Still Waters. Shirlee McCoy
reaching through it to a large cooler that sat pressed up against the cab. When he handed the bottle of water to Tiffany, the coolness felt heavenly in her hand and she couldn’t resist pressing the ice-damp plastic against her throbbing eyes.
It took a moment for her to remember she wasn’t alone. When she did, she looked over at Jake. He watched her, his expression unreadable. “You’ve had a rough couple of days.”
The compassion in his voice made her want to lean in close and lay her head against his shoulder. Instead she popped the pills in her mouth and gulped a mouthful of icy water. “Yes, it has been difficult.”
“Hopefully a good night’s sleep will make things look better.”
Tiffany doubted it, but she tried to smile anyway.
Jake watched her for a moment, opened his mouth as if to speak, then changed his mind. Shoving the keys into the ignition he started the truck. “All right. Let’s get you home.”
Tiffany’s house reflected the cheerful warmth of its owner. Or so Jake thought as he paced through her hall. A golden-oak floor gleamed in soft overhead light, and quilts of various sizes and colors hung against cream-colored walls. At one end of the hall a curved stairway led to the upper level of the house, its intricately carved banister the same golden tone as the floor. At the other end a two-paneled door opened into Tiffany’s kitchen and dining room. On either side of the hall, doors opened into even more rooms.
Jake had been in enough Victorian-era homes to recognize the Queen Anne architecture. The small room to one side of the front door had once served as a receiving room. Now it contained a sewing table and a hodgepodge of colorful fabric. A door on the opposite side of the foyer opened into the parlor where Jake had led Tiffany when they’d returned. Despite the oversize dimensions of the room, it felt cozy and comfortable. Tiffany had chosen bright colors to accent the dark pine floor. A throw rug of red and gold lay centered in front of the fireplace. Twin recliners and a matching love seat surrounded it, their heavy cream brocade rich and luxuriant against the dark floor. Jake knew if he glanced in the room he would see Tiffany curled up on the love seat, resting against gold-and-red pillows.
Though she had said he should go home, Jake hadn’t felt comfortable leaving her alone. He’d heard that migraines were debilitating, but watching Tiffany had given new meaning to the word. She’d been withdrawn during the ride home, leaning against the seat with her hands pressed against her eyes. Only twice had she spoken, once to ask Jake to turn off the radio and once to tell him to stop the truck. That time his response had almost come too late. He’d barely coasted to a stop when Tiffany yanked open her door and jumped out. By the time he reached her she was kneeling at the side of the road vomiting into a clump of bushes. Jake knew Tiffany would be embarrassed later, but she hadn’t argued when he wet a pile of napkins with bottled water and used them to cool her hot face.
Nor had she protested when they arrived at her house and he insisted on following her inside. Jake doubted she had even noticed his presence until he asked if he could get her something. Tiffany had motioned toward the end of the hall and said something about medicine before she retreated to the parlor and collapsed on the love seat.
Finding the medicine hadn’t been difficult. Tiffany’s kitchen, though busy with color and texture, was well organized. Jake had bypassed white glass-fronted cupboards with their display of china, and had searched a small pantry near the refrigerator.
He’d found what he was looking for on the top shelf next to a first aid kit and an unopened box of Tylenol. The clear plastic bag contained a prescription bottle, a pamphlet of information about the drug Imitrex, and what looked to be an epinephrine kit. Jake had taken the bag and a glass of water to Tiffany, and watched as she took a pill from the bottle and swallowed it. He had wished he could do more. Maybe that’s why he’d stayed.
Or maybe he just didn’t like the idea that Tiffany’s boyfriend had left her to fend for herself again. In Jake’s estimation, a woman as easygoing and good-hearted as Tiffany deserved better than a lonely night, a debilitating headache and huge dog whining at her feet.
Speaking of which, where had the dog disappeared to?
Jake eyed the open door of the sewing room, and shook his head. He’d locked the mutt inside the room twice since his arrival. Though it seemed inconceivable that a dog who couldn’t swim could open a door, the evidence was clear—what the dog lacked in swimming ability, he made up for in escape techniques.
At least he was loyal, escaping his prison and slinking into the parlor to lay his head on Tiffany’s legs, rather than running around the house getting into mischief. Jake figured that’s where Bandit was now, and he walked toward the room, ready to grab the mutt and put him outside.
Tiffany heard the soft creak of a floorboard outside the living room door and struggled to sit up. That involved pushing Bandit’s head off her legs, and swinging those same legs off the love seat so that her feet touched the floor. Both tasks took all the energy Tiffany had, but at least the pain in her head had subsided to a dull throb.
“Feeling any better?” Jake walked through the door, his voice low.
“Yes, thanks.”
“Mind if I turn on a light?”
“No, go ahead.”
The overhead light burst to life and Tiffany blinked rapidly, adjusting her eyes to the brightness. When she looked up, Jake stood before her, his left foot gently nudging Bandit out of the way. “Move, Houdini.”
“Houdini?” Tiffany glanced toward the dog, who watched her with dark, innocent eyes.
“Yeah, I locked that mutt in your sewing room twice. And he got out. Twice.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. He can’t swim, but he can open doors?” Tiffany smiled and turned back to Jake, catching her breath in surprise when she realized he had lowered himself onto one knee and was staring intently into her face.
For a moment both were silent. Tiffany could feel each beat of her heart, could smell the same clean, soapy scent she had noticed in the truck. She could almost imagine she saw a look of admiration in Jake’s eyes, could almost believe he cared about her and that his concern went beyond his duty as an officer of the law.
Then she remembered vomiting on the side of the road. “You didn’t have to stay.”
“No?” Jake’s dark brows lifted, questioning the abruptness of her tone.
“I’m sorry. That didn’t come out the way it was meant. I should have said, thank you for staying.”
“I didn’t mind. Your house is interesting. Queen Anne, right?”
Tiffany knew Jake’s question was meant to put her at ease and she smiled gratefully. “Yes. You know something about Victorian architecture?”
“A bit. Visiting historic buildings was a hobby of mine when I lived in D.C. I’ve picked it up again here in Lakeview.”
“Well, there are plenty of old homes to see in the area. And many of them have interesting histories. Like this one,” Tiffany paused and gestured around the parlor. “It was built in 1876 for a doctor. He spent five thousand dollars to have it built to his specifications.”
“Did he live here? Or just see patients?”
“Oh, he lived here. He and his wife raised seven children….” Tiffany’s voice trailed off as she realized she was babbling on about something Jake probably had no interest in. “Sorry, I got off on a tangent.”
“I was enjoying your tangent.”
“Really?” Tiffany cringed at the hopeful sound in her voice. Being around Jake had turned her into a blathering idiot.
“Yeah, really.” There was a smile in Jake’s voice and Tiffany could feel her own smile forming.
“Well, most people don’t. My family and friends all thought I was crazy to buy this old place. And I can’t