Escape in Passion Read online

  She had a point. “I didn’t say you didn’t look good fat. You still look sexy as hell, and, man, could your tits get any bigger?” Before pregnancy she’d had an abundance of them and now—well hell—if he didn’t stop gawking at them, he was going to end up getting a punch in the face from Tom.

  “Stop staring at my tits, Vic,” Cassie insisted.

  “How can I not stare when they’re right in my face?”

  “Victor,” Tom warned.

  “Okay, fine, backing off.”

  “How is my shop?”

  Since arriving in town some nine months ago, Cassie had started up a shop selling small figurines, vases, jewelry, and anything else that collected dust. She’d worked hard to get it up and running, and while she had been away, Vic had lent a hand any time he had a free moment, to make sure it was running well.

  “It didn’t burn to the ground, which is a good thing. The girls did well, and I made sure it was closed down properly every day, and I took in the money at the end of the night.”

  “Great. Thanks.”

  “No problem. How was the honeymoon?”

  “Hot,” Cassie added, while putting the first aid supplies back in the kit.

  “Well, duh, it’s Mexico.”

  “It’s not the most comfortable when you’re pregnant.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” He rolled his eyes at Tom mouthing, “Sorry, pal.”

  “I’m going to take a hot bath and relax before bed.” Cassie pulled Tom down for a kiss, then slugged Vic on her way out of the room.

  “Missed you, too, Cassie.” The instant she left the room, Vic turned to Tom, shaking his head. “Oh, Lord, Tom. I think that kid’s possessed her.”

  “She’s just cranky from the flight home. After a good night’s sleep, she’ll be as good as new. How are things with you? How’s the job?” Tom grabbed two beers from the fridge.

  Taking the beer Tom held out to him, Vic popped the top, took a sip before replying. “I’ve resorted to freeing cats frozen to the snow and breaking up teenage boys fighting over a girl.”

  “Tough cases. Bored?”

  “Not yet. It’s nice, actually, to relax. Sure I have more responsibilities here, but it’s not the same. You know what I mean?”

  “Yeah, small towns are like that. Any regrets?”

  “Nope, no regrets.” Vic lifted the beer, took a few gulps, thinking his only regret was not having been able to save the woman he loved.

  ***

  Julia Wilson drove along the highway, admiring the pretty scenery. The sun was shining bright in the morning sky, casting its rays down upon the snow on the ground, making it look like crystals and diamonds. It was unfortunate that along with the beautiful scene came the freezing temperatures. The weather report on the radio stated the temperatures had dipped to a frigid negative thirty-five degrees Celsius during the night, with the wind chill it felt more like minus forty.

  Damn, it was cold.

  Thank God her car was warm.

  Julia had made sure everything was working properly before she’d left for her road trip. The last thing she wanted was to be stranded on some lonely prairie highway.

  She’d decided to drive the last leg of her journey straight through, and now she was regretting not having stopped for the night. Normally, she hated night driving, but Julia was on a mission and that took priority over an irrational fear of hitting some poor creature with her car. What were the odds of hitting a deer, anyway? It was probably too damn cold for even them to be out at night. Now that it was morning, Julia was utterly relieved to see the sign announcing she was only forty-five kilometers from Passion.

  She’d be there soon enough.

  The song on the radio brought back painful memories, so Julia clicked it off and sat in the silence instead. Her heart was still aching, and she doubted very much that the ache would dull anytime soon. It had only been eight months since she’d lost her best friend, her sister, and despite what people said, time did not heal all wounds.

  She heard the siren waling and looked up into her rear view mirror and saw the police cruiser behind her.

  “Damn it.” A quick glance at her speedometer told Julia she hadn’t been paying attention to her speed and had gone over the legal speed limit. “Damn it, damn it!” Slowing, she pulled to the shoulder, still cursing. Coming to a stop, she pulled her wallet from the purse sitting on the seat beside her. Now she was going to get a speeding ticket. Just fucking dandy.

