Tara Randel - The Lawman's Secret Vow

Brandy hooked her arm through Eloise’s. “Let’s get our complimentary T-shirt, clean up and have lunch. That barbecue smells good and I’m starving.”

She limped along with her friend. In the public restroom, she took one look in the mirror and nearly burst out in tears.

“Oh. My. Gosh.”

Brandy giggled. “Yeah. This race takes a toll.”

Eloise’s gaze slipped to her friend, as Brandy patted only a bit of mud from her fresh face, and she nearly growled.

Reluctantly returning to the mirror, she cringed. Her hair stuck out, mostly frizz pulled from the ponytail. Her glasses hung haphazardly, caked with gunk. Her shirt was stained and her legs were spotted with mud.

“Please tell me you have a brush,” Eloise nearly whimpered.

“Not on me.” Brandy laughed. “Don’t worry. You’re in the same condition as the other runners.”

“If that was meant to make me feel better, it didn’t work.”

Brandy handed her the clean shirt. “Put this on. It’ll help your disposition.”

Really? At this point, nothing could make her feel...anything.

They finished up, but after stepping outside, Eloise told her friend, “I’m going to my car. I’ll be back.”

Brandy narrowed her eyes. “You aren’t running off, are you?”

“No. I need to fix my hair before I join the team.”

“Okay, but if you aren’t back in ten minutes I’m going to send a search party for you.”

Dragging in a long sigh, she retrieved her pack and keys and marched to her car. She tossed her ruined shirt on the back floor, quickly grabbed a brush she’d placed in the console and went to work on the tangles catching in her shoulder-blade-length hair. Then she grabbed a towel she’d thrown in the back seat and wiped off her legs and arms. Changed sneakers. Feeling marginally human again, she turned to see Dante walking her way, a water bottle in each hand. Great. Add messy insult to injury.

He handed her a bottle covered in condensation when he reached her. “I noticed you didn’t stop at any of the water stations along the course. Figured you’d be thirsty.”

She didn’t realize how much until the cold, clear water slid down her parched throat. She chugged half the bottle before asking, “How long were you watching?”

“Just after you cleared the hay bales.”

Great. Only the entire course. She forced herself to meet his blue-eyed gaze. “Sorry I cost you the best time.”

He waved off her concern. “Don’t worry. It’s more for bragging rights. Trash talk, really.”

She shook her head. “I just don’t get it.”

“Get what? Having fun?”

“No. This whole team mentality. I mean, I understand from a work perspective. We need to work together to put bad guys away. But sports...”

“I take it you weren’t on any sports teams in school?”

“Do I look like I’m athletic?”

He took a long, leisurely sweep from her head to her toes and back. She shuddered under his perusal.

“Right now? I guess not. How about other teams? Intellectual pursuits?” He grinned. “I could see you on the debate team.”

She wished. If she’d had the nerve to join back then, she would have loved to debate. Fear had taken precedence.

“I wasn’t really involved in many team endeavors. Mostly stayed to myself.”

“Why?”

She took another sip to stall. Why indeed? Lacked confidence, she supposed. Without parents or anyone to encourage her, it was hard to work up the nerve to join in.

“I didn’t really have a lot of support. My parents are college professors. Really busy.”

He tilted his head, but thankfully didn’t say a word.

“I suppose now that I’ve run the course, next time I’ll know what to expect.”

“Next time?”

She cringed. Had she overstepped? “That is, if the team will have me?”

“Are you kidding? We’ll take any soul willing to run through muck and then hoist back a beer.” He frowned. “You will have a celebratory beer, won’t you?”

Would she? She didn’t drink. Never saw the appeal. “I suppose.”

“That’s the spirit. Let’s go get some food.” Dante turned and started toward the smoking grills and clusters of chatting people.

Her stomach growled, and for the first time since her clumsy descent of the climbing wall, she felt better.

“Dante. Wait.”

He turned. Walked back to her.

“Thank you. For pushing me to come today. Even though I might have cost you bragging rights, I had fun.”

He threw an arm over her shoulders, leaned in and spoke into her ear. “Then it was a good day.”

She turned a fraction. His face was so close to hers. She held her breath. Waiting, for what, she wasn’t sure. This close, the dark blue of his eyes mesmerized her. She couldn’t have moved if she wanted to.

She felt him go still. His warm breath brushed her cheek, yet he continued to stare down at her. Seeing what? she wondered. Then, just as quickly as the moment began, it ended when he moved away.

He smiled. Hitched his shoulder and she fell into step beside him.

Before long she was enjoying a tasty barbecue beef sandwich, the bold spices exploding with flavor in her mouth. She sipped a cold beer like her teammates—again, not her thing—and switched to bottled water. Found herself involved in conversation not involving the job and realized, I’m part of a team .

The reality shook her. Made her wonder why she’d shied away, especially once she was on her own and away from her parents’ negativity. Old habits? Fear she’d mess up and hear her parents’ voices in her head saying, I told you so ? Suddenly she looked at her coworkers in a new light. She had friends, she realized. Strange, but wondrous at the same time.

“I thought I saw you on the course,” a male voice said over her shoulder. She turned. Tom Bailey was there, surprise etched on his face.

“Tom. Hi.” She waved. “It was a last-minute thing.”

“How’d you do?”

She held her arms out at her sides. “I’m in one piece.”

He chuckled. His warm eyes met hers. “Want another drink?”

She checked her water bottle. “I’m good.”

“Have you eaten?”

She nodded.

“How about getting away from this crowd?”

She blinked.

“It’s hard to talk over all the conversations.”

“Okay.” She joined him as he headed a few feet away and found a quiet bench far enough from the noise but still in sight of her teammates.

“I was hoping you would have run with me,” he said.

“For another PD? I don’t think that’s how it’s done.”

Tom chuckled, a pleasant sound. “No, I suppose not. Guess I was being selfish.”

“How’s that?”

They glanced over the scene before them: police officers enjoying the spring day, the mild temperatures and a time of relaxation away from the demands of the job.

“I was hoping you’d like to go out with me sometime.”

Her mind went blank. He was asking her on a date?

“Tom. I don’t know what to say.”

“How about yes?”

It had been a while since she’d been out with a guy. Work kept her busy and now she was focused on the promotion. Then there was Dante’s blue eyes...

“Tom, I have to turn you down.”

She glimpsed embarrassment in his eyes and, hating that she put it there, quickly laid her hand on his. “Not because I don’t like you. I’m getting ready to go undercover and I don’t know when I’ll be free.”

His face brightened. “But you’d think about it? After?”

Would she? She looked back at the crowd. Dante stood talking to a tall, leggy blonde, probably his type of woman, and decided, Why not?

“Sure. If you don’t mind waiting?”