Читать книгу Mountain Peril - Sandra Robbins - Страница 9

The sun was beginning its descent into the west when Jack walked out of the courthouse. The trial had taken up most of the day. He’d have to talk to the district attorney tomorrow before he went back to see Flynn Carter.

The name of the Webster student brought to mind the woman he’d met earlier in the day. Throughout the day, he’d thought about her from time to time. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. It was ridiculous to dwell on a fleeting encounter. For all he knew she had a husband and children at home.

The idea of home with its frozen meals waiting to be defrosted and the makeshift dinner table in front of the television filled him with sadness. He hated the thought of going to the small apartment tonight and repeating his routine. A stop at the Mountain Mug, home of the best cup of coffee in Webster Falls, could delay that for a little while.

Fifteen minutes later, he stepped up to the counter at the Mountain Mug and ordered a large cup of the dark Colombian coffee he’d come to enjoy. He glanced around the crowded room for an empty table. Most of them were taken by young people engrossed in their computers.

His traveling gaze came to an abrupt stop at the sight of Danielle Tyler, wearing jeans and a Webster sweatshirt, seated toward the back of the room. Her dark hair, pulled up in a ponytail, revealed the earphones of an iPod strapped to her arm. From time to time her head bobbed at the music only she could hear. She stared at the screen of her laptop and sipped from a large mug.

Realizing he was blocking the exit of customers with their orders, he took a step to his left and collided with a man who’d just left the counter. The coffee in his mug sloshed over the sides and onto the floor.

“Watch out.” The man’s voice rose over the din in the shop.

Convinced everyone in the room had turned to stare, Jack grabbed a napkin from the counter and stooped to wipe up the spot at his feet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”

“No harm done.” The man gave a quick nod and headed toward a woman seated at a table by the door.

As Jack rose from his squatting position, Danielle looked up. Her lips parted in a smile, and she pulled the earphones out. She looked around at the filled tables and motioned to him. “Detective Denton, come join me.”

He started to decline, but there were still no unoccupied tables. Taking a deep breath, he ambled forward and slipped into the offered chair. He set his cup on the table and tried to smile. “I didn’t expect to run into you.” He nodded toward the iPod. “What are you listening to?”

A smile pulled at her lips. “My favorite rock group, Jade Dragon.”

A chuckle rattled in his throat. “It looks like we have something in common. They’ve been my favorite band since I was a kid.”

Her eyes crinkled at the corners, just as they had done earlier today. Then she smiled again, and he suddenly felt at ease. “I’m glad to hear you say that. They’re my parents.”

The cup almost slipped from his fingers. “You’re kidding. Kenny and Mary Tyler are your parents?” He laughed and shook his head. “I can’t believe it. I think I have all their CDs.”

“So do I.” Danielle cleared her throat and straightened in her chair. “But tell me, did you get a chance to talk to the D.A.?”

“No, I didn’t get out of court until about fifteen minutes ago. I’ll see him tomorrow.”

“Good.” She leaned over and propped her elbows on the table. “Dr. Newman didn’t get back from Asheville today, but I e-mailed him and Mr. Webster about the site.”

“Who’s Mr. Webster?”

“He’s the chairman of the board. His great-grandfather founded Webster University—gave the land and built the first buildings. Their family has been involved with the school ever since. Nathan is very committed to the school’s success. I’m afraid he’s going to be upset when he sees the Web site.”

“I don’t blame him. It’s not good publicity for a school.”

“No, it’s not.” She picked up her cup and peered at him over the rim. “I’ve never seen you in here before, Detective Denton. Do you come often?”

“Several times a week, Dr. Tyler.”

She laughed, and the sound tinkled like tiny bells. “Please call me Danielle. I have trouble thinking of myself as anything but a girl who grew up watching her parents perform at rock concerts all across the country.”

He crossed his arms on the table, and his mouth crooked into a half smile. “Call me Jack. I’m just a soldier turned deputy sheriff.”

She twisted in her seat and pulled one leg up under her. Her head tilted, and her eyes grew large. “Soldier? What did you do?”

“I was in Special Forces. After I got out, I looked for a nice, quiet town and ended up in Webster Falls. It’s close to home. My mother lives in Asheville.”

She scooted her computer to the side and clasped her hands on the tabletop. “My parents live in Atlanta now. I see them several times a year. It must be nice to live so close you can visit your mother whenever you want.”

He averted his gaze and took a sip from his cup. “Yeah. I try to go at least once a month.” They sat silent for a few moments. Then he reached for her cup. “Want a refill?”

Her ponytail bobbed up and down as she nodded. “That would be great.”

