Stake Out For Love by Margo Hoornstra

Part Three

He lowered his head on a sigh. Because everything they shared felt so right from day one, he’d committed to her body, mind and soul. Until she’d decided she didn’t want him any longer. For financial reasons, he stayed in the apartment. She moved in with one of her sisters. Her true feelings were never clearer than at their little yours or mine sort-out session. Part of the divorce process, dividing up any and all joint possessions.
 

That she was okay with giving away their mutual Christmas ornament, the guitar playing mouse, sealed it for him. The fact their first purchase as a couple held no emotional value for her said a lot. He’d always been a closet sentimentalist. No way would he ever admit to it, but when she was distracted with something else, he’d slipped the tree decoration inside one of his old hiking boots. What could he say? The silly figurine still held a special place for him. On the dresser in his bedroom—their old bedroom. Not that there was a chance she’d even think of setting foot in any bedroom he inhabited ever again.

Another tortured sigh would attract the bored teenager’s attention as he scrubbed counters and put away dishes. Shifting in his chair, Tony shut his eyes and allowed an internal shudder to suffice. Being without Holly, the raw reality of his loss, froze the blood in his veins. A small glacier may as well have replaced his heart. At this rate, walking back out into the below freezing temperature would seem like a warm-up.

Picking up one of the cups, he raised it to his lips as he glanced outside. Funny. From here, he had a better view of the tree they’d been assigned to watch than from the squad car. Probably because he didn’t have the distraction of Holly sitting beside him.

As more memories tried to fight their way into his mind, he brought his attention back to the tree. Glittering lights reflected off glimmering ornaments. He had to admit the entire effect was pretty remarkable. No wonder the Community Beautification Committee members were angry. Green, blue, red, yellow, and white sparkles shimmied up, down and around its branches. Most of which remained intact.

The last time he’d seen their tree, his and Holly’s, it wasn’t nearly as spectacular. Leaning in the corner of their apartment—its many internal lights dark, the box of decorations tucked underneath it. Certainly no brightly wrapped presents. Drab and alone.

Just like me without Holly.

She hadn’t wanted the tree either. He did recall his bullshit explanation for keeping it. “Save me the trouble of buying one every year.”

The tree was an artificial behemoth they’d gotten on a whim when they went to the store for groceries. The floor model. For some reason, tying it to the roof of his car had been a snap. As was unloading the eight foot tall mass of plush, artificial needles pre-strung with lights.

Getting the thing into the stairwell and up three flights was another story. Given the fun they’d had, he wouldn’t have traded one second of the clumsy effort. The elevator had been out of order, as usual.

He was at the bottom pushing, while she was at the top pulling. Twice, as they wrestled the monstrosity up the stairs, either she yanked so hard or he pushed the same way and momentum landed her flat on her back.

A smile tilted his lips at the memory.

By the time they reached the door to their apartment, they were both laughing so hard they could barely stand up. When she leaned into him for support, his arms came around her waist, and she’d lifted her face to his.

He’d kissed the tip of her nose, then one cheek and the other. By the time he got around to kissing her mouth, their laughter was a thing of the past.

Then all he could think about was getting her inside. Not until the next morning did they realize they’d left the tree out in the hall all night.

“Excuse me, sir.” The young clerk’s tentative voice broke into his thoughts. “Here’re your muffins.”

“Thanks.”

He pushed through the door and into the alley, taking the coffee she hadn’t ordered and the muffins she probably didn’t want with him.

Fat flakes of snow landed on him and the ground with a distinct plop plop plop. Keeping time with his plodding footsteps.

When they first got married, he assumed children would quickly follow. Procreation was the way of the world for a guy with five brothers, two sisters and scores of aunts, uncles and cousins. More recently, nieces and nephews. As far as he was concerned, kids were a no brainer.

Holly didn’t automatically agree. Which made no sense. She’d be a fantastic mother. He knew for a fact she was a fantastic wife.

