Bombshell Read online

  “I was just thinking how nice it would be to get to know you a little better. Or do you still not trust me?”

  “Not as far as I can throw you,” he insisted, though she could tell by the look in his eyes that such might no longer be the case.

  “Come on, give a girl a break, Sheriff. I’m not so bad. You never know. You might even like me a little.” Annalee giggled, then felt a sudden flutter in the pit of her belly. Kiddo was throwing his two cents into the conversation, though whether he approved or not was something of a mystery.

  It’s just fun, Kiddo. It never hurts to make new friends. Good friends, not like those devils out in Hollywood. And that’s all it will be, don’t you worry.

  To her delight, a fresh flush of color rose to Calaway’s cheeks. “I got some steaks I can cook up, if you don’t mind home cooking.”

  “I don’t believe I’ve ever had home cooking,” she told him.

  “No?”

  “My mother was more interested in getting me to screen tests than worrying about what to feed me. In fact, the less I ate, the better. You have to have a nice washboard belly if you want work, you know.”

  Calaway blushed again and gave a shy grin. “Sounds like you’re prob’ly a little hungry, then.”

  “A little.”

  A ruckus outside brought Annalee and the sheriff to the café’s front porch. A tow truck dug deep tire tracks into the mud. Behind it was her Roadster, fresh from repair and shined to a sparkle.

  Calaway tilted his head to the side and furrowed his brow. “Charlie Owens don’t bring cars back. Always had to figure a way to go and pick them up.”

  Annalee handed some cash to the tow truck driver and smiled at the sheriff. “Maybe he liked me.”

  “Reckon so.”

  “Face it, Sheriff. I am charming and delightful—and the sooner you realize that, the happier you will be.”

  ****

  Calvin Stamp sat down on the corner of Calaway’s desk and gave a knowing grin. “You got a strange look in your eye. What in the blue hell happened out there?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t you say ‘nothin’.’ You got yourself a platinum blonde flittin’ through your mind. She got to you.”

  “Can’t hardly believe the world could produce a looker like that,” Calaway mused. “Glory be, even her laughter is like music.”

  “Lord almighty, did she ever get to you.” Calvin laughed. “You remind me of that cartoon—you know, the one where the country dog sees the fancy city-girl dog and his heart blows right outta his chest?”

  “Aw, knock it off, Calvin.”

  “I swear, if you had a tail, it’d be a-waggin’.”

  Calaway glanced at some paperwork on his desk and tossed it aside. “I said, knock it off.”

  “Aw, hell, Boss, guys like you and me, we ain’t got a chance with someone like that. She might toy with us, you know, flirt a little, but when push comes to shove, we just ain’t in her league. To a girl like that, we’re just a bunch of hayseeds.”

  Sheriff Calaway took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Weren’t you the one who said I ought to go out on a date? That maybe even that gorgeous blonde might be a good candidate for courtin’?”

  “Yeah, but I never thought you’d set your sights so high.” Deputy Stamp raised his eyebrows and grinned. “Besides, what on earth do you think your momma would say if you brought home such a scarlet woman?”

  “Scarlet woman?”

  “Bein’ from Hollywood and all,” Calvin explained. “She don’t strike me as a church-goin’ gal, is all. And wasn’t you all set to haul her tail in, not just yesterday, for bein’ some kind of a thief?”

  “That was yesterday,” Calaway said. “Anyways, I expect Katie Belle Calaway would’ve been pleased. Momma always liked interesting folks.”

  “Oh, she’s interestin’, all right. Just don’t get your hopes up on takin’ her out or anything, ’cause she’ll cut you down faster than a chainsaw to a sapling. Like I said, we ain’t anywhere near bein’ in her league.”

  “Speak for yourself.” Calaway smirked. He couldn’t help it.

  Deputy Stamp stared at him for a long moment, the confusion in his eyes slowing giving way to understanding. “Hold on just a second—”

  “Ass off the desk, Calvin.”

  Deputy Stamp leaped off the desk and gave a goofy, incredulous grin. “Already? God almighty, I left you alone with her for an hour, and you got a hot date lined up with her already? How? How did this happen?”

  “Might could be she don’t think I’m a hayseed.”

  ****

  Annalee sat down on her bed, took a deep breath, and picked up the phone. Sully was the last person she wanted to talk to when she needed to be getting ready for her big date, but business was business.

  A few minutes passed before his secretary patched through the call. He sounded annoyed when he picked up the phone. “Yeah, Toots.”

  “Just checking in,” she sang. “And wondering how things are going out there.”

  “Aces,” he grumbled. “Just aces. Dick Webster got caught with his pants down soliciting men in Griffith Park, and I just barely got Mae Merriweather out of the dry-out clinic in time to start working on that Crosby musical. I’m putting out fires left and right here.”

