her a look of confusion. She looked at Marissa then back towards him, her smile growing wider and brighter. He didn't know what had come over Aurelia, but he had the strangest feeling she thought Marissa was his special lady friend. He gave her a small nod along with a look that told her she was all kinds of wrong in her thinking. In response, Aurelia flashed him an even bigger smile.

  ***

  After dinner they gathered in the living room where Matt challenged Aurelia to a game of Uno. Five rounds later and she was whipping his butt four games to one. Marissa had no clue as to whether he lost the games on purpose. It didn't matter really since Aurelia looked tickled pink every time she won a game. Her sweet round face showed her every emotion as she tightly held her cards to her chest, holding her breath until it was her turn to slap a card down. Whenever she cried out “Uno” she did a crazy little dance in her seat.

  There were many pictures of Matt proudly displayed on the mantelpiece – as a teenager at a Native American powwow, in his graduation cap and gown, a picture of Matt and Aurelia on Thanksgiving and a photo of him on the day he made Sheriff. As she looked at the photos she couldn't help but feel as if she was getting glimpses into his past and seeing the path he'd walked towards becoming the man he was today. From this point forward she couldn't look at Matt the same way again. He was so tender with Aurelia, so kind and gracious that it made her heart swell to witness it. She felt as if she was a privileged guest witnessing a special occasion like a graduation or a wedding. She was in the presence of true, pure love, the type of love only families can create. Matt tended to her with such infinite care. Love. It was all there right in front of her. Matt loved Aurelia. He showed it in every word, deed and gesture. Asking Beau to pick up the flowers. The utmost respect he showed for their tradition of sharing Sunday dinner together. Wearing the suit jacket and tie he was clearly uncomfortable in. Her heart ached a little bit just watching them since she now knew the bond tying them together. She also was aware of the tragedy that had shaped Matt's early life and the amazing way Aurelia had stepped in to give him a place to call his own.

  Another part of her ached a little for reasons she didn't want to face. Emotions were flowing so swiftly through her like a rushing river she couldn't hold back. It was want. Pure and simple want. She recognized the emotion, fought against it a little, as she struggled to face her feelings. With a sinking heart she realized she was in trouble. He'd gotten under her skin. She wanted him to show her the tenderness he'd shown Aurelia. She ached to have him look at her with something meaningful radiating from his eyes. Her heart sank as the realization hit her in the deepest regions of her heart. She wanted Matt to love her.

  The feeling hit her like a ton of bricks, leaving her reeling with emotion. Her heart began to beat with an uneven rhythm and her palms began to moisten with sweat. She fought the urge to flee, all the while knowing that the safest bet would be to get as far away from Matt Cruz as her feet would carry her.

  She didn't...she couldn't want this. Matt was everything she hated in a man. Bossy. Rude. Arrogant. But he was also kind and sweet and generous. And he'd made her feel things she didn't know she could feel. The chemistry between them was palpable. Maybe this whole time her dislike of him had masked something deeper.

  When it was time to leave, Aurelia packed up some left-overs in large tins and placed them in a shopping bag to take home. She reached for Marissa's hands and placed them in her own.

  “I'm so sorry you've been put through all this, sweetie. I’m so glad you have Matt to look after you and keep you safe.”

  “Mrs. Jenkins-,” she said.

  “Aurelia. Please call me Aurelia,” she said warmly, her round cheeks resembling apples as she smiled. “We're old friends now.”

  “Aurelia.” She looked down, her eyes focusing on the hardwood floor that shined like a new penny despite the many years of use. She moistened her lips and continued. “I want to apologize to you. I had no business repeating a rumor I heard about you and Matt.” Finally, she met Aurelia's gaze, where she saw nothing other than compassion staring back at her. “I'm sorry if I hurt you.”

  Aurelia reached out and touched her cheek, her warm hands feeling like warm apple pie.

  “Yes, the rumors hurt. But, after meeting you, I can't imagine you started them.”

  “I didn't, but I did pass them on a few times. I'm so ashamed,” Marissa admitted.

  “Take it from an old woman. Shame is a good thing. It shows us we're human...and sometimes we fall. We fail to do what's right. But you came here tonight and faced me...faced what you did. I think that's pretty cool as the young kids say.”

  Marissa leaned in and kissed Aurelia's wrinkled cheek, then said, “Thank you for being so gracious.”

  Aurelia held her in place for a moment, pausing to whisper in her ear, “Don't pay any attention to his foul moods. He's as mushy as a marshmallow on the inside. And he’s a loving, God fearing man.” Marissa smiled and stepped aside.

  She watched as Matt leaned down and enveloped Aurelia in a tight, loving embrace. It was strange seeing such a big man exert such tenderness. Matt said his goodbyes, promising to come back next Sunday and making a request for brisket and ham and collard greens. Aurelia blew kisses as they headed down the driveway, the tires making a crunching sound as they drove over pebbled stones.

  “She's lovely,” Marissa said as she covered a yawn with her hand. She bunched her sweater up into a ball and placed it next to her head as a pillow so she could relax on the drive home.

  “Yeah, no doubt about it. I hit the lottery the day Aurelia took me in.”