Past tense.

He stopped short as he neared the partially hidden squad car. No brainer, hell. More like him being brainless. Too stupid to give her side, the views she tried to explain, more consideration.

She didn’t even look up as he climbed behind the wheel. His breath was coming in short, sudden bursts. Exertion from his walk. Yeah right.

“I bought cranberry muffins.” He held up the bag when she finally turned toward him. “Maybe you’ll want some later.”

Still, she didn’t really look at him. “That was nice. Thank you.”

“Coffee too.” He set the cardboard carrier with the two Styrofoam cups on the console between the seats.

“I turned the wipers on so I could see out the windshield.”

“That’s good.”

Their back and forth motion was a constant flap, flap, flap. The snow falling on the roof, a continual plop, plop, plop. Rising above it all, the labored thud, thud, thud of a newly wakened heart.

“What did I miss?” Other than your beautiful face? Your presence beside me? The body I so long to make love to.

“What?” She glanced his way and the lack of emotion on her face tore at his heart. “Not much. Dispatch called another unit to yet another domestic.” She rested her head against the seat back. “What is it with people tonight? Don’t they know we’re all supposed to make an effort to get along together on Christmas Eve?”

It was now or never if he stood any chance of getting back the love of his life.

“Maybe it’s more difficult for people to get along during the holidays. Heightened expectations and all that.”

“I suppose.”

Keeping his hands to himself was darned near more of a challenge than he was up to right now. “Holly, I—”

He wasn’t sure she’d heard him as she turned to stare out the side window.

“Well, look at that.”

“Look at what?”

Careful to not tip over the hot coffees, he leaned in slow. The subtle scent of the perfume she always wore drifted over him. He couldn’t ignore the sweet invitation to move a little closer. The curve of her uniform clad shoulder gave way to the skin exposed at the side of her neck, just below her earlobe. A place he used to love to explore with his lips. A tiny pulse flickered under the skin.

“There’re your vandals.”

Dragging his gaze away from her, he resisted the urge to rest his chin on her shoulder, then had to smile. “Well, I’ll be darned.”

Four squirrels, adolescents judging by their size, scampered toward the Christmas tree to disappear inside it. First the lower branches began to shake, then the middle, and finally the top. Ornaments jiggled, quivered and eventually fell to the ground. The oddly synchronized movements ran up the tree then down a couple of times more before four brown, furry bodies shot back to where they’d come from.

“What do you know about that?” Glancing behind her as she spoke, her lips nearly collided with his.

Mouth open, she pulled back, while Tony didn’t move a muscle. A millimeter of space. That was all he had to close between them, and his lips would cover hers. Pausing to swallow, his gaze captured hers and held.

She looked away and reached for the radio. “Shall we call the Chief?”

His hand came over hers. “In a minute. There’s something I want—” He blew out a breath. “—need to say to you first.” When she didn’t tell him to go to hell, he went on. “I think I know where we went wrong, Holly. You and me.”

She pressed her lips together but didn’t turn away.

He sat back in the seat but held fast to her hand. “I think we got hung up not so much on different values as different perspectives. We both want the same things. We just differ on the best way to get there.” He went on before she had a chance to answer. “I was wrong, and I’m so very, very sorry.”

For the first time in a long, long time, she came up with a weak smile. “It’s my fault too. Not just yours. I’m sorry too.”

They talked over each other in a flurry of offered compromises until Tony couldn’t take it any longer.

“Enough!” When she stopped speaking, he gazed at her across the squad car’s front seat. “It’s killing me to not reach over to take you in my arms.” His voice lowered. “Hold on tight and never let go.”

She let out a tiny laugh. “Me too. Imagine the calls they’d get at the station at the sight of two cops in the front seat of a squad car making out.”

Head rested back, he cast over a loving glance. “That’s one visual I could definitely get used to.”

He squeezed her hand. When she squeezed his back, a warm tingle shot up his arm and over his collar bone where it picked up his small and shriveled heart and put it back in place to grow.

