Courted by Karma (The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod) Read online

  I tilted by head and appraised him while tapping my lip. “You know, I’d say a tattoo is your Waterloo, too. You don’t have any,” I smiled slowly, “and I’ve been searching high and low across your gorgeous skin to be certain, too.”

  His mouth curved with pleasure at my words, but then his hands went still crumpling the McCruelty bag when I said, “Have I ever told you from the first moment I saw you in Bel’s last April that I was instantly hot for you? No? Well, I was on fire. Am on fire,” I amended, fanning my cheeks and laughing. “Whatever you’ve been doing in your life while not committing to women, please keep it up. You are one magnificent dude.” Luke’s whole body stilled now. He had that stunned look on his face that he got whenever I told him what I thought. He probably didn’t have a lot of experience with women being honest. They’d be too apprehensive to tell him how they felt knowing he’d bug out. I bet he appreciated knowing he didn’t have to worry about that coming from me. “When I actually met you at Reggie’s last September, I was so excited! If you had any tats it would’ve been out-and-out, uncontrollable, drooling love.”

  Luke’s expression was bland when he said, “Drooling, huh? No, you’ve never told me any of this, but thanks for the warning.”

  Laughing, I shrugged and teased, “Alas, no worries, you are untouched by ink. My drooling love remains forever elusive.” I started gathering up my backpack and wet socks while asking tentatively, “I’m guessing you don’t have any tattoos because of your work?”

  He did that curt nod of the head. “Yeah. Nothing says I’m an undercover operator like an identifying tat from your Army unit. I don’t play the dirt bag enough to risk real ink.” He smirked. “I do the peel off kind.”

  Laughing again, I told him, “God, you have the best arrogant nose! I just love it, but not as much as your one eyebrow!”

  Luke was shaking his head, but grinning at my effusiveness. “Just one eyebrow? Is there anything about me that you don’t love, Anabel?”

  “Now Luke, don’t you know those types of questions should only be discussed when we are lying in bed together and naked?” I thought a second. “Preferably when you are inside me and I am hugging and kissing on you? That way there can be no misunderstandings when I recite the long list.”

  In punishment for being a sarcastic smart-mouth, I didn’t tell my Dark Knight how much I loved it when he threw back his head that way and shouted with laughter.

  I stretched over the seats to kiss Luke’s cheek, but he turned his head and kissed my mouth.

  Knowing Luke didn’t commit to any women--ever--removed any reserve I had at being as effusively affectionate as I longed to be. With no worries or concerns, I felt incredibly giddy and could barely contain my energy while I kissed him back with happiness. I wanted to kiss his mouth for hours, and I swear the salt on his lips from the hash browns was only a small part of the reason.

  ‘This is so great!’ I could smack myself that I’d waited so long to ask that one, simple question that miraculously calmed all my fears.

  Like so many times before, I was lost in our little world when I realized Mr. Vigilant had pulled back. He was looking past me with a slight frown towards the front entrance to Bel’s.

  “Why is Crookie coming out of your front door?” He glanced swiftly at me and his voice lowered, “I know he was married, but he’s bi-sexual?”

  Confused by the question, I turned to look. It soon became very clear why Luke had asked. Observing Crooks and Mike walking close together, with Crookie’s hand supporting Mike’s elbow, I couldn’t stop my sniggers. Mike’s jacket was completely unzipped and showed off a good portion of his bare chest. His pale skin and muscles were set off to perfection by the black leather jacket. He looked like a total degenerate with his messy hair and unshaven face, or a male model. Cute, but Mike definitely gave the impression he’d barely survived a hard night of rough loving.

  I smiled and waved at them when they noticed me in the truck. “I’m pretty sure Crook’s strictly a cha-cha man. Didn’t I tell you he’s staying with me through the week until Cheryl’s funeral? He’s the one who gave me a ride over to your haunted farm last night, since I was still too drunk to drive.” I shot Luke a droll look. “He loves your lane, by the way.”

  “Cha-cha man?” Luke repeated, snorting at the term and I flushed at my slip. I didn’t make a practice of sharing my vag nicknames out loud with men. Of course, he loved it and snorted again. “No, you didn’t mention any of that, Anabel.” He smiled at me. “Remind me to thank him later for driving your cha-cha over.” Then he said casually, “I didn’t notice you were drunk.”