  She rolled her window down as the officer approached her car, still cursing herself under her breath.

  “Morning, ma’am. Do you know how fast you were going?”

  Why did they ask that? It was such a stupid question. “I know I was speeding. I wasn’t paying attention.” She glanced over her shoulder at the cop leaning down to her window, and her first thought was, Yummy. His hair was blond beneath the police hat he wore, and his eyes were the most incredible blue she’d ever seen, and looking into them took her breath away. He had one of those faces that was suited for a god, and he could easily win the world’s most handsome man category. The dark blue police uniform he wore only made him look sexier.

  She loved a man in uniform.

  “That’s a dangerous way to drive. Have you been drinking?”

  “No, sir.”

  “You were weaving a bit.”

  “I drove all night. I haven’t slept.”

  “I suggest you pull into the next town and book yourself into a hotel. License and registration, please.”

  Julia handed it to him, feeling a bit flustered at his true beauty. She couldn’t help but watch as he walked to his car, and what she saw made her mouth water. The man had a mighty fine ass, and he definitely wore his pants tight. What she wouldn’t do to get a handful of those plump cheeks. Julia averted her eyes—as if he could tell she’d been watching his butt and looked out the windshield when he walked back to her car.

  “I’m not going to write you up a ticket, Miss Wilson, but I will escort you to the nearest town. You need some sleep.”

  “Thank you, Constable—” She leaned out of her window to read his name plate, and her heart suddenly stilled in her chest. “Sorry, Staff Sergeant Davis.”

  “Passion is the nearest town. There’s a nice motel there, and I’m sure there’s a room for you when you get there.”

  “Right. Okay.” Julia swallowed the lump in her throat.

  “Keep to the speed limit,” he warned her before heading back to his car.

  She took a few deep breaths, her heart pounding, her throat dry. It was him. Dear God, it had been him.

  Her hands shaking, Julia put the car in gear, slowly pulled onto the road.

  She’d driven a long way to find Victor Davis, and now she had.

  She just hadn’t expected him to look so…normal.

  Chapter 3

  The motel was like any other small town motel: one room with a double bed, one dresser, a small table with two chairs, and a washroom. Nothing fancy, but it would do. What did she need fancy for, anyway. She was here on a mission, not to lounge in an elegant hotel being pampered. She wasn’t the fancy hotel type anyway. She was a simple girl with simple needs.

  Setting her bag on the bed, Julia began to unpack her belongings. The first thing she set out was the picture of her sister, Michelle. She placed it on the nightstand beside the bed where she would be able to see it from any position in the room. Michelle had been so pretty, and Julia had always been envious of her. She’d had gorgeous, long blonde hair with big, bouncy curls that never seemed to need any maintenance. Her face had been flawless and looked nearly porcelain, and she’d never needed to wear make-up, yet when she had, she’d been even more stunning.

  Julia, on the other hand, never left home without dabbing on some eyeliner and mascara. Her hair was a short, red crop of poker-straight hair that tended to frizz on rainy days. She’d tried growing it longer, like her sister’s, but it had only made her look like a poodle that had been tossed i
n the dryer. But it wasn’t just the hair she envied her sister for. Michelle had been gifted with a curvy figure that men drooled over and women envied. She’d always looked good in everything she worn. Where in Julia’s case, it didn’t matter what she wore, she always looked like a boy. She had no curves like her sister, no boobs to fill out her sweaters or hips that swayed seductively when she walked. Unfortunately, Julia had inherited her father’s looks and figure, and Michelle had taken after their mom.

  And now Michelle was gone, and the hole she left in her family’s life was a huge one.

  Shaking off the misery that was beginning to creep back in, Julia finished unpacking, then decided to go for a walk. She’d check out the town, and maybe while she was at it, check out Staff Sergeant Victor Davis.

  She pulled the gun out from the bottom of her suitcase and slid it in the drawer beneath her sister’s picture.

