Read Online Goodbye Arizona by Claude Dancourt - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Claude Dancourt
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business center.”
The fuzzy—borderline mushy— feeling he’d awoken in her the previous night soothed the burn of the coffee in the pit of her stomach. Marcus allowed her one gulp before he took the coffee from her hand. “I changed my passwords and logged out of a couple of websites. It’s just a precaution, really, in case they hacked their way in.”
“Good thinking. How’s Theo? What did she want?”
He hesitated a moment before saying, “She worries.”
“I understand how she feels.”
Marcus tightened his embrace around her. “Deb, let me talk to the sheriff. After what happened, she can’t refuse to let you go home.”
If she closed her eyes, she could almost see the house in the middle of the orchards. The blooming season must be in full swing, the air balmy and fragrant. Deb asked, “What about you?”
His eyes changed from gray to a cloudy slate the moment the question passed her lips, the silent answer all too clear. Deb extracted her arm from between them to cup his jaw, so she could look at him directly in the eye. “What’s happening here is not your fault, Marcus. It’s not your responsibility, either.”
“I know.”
She stared. He kissed her lightly.
“I know it’s not. But Flint is … I’m in the middle of this. I can’t … I can’t leave until I know how I fit in the picture, and why.”
Deb retained a smile. Now that the shock had receded, her natural curiosity perked up again and she wanted to solve the puzzle. She nodded and untangled herself from Marcus’s arms. “Then we’re staying.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she shut it with one finger. “We’re staying,” Deb repeated. “Which means you’re taking me shopping.”
Marcus scowled with the last word. “I fail to see how the two are related.”
“I can hardly go to tonight’s gala in a baseball jersey. I need an evening dress. And also a new pair of jeans, a couple of blouses and some toiletries.”
“Lingerie?”
Deb rolled her eyes and slid off his lap. She could feel Marcus’s eyes glued to the slight gait of her hips as she walked across the room toward the bedroom. She spared him a glance over her shoulder. “You’re so easy.”
Marcus joined her in three strides. “What about…” He picked her up so she had to cling to him with arms and legs for balance. “We skip the mall…” Her pulse spiked when his mouth caressed the underside of her jaw. “And the penguins’ parade…” Heat simmered, blurring her vision around the edges “So I can show you how easy I really am.”
He’d brought them back to the couch, and Deb found herself gasping for air, her knees on both sides of his thighs. His clever hands followed the stitches of her shirt until he found the sensitive points along her spine. Her resistance slipped through her fingers like water. “I have to, we, oh, what are you—”
“Crap.” Marcus bucked under her and pulled his phone from under him. “Damn, it’s Ty.”
Now free to pay him back, Deb peppered his face with kisses. “Ignore him.”
“He’ll just keep calling until I pick up the phone.” Marcus pressed answer and flicked the speaker on. “Your timing sucks, bro. I’m working on my marriage here.”
Deb slapped his arm.
“Is that what you intellectuals call it these days?”
Marcus grimaced in exasperation. “What do you want, Ty?”
“Theo called me. How’s Deborah?”
“I’m all right, Tyberius, thanks for asking.”
They heard a strangled sound, as if Marcus’s brother was choking on his abhorred first name. Then a baby wailed.
“Ah shit. Give me a minute, you two.”
Marcus and Deb grinned at each other while the broody, ex-hockey player crooned to the whining infant. “Shush… You don’t want to wake up Mommy, do you? Here, say hello to Mr. Rabbit.”
Deb wriggled on Marcus’s lap, barely able to contain her guffaw. He pushed her off him with a hushed groan. “Don’t start something we can’t finish.
The fuzzy—borderline mushy— feeling he’d awoken in her the previous night soothed the burn of the coffee in the pit of her stomach. Marcus allowed her one gulp before he took the coffee from her hand. “I changed my passwords and logged out of a couple of websites. It’s just a precaution, really, in case they hacked their way in.”
“Good thinking. How’s Theo? What did she want?”
He hesitated a moment before saying, “She worries.”
“I understand how she feels.”
Marcus tightened his embrace around her. “Deb, let me talk to the sheriff. After what happened, she can’t refuse to let you go home.”
If she closed her eyes, she could almost see the house in the middle of the orchards. The blooming season must be in full swing, the air balmy and fragrant. Deb asked, “What about you?”
His eyes changed from gray to a cloudy slate the moment the question passed her lips, the silent answer all too clear. Deb extracted her arm from between them to cup his jaw, so she could look at him directly in the eye. “What’s happening here is not your fault, Marcus. It’s not your responsibility, either.”
“I know.”
She stared. He kissed her lightly.
“I know it’s not. But Flint is … I’m in the middle of this. I can’t … I can’t leave until I know how I fit in the picture, and why.”
Deb retained a smile. Now that the shock had receded, her natural curiosity perked up again and she wanted to solve the puzzle. She nodded and untangled herself from Marcus’s arms. “Then we’re staying.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she shut it with one finger. “We’re staying,” Deb repeated. “Which means you’re taking me shopping.”
Marcus scowled with the last word. “I fail to see how the two are related.”
“I can hardly go to tonight’s gala in a baseball jersey. I need an evening dress. And also a new pair of jeans, a couple of blouses and some toiletries.”
“Lingerie?”
Deb rolled her eyes and slid off his lap. She could feel Marcus’s eyes glued to the slight gait of her hips as she walked across the room toward the bedroom. She spared him a glance over her shoulder. “You’re so easy.”
Marcus joined her in three strides. “What about…” He picked her up so she had to cling to him with arms and legs for balance. “We skip the mall…” Her pulse spiked when his mouth caressed the underside of her jaw. “And the penguins’ parade…” Heat simmered, blurring her vision around the edges “So I can show you how easy I really am.”
He’d brought them back to the couch, and Deb found herself gasping for air, her knees on both sides of his thighs. His clever hands followed the stitches of her shirt until he found the sensitive points along her spine. Her resistance slipped through her fingers like water. “I have to, we, oh, what are you—”
“Crap.” Marcus bucked under her and pulled his phone from under him. “Damn, it’s Ty.”
Now free to pay him back, Deb peppered his face with kisses. “Ignore him.”
“He’ll just keep calling until I pick up the phone.” Marcus pressed answer and flicked the speaker on. “Your timing sucks, bro. I’m working on my marriage here.”
Deb slapped his arm.
“Is that what you intellectuals call it these days?”
Marcus grimaced in exasperation. “What do you want, Ty?”
“Theo called me. How’s Deborah?”
“I’m all right, Tyberius, thanks for asking.”
They heard a strangled sound, as if Marcus’s brother was choking on his abhorred first name. Then a baby wailed.
“Ah shit. Give me a minute, you two.”
Marcus and Deb grinned at each other while the broody, ex-hockey player crooned to the whining infant. “Shush… You don’t want to wake up Mommy, do you? Here, say hello to Mr. Rabbit.”
Deb wriggled on Marcus’s lap, barely able to contain her guffaw. He pushed her off him with a hushed groan. “Don’t start something we can’t finish.
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