  “I was probably pretty sober by the time we finally hooked up, what with the hypothermia and all. Well, thanks for the ride home and for the most...” I paused to search for the right adjective to describe our incredible night of massive sexual gratification.

  Luke’s quiet voice interjected, “Who’s the dude with no shirt on, Anabel?”

  “Oh, that’s Mike.” I laughed and waved back again in response to Crookie flashing the peace sign.

  “Mike, huh? Is Mike a guest staying with you for the week until the funeral, as well?”

  “Oh no,” I heard my cell buzzing and reached for it in the side pocket of the backpack, adding distractedly, “he lives somewhere around here in Northfield. He’s over because he was too drunk to go home last night and he passed out.”

  “So you and Mike were drunk, but not Crookie?”

  It was a text from Anna: Call me ASAP!!!!!

  I glanced up from the phone. “Umm, Crookie wasn’t there since he had a meeting with his sister-in-law and didn’t get home until later,” I thought it over, “but other people were drunk.”

  Luke laughed, “I bet Anna was drunk…”

  I laughed, too. “A little, but not as much as the night we went to Rueb’s, thank god! We had a small party at Bel’s after closing last night.” I shrugged, “I’ve been practicing vodka shots to take on this Russian family and…hey, there’s Reg!”

  I waved to my brother as he got out of his red truck. Reg held up a Laissez Fare bakery bag and pointed to me with a questioning look. I smiled and nodded enthusiastically with thumbs up. It looked like Darling Anna had sent over bakery treats with my brother; bless her thoughtful, organic soul. Now all I needed was a hot coffee and my busy day could get going right. With a big grin, Reg held up another bag at that moment and I squealed with joy.

  Luke came around to my side of the truck during this sibling byplay and opened my door. On the sidewalk in front of my building, the four men were exchanging a round of greetings when I hopped down with Luke’s assistance.

  The pavement was cleared of any remaining snow here, but was still cold and dirty on my bare feet. My gaze was drawn up to the turret. I didn’t have any residual fears of the attic, but the piece of plywood in the broken window was ghetto and bugged me. I wasn’t sure of the police protocols, but ordering the glass replacement was on my To Do list today. It would be a fun project to learn to do myself, but I was strapped for free time over the next week.

  Glancing at the men, Mike caught my eye and smiled briefly. He appeared a bit on the fragile side. He was leaning a shoulder against the red brick of Bel’s Books. I didn’t know if it was seeing me get out of Luke’s truck or if his hangover was that intense, but his face was stiff.

  Reg performed introductions. I was grateful for his cheerful morning personality because it covered some of the strain that was palpable between Luke and Mike. There was no doubt in my mind that Luke was an alpha type. I’d just never seen him in action around another man he considers an adversary. He had easily integrated and become best pals with the other alpha males in my life, Chief Jack Banner and my brother.

  Oblivious, Crookie was nodding while listening to a gesturing, chattering Reg. A couple of feet away, Luke and Mike stood quietly and openly checked each other out. Both men were wearing smiles that looked snarly. Standing off by myself near the truck, I could plainly see L
uke’s hackles were up, but nobody else seemed to notice. I observed that it wasn’t that Luke didn’t appear relaxed and cool as he always did. He simply exuded a force field of such powerful vitality; I swear there were sparks when the two men exchanged fist bumps of steel. This was the war-god Luke.

  ‘So much for the compartmentalizing and staying in assigned places in my life.’ It was wishful thinking to believe these two would never overlap and cross paths, but it’s my bad luck it was this morning.

  Men were such territorial beasts, very much like dogs. I suppose I was the meaty bone of contention, even though my carcass belonged to no man. Luke didn’t want to own my carcass and Mike’s claim had expired a decade ago, so this was about guy dominance stuff and didn’t concern me.

  So I looked down and texted Anna back quickly.

  My morning then only got better when an SUV pulled up. Seeing Jack Banner get out of his truck, I stiffened. I haven’t seen him or heard from him since the investigation into the death of The Hammer last Sunday morning. In all of my life, I couldn’t recall ever going three days without speaking with Jack because we were angry. It smacked of wrongness, but I was at a loss how to fix it.

