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She, tearful; he offering his special brand of comfort…

So what happened tonight?

Where had it all gone wrong?

Mace took her hand in his.

“Hey.” He laughed. “Don’t go quiet on me, Leigh. I came armed with champagne, hoping to bring a little joy into your life.”

He toyed with his glass, swilling around the remains of his drink. Knowing something still bugged her.

“Leigh. I care about you. You do know that, don’t you?”

“It had crossed my mind, Mace. You spending more time here than in your own apartment, an’ all!”

“Any objection to that?”

“Mace. You know I don’t. You’re beginning to mean a lot to me, too. I, we, would have been lost without your help, your advice and…concern. It’s real good to know you’re there for us.”

“Is that all? I’d hoped there was something more…”

Her robe slipped off her shoulder. Her mouth opened slightly as she gave him a puzzled smile.

“Of course there’s more, Mace. Much more. And you know it. It’s just that tonight…”

Suddenly, he was before her, hunkering down, looking anxiously into her face. “I’d hoped there was, Leigh.”

He dropped to his knees, resting his head on her lap. Feeling his warmth against her, she stroked his hair, still damp and tousled from the hot tub.

They stayed this way for a while—quiet, content, just being together.

Then he was sitting on the sofa beside her, she leaning against him, feeling relaxed and a little sleepy.

“Time to go,” he whispered, his breath warm against her neck.

“Go? So soon?”

“Time to go to bed. For me to make love to you till…sunup, at least. I love you, Leigh West. And tonight, I’m gonna show you just how much…”

Mace left before six next morning, leaving her in bed, drowsy, clinging, not wanting him to go.

“Gotta ride, Leigh. Things to do, places to go.”

He kissed her warm, open mouth. It tasted sweet as honey, making him want more.

He lingered over her, kissing her neck, caressing her shoulders. His hands slid down to her breasts, feeling her nipples tense and stiffen. Tracing swirls around them with his forefingers, he tweaked them slightly. She squirmed a little, sighed, and curled into his arms.

Finally, he whispered, “Call ya later, Leigh. ’Bye.”

Quietly, he let himself out of the house.

Not wanting to wake Deana.

Dipping into his jacket pocket, he hooked out a palmful of seeds. Flipping them into his mouth, he chewed around them for a while.

His lips curved in a slow smile.

Thinking about Deana sneaking in at two-thirty a.m.

As he munched, his face broke out in a grin.

Suddenly, he didn’t give a monkey’s shit about waking Deana. He hoped he had. He quite liked the idea of her lying there, listening…

Hearing him leave her mother’s bed.

THIRTY-FIVE

Leigh was leaving for the restaurant when the phone rang. It was Mattie.

“Hi, Mats. What’s up?”

“I’m coming over, Leigh. Be there in five, six minutes?”

“Sure. See ya.”

What did Mattie want so early? I know she’s supposed to be our personal bodyguard—but hasn’t she heard that Nelson’s dead?

Mattie had sounded subdued. Upset, even. Leigh frowned. What on earth was wrong?

Was it anything to do with her?

Perhaps Mattie needed a shoulder to cry on.

Leigh didn’t have to wait long to find out.

“Coffee?”

“Sure. As it comes. The blacker the better.”

Leigh set two mugs on the kitchen table. More informal here than in the living room, she decided. If Mattie had something on her mind, she’d probably prefer to discuss it in the intimacy of the kitchen.

Leigh poured coffee, passed Mattie hers, and sat facing her over the table.

Leigh added cream to her own coffee while Mattie worked around the real reason for her visit. For a while, she stirred her coffee, concentrating on the swirling black liquid.

“Not keeping you, am I?” she asked, glancing up.

“Not a bit of it. The gang’s all there, back at the Bayview. Beavering away, I hope.” Leigh smiled at her.

Mattie said, “Heard the news about Nelson. So you identified him?”

Leigh sighed and nodded. “Yeah. All of that. Not a pleasant experience, I might say.”

“Yeah. I seen bodies that’ve been in the water for a while. Good thing you even recognized Nelson. Fish tend to mess things up.”

Leigh shuddered. “Don’t, Mattie. It was bad enough as it was…”

“Mace told you about Nelson?”

“Yes, he did. He’s been very supportive.”

“I’ll bet.”

Leigh started at the cynicism in Mattie’s tone.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that Mace can be a very supportive person.”

Leigh didn’t care for the way she said that.

“You got something on your mind, Mattie? If you have, spit it out. I’m all ears.”

Mattie hesitated for a moment, then said, “Lemme tell you a story, Leigh.”

“Go on.”

Mattie paused again, deciding where to begin.

“Five years ago, when I first came to Mill Valley PD, I was a raw, hurt young girl. Naive, if you like. From a li’l hick town near Lodgepole, Sequoia country…

“I’d met up with some guy there who did things to gals. To get his wicked way.”

She huffed out a short, cynical laugh.