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"Love all, trust a few. Do wrong to none."
~ William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616),
"All's Well That Ends Well", Act 1 Scene 1
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A Kiss for a Wish:
Summer Reading Trail:
More information can be found at:
A. J. O'Donovan UK Trailhead or
Voirey Linger US Trailhead
 Chapter 1
"Freeze!" Rose Emerald lifted her gun toward the perpetrator with the gun inside the store. She was working in security at the Jones Department store at the Des Moines, Iowa, mall, and no one had better give her a hard time.
He lifted his hands into the air. "I'm a cop."
"Don't move," she said, walking toward the adorable man with muscles. His brown hair and brown eyes hinted his amusement at her approach, but she ignored it. "No one's allowed to have a gun in this building."
"But you do," the man said, his hands in the air. The gun hung slack in his right hand. "You do know you're impeding my investigation and my perp just got away."
"This'll just take a minute." She reached up and grabbed the guy's gun. "And besides, you should've identified yourself. You're not a god." Even though she could've sworn he looked like one.
"Um," he said. "You might want to flip the safety off on your gun."
"Quiet and quit distracting me." She reached into his back pockets, looking for identification.
"My front pocket, please. Not that I don't appreciate the thought."
"Idiot," she muttered. She grabbed a small thin cardholder from his front right pocket and opened it, seeing his cop badge. Feeling her cheeks heat up, she handed it to him, along with his gun. "Sorry. What can I do to help?"
"I was following a drug dealer in here. He's on the second floor and probably escaped."
"No, he probably didn't." She got on her walkie-talkie and flipped the button. "Betsy, did a drug dealer come past you?"
"Let me guess," the cop said. "Betsy's blonde like you."
Rose shot him a dirty look as she faced him. "What's the guy look like?"
"A lot like me," the man said. "But he had bushier eyebrows and limps because I beat him up."
Rose described the man over the walkie-talkie. "Has anyone seen this guy?"
"Yeah. He's in the children's clothing section," Babette said. "Want me to cuff him?"
"No!" the cop said. "Where's the children's clothing section?"
"Come with me." She turned and ran up the escalator, turning the walkie-talkie down to low. After running through house wares, and answering a few customers' questions, she stopped at the intersection of men's clothing and purses, holding her gun at her side. "Children's clothing is over there," she whispered and pointed.
"I'll handle this." Mr. Big Cop walked over to the furniture, across the aisle from the men's clothing, acting as if he owned the place. Rose knew better, and the crook would see the cop a mile away. She pocketed her gun and walked toward children's clothing, straightening the rack as she went, while inching closer to the perpetrator. She was glad to be in plain clothes, even though the cop was, too.
"Oh, welcome to our department," she said with a grin to the man. "Do you need any help?"
"Actually I do," the man said with a British accent. "I'm looking for a polo shirt for my nephew, who lives across the pond."
His voice went to her heart, but she had to realize this was a drug dealer…or was he? He fit the description, but many men could look like the cop. There was only one way to find out. "Right this way," she said, taking his arm.
He took a step and limped, clinching it. This was the criminal, and the adorable cop wanted him badly. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a pair of cuffs, then slapped it onto his arm.
"What are you doing?" the man asked with a calm voice.
"Arresting you," the cop said from behind him. "Slippery Louie, the jig is up. I've been looking for you for at least two years." He grabbed the other cuff and put it onto his own arm, then leaned over to Rose and kissed her cheek. "Thanks. I'll be back to thank you properly."
She didn't know what to say. Slippery Louie was the most charming man she'd ever met, and she'd just sent him to his destiny behind bars. But it was the right thing to do.
The cop took Slippery Louie out the door and Rose knew he'd never return. Her shoulders slumped, and she went back to work.
The night was slow and Rose found herself thinking about Slippery Louie. His voice was tantalizing, and she wished he wasn't a criminal. She wanted to go out with him, he was that dashing.
"Hey, Security Guard," she heard. Rose turned to see the cop behind her, wearing a smile. "What time are you done?" he asked.
"Eleven." She checked her watch. "Five more minutes."
"Want to go for a cup of coffee with me? I owe you at least that much…and an apology."
"No, that's okay. I'm going home to bed." She turned back around, watching people leaving the store.
"But you don't understand. We've been looking for that guy for years, and you found and cuffed him. I want to thank you."
She faced him, seeing a gorgeous man in front of her. "Yeah, okay. But I really liked that guy's accent."
"That's how he gets what he wants, but here's a secret." He leaned closer. "He was born in Brooklyn and that's a fake accent."
"No way."
"Yep." He glanced at his watch. "Time to go for coffee." He took her hand and after they locked the doors, she followed his car to a small coffee shop. After parking beside his car, she got out.
He took her hand and opened the door, holding it open for her.
That other guy may have a fake accent, but this guy had class. While watching him, she walked through the door and waited for him to join her.