  Jack strolled up, left hand in his jacket pocket and the right hand always ready at his side. He may be Chief of Police, but he still owned the streets and was always alert. He nodded a general greeting while he quickly sized-up the tableau of men on the sidewalk. When his sharp glance cut to me, I saw the light in his gray eyes at my dilemma. But then his lips tightened when he remembered our unresolved differences.

  Jack, of course, was anything but oblivious to the undercurrents. I missed him, and hated that I wasn’t giving him a hard time at this very moment. Instead, I felt stilted and awkward.

  It really sucked facing the facts of life, and one fact was Jack would never trust me purely because I was a female. I was a member of the opposite sex that he considered too emotional and too unreliable when it came to the bigger picture. Jack loved me in his way and I knew this, but the big, rotten, misogynist really hurt me with this disrespectful attitude, no matter how I tried to overcome it. I can only think of a dozen or so people that I love, and Jack Banner’s one of them. Unfortunately, facing facts was making me lose some respect for him. That, and the fact Jack may be leaving me out of the loop because he had illicit sex with Crookie’s recently stabbed wife.

  “Mike McClain, is it?” Jack said in his gruff baritone, approaching the leaning Mike and pumping hands rigorously. His unconcealed, suspicious stare at Mike’s bare chest had me sniggering again. “It’s been years, but I hear you’ve moved back to practice law with your uncle. How’ve you been?”

  To give Mike credit, he didn’t bother trying to close his jacket. He stood up and returned Jack’s handshake confidently, as if he was wearing a three-piece suit. “It has been years. I hear the name is Chief Jack Banner now, right? It’s great to see you again,” His small grin is self-deprecating, “but I’m not so sure it’s a good thing you recognized me.” The men all laughed good-naturedly at his joke. “Any other morning, I’d answer I’m damn happy to be back in Northfield. Today, I’m hung over and not feeling so chipper.”

  Again, there was chuckling. Darting a glance at Luke from the corner of my eye, he wasn’t looking to happy right now, either. He chuckled with the others, but without humor.

  Mike shrugged. “What can I say, except that I blame it all on Bel. Yes, on you!” He laughed across the sidewalk at my startled look. “Look at her, so innocent with the big, blue eyes. She threw me a “welcome home” party last night after Bel’s closed.” Mike leered at me with an exaggerated wink. “Then she got me drunk. Man, did things get wild.” He laughed and put his hands out, palms up in entreaty. “Look at me! I even got stripped of my shirt somewhere. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in her bed, but you all know Bel.”

  I returned Mike’s teasing look steadily. They all thought they knew me, but Mike McClain for certain didn’t if he thought for one yoctosecond I was going to be his straight man. I never bother defending my actions. Generally, they’re nobody’s business and I don’t care what most people think. But being deliberately misrepresented was something else. Nor do I play the kind of juvenile games that deliberately mess with others to cause jealousy. That was one twisted emotion that never resulted in anything good, and more often than not, would come back to bite you in the butt. Mike, the troublemaking, fast-talking shyster wasn’t going to get away with inferring a lie by telling the truth at my expense.

  Jack Banner actually chuckled out loud at Mike, but more from watching my face than at what Mike said. I flashed Jack a quick, rueful smile. Chief Jack looked surprised, and then his face beamed with grateful relief that I was communicating with him. His groveling was annoying me, as well. I wanted his respect, not my butt kissed. I’ll soon set that record straight with him, but first I’d deal with Mendacious Mike.

  I was about to speak, but Crookie beat me to it.

  Pushing his hair back, he said in his mild way, “Yes, Bel mentioned last night you have not drank that much in years. We had a heck of a time getting you into your coat to go home, until Bel hypnotized you with her voice. It was the strangest thing.” Crookie chuckled. He stuck his hands in his jacket pocket and continued with a pleasant smile, “Sorry, Mike, but neither of us even knew where you lived. By then, you had passed out again in the Rover on the way to taking Bel to spend the night at Luke’s farm. I hope the couch did not kill your back too bad, but Bel told me it is very comfortable.” Crookie shook his head at Luke in remembered dismay. “That road of yours is in desperate need of some repair work! It was hell at one in the morning with no moon or headlights. Reggie, you must know somebody who could fix it today for Luke?”