  “Mmm...she's like a fairy godmother,” she said sleepily as she stole a sideways glance at Matt. He looked so handsome in his white shirt and slacks. He'd shed the tie and jacket a few hours ago, around the same time he'd settled in for another slice of pie.

  Matt laughed. “Don't let the smiles fool you. She can be pretty hardcore when she wants to be. I remember a few times when I didn't clean my room...it wasn't a pretty sight.”

  “That doesn't surprise me,” she said with a laugh. “Anyone who plays Uno that seriously must have a dark side.”

  When Matt pulled his red pickup truck into the driveway thirty minutes later, his headlights illuminated a dark shape on the lawn.

  “What is that? Some kind of animal?” Matt asked as he squinted out the window. He moved the car so that the light from his headlights brought the object into sharp focus.

  Suddenly, it felt as if all the air was being pulled from her lungs. She opened her mouth to scream, but not a single sound came out of her mouth. She felt herself being pulled into another nightmarish scene as she saw Beau's lifeless body lying face down in the grass.

  Chapter Eight

  As soon as he saw Beau's tan colored deputy's uniform Matt jumped out of the truck and ran toward where he lay on the ground. He immediately searched for a pulse, his heart beating a crazy rhythm as a thousand thoughts ran through his mind
. Not Beau! Please God, not him. He was just twenty-seven years old with his whole life stretched wide open in front of him. He's a good man, he prayed. Kind. Diligent. Honest. A world class friend.

  He found a pulse in Beau's neck and he called out to Marissa, “Call 911. I've got a pulse here.” She stood for a moment looking shell-shocked, her eyes wide with fear and concern. “Go, Marissa,” he screamed when she hesitated. He watched her run to the car and scramble in her purse for her cell phone, fingers flying over the keyboard as she made the call. Through a haze he heard her give the 911 dispatcher his address and the details of the emergency.

  Matt noticed a stream of blood flowing from the back of Beau's head and he ripped his shirt off and pressed it against the back of his deputy's head, managing to stem the flow of blood with his makeshift tourniquet. He turned Beau's head slightly so he could breathe comfortably. He knew he wasn't supposed to move him, so he continued to press the tourniquet to Beau's head, all the while praying for the ambulance to arrive.

  Marissa stood to the side, her arms wrapped around her midsection as tears flowed down her cheeks. If the situation hadn't been so life and death, he would've moved towards her and cradled her in his arms. She looked so weak and fragile. She seemed scared to death. He released a huge sigh of relief as the sound of sirens rang out in the stillness of the night. At the same time, he heard a sound coming from Beau, a low, agonized moan. Beau twisted his body so he could see Matt, his eyes full of unspoken questions.

  “Hey, buddy,” he said. “You're going to have to take it easy.”

  Beau's eyes bulged and a gurgling sound emanated from his throat. He opened his mouth but no intelligible words emerged. “The ambulance is here, Beau. The EMTs are going to take over and we're going to see you in a few at the hospital.” Matt gripped his deputy's hand tightly, choking back emotion as the realization hit him that Beau was fighting for his life.

  Marissa got down on her knees and began to squeeze Beau's hand as she murmured reassuring words to him. The EMTs arrived and quickly assessed the scene as they gently turned his body over and placed him on a gurney. Within a matter of minutes, the EMTs had placed the gurney in the back of the ambulance and Matt was instructing several deputies who'd arrived on scene to check out the house and its perimeter.

  Out of nowhere came the sound of screeching tires as a squad car roared into view. Seconds later Evie jumped out of the driver's seat and ran straight toward him.

  “Sheriff, what happened? Where's Beau?” Evie’s eyes were wide and her movements were frantic as she looked around in shock at the retreating ambulance and the officers who were scattered about the scene.

  “Beau's in trouble, Evie,” he said gruffly. “When we got back from Aurelia's he was unconscious and barely breathing with a contusion on the back of his head.” Right before his eyes her expression turned into one of fear and dread. “Where were you?”

  The minute he uttered the words he wanted to yank them back. His words sounded a lot like blame. He knew it, and he hated himself for having to be so blunt. The truth was that as a law enforcement officer he needed Evie to learn this lesson. It would make her a better deputy and a better partner. She'd violated one of the golden rules of law enforcement. Always have your partner's back.

  “I went to get donuts,” she said in a choked up voice.

  Donuts? For a second he thought his head was going to explode. “You mean to tell me you left a stakeout to get donuts?” He spit the words out, his raw emotions getting the best of him.

  Her voice was flat, almost emotionless. “We did rock, paper, scissors. I lost.”

  He curled his lips in disgust. “Well, I don't think you're going to have to worry about getting deputy of the year now are you?”

  Evie hung her head low and he watched her fight back the tears. She didn't shed any, but her emotions were stamped all over her face like a tattoo. “I'd like to go to the hospital to check in on Deputy Scott,” she said in a humbled voice, her eyes filled with an unspoken plea.

  He felt himself softening a little, mellowing out as it all played out on her face - her utter devastation and the love she felt for Beau. Marissa had tried to tell him earlier, but he'd dismissed Evie’s feelings as a simple crush. He knew better now. It was indelibly imprinted on her ravaged features. It was that simple. She loved Beau.