She gave him a huge smile. “This is the only place I’d want to spend Christmas. Together with you.”

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Merry Christmas!

Stake Out For Love by Margo Hoornstra

Part Two

She could only look at him and shake her head. “You have the keys, don’t you? We both know how much you covet driving, especially when you’re on duty. Why would I ask you to give that up? It’s a holiday. I’m feeling a touch of the benevolent, giving spirit.”

“Fine.”

“Great.”

She accidentally brushed against him to climb into the passenger side and flinched. Posture rigid and all business, game face on, she shut the door and secured her seat belt. All the while, the heat of that casual touch stayed with her.

Shake it off.

He slid in behind the wheel, and the interior of the squad car compressed. Closed in and cozy, having him in the seat beside her.

Kind of like those rare mornings when they happened to have the same day off. They’d celebrate by spending the first half of it in bed. Not necessarily making love the whole time, though that was always a welcome option.

Mostly, they’d snuggle side by side, holding hands, talking about their future.

“So how many kids should we have?” It was always his question.

Her answer was always the same. “As many as we have.” Then in those last few months before their break up, she’d add an internal qualifier. Just not right now.

Keeping silent was preferable to chancing a repeat of what had become the same argument. The product of a big family, Tony couldn’t wait to start theirs. She wanted to put off having children until she was more established in her career. He couldn’t understand why.

He’d start with a promise. “I’ll share the caregiving.”

Her counter offer would be the same. “Fifty-fifty?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Does that include carrying, giving birth and nursing for the first six months?”

When she put it that way, he never could come up with a suitable answer. “I’m sure we could figure something out.”

Figuring something out just didn’t cut it for her.

The radio crackled as dispatch sent a patrol unit to a domestic dispute. Glancing up, Holly was startled to see they were already downtown. Tony jockeyed the car into a spot at the far end of the church parking lot behind a cluster of trees and tall bushes.

Putting the gear shift into park, he turned to stare out the driver side window. “Well, look at that.”

“Look at what?” She glanced over to follow his gaze.

The Interdenominational Church was putting on its version of a living Nativity. A man dressed in a robe and headpiece stood to one side of the display holding the reins of a real live donkey. Others in costume, the three Wise Men among them, walked from the church parking lot towards the arch that represented that long ago manger. The woman picked up a swaddled bundle she held close as her husband wrapped his arm around her shoulders. They gazed with awe and love at their child.

“It never gets old, does it? Watching that miracle.” Before she could stop it, her whisper broke into the stillness.

“It sure doesn’t.” His tone was low, his voice more of a shaky exhale.

Pleasantly surprised at his show of emotion, Holly raised a hand she was about to rest gently on his shoulder. She blinked back tears as she sought to ignore the huge lump of regret gaining ground at the back of her throat. Maybe Tony was right and they could figure it out, work through their differences.

His head lifted and something made her pull back. By the time he’d fully turned her way, his face was unreadable.

“I wonder what kind of permit they had to pull to bring that donkey into town.”

She took in a quick breath as the tears dried up and the lump disappeared. “I don’t know. Why don’t you go over and ask them?”

The snarky retort was so not what she’d intended. Except he started it.

“Naw. It’s not that important. I’m going to get something to eat before we get started.” He pointed to his right. “That deli over there is still open. You want anything?”

She shook her head. “Thank you, no.”

As Tony’s fingers wrapped around the door handle, he gave her a quick look over one shoulder. “Just asking. I figured it’s the gentlemanly thing to do.”

“Don’t feel obligated to act like a gentleman on my account.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

A blast of cold air washed over her as he opened the door to get out then shut it behind him.

Leaning back in the seat, Holly scowled up at the ceiling.

Men! From now on, she was determined to live without them. Especially the one who just left.

****

 

Hands in his pockets, shoulders slumped, Tony made his way around a thorny bush to head down the alley.