  During Crookie’s exposé of last night’s events, Reggie and Jack had turned their heads to stare at me in astonishment. Feeling their shocked curiosity at Crookie’s innocently factual story, which sounded even to my ears like a booty call by a creeper woman, I kept my big, blue eyes pinned on Crookie. I could still see my brother’s gaping mouth.

  This was my fault entirely for being drunk and not thinking straight, but I had no idea Crookie would casually blab about our activities last night like he was giving the latest weather report. Not even the stupidest girlfriend would ever do such a thing.

  ‘Holy Hannah, did Jack and Reggie really think I dressed like this in the morning by choice?’

  Luke stood next to Jack with his arms crossed and didn’t betray any emotion, but his mouth kicked up briefly after Crookie’s complaints on the state of his road. He cut a glance my way that I couldn’t read, but answered evenly, “Yeah, sorry about that. The lane’s worse than usual.”

  I guess the bright side was that Crooks had inadvertently outed Mike. When Mike started another conversation about changes in Northfield since he’s lived here, I took the opportunity to walk over to Reg’s side.

  Gently relieving the white bags from Reggie’s unresisting hands, I whispered, “Do not say a word, my brother.”

  He grinned. “Anna says to call her ASAP.”

  I nodded. “I will.” Inside, I’m rolling my eyes that Reg and Anna are together three whole nights and already talking as a singular organism.

  Whistling, Reg looked me up and down. “Wow Junior, that’s some kind of cool outfit. The hat really says, “I’m a weird chick” and the dirty, bare feet screams Appalachia.”

  I nodded down towards my hand holding the bakery goodies. Reggie’s eyes followed and he laughed at seeing my extended middle finger.

  “Hey, I didn’t say anything about your stalking Luke.”

  From long years of practice, I ignored Reg and went to the truck to grab the backpack sitting on the running board. I peeked Luke’s way. His eyes were on me and he wasn’t smiling, but his face was only semi-cruel and his eyes were hooded. This was another look I loved and I shivered at what it promised.

  He came over to me, and I took my turn looking him up and down. You’d ne
ver know by his appearance that he hadn’t slept a wink last night. Luke’s jacket, jeans, and boots were spotless, his black hair looked great, and his green eyes were bright and clear. Plus, there was that vitality, war-god vibe going on.

  ‘Perfect. He is a god from Mars and I am a mess from Appalachia.’ I sighed heavily.

  “Sounds like you had quite a night last night, Anabel.”

  Smiling wanly, I agreed, “Thanks to you, I sure did. And long? Whew!” I lowered my voice, “Did I ever tell you it was my first co-ed shower this morning?”

  Luke was momentarily diverted. “You’re serious? No, I had no idea.” Black brows meeting over glinting eyes, he continued slowly, “I’m beginning to understand there are many things you haven’t told me.”

  I stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Here’s an idea. One of these days we’ll have to compare secrets over a beer.” I smiled. “Or should we make that a keg?”

  Luke smiled, mouthing the words “smart ass” while running a finger down my cheek. “Did you like it?”

  “I loved it.” I grinned crookedly, “How I wish we could go do it again right now. I’m a dirty girl from Appalachia, according to Reg.”

  “Strange words coming from a brother, but you are a dirty girl, aren’t you?” Luke was giving me the eyebrow, the nose, and the cruel lips while his voice was low and teasing.

  Giggling, I tilted my head towards Crookie and said with chagrin, “I’m still dirty, but not so much your local secret anymore, sorry.”

  Luke lifted a shoulder. “Hear me complaining?”

  Since we were already outed by Crookie, I was about to drag him inside and put all that arrogant confidence to good use when Jack sauntered up.

  “Luke, got a minute?” Jack didn’t look at me.

  “Sure, Chief. What’s up?”

  Jack canted his head, indicating Luke should step to the side with him for a private tête-à-tête.

  I felt my blood start to boil. Due to good manners, I haven’t had my coffee yet. My blood sugar was dangerously low after my fun last night, and after my parking lot “Come to Jesus” with the ex-communicated cousin. I was in no mood to be disrespected, yet again, by my two most favorite men on this damn, blasted planet.