"What would you like?" he asked, still holding her hand.
"Oh, I can get it."
"No way. You helped me and I owe you that, at least. A latte?"
"Sure."
He turned toward the clerk. "I'd like two huge lattes."
"Huge?" she whispered.
"Yep. It's going to be a long night. I really want to talk to you."
"What about?"
"Your life. You're an interesting person and I want to get to know more about you."
Rose flipped back her hair, figuring he just wanted her for one thing—because she was blonde. She wasn't about to be stereotyped. Blond hair and blue eyes ran in her family, which wasn't her fault at all. "Maybe I should just leave."
"Why?" He paid the bill and turned toward her. "Just because I want to talk to you?"
"You think I'm blonde and thus, stupid. I don't like stereotyping people. I'll have you know I'm working on my master's degree in criminal justice. I'm only doing this job for my research project. And yes, I did go through police training, so I am qualified to hold that gun. And the safety was off, but you couldn't see it from where you were standing."
He glanced down at her bust line, making her cross her arms. "You don't look like a cop," he said. "You look more like a model."
"That's what my research paper is on. I dyed my hair blonde for a reason, just to see if anyone took me seriously, and I'm going to devote pages to what you did at that store."
"Pages. For me."
"Yeah."
The clerk handed him the two lattes and he gave one to Rose. "I'm sorry, and you're very right." They walked to the side counter and Rose added a bunch of sugar to her latte. She'd need it if she was going to tell this guy what she thought.
"What's your name?" she asked as they sat at a table. "You never told me."
He reached over and shook her hand then held onto it. "Adam Grayson, undercover cop with the Des Moines Police, like you already probably have guessed. I'm trying to be a detective…just waiting to be approved."
She removed her hand from his. "So, Officer Grayson…"
"Oh, no." He took her hand again. "You call me Adam. I want to get to know you, because you intrigue me."
She lifted one eyebrow. "Intrigue?"
"Yep. So you're bright."
"I try. But that's beside the point. You don't like blondes, do you?"
"Quite the contrary." His gaze studied her face. "I love blondes and you're gorgeous. But you could get a better job than working security at the mall. You do know the police force would hire you in a heartbeat, since you know distraction. You could do undercover work and make our lives a lot easier." He glanced downward before returning his gaze to her face. "You certainly have the body and looks for it. The crooks wouldn't know what hit them if they saw you."
"My goal is to get that master's degree, then work toward chief of police."
"And if you get that in this town, you'd be my boss." His grin grew. "Now I really have to know more about you. Are you from Iowa?"
"Nope. I'm from Kansas, originally. My family's still there and want me to come home."
"That's not too far away. Are you staying here when you're done with your degree?"
"I don't know yet. I'd have to join the force and work my way up, I think."
"Yes. And I'd put in a good word for you here. I'm from Iowa and my family lives near here, too. Mom's on my case to get married, but I'm waiting for just the right woman." He moved his thumb over her skin. "And I may just have found her."
Rose moved her hand again. "You're a little bit forward, aren't you?"
"No, because I've found I have to work fast, or the good ones get snatched up by other men."
"What about you? What are your goals in life?"
"Well, I like helping people and some day, I want to get my law degree, to help out people who are bullied by others."
"That's amazing." She sat up and became more interested. "So you're altruistic?"
"Very. Slippery Louie had hurt too many people with his drug deals, and I'd love to sue him on behalf of those slipped drugs, just to get hooked. If it were up to me, he'd never see the light of day again. I have a bit of a revenge streak."
"You're more than worthy of a few pages in my research project. I'm impressed." And she was, because that was the reason she went into criminal justice.
He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. "And thank you for being you."
"What was that?" she whispered, not moving away, because his kiss was so hot, she felt the electricity the whole way to her heart.
"That was a special kiss for a wish, one I hope comes true."
Chapter 2
For the next two weeks, Adam would call Rose at work, stop by to see her, and visit her in the mornings at her apartment. They had great times together, visiting tourist attractions with him before each of them going off to work in the afternoon.
On a Friday, right before Rose had three day's vacation, she felt a cold coming on. "I'll be at work in an hour," she said to Adam over the phone.
"No, you're sick. Stay home and I'll take care of you. I can take a break anytime and my partner today won't care. He's close to retirement and just wants to get out, not making waves. I can bring you some chicken soup."
"No," she said, then sniffed, her eyes watering. "I have to work. I'm close to finishing my research project and don't want to miss this. I'll be at work if you need me."
He sighed. "I'll be over later to make sure you're okay. And if not, I'm going to talk to your boss and chew him out for not sending you home. I may even have to cuff him."
"That's a great way to make friends." She wiped her nose with a tissue. "Later."
"You can bet on it, sweetheart." He ended the call with a laugh and she grabbed her purse, then went to the mall.
After checking in and reading up on what had happened that morning, Rose sat down in front of the security monitors.