Jack rose and walked away from the table. What was he doing sitting with this woman? He’d talked with her more since he’d walked in the door than he had with any woman in the past three years.

He stopped at the counter and glanced back at Danielle. She smiled at him, and he forced his lips to respond. He should leave. He didn’t need any complications in his life, and something told him she could be just that.

The day had produced more surprises than Danielle had experienced in a long time. The last thing she would have expected was to be sitting drinking coffee with Jack Denton. She had to admit, though, there was something about the quiet detective that intrigued her.

“Tell me, Jack…” she began but stopped.

He swallowed the coffee in his mouth and set the cup back on the table. “What?”

“I started to ask you about your family, but I don’t want you to think I’m prying.”

“No, it’s okay.” His eyes clouded, and his forehead creased into a small frown. “My mother is my only family. She has Alzheimer’s and is in a nursing home in Asheville. That’s why I go once a month.”

A pang of regret pierced her heart. “I’m sorry, Jack. That must be very painful for you.”

Jack nodded. “It is.” He cleared his throat and glanced at her. “But what about you? I’m sitting here with you, and for all I know you may have a boyfriend, or even be married.”

Another memory she struggled to suppress drifted into her mind. As she’d done so often in the past, she tried to shake it from her head. “No, there’s not a man in my life. There was one when I was in Chapel Hill attending graduate school, but he died.”

Jack leaned forward. “Oh, I’m sorry. What happened?”

Danielle swallowed before answering. “He was killed during a robbery of his apartment.”

“That’s terrible. Did the police catch the killer?’

Danielle shook her head. “No. They said there had been an increase in robberies in that area. They decided he must have walked in on a burglary in progress.”

Sympathy shone in Jack’s eyes. “Then I guess we have something besides Jade Dragon in common. My wife died in a car crash with another man while I was away on special assignment with the army.”

Danielle sucked in her breath. “Oh, Jack. I’m so sorry.”

Surprise flashed across his face. “I can’t believe I said that. You’re the first person I’ve told that to since I came to Webster Falls, and I’ve only known you one day.”

She smiled. “Then maybe this means we’re going to be friends.”

“Maybe so, but I have to warn you. I don’t make friends easily.” He leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table. “The way you talk, it seems you’ve been able to accept what happened in your life. How have you been able to do that?”

Danielle tilted her head and arched her eyebrows. “Oh, I have times when I feel overwhelmed. Two of the people I’ve loved most in my life, Jennifer and my fiancé, both died, but my faith got me through the bad times. So I try to remember that my life isn’t over and God still has plans for me.”

Jack cocked an eyebrow. “Faith, huh? Glad it works for you.”

His stony expression relayed his skepticism. Danielle shifted in her chair and debated what to say. “It can work for anybody, Jack.”

He sighed and pushed back from the table. “Not me.” He glanced past her toward the door, and his eyes widened in surprise. “Flynn Carter just walked in, and I recognize the girl with him from the Web site.”

Danielle stared in the direction he was looking. She hadn’t seen Flynn since early this morning, but his arrival reminded her of his behavior then. “He seems a lot happier now than when he was in my office. I wonder if he’s told Tricia about our meeting.”

Jack shrugged. “They don’t seem to be too concerned, do they?”

Danielle sighed and shook her head. “One thing I’ve found out about working with college students is they don’t tend to get too upset about anything but what’s happening at that minute.” She glanced at Jack. “Don’t get me wrong. We have some great kids at Webster, but they haven’t had the life lessons yet that will mold them into the adults they’ll become. They’re preparing for the world, and they have no idea how tough it can be at times.”

Jack studied Flynn and Tricia as they purchased coffee to go. “I hope their little prank doesn’t cause them to get some of that experience.”

“I do, too.” Danielle watched Flynn and Tricia as they disappeared out the door.

After a moment, Jack stood. “I guess I’d better be going. It was nice to see you.”

She stuck out her hand. “It was good seeing you. I hope we’ll meet again.”

He grasped her hand, and his gaze moved over her face. “Maybe we will. I’ll probably be back out at the school in a day or so if Carter doesn’t take the Web site down.” He smiled. “Good night, Danielle.”

“Good night, Jack.”

He turned and strode toward the door. Danielle watched him go before she picked up her iPod. As she stared at it, she replayed her conversation with Jack Denton in her mind. She’d never talked with anyone who seemed to guard each word like he did, and yet there had been a connection between the two of them.

They shared a love for her parents’ music, but there was more. They’d both had a tragedy with the person they loved. The difference was in the fact that Jack couldn’t accept what she’d found—faith. If they became friends, perhaps in time she could help him face his difficult memories.