Page 74 of James

His footfalls heavier than usual, James left Laura behind in the spare room. He couldn't deny the conflict within him. While he longed for more than a platonic connection with Laura, he knew the timing wasn't right. The weight of their complicated situation pressed down on hisshoulders. Right now, she was safe and that had to be enough.

He wandered back to the living room and took a bottle of Bowmore from the liquor cabinet. Captain Connor had introduced him to this particular brand of single malt Scotch.

Pouring a generous amount into a glass, James held it in his hand, appreciating the rich amber color. He brought it to his lips, taking a slow sip, allowing the smoky flavor to dance on his tongue. The familiar burn of the alcohol traveled down his throat and brought a momentary sense of warmth and comfort. Tonight, he needed this nightcap, not just for the taste, but to find solace in the depths of a fine Scotch.

He didn’t linger long but retreated to his empty bed soon after finishing the whisky and wondering why they spelled it without an ‘e’.

James hadn’t been asleep for long when distressed cries coming from Laura's room woke him. In an instant, he was on his feet, his heart racing with concern. He hurried to her room and found her tangled in the sheets, caught in the grip of a haunting nightmare.

“Laura,” he called, hovering in the doorway. “Laura, wake up. It's just a bad dream." But his words seemed to go unheard as she continued to thrash and cry out in distress. He moved to the bed to try and wake her again. This time he touched her arm, but she flinched and continued crying out. Now he could make out words, the words she muttered became more discernible.

“Jake, Jake, no, please, no more. I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”

James held her tightly, his arms enfolding her with a comforting strength. “It’s just a dream, Laura,” hewhispered, his voice a soothing balm. “Wake up now. You’re safe. Jake can’t hurt you anymore.”

Gradually, her eyes fluttered open and her breath came in shallow gasps. Confusion and fear etched across her face as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. “Where am I? What’s going on? James? What are you doing here?”

His fingers tenderly brushing her cheek, stroking away a few tears. “Sh, sh, it’s okay. You’re in my spare room,” he reminded her. “You were having a nightmare. Jake is dead. He can’t hurt you anymore. You’re safe here. Everything is okay.”

Her eyes cleared and her cheeks reddened. “Oh dear Lord, you must think I’m a horrible mess. I didn’t mean to wake you. The nightmares aren’t usually this bad. Please forgive me, James.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Laura.” James continued to hold her and stroke her back. “You had a stressful day. A bad dream is a normal reaction,” he reassured her softly, “I’m glad I was here to help. How about a cup of herbal tea to help you get back to sleep?”

She nodded gratefully and started to get up. “That sounds wonderful. Do you have chamomile?”

“A few moments later, James returned with two steaming mugs of chamomile tea, sweetened with a touch of honey. He handed one to Laura, their fingers briefly brushing, before they settled back onto the bed.

“Mm, that’s wonderful. Thank you, James.”

Her sound of appreciation went straight to his loins, but he managed a “You’re welcome.”

They sat side by side, sipping their tea in companionable silence, the tension of the earlier evening dissipating with each comforting sip.

Sensing Laura's vulnerability and her need for closeness, James asked gently, “Would you like for me to stay with you until you fall asleep again?”

“Thank you. I’d like that very much.”

James quietly placed the mugs in the sink and made his way to his bedroom. He slipped into a comfortable t-shirt and sleep pants before returning to the spare bedroom. He got onto bed on top of the covers and opened his arms, inviting Laura to find solace in his embrace. He held her gently, enjoying the weight of her body against his, and listened to the rhythm of her breath as it gradually slowed.

As he lay there, he remembered how good she felt in his arms and how wonderful it was to make love to her, whether she was restrained or not. He hoped they could get their relationship back and she would finally trust him enough to love him. Content with holding her in his arms, James didn’t move but drifted off to sleep on top of the comforter dressed in more clothes than he usually slept in.

After breakfast, James drove Laura straight to police headquarters. They found the organized crime division and Det. Cagney came up to meet them. “I’m so glad to see you Ms. Turner. I was half-afraid you wouldn’t come after yesterday.”

“That brick made me mad, detective, it didn’t scare me off. It will take more than that to keep me out of this. Besides, I have protection now.” She indicated James. “Did you two meet yesterday? I was a bit distracted and can’t remember if I introduced you. James, this is Det.Cagney. Det. Cagney, this is my overprotective friend, James Black.”

A look of recognition passed between the two men, and Laura wondered what that could be about, as they shook hands. “Good to meet you Mr. Black. I’m glad to see Ms. Turner has someone to watch her back. She’s a brave woman.”

“Yes, she is that,” James agreed.

“Let’s get your statement out of the way and you two can get on with your day.”

Det. Cagney led them into a room with a stenographer, a digital audio recorder and a video camera visible in an upper corner. “I don’t like to take chances with important statements. I hope you don’t mind the redundancy.”

“No, it’s fine,” Laura said and James nodded agreement.

“Okay, Ms. Turner, why don’t you start with your meeting with Jake Taylor, since that seems to be the beginning of this? I’ll interrupt with questions when I need something clarified.”

For the next three hours, Laura went through the events of the last couple of weeks, focusing on Jake, John Smith and the broken window. When she was finally finished and Det. Cagney had run out of questions, she felt as exhausted as the first time she had tried running.

---