Page 38 of Caught in the Crossfire

Refreshed from showering off the day’s dirt and sweat, Mason stood at the front window keeping watch while Nicole and Dawn showered and changed clothes. As he studied the street in front of his house, he considered his options.

His hands clenched into tight fists. Those choices were slim. He was already under watch by the police. He’d spotted a cruiser tailing him more than once today. He understood their reasoning, but the action still made him angry. He wasn’t guilty of anything, unlike 15 years ago. He’d made a lousy choice and paid for it long and hard, and now carried a load of guilt that nothing could ease. But he wasn’t that same 22-year-old who believed himself capable of handling anything, including alcohol.

Mason couldn’t let Fitzgerald’s encroachment into Nicole’s shop go unchallenged. He also couldn’t let the confrontation become physical. If he did, he’d land in jail and leave Nicole defenseless. Fitzgerald’s animosity should be directed toward him, not Nicole. The man had no right to drag her into the middle of this unwanted trip down memory lane.

He knew where Fitzgerald was staying if he hadn’t left town already. If the man was still at the B & B, he’d ask him to leave Nicole alone.

Soon, a black SUV pulled into the driveway and parked. When Matt exited the vehicle with his mike bag in hand, Mason opened the door for the medic. “Thanks for helping out tonight, Matt,” he said when his friend entered the house.

“No problem.” He smiled. “Delilah will wait up for me. How is Nicole?”

“Still has a headache.”

A frown. “Is it as bad as last night?”

“She hasn’t said.”

“I’ll talk to her.” Matt indicated his bag. “I planned to check her over anyway. I want to be sure she’s improving.”

“I am.” Nicole walked into the living room and curled up at the end of the couch. “I’m able to control the headache with over-the-counter medicine and I haven’t been as nauseated this afternoon.”

“Good to hear. I still want to check your cut and your pupils.”

She frowned. “Are you sure you shouldn’t be a doctor?”

The medic chuckled. “Maybe when I’m ready to stop going on missions with Bravo. Fortress could use more doctors on staff.”

“Isn’t Linc coming?” Nicole asked Mason.

“His class ends at 10:00. He’ll take over the watch from Matt. My shift starts at 1:00 a.m.” He turned back to the other man. “I’m going out to pick up dinner. Is Delaney’s special all right with you?” When he received a nod, Mason kissed Nicole and headed back to the town square.

Halfway to his destination, he turned right on Pine and drove toward the B & B. Wouldn’t hurt to see if Fitzgerald’s vehicle was in the lot. Five minutes later, Mason turned into the lot and drove through slowly. No vehicles with license plates issued from his home county. Maybe Fitzgerald left town since he delivered his message to Nicole.

He snorted. Right. When had things ever been that simple for him? No, Fitzgerald had an agenda but he didn’t know how far the man would go to make his point.

He mentally boxed up his frustration. Enough. He had hungry people to feed. If Fitzgerald was in town, he’d find Mason soon.

He walked into Delaney’s ten minutes later. The deli only had a handful of customers in the dining area when he approached the register. “How are you, Cindy?”

A broad smile curved the lips of the grandmother of six. “Hi, Mason. I heard what happened to Nicole. How is she?”

“Better. Thanks for asking.”

“If she needs anything, let me know. We love that girl and what she does for our precious fur babies. Now, what can I get for you, honey?”

That made him grin. “Five specials to go.”

“Coming right up. You want some coffee while you wait?”

Did the coffee come in a gallon-size bucket? “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

She snagged a white coffee mug and filled it with the fragrant, steaming liquid. “Have a seat, Mason. I’ll put your order in. We’ll have you fixed up in a few minutes.”

He slid onto the padded stool and sipped the brew while listening to the quiet hum of conversation behind him. In between delivering meals and refilling drinks, he talked with Cindy about the progress on the Oakdale apartment complex.

“I can’t wait for the work to be completed.” She beamed. “My granddaughter is planning to rent an apartment there when she arrives for college in the fall. She’ll be sharing the space with her two best friends from high school.”

“They’ll enjoy living there. The complex features two nature trails, a full gym along with two pools, and plenty of green space. Your granddaughter needs to contact the leasing agent soon, though. I hear the apartments are filling up fast.” He gave her the agent’s name and number. He’d lost count of how many inquiries he and his boss had fielded since Elliott Construction began work on the site.

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