The first thing they did at Bailey’s was go to the bathroom to clean Heather up. She washed her face and pulled her hair back (washing it would have to wait). She finished by rinsing her mouth out several times.

“Well, that’s as good as it’s gonna get this side of a toothbrush and a bath.”

“You look wonderful.”

“Might not want to kiss me for ( Read more... )

Gail went to the sheriff’s office after her evening shift at the hospital. It was virtually empty, as she’d suspected it would be at this hour. She sighed when she saw the expected exception to that emptiness, indicated by the light leaking out from the blinds.

She walked to the door of Beck’s office and the sentry offered no resistance, even ( Read more... )

Jake was in the Sheriff’s office, talking with Beck. His mother had defended the major’s decision to delegate the investigation, but he still didn’t understand it. So what if Beck felt guilty about Heather being kidnapped? Felt that he had screwed up? Jake shook his head in disgust. In his mind, those were reasons to go in and personally fix your ( Read more... )

Colonel Beck glanced at Heather’s empty desk and had to hide a smile. It really wouldn’t do for his staff to think he was glad she was sick. But he was happy anyway; even without any medical confirmation, he cherished his suspicions. The timing might not be convenient, but somehow he was warming to the idea. And he thought Heather was, too, based ( Read more... )

Edward had showed up a bit early to escort Heather to the office. He’d discovered that showing up early and having to ‘wait for her’ was a sneaky way of stealing a few more precious minutes alone with Heather. So he was sitting at her kitchen table, holding her left hand while she ate with her right. It was silly, he supposed, but he didn’t care.
( Read more... )

Karin looked around the basement, seeing other shapes move out of their huddled positions in the dim light of a few flashlights.

“It’s over, right?” said a voice to her right

“Think so?”

“Yeah.”

Karin looked around. More flashlights were on, but she still couldn’t identify everyone.

“Roll call!”

“Posly!”

“Rainey!”

“Sorey!”

“Goodman!”

( Read more... )

 ♪ Slow dancing, swaying to the music ♫

Heather watched the couples out on the dance floor. Well, what passed as a dance floor at Bailey’s.

♫ Slow dancing, just me and my girl ♩

“Hey, you want to dance?” Heather was brought back to the situation by the voice of her ‘date’, a soldier who had recently transferred to office duty due to a broken ( Read more... )

Beck had to fight the impulse to follow Heather into the bathroom and hold her hair back. She was not the first to fall ill; over half the staff had eaten egg salad that Mrs. White had brought them. He’d been glad when Mrs. White showed up, food in hand. It was a definite sign that the citizens of Jericho were starting to warm up to them, even if ( Read more... )

He could tell that Heather was keyed up on the walk home, shivering more than the chilly weather really justified. But almost before he could holster his sidearm after sweeping the apartment, Heather pinned him down with a passionate kiss. Although initially surprised, who was he to argue? She finally pulled back for air, panting.

“Sorry about ( Read more... )