Letters From Al by Pieper, Kathleen (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

She found herself back at the house and her packed car. Grabbing two big bags from the trunk she proceeded up the sidewalk to her home. That realization hit her, too. She hadn't had a real home since her parents died.

As she stumbled up to the front door in the darkening, hot summer night, the house looked rather ominous. Thoughts of horror stories came back to haunt her steps. She was acting like a big baby.

Pausing at the bottom step, she shifted the heavy suitcases. How come it didn't affect her like this in the daytime? The trees seemed to moan softly as the soft, summer wind blew. The bushes scratched the long, narrow windows. This was silly, but she was definitely going to have those bushes trimmed. She placed her foot carefully on the first step, naturally the step creaked, and so did the next.

"Great. An hour ago it didn't look nearly so bad." Maddy said aloud, getting a firm grip on the heavy bags again. "I can't believe I said I'd stay here with or without lights." But she had. Chalk another one up to her big mouth. Always saying and doing things in the heat of the moment, just like her trip here.

"What's a city-bred, librarian doing in a place like this?" She wondered aloud with each successive step.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." The voice came from the depths of her worst nightmare and Maddy dropped her bags with a thud.

"For heaven's sake, deputy, you scared the wits out of me." Whirling, she found herself face-to-face with the Nielsen law again. Leaning weakly against the railing, she glared at Deputy McKay. "Is this what small town deputy's do, sneak up behind people? What are you, part Indian Scout or something? You nearly scared me to death."

"Gee, I don't believe so, if this gets out though, the bad buys might really start sweating it." Ignoring her disgruntled look, he crossed his arms over his chest and began fantasizing. "It'll go like this. The bad guys will be in the process of doing something illegal and, suddenly, there I'll be, right behind him."

"The old ‘never knew what hit them’ ploy, huh? Hope they have good health insurance." Regaining her composure, Maddy reached for the suitcases completely unnerved by the handsome man she was bantering with.

Deputy McKay took charge of the suitcases and motioned for her to proceed. "Come on, I just got off work and drove by hoping your meeting with Leland was over. How did it go?"

With the key in hand and Alec right behind her, the simple task of unlocking the door was even more difficult. His breath sent tingles up and down her spine and her hands were icy on the deadbolt lock. She motioned towards the house next door, nearly bumping heads.

Urging Maddy in, Deputy McKay brushed against her and she almost tripped, glaring at him in the dark.

"Your neighbor is Aunt Polly Smith. She's been looking out for you or the house. She was your aunt's best friend. You'll like her once you get to know her." The wind blew the door shut and Maddy jumped a foot.

"Scared of the bogeyman, Maddy?" His chuckle annoyed her, "I'll check the rooms, just in case."

"I'm not afraid of bogeymen, deputy. I'll have you know I've lived in the big city long enough on my own." Maddy stepped around gingerly in the dark looking for Deputy McKay. She listened as his steps faded away, berating herself for having such a wild imagination.

"Yeah, it sure looked like it. You were shaking in your boots when I came up, staring at the big, bad, spooky house." Alec's voice echoed in the back of the house gleefully. "If I remember right, you were a scaredy-cat back in junior high too," his teasing laugher echoed back at her.

"I was not. Not then or now. The luggage was heavy and, I couldn't find my key." Why didn't she just be quiet, every word sounded even more childish than the last.

"Oh, yeah, remember when we all went out to the Pioneer grave? Everyone jumped the creek and you wouldn't even get out of the car. Let's see, what was the curse? If you touched the gravestone, you'd die within a year.”

“Looking back on it now that was so immature. I worried about everyone who touched it for months. But I haven't thought of that in ages. Can we please drop it and get back to the matter at hand? I have a flashlight in the car. Mr. Lancaster said he wasn't sure about the utilities." The lights snapped on suddenly, catching her by surprise. Pointing to the overhead light Deputy McKay leaned next to the wall switch.

"And then there was light. I aim to please." The shock of having the lights on came as a great relief, even if Alec stood there smirking. She noticed something different about him rather than the house just then. Instead of his uniform he'd changed into snug, washed-off blue jeans, a black Cornhusker tee shirt that stretched over his muscular chest and arms, and comfortable running shoes. He looked very casual and sexy.

They stood in the little entryway. A big, mirrored hat rack that served as a chair, umbrella stand and plant table guarded the front door, obviously an antique. A long hall led back to the kitchen and some other rooms.

A telephone desk with an old black dial phone sat near the stairway. Long, Persian throw rugs covered the wood floors, double sliding doors stood behind the cocky deputy. Grandly stepping back he opened them with a flourish of his arm, revealing a small library or den.

"You're no Vanna White, deputy," Maddy said as she brushed past him, "It's so lovely, so elegant. The bedrooms are upstairs if I remember right." She didn't realize Deputy McKay was hot on her heels again.

"I think so. Want to go check them out?" His wink was wicked with insinuation.