  He tamped down his emotions, somehow managing to choke out the words, “Go to the hospital. I'll expect a full report on my desk by 8 a.m.”

  Evie jogged over to her squad car and gunned the engine before roaring off with her sirens blaring. He looked over at Marissa, who had stood at a discreet distance while he spoke with Evie. His eyes narrowed in on her reddened eyes and the scared-out-of-her-wits expression she couldn't hide. Bonkers bounded up to him, his tail wagging furiously as he greeted him. He bent down and scooped the dog up in his arms, nuzzling his face in his fur for a few seconds of pure relaxation. He released the dog and watched with semi-amusement as he raced towards Marissa and began dancing around her in little circles. He watched as she scooped the dog up and let Bonkers lick her entire face as she patted her on the back. It hadn't taken long, he thought wryly, for Marissa to wrap Bonkers around her little finger.

  Stacy Talbot, one of his seasoned officers, yelled at him from the doorway of the house. “Sheriff, you need to come inside and check this out!”

  Marissa advanced towards the house with a look of determination on her face, her shapely legs propelling her at a rapid speed. When she moved to go around him he stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her progress.

  He held up his hands to keep her at bay. “You don't need to see this! Stay put while I -.”

  “Yes, I do need to see this!” she said heatedly. “I'm in this, Matt. I'm in it up to my neck. He came here tonight looking for me. And he found Beau instead.” Her voice trembled as she said Beau's name, and he knew guilt was eating her up inside. “You have no idea how that makes me feel.”She lowered her head and closed her eyes, placing her trembling hands over her mouth.

  He pulled her towards him by her elbows, reaching up and grazing his knuckles across her cheek. “Yeah, I do. Cause I feel the same way. I told Beau to keep guard here tonight. That was my call. Whatever happens to Beau, I've got to live with that.”

  “I've got to live with it too,” she said defiantly. “It's not in my nature to run away from things, no matter how scared I may be on the inside.”

  He understood what she was saying. In a sense, she was right. She'd lost her innocence the night she witnessed Ronnie's murder at the The Limelight. Although it was his job to keep her safe from a killer, he couldn't shield her from the stark, cold truth of what went down tonight. The killer had come looking for her, hell bent on taking her out. She'd already seen the worst of it, having witnessed Ronnie's death and the aftermath of Beau's attack. He had to accept she could handle this, because there really was no other option.

  Please let her be able to emotionally handle this, Lord. Marissa has already been through so much. Protect her, Lord. She’s not as tough as she thinks she is.

  With a sigh, he motioned for Marissa to follow him into his house. Moments after walking through the doorway Matt stopped in his tracks. He felt a small bump from Marissa's body as she crashed into him from behind. He let out a low groan as he saw the calling card the killer had left behind. In big letters on the living room wall he'd written in bold black ink – I'LL FIND YOU.

  ***

  I'LL FIND YOU. The words were more than a threat, Marissa realized. They sounded like a promise. The killer was giving her a message, one she couldn't seem to shake. Although she felt safe under Matt's protection, it had rattled her tremendously that Beau had come under attack. Thankfully, Evie had called from the hospital with the news that Beau had regained consciousness and his condition was updated from critical to guarded. Jason had diagnosed him with a concussion and a few broken ribs, but expected him to make a full recovery. The good news had hit Matt hard; She'd seen the
relief wash over him like a tidal wave.

  When she finally settled in for the night she couldn't close her eyes without seeing Matt's tarnished wall and the mocking words written by a man who'd tried on two occasions to kill her. The fact that he'd been in Matt’s house- been in her bedroom perhaps – creeped her out. It made her skin crawl to think of him poring through her things and writing ominous messages on Matt's beautiful wall. And above all she couldn't rid her mind of the image of Ronnie – bloody, lifeless and dead. She found herself pacing the floor, her thoughts whirling with wild thoughts amid the hush of the early morning hours.

  Finally, she couldn't stand the silence any longer. She stood outside his bedroom door for what felt like hours, even though she knew it couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes at the most. Her thumb was in her mouth and she was nervously biting her nail down to the nub. Before she lost her nerve she reached out and rapped her knuckles on the door, feeling a rush of relief as she heard Matt's voice telling her to come in.

  She slowly opened the door, her eyes widening at the sight of him. He was sitting on his bed reading a book, wearing an over-sized T shirt and sweatpants. He was perfect, she thought dreamily.

  “Can't sleep?” he asked as he placed his book in his lap.

  She managed to swallow the huge lump in her throat, the same one that had lodged itself there when she'd spotted Beau's lifeless body. And even now when she knew he was going to be okay, the fear still lingered. He was out there. The man who'd killed Ronnie and attacked Beau. The man who wanted to take her out and had tried on several occasions.

  “No, I can't sleep,” she finally answered, her thoughts whirling crazily around her. Fear sliced through her with the sharpness of a knife. Was he out there somewhere in the darkness just waiting for Matt to put down his guard? If she closed her eyes would he invade her nightmares? Would she cry out again in the middle of the night because of her dark, twisted memories?