Page 26 of Fired Up By the Mountain Man
She looked at Cole and back at the detective.
“He’s a customer of mine at the café.”
“Okay, do you know him well?”
“I don’t know him at all actually. He started coming in for lunch a couple weeks ago I think but I’ve never had a conversation with him until a few days ago.”
“A conversation about what?” The detective pulled a notebook from his pocket and started scribbling notes.
“Just about lunch. Actually, Cole was there too. This guy came in after him, but Cole let him order first. He started asking personal questions about what I was doing over the weekend. I ignored it, took his order and while I was in the back making it, the guy turned on Cole. He wanted to know what he was doing there and that he shouldn’t be bother me.”
“Was Cole bothering you?”
“No, not at all. I had to force that other man to leave. Then he came the next day. While my partner was helping him, Cole came in and I went to talk to him. The man got angry because I wasn’t paying attention to him, so I told him to leave, or I’d call the police. That was the last I’d seen him.”
The detective turned back to the phone and said they could take all the men out.
“Thanks, so much Maeve. You both are free to go but keep your phone close, I’ll be calling you in the next couple days.”
“Is it that number eight?” The detective hesitated, avoiding eye contact with Maeve at first.
“It is actually, but keep that on the downlow, it isn’t official yet. We haven’t been able to connect him with the café fires, but he was your burglar. The officers caught him going through the woods.
“Will you keep him locked up then?”
“Yes Maeve, we will. He’ll be sitting for a length of time until his court hearing, but we’ll keep you up to date on any of the details as they progress.”
Cole and Maeve thanked the detective and left the station.
Epilogue
Several weeks later, Maeve and Cole lay on a blanket on the floor of Cole’s third floor apartment.
“Woman, you are wearing me out.”
“I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one in that last escapade, or any of the prior ones for that matter. Takes two to tango buddy.”
“You’re right, it does.” Cole grabbed the fantastically naked woman lying beside him and pulled her on top.
“And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” He kissed her before she sat up, straddling his lap.
“So, are we completely in the clear then, don’t have to worry about him anymore?”
Cole adjusted Maeve’s body so that he could sit up and face her.
“Honey, he isn’t a problem for us anymore. They sent him far, far away and he won’t be up for parole for several years. Knowing his temper though, he won’tgetparole but even if he did, Detective Wilson would let us know and we’d take precautions accordingly.”
“I still can’t believe he did all that. Both fires in my caféandbreaking into my house. What did I ever do to him?”
“I think he just wanted your attention like everyone else because you’re adorably hot, and he got jealous when you gave it to me instead. I for one, am glad you gave me the attention. Otherwise, where would we be today?”
“I’d probably be dead, and you’d be dating someone else.”
“You wouldn’t be dead, don’t say that.”
“He would havehadto kill me because I would not have given him the time of day and we know for a fact that was a trigger. He was a violent man, that’s pretty obvious.”
“You know what, he’s out of our lives and I’m happy about that. We are just going to continue doing what we’ve been doing. Your café opens in another week when the repairs are done then when your lease is up next month on your apartment, you can move in here. We’ll make up the rules as we go along. But only if you’re okay with that.”