  ***

  “Any calls, Millie?” Vic sauntered past her desk, removing his hat and gloves as he headed to his office. Millie had come with the rest of the new officers when Vic had taken over after the previous group had been put on suspension pending investigation. Millie was a treasure, old enough to be his mother and a great gal to chat with.

  “A stack of them. Your sister, Patty, called twice, not urgent but she sounded miffed.”

  She always sounded miffed these days. Maybe it was because she was getting fed up with her brother not returning her calls. He’d get to it, eventually. “Anything urgent?”

  “Nothing that needs your immediate attention,” Millie replied. “Sully and Max are at the bar. Old Man Johnson’s stirring up trouble again. Phil and Danny are on the road doing rounds. Want some coffee?”

  “I’d love some. It’s a cold bitch out there today.”

  “I’ll bring you a cup in a second. Just gotta finish this up first.”

  “Thanks, Millie.” Tossing his hat on the coat rack, Vic slipped off his jacket and hung it beside his hat. He rolled his stiff neck, chastising himself for sleeping on the sofa instead of his bed. He wasn’t sure why he’d even bought the bed; he slept on the sofa most nights anyway. Okay, he passed out on the sofa more than slept on it. But the fridge was closer to the living room and easier access to grabbing the beers he so often downed after work just to get through the night.

  He wasn’t sleeping worth a damn these days, and who would, when nightmares were the norm every time you closed your eyes.

  Grabbing the stack of messages, Vic sat at his desk and began sorting them by priority. His sister, regrettably, went to the bottom of the list. It wasn’t that he didn’t love her, but he knew the reason she was calling, and he just didn’t want to deal with the questions right now.

  “Coffee’s on, piping hot,” Millie announced, entering Vic’s office.

  “Thanks, Millie, you’re a treasure.” He gave her a wink when she set the cup on his desk.

  “And don’t you forget it,” she stated, then closed his office door in her wake.

  The woman really was the best.

  He made his calls, filed his reports, sipping the coffee Millie had brought him. It took him the better part of the morning, and when he was finished, he sat back and lit up a cigarette. Glancing out the window, Vic noticed that it was snowing again. Wonderful, just what they needed, more fucking snow. He really needed to hire some kid to shovel his walk for him. He just didn’t have enough time in the day to get it done. By the time he got home after work, he just wanted to drop down on the sofa and drown out the day with a few beers. Shoveling some damn snow was not on his list of priorities.

  “You want me to order you some lunch, Vic?”

  Vic looked up at Millie standing in his doorway. “Nah, I think I’ll take a walk and see what’s happening on the streets.”

  “You do remember you’re in Passion now, not the big city?”

  He smiled, tapping out his cigarette. “Small towns have action, too, Millie.”

  Millie snorted. “You keep believing that, Vic. It’s snowing again.”

  Indeed it was, and it wasn’t a light fluffy sort of snow either, Vic discovered on his walk. And it was goddamn cold to boot. Pulling up his collar, Vic walked against the show, observing the town he now called home. Millie had been right, small towns rarely saw the kind of action a big city would. Part of him missed the hustle and bustle of city life, but most of him didn’t.

  He’d needed to get away in any case.

  Deciding a cup of hot chocolate might be nice on his walk, Vic stepped into the gas station.

  “Morning, Staff Sergeant Davis. It’s a cold one today.”

  “That it is, Buck. How are things going with you and the family? Your daughter just had a baby, didn’t she?”

  “Yeppers, mamma and son are doing well, thank you for asking. Is there anything I can get for you?”

  “I just thought I’d grab a cup of hot chocolate to sip on my walk.”

  “You know where it is.”

  Heading to the back of the store, Vic grabbed a large paper cup, and turning to fill it, he nearly bumped into a tall redhead. “Sorry, miss, didn’t see you there.” She faced him with a friendly smile, and he was momentarily rendered speechless by her eyes. They were a deep green and incredibly big. Like doe eyes, and as the smile faded, she took on the same look as a deer caught in headlights.

  “No problem,” she said quickly, looking away.