Man oh man. He sure was screwing this up. Big time.

His first chance in over seven months alone with the love of his life. Determined to put his best foot forward, what did he do? Inserted the damned thing firmly and directly into his mouth.

A ragged breath whooshed out on a frigid cloud in the below freezing night.

He should have had the guts to shove it, heel and all, down his throat.

Good going, asshole.

The idiotic donkey remark had the expected effect. After making it, he’d watched the glimmer of hope lighting her eyes dim. He could have kicked his own ass for being the cause. The highly insensitive donkey reference. Where the heck had that come from?

Nerves. Because seeing a couple, any couple, with the child they shared hurt so much he couldn’t deal with it. A damned lame excuse for hurting Holly the way he had.

Careful to use the back entrance into the deli, he noted they closed in an hour.

A tall, thin teenaged boy with a Santa hat riding low on his forehead looked up from behind the counter. “Merry Christmas. What can I get you?”

“Merry Christmas.” He hadn’t said those words to anyone the past few weeks.

Mainly because, without Holly at his side, he wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. Or do much of anything. Except eat when he could work up an appetite, which wasn’t often. Sleep when his extended pity party shut down long enough to allow it. And work. Oh, and through all that, do his darnedest to ignore the big gaping hole in his chest where his heart was supposed to be.

“Cranberry muffins are on special today.” The clerk eyed him expectantly.

Cranberry muffins. Holly’s favorite. “Two coffees to go. And a bag of those muffins. Half a dozen.”

“You got it. I’m baking a fresh batch. They should be done in about five minutes.”

“I’ll wait.”

The clerk put the cups of coffee in a cardboard container. Tony carried them over to a table by the window where he took a seat.

When he volunteered to help out the local department, take the afternoon shift on Christmas Eve so some of his buddies with families could have the night off, he accepted the possibility he might run into Holly, and figured he’d somehow deal if he did. He never expected to be matched up with her for an entire twelve-hour shift. He was equally stunned, though maybe he shouldn’t be, to discover it hurt too much to even look at her. For that ungodly long amount of time.

She was more beautiful than he’d allowed himself to remember. Dammit.

The face of an angel. Those big, gorgeous blue eyes of hers. How many times in the past had he found himself lost in their depths? Content to stay where he was. Not caring if he ever found his way out.

Not even the unflattering man-cut style of a department issue shirt and pants could hide her curves and velvet skin. A body he’d come to know as well as his own. And cherished far more.

Long brown hair. How he’d relished the silky mass draped across his chest as they made love.

Hair that she’d pulled straight back from her face to pack tight into a frickin’ old lady bun at the back of her neck tonight.

What he wouldn’t give to yank out the pins and bury his face in its fragrance. Too bad it wasn’t going to happen. Tonight—or ever.

Join me here tomorrow for part three of Stake Out For Love. If you like what you've read so far, do I have a deal for you. My latest release Only If You Dare is free on Amazon now through the 14th.

Please click here for a Free Download of Only If You Dare

For more about my books, me and more FREE stories, visit me at www.margohoornstra.com

Merry Christmas!

 

Stake Out For Love by Margo Hoornstra

Part One

This was the last place she expected to spend Christmas. Worse, Holly had no idea how she was going to survive it.

A twelve-hour shift, closed up in squad car 22, sharing the front with her newly assigned partner Tony Garcetti. A deputy on loan from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department. Who also happened to be her ex-husband.

“It’s the holiday season!” Chief Edwards’ bellow reached across the room.

Sitting in chairs lined up, classroom style, Holly Garcetti and her fellow officers had received their Christmas Eve duty assignments.

“Experience has proven holiday eves can either be excruciatingly slow or more hectic than a midnight madness sale. Be ready either way. Budget cuts aside, we’re still understaffed. If you don’t like how your assignment shook out tonight, too bad. Deal with it. Ho-ho-ho. Merry Christmas. Now, let’s all get out there and get to work.”

