The Lawman's Honor by Linda Goodnight

Author:Linda Goodnight
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2013-12-04T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

He was losing his edge. And he knew better. Heath had seen it happen too many times. A cop fell for the wrong woman and she took him down.

But try as he might, he couldn’t keep Cassie out of his head. The snap of green eyes, the slash of bright red lips curved in a mischievous grin, the sweet and sassy depth of personality. A man who claimed Cassie as his woman would know a partner and friend, as well as a love. And oh, how she loved. He’d seen her with her family, her customers, her friends, her church. He knew her loyalty to her husband’s memory. Cassie loved them all with a passion as warm as an Ozark summer.

After sleeping most of Sunday away, Heath had given in to the urge and called her. He’d asked about the baby, kept it light, and never mentioned the devastating kiss. Neither had Cassie.

He’d phoned his mother, too, and then made two more calls to hassle Holt and Heston awhile. Granted, Heath was restless, troubled by circumstances of his own creation.

Now, late Monday morning, he drove the streets of Whisper Falls, combing the residential areas for an eighty-seven-year-old Alzheimer’s patient who’d wandered away from his daughter’s home.

On the dash, his father’s badge glinted in the bright sunlight, an ever-present reminder of his calling. Yet he couldn’t believe Cassie was involved with Louis Carmichael’s drug business. Or maybe he didn’t want to believe it. That was the trouble with relationships. They skewed a man’s focus.

As he turned a corner onto Oak Street, he spotted an elderly man sitting beneath a tree across the street from the school. Children played on the playground, their voices carrying to him like a cheerful wind. Heath’s chest tightened, both with relief at having found the man and at the poignancy of his location. That Elmer would come here, near a school, made perfect sense. The old gentleman had been a science teacher for many years.

After a confirmation glance at the photo on the seat beside him, Heath radioed the news to cancel the silver alert and whipped in next to the curb and got out, approaching the man.

“Elmer, are you okay?” Heath knelt on one knee next to the thin, withered old man. His clothes were smudged with dirt as if he’d fallen, and he smelled of arthritis rub. Compassion thickened Heath’s throat. Someday, he or his loved ones might be in this position. “Sharon is worried about you.”

“Sharon?” Elmer asked in a frightened voice. “What is this place? Everything looks different.”

“Don’t worry, sir. I’m a police officer. I’ll take you home.”

“That’s nice of you, son.” Though his rheumy eyes were clouded, Elmer’s entire body sagged in helpless, hopeless relief. “Marjorie made a carrot cake this morning and I’m hungry. My wife is a fine, fine cook.”

“Yes, sir.” Heath helped the elderly man to his feet, keeping the sadness from his expression. Marjorie, he knew from the daughter’s information, was his long-dead wife. “Let’s get you home.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.