Their one night had turned her world on end.Night over and she still wanted him, rather desperately in fact.And not just his body. Just sitting here like this, relaxed,silent, close… it was extraordinary. Not needing conversation, justco-existing in such satisfying harmony. Conversation was good withhim too. Laughing with him, teasing, walking, talking, sleeping,eating… all amazing.
A firm clunk echoed through her chest. Shewas surprised he didn’t hear the loud crash. The sound of herheart. Tripping, falling. Crap. What was she going to do?
23
Chase drove to work Monday morning, feeling ready totake on the world. He'd gone home just long enough Sunday afternoonto grab a change of clothes, then straight back to Maddy's. Shehadn’t invited him exactly, and he didn’t ask. Both just… let ithappen. And oh man, did it happen. And happen again. And again.
He knew he looked like a complete idiot withthe dopey grin pasted to his face. They'd spent the rest of theweekend in bed. Having amazing, mind-blowing, earth-shattering sex.He'd enjoyed the non-sex parts, too. Maddy snuggling up againsthim, her need to be near him. Talking about the past and present,joking around. He'd even enjoyed cooking with her, which wasusually a very solo activity for him.
As he hopped up the back stairs, he saw Brentarguing with the lawyers from the other day, with Dylan leading thepack this time. The rest of the office crew were peeking out oftheir office doors. Brent's voice was uncharacteristically raised,"I'm telling you, you'll have to wait for Frank to return. He'sback next week and can take a meeting after he gets back."
Chase stepped in, hoping to diffuse thesituation. "Gentleman. I believe I made our position clear when youwere here last. We're not interested. Please see yourselves out, orI will contact our attorney, and quite possibly the police."
Dylan’s face lit up as he jumped at the idea.He stepped up closer to Chase, sneaky smile on his face. "Why don'tyou call the police? I believe I saw Madelyn patrolling not farfrom here this morning. I'd sure love to see her; I'd like to hearall about her... interesting weekend. I hear she stayed in allweekend. Poor thing must not have felt well after the beach party.She’d gotten awfully… wet playing in those waves."
Chase seethed. Hearing Dylan call her Madelynmade him nauseous. It was one more power play, calling her by herformal name, that no one else called her, was sort of a declarationof intimacy. He'd seen Dylan eyeing Maddy during the festivities.He knew Dylan had watched them leave the party together. Now, heknew Dylan had been doing more than watching from afar.
Before Chase could come up with a responsethat didn't involve his fist, the oldest of Dylan's trio, the onewho had done all the talking last time, Nielsen, interjected."Please, none of us wants to involve the police –”
Chase couldn’t help but interrupt, “I’ll betyou don’t want to involve the police. I wouldn’t want to either ifI were responsible for hiring thugs that have been arrested forbreaking and entering, destruction of property.”
Without missing a beat, Nielsen continued,“We heard about your break-in, and I’m so sorry that you’re havingto deal with that unpleasantness. We had nothing to do with it;please hear me out. We are truly presenting a great businessopportunity for you and your crew. Fisheries is a dying businessaround here. Your boats are in serious need of updating.
“Please, review the offer. I believe you willfind it more than generous. We’d like to hold a meeting, open tothe public, to present our proposal to buy out your property, andothers with some upgrades to the waterfront, in detail. We'vereserved the local grange hall, Thursday night, 7 o'clock. We'dlike you to be there. You will be free to ask any questions. We'rehoping to convince you this is the best thing for the town'sfuture."
The man held out his business card to Chase.Chase shook his head, stepped forward and took the card. "Mr.Nielsen. We have no intention of selling out, for any reason. Youcan tear this place apart, but we’re still not selling. I see thatyou're not leaving until you understand that. How about this, youcan hold your meeting. I’ll bring my own presentation so you cansee where interested parties stand, and so my people can see wherethis company is going. I'll see you Thursday."
He watched as the men walked out the door.Chase turned to the office crew. "Well, you heard them. They wantto tear down this building and put up a dock for their plannedcruise ship stop. Then, they'll put in their own shops and run ourlocal businesses out of town. Talk to your friends and family.We'll need their support if this gets ugly. We already suspect theysent those goons that were shuffling through the office and messingwith our electrical system, which would have cut some of ourcritical refrigeration downstairs. I’m willing to bet that’s thetip of the iceberg on what they’re capable of."
Latasha, from accounts receivable, approachedhim first. “Chase, he’s not wrong about the boats. Two of the boatscouldn’t launch yesterday and another this morning. Engine trouble,leak, broken fishing equipment. Maybe they’re here, now, becausethey know how badly we need updates.” A few others came closer,nodding in agreement.
Before Chase could respond, he heard Stevecoming up the stairs. “I heard the whole damn thing. Load ofbaloney.” He looked to the office crew, expression firm, “When’sthe last time we couldn’t launch a boat, for any reason? Never,that’s when.”
He turned to Chase, “It is time to call thepolice back in. My boat’s just back in for repairs; if we hadn’tbeen as thorough as we are, we wouldn’t have caught the flaresjostling right next to the new fuel leak. Just waiting to ignite.Doesn’t make a damn bit of sense. I smell foul play, and itreeks.”
Chase nodded, in complete agreement. He hadno doubt that Dylan wasn’t playing fair. Now, he was endangeringhis crew. Chase answered questions as he made his way back to hisoffice.
He didn't want to disturb Frank and Laura,but he didn’t have a choice. Next week couldn't come soon enough.In the meantime, he needed to prove to Frank, the employees, and,mostly to himself, that he could handle this.
Steve couldn’t have timed his entrancebetter. He wouldn’t have lasted long without his experienced voicecalling bullshit in front of the office staff. Sitting at his desk,he made a plan. He’d have to put off the new tourist boat for abit. Safety, security, and repairs came first.
If their current safety checks hadn’t been soeffective, they could have been miles out when they ran intotrouble. Dialing up a nearby security firm, he hired some emergencysecurity guards and surveillance equipment. Subtly. He’d like tocatch these assholes in the act.
24
Monday morning, Maddy breezed into work, cheerfuland bearing coffee and bagels for her partner. She practicallyfloated into the office area, still glowing from her weekend withChase. She passed into the office area that was gettingover-crowded with desks purchased from varying decades as thedepartment expanded over the years.
For a small town, they had a prettygood-sized police department. Maddy passed her own scuffed woodendesk and sat on the corner of Ian's 1950's-era faded pea-greendesk. Ian had eyed her suspiciously, "Maddy, you are awfully perkythis morning. I thought you'd be upset about being chained to apartner until this bullshit with Dylan Mayberry blows over."
Maddy just smiled at Ian as she handed himthe treats she had brought him. "Thanks for agreeing to be mypartner. I am incredibly irritated that my routine is being altereddue to an asshole I thought I'd been rid of years ago. But Iappreciate you agreeing to partner up and wanted to show mythanks."
Ian accepted the treats appreciatively. Hetore into the bagel with gusto. Cheeks full like an eager chipmunk,he began, “I checked in with Andrea already. We’re on foot patroltoday. Let’s start with Beachside and circle outwards, sound ok? Nocalls or anything needing our attention, so I thought we’d golooking for trouble.”
Count on Ian to look for trouble if none wasto be had. Not that he always found it, or wanted it. But he had agood attitude about it. “Sounds like a plan,” she grinned back athim, looking forward to the day.
The day started out pleasant, but that didn’tlast long. Maddy and Ian strolled out the front door, nodding toQuinn, who was in charge of the front desk and phones today. “Youtwo take care out there. Peaceful so far.” She smiled from underher coke-bottle glasses.
“Will do. Have a good one.” Maddy nodded tothe receptionist.