Chairs scuffled on a worn tile floor as the members of the Mild, Michigan Police Department stood up as instructed. Get out there and get to work.

“Doing our jobs.” The Chief hollered over the din. “Keeping the streets safe for those who look forward to spending tonight and tomorrow with family members they love.”

Holly had all she could do to not release a heavy sigh and accompanying eye roll. We get it. A major holiday is upon us.

Does he have to be so darned descriptive? Using family and love in the same sentence?

Taking a reckless chance, she cast a sly glance in Tony’s direction. Her partner du jour was in the corner talking with a couple of officers who had been in his class at the academy. She’d met them at their recent ten-year reunion. One of his cronies cracked a joke, and Tony smiled. That bright white, dimple intact, charming smile that never failed to light up his eyes.

Forget the fact the man was runway model gorgeous with a capital G. Black hair and blue eyes set off Italian good looks that any Roman god would gladly turn human for. One of the first things she’d been attracted to was his caring and compassionate nature. Especially when it came to children.

They’d met one night when Tony provided backup to her call for help in handling a domestic dispute. Holly had an upset child on her hands, and nothing she did to console him was working. Then Tony arrived, all comfort and calm and funny stories. He had the scared little boy smiling within minutes of taking over. Not only was the youngster charmed, Holly too was hooked.

She thought for life.

They’d hit it off right away, talked for a while after the boy was handed over to child welfare. When their shifts ended, they’d gone their separate ways. Then met up again at an all-night diner—Tony’s idea—where he treated her to breakfast. They were together from that day forward.

Until their break up the previous April.

April 1st, to be exact. All Fools’ Day. Another holiday she could add to her list of special days to forget.

“Garcetti and Garcetti.” The Chief’s voice shoved into her thoughts. “Front and center for some special instructions.”

What now?

Fighting back the temptation to indulge in a second eye roll, she headed front and center. Tony didn’t move quite as fast. As he separated from his buddies, his laughter grew nearer. Another glance his way was out of the question.

Not that she needed it. She’d gotten enough of an eyeful when he first walked in. Even with the bulk of his bullet proof vest under his shirt, he filled out a uniform to perfection. No amount of clothing could disguise the body builder toned arms, solid muscles of broad shoulders and washboard abs.

She stumbled then quickly recovered her gait. No way could her knees be about to give out. The floor must have a low spot. That was it. Teeth clenched, she made it to the podium.

“Whatcha got, Chief?”

Though her mouth was open, Tony’s voice came out first. His musky aftershave, a scent she used to wake up to on her pillow, should have warned her of his approach. She needed to keep her guard up. When he halted to her left, she was subtle, but leaned away from him. Until she got her bearings.

Closing her eyes to shut out his presence would be an effort in futility. He was so much a part of her soul—the sharp contours of his features, sparkling blue eyes, killer smile. It all appeared behind her lids every time she lowered them.

Taking a breath that did nothing to quiet the butterflies playing racquet ball in her mid-section, she spoke up too. “Yeah, Chief. What have you got?”

“I’m sending you out on surveillance.”

“Together?” They spoke in unison.

Holly’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes grew wide at the exact moment Tony’s features did the same. Under different circumstances their mirrored reactions might have been amusing. Comical even. If only the situation weren’t so emotionally devastating.

A balding head bobbed. “Hell, yes, together. I’m not that much of a Scrooge to make anyone spend the holiday alone. It’s a cushy assignment. Here’s the deal.”

He went on to detail how the Christmas tree set up in the center of town had been shamelessly vandalized the past couple of nights.

“Nothing major. No spray painted graffiti or anything like that. They’re just taking a few of the decorations here and there and dropping them to the ground. Some of them break, some don’t.”

Holly waited until he finished. “With all the businesses nearby, hasn’t anyone seen anything?”

Chief Edwards shook his head. “Nothing’s been shared with us.”