"Hey, Rose," Betsy said. "You look awful."
"And I feel that way, too."
"Go home to Adam."
"He's working and will be in later." She studied the monitor. "Is that Slippery Louie, the guy we were looking for two weeks ago when Adam stopped in?"
Betsy studied the monitor. "Yeah, but he lost his limp. He doesn't look happy, either."
"I'll take care of it. I don't want him here." Rose pulled out her cell phone and dialed Adam's cell, walking out of the store.
"Hello, sweetheart. Did you go home now? Want me to come over there to help get you better?"
"No, I'm still at work. Did Slippery Louie get out of jail?"
Silence. "Slippery Louie? I don't think so."
"Well, he's here in the children's section again. He must really need that polo shirt for his nephew."
She heard noise in the background. "Rose, don't go near him. He just escaped from prison and he might be packing heat."
"I'll take care of it."
"No. Rose, listen to me. Don't go—"
"Come pick him up. Bye, Adam." Rose ended the call and walked over toward the children's section, taking her gun from her pocket. "Well, will you look who it is."
Slippery Louie spun toward her, a gun aimed her way. "I was looking for you." His British accent was gone, replaced with a strong Brooklyn accent.
Rose raised her gun higher. "What for?"
"To repay you for sending me to jail."
"Rose," she heard behind her. She recognized the voice as Betsy's. "I called the cops."
"No need. Adam knows and this guy broke out of jail. Just get everyone else out of this area, so they're safe. This is between Louie and me."
She heard Betsy run off, then heard an alarm.
"Is there a fire?" Louie asked, inching away. "Shouldn't we take cover?"
"No, it's to get rid of everyone else but you. If you move any more, I will shoot."
"No, I'll shoot you first. I just want to know what I did to deserve being handcuffed. You had no right."
"Yes, she did." The male voice behind her was definitely Adam's, moving closer. "Now put the weapon down or I will shoot. The doors are locking and you can't get away. Louie, you know the deal and we need to make this peaceful."
"Why? Is she your girl?"
Adam laughed. "Nope. But she's a friend of mine and I can guarantee you'll pay if you hurt a hair on her head."
"Let's see."
Rose heard the shot then felt a burning pain in her chest, falling down as if in slow motion. She wished she could see what Adam did next, since he didn't think they were dating, but it wasn't her choice. The world disappeared before her eyes.
~~~~~
"Rose! Don't die!" She felt arms behind her while trying to force her eyes open. She couldn't even lift her head, the pain in her chest burning so badly, she felt as if she was on fire.
"Adam," she managed to say.
"You're alive!" She felt him move suddenly. "Hurry up! She's been shot!"
Shot? No wonder her body throbbed and shook. She forced her eyes open and felt herself lifted onto what felt like a gurney, then glanced over to see Louie on the floor.
"Is he dead?" she whispered, seeing Adam walking beside her.
"I don't even care. Hang in there, Rose. It's time to quit your job and marry me."
"Marry you? You denied even dating me to that guy." She felt herself shake again. "It's cold in here."
"Blanket?" he said, looking upward. "And I'm riding with her. She's a witness."
"Yes, sir," the man on the other side of the gurney said. "As soon as we get the bleeding to slow down."
They ran out of the mall and Rose felt her eyes get heavy again. She felt so weak.
~~~~~
She felt someone stroking her hair. "Rose. Can you wake up?"
It was Adam's voice. She opened her eyes, looking right into his face. "I'm alive?"
"Yeah."
"But why are you here?"
"I never left your side, except for when they operated on you. It was a bullet in your shoulder and went straight through. You'll be recovering for eight weeks, at least."
"Can I work?" she whispered.
"Not really. But your family's here. I called them and they want to see you."
"Am I in recovery?"
"No, you're in your room. You may not remember recovery. You were out of it for a while."
"Louie?"
"In the hospital, then off to a maximum security prison." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I have a question for you, before your family comes in here."
"Just dump me and get over it."
His eyebrows flew upward. "Dump you?"
"Yeah. I remember a lot, and you told Louie I was just your friend."
"That was just so he wouldn't shoot you to get back at me." He brushed his lips over hers. "Rose, I love you." He reached down and returned with his hand above her face, holding a diamond ring. "Marry me?"
She felt her mouth fall open and her eyebrows lift in surprise. "Are you serious?"
"Couldn't be more serious. I love you more than anything. So what'll it be?"
Rose felt the tears of happiness in her eyes. "I'd love to marry you."
He leaned down and kissed her, then backed away and put the ring on her finger. "Now you can stay home and be safe. I don't ever want to go through what I've gone through in the past day. Finish your master's degree, then we'll take it from there."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I want a mom for our kids who doesn't risk her life every time she goes to work."
She pulled him to her lips again. "I love you, too."
And they began their life of love and happiness together.
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Copyright © 2006-
Paige Ryter
All Rights Reserved.
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