Page 6 of Words from the Heart
Chapter 4
Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, Parker stared at the darkened house. He’d gotten this stupid idea to go over to Delilah’s house, but now as he sat in her driveway, he realized he was a complete moron. He watched as the lights all turned off and then sat there, just staring. Parker didn’t know what had possessed him to drive over there, but as he slowly turned around and headed out towards the road, he knew his heart was likely in trouble. He’d been a deputy for the last seven years, landing in Alabama after his time in the military had come to an end. Parker had spent almost ten years as a Marine, serving his country with pride, but after the last deployment, and losing his parents in a house fire, he’d decided to get out. Not knowing really where he wanted to go, he wound up in the small town of St. Florian. He got hired on immediately with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s department. But out of boredom, started doing odd jobs in construction on his off days. He remembered the day he’d met Isabelle. The old woman was a hoot and nearly ran him over in her prized Ford truck. They got to talking and she offered him part-time work fixing up her place. When he was at her house working, she told him stories of Delilah. She was damn proud of her granddaughter and did not hold a grudge when she left this town after graduating college. She did mention a time or two how much she disliked her boyfriend. Isabelle thought he was bad news, putting his needs above Delilah’s. But, Delilah, a stubborn woman according to Isabelle, refused to listen to reason. Another reason Delilah probably struggled with Isabelle’s death.
Parker pulled off into the Happy Hollow parking lot. Cutting his engine, he glanced at his dash clock… almost midnight. He had another six hours to go before his shift was over. Not much happened in Lauderdale, so he knew he would probably fight sleep more than crime tonight. Parker rested his head against the seat, his eyes closed as he remembered the last day he’d spent with Isabelle. He’d been on the roof trying to cut down the monstrosity of a tree that had fallen on the house. Isabelle had been making jokes about him being shirtless and how she was going to take photos and sell them to the tabloids. Parker had turned his back for just a second when he heard the scream. Almost falling off the roof, he slid down the side, landing on his feet by some miracle. Isabelle laid on the ground near the water’s edge with a massive oak lying across her body. Blood seeped from her head, and when he’d gotten close enough, he knew she was gone. He remembered the paramedics somber expression when they arrived on scene. The fire department helped him clear the fallen tree and then assisted in getting her into the ambulance. They’d ran lights and siren to the emergency room, more as a formality, but everyone on scene knew she was dead. He came back to her place two days later and destroyed that damn tree. Chopping and hacking at it until it was a mere tattered stump. Then for good measure he’d lit the damn thing on fire. He was pretty sure Delilah could tell it had been burned, yet she said nothing. Isabelle had hoped Delilah would come home, but she never pressed.
Instead, she reminisced about Delilah growing up and shared stories of the girl she was before meeting John. He didn’t know much about the jackass of a fiancé, well, ex-fiancé now, but he knew enough to know he didn’t like the man. Any man that put his needs before the woman he supposedly loves – well, he was a man Parker wanted to pummel. At nearly 35, Parker didn’t see love as being something that was for him. The military, and now law enforcement, made it challenging to have a relationship. There wasn’t a woman he’d met so far that didn’t ask him to quit or find a normal job. Those relationships ended before they began. He had no trouble finding the company of a woman when he was younger, but since meeting Isabelle, those meaningless hook ups became… well, meaningless. He hadn’t been with a woman in years. But now…
The sound of his radio snapped him from his thoughts. Sighing at the sound of dispatch, he responded and pulled from the deserted lot. Two days and he’d be able to talk with Delilah again.