“What about installing cameras?” Tony crossed his arms over his chest.

“You get me the budget, I’ll get them installed. Right now, it’s officer hours to crack this case. The patrons on the Community Beautification Board are running out of replacement ornaments—and patience. You hide—all night if you have to—in the alley between Ridley’s Appliance Emporium and the Interdenominational Church. Figure out what the heck is going on.”

“No doubt kids with too much time on their hands.” It was Tony’s take on the matter.

Holly added hers. “And not enough parental supervision. A bad combination.”

The Chief nodded his agreement. “Whoever’s doing it, I want them caught. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Again they spoke as one.

“You know how many citizens in this town have the, um—” Lips pursed, he glanced to one side. “—propensity to call me at home?”

Edna, the head jail matron, paused on the way past to pipe in before either of the Garcettis could reply. “Most all of them, I’d say.”

“Got that right. This town’s too big for that kind of familiarity.”

Though Holly disagreed, she kept her mouth shut. In her opinion, their little town was the perfect size to settle down in. To raise a family. Their family. Hers and Tony’s.

If only she hadn’t been so close-minded.

Her breath caught, and she shut down her thoughts. Tony was by the door getting into his field jacket. She’d best do the same.

Experience has proven holiday eves can either be excruciatingly slow or hectic as a midnight madness sale. Hoping for the latter, she and Tony had drawn the former.

When they headed toward the exit, side by side, he paused when they got there to let her go first. Even physical contact as harmless as a possible brush of shoulders was off limits.

While others in the group of officers jabbered about what lay ahead as they walked down the stairs and across the parking garage beneath the station, the two of them walked in silence. External silence. Inside, Holly’s thoughts and memories were alive and thriving.

Vividly thriving.

Following three years of living together and two months shy of their fifth wedding anniversary, Holly Marie Tompkins Garcetti and Anthony Joseph Garcetti had decided to part company for good.

Irreconcilable differences was the cause listed on the divorce papers. Neither one of them chose to argue the point. However, before they could officially go their separate ways, there was an abundance of togetherness and accumulated stuff to divide up. One of the notable items no one seemed to want was a box of blended Christmas decorations. Most of them brought by Holly, a couple Tony contributed. Back then, giving them up was easy. In April, with its early spring splendor, all things Christmas future didn’t seem important. Not when compared to Christmas now.

“This must have fallen out of the box.”

He’d held up an ornament retrieved from the floor. A cute little mouse figure playing the guitar. Though they enjoyed music, neither played an instrument. Its sole significance being it was the first item they ever bought together.

“Your call. You want this or not?” His face, along with his voice, contained no emotion. No love. No hate. Nothing.

Doing her best to present an expression to match the rest of her hard-fought I could care less façade, she forced herself to look him directly in the eye. Only to feel the familiar hot surge of tears. She blinked them away. “I’m not attached to it either. That can go in the give-away pile.”

“Give-away it is.” He’d tossed the boxed ornament into a small pile of other articles by the door. The one between larger piles on either side, ‘his’ and ‘hers’.

She’d had all she could do to not run over and retrieve the keepsake as it landed sideways between some old hiking boots of his and an even older yoga mat of hers.

But didn’t, so it was gone now. She doubted he remembered its significance. Or even cared.

“Do you want to drive?” At Tony’s question, Holly’s trip down memory lane came to an abrupt halt.

“What?”

“Do you want to drive or have you decided it doesn’t mean you’re the weak female side of the partnership if I do?”

On that sour note, their evening alone together began. She, for one, was adult enough to have gotten over the sterile, scandal free dissolution of their short lived marriage.

He, apparently, had not.

Join me here tomorrow for part two of Stake Out For Love. If you like what you've read so far, do I have a deal for you. My latest release Only If You Dare is free on Amazon now through the 14th.

Please click here for a Free Download of Only If You Dare

More about my books, me and some other stories for FREE, please visit me at www.margohoornstra.com

Merry Christmas!