  The voice was what caught his attention first, then the face reminded him of who she was. He’d pulled her over for speeding earlier. “Did you manage to catch a nap?” Vic asked, filling his cup. Funny, he hadn’t noticed her eyes then. They were such an intense green against her pale face.

  “No, I didn’t. Once I checked in and got settled, I suddenly wasn’t tired any longer.”

  “You don’t plan on heading back out on the road until you’ve slept, I hope?”

  “No, I plan on sticking around for a while.” She filled her own cup when he was finished with his.

  “You here visiting family?” He added a sprinkle of cinnamon to his hot chocolate before closing the lid.

  “No, just cruising really. I’m on a quest.”

  “A quest huh? Well, good luck with that, and welcome to Passion.”

  “Thank you, Sergeant.” When she glanced his way, her eyes sparkled with humor, and again, Vic thought how incredible they were. “See you around.”

  Vic took his cup, deciding to grab a bag of chips while he was at it, and by the time he made it to the cash register, she had left. There was something about her, something familiar that he just couldn’t place.

  “Will that be all today, Vic?”

  “For now at least, Buck.” He paid for his purchases before heading back out the door and into the cold.

  ***

  Sitting in her car, it had been too damn cold to take that walk, Julia watched as Vic sauntered out of the store. Wasn’t it perfect that he’d come in while she’d been there. He was making it easier for her. She pulled the tab on her cup lid and took a sip from the steaming chocolate, watching Vic walk along the snow covered streets.

  He was a looker, there was no doubt about that, but looks could be deceiving. She knew she couldn’t follow him; that would be too suspicious in such a small town. But she knew he would eventually end up back at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police headquarters, so that was where she would wait.

  And when he finally left for the day and headed back to his place, she would follow him and find out where he lived.

  Then, she’d begin her plan.

  Chapter 4

  The snow had picked up and was now blowing with a crisp wind that snapped at exposed flesh. Shivering, Julia cranked up the heat in her car and pulled on her gloves. The car’s heat was having a bit of trouble keeping up with the frigid temperatures outside.

  She followed the staff sergeant at a safe distance, while he drove down the streets to his home. He pulled into an alley and then into a garage at the back of a tall, two-story white house. H
e hurried out of his car and around the back path towards his house. As she drove along the alley, she noticed him coming out of his back door and head back towards the garage.

  Great, he was leaving, again. Julia prepared to follow him until he turned to the neighbor’s house and walked up the back path. She stopped the car as he entered the house. Perfect. How long was he going to be there? And, waiting Julia sat and shivered in her tiny car.

  ***

  “What the hell is with this weather? Christ, when is it spring?” Vic asked Tom while he shrugged out of his jacket and boots, hanging the coat up at the back door.

  “You’ve got a long time to wait, pal, winter’s only just begun. Want some coffee?”

  “Got anything stronger?”

  “My coffee is plenty strong.”

  Giving Tom a narrow eyed glance, Vic took a chair at the table. “Yeah, but it’s that decaf shit. I want a manly drink. Beer?”

  “All out, sorry. Drink the unmanly coffee. It’ll put hair on your chest.”

  “I don’t want hair on my chest. Women don’t go for a hairy man.” Vic scowled at the cup of steaming coffee. “I drink this shit all day long.”

  “Want milk instead?”

  “Hell no! Keep that crap away from me. Where’s the little woman at?”

  “At her shop. I have to pick her up in an hour. You want to stay for dinner?”

  “Nah, I ate something an hour ago at work. What did you want to talk to me about?” He’d received a message from Millie that Tom wanted to see him.

  Tom pulled up a chair across from Vic, cradling his own cup of coffee. “Patty called today.”

  Vic rolled his eyes. Here we go. “Yeah?”

  “She said she’s been trying to get a hold of you and that you haven’t been returning her calls.”

  “Been a little busy.” Lifting his cup, Vic disguised the snarl as he drank.

  Tom continued prodding. “Not that busy. She’s worried about you.”