  Annalee rolled her eyes. “I warned you about Dick, didn’t I? He’s notorious. And you wanted to fix me up with him.”

  “You know, that’s not a half-bad idea. We’d kill two birds with one stone if you hooked up with him. That kid of yours needs a name, and Dick’s got a reputation to save. Why didn’t I think of this before?”

  “No, Sully. No way. I’m nobody’s beard.”

  “Then what did you call me for?” he whined. “I don’t have time to sit here while you bust my balls.”

  “I did a good thing today,” she told him. “Just like you said, I should be doing good works so you can get the word out.”

  “Oh?”

  “I bought a café. Right on the river. And I’ll be putting locals to work on it. That’s a good thing, right? Putting people to work in the middle of a Depression?”

  “What the hell made you do that?”

  Sully always had a way of making her feel small. But where she once was able to slough off his sometimes angry derision, Kiddo made sure the slightest hint of an insult brought tears to her eyes.

  “I saw potential there,” she said quietly. “And the sheriff agreed with me. He said I’d be doing a good thing for this town.”

  “Who?”

  Annalee closed her eyes and tried to calm her pounding heart. “He’s just... Never mind. You said you wanted me to make it look like I’m doing some good, so I’m doing some good. Saint Annalee, remember?”

  “Well, you make it sound like this dope’s opinion means something,” he railed. “Don’t get stupid on me again, Toots. And don’t go setting down roots when you know your place is here. Christ almighty, you’re in that town a day, and you’re in love. What the hell’s the matter with you?”

  Somehow she managed to control the quiver in her voice. “I figure it will take a month to get the place in order,” she told him. “You are more than welcome to come for the grand opening celebration.”

  Sully let out a sigh loud enough to be heard over two thousand miles of telephone wires. “Look, Toots. I’m all worked up over Dick and Mae. I didn’t mean to get sore at you.”

  “I know, Sully. You never do.”

  “Just let me know when this big party’s supposed to happen, and I’ll bring a crew with me.”

  “I will.”

  “And you stay away from this copper, or whatever the hell he is,” he warned. “Big picture, remember?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m not gonna be the one to dry your eyes when this guy drops you the second he finds out you’re knocked up.”

  “He’s just a friend. He’s too nice a guy for me to—”

  “Drop him, Toots,” he advised. “S
martest thing you could do.”

  Chapter Three

  The dress Annalee chose was simple, feminine, and as far from Hollywood glamour as a girl could get, yet flirty enough to attract the interest of any man who had a heartbeat. Most importantly of all, its pale yellow floral pattern went a long way toward hiding the still-slight bulge in her midsection.

  She met Sheriff Calaway outside the Steamboat Inn, lest they give the desk clerk reason to gossip, and one look at the man took her breath away. For all the pains she’d taken to look like nothing more than a small-town girl, he could have passed for a matinee idol.

  “Double-breasted suit, silk tie, fedora… Sheriff, I thought you were going to be whipping up some home cooking tonight—but you look like you’re headed for The Ritz.”

  “My house comes a close second.” His grin was shy and utterly charming. Annalee wished she had something with which to fan herself.

  It’s just my chemistry going haywire, Kiddo. That’s all it is, and it doesn’t mean a thing.

  But good Lord...

  She hooked her arm around his and walked with him to his car. “Do you always ask ladies to your home on the first date? Or do you have some sort of nefarious plans for me?”

  Calaway’s eyes widened. “Beg pardon? No, I wasn’t thinkin’—”

  “No?” she wailed with a playful sorrow. “How sad for me. I was so looking forward to a good ravishing.”

  “P-pardon?”

  The look in his eyes, a special blend of shock and sudden terror, was more than she could bear. A giggle formed in her throat, shot its way upward, and burst forth in all its glory. “I’m teasing you, John,” she laughed. “May I call you John, or shall I still refer to you by your job title?”

  His bottom lip quivered for a second before he could manage to answer. “John.”

  She stopped just shy of the passenger door, and watched as he opened it with shaking hands. “Are you able to drive, or shall I?”

  “I can drive.”

  Annalee smiled again, then leaned in close and kissed him on the cheek. “Hope you’re a good cook, John. I’m famished.”

  “Aw, I’m fair enough.” Though his voice still trembled, he managed to shoot her half a cockeyed grin. “Never know, maybe I’ll retire from policing and come work for you.”

  ****

  Annalee wasn’t sure what sort of creature it was that met them at Sheriff Calaway’s front door. It was large, had something that resembled a snout, and fur—lots of black-and-white fur that curled and waved and magically found a way to land on Annalee’s dress.

  It barked, panted, and finally stood on its hind legs and jumped up to kiss her.

  “Penelope, down,” Calaway ordered. “You know better than that. Where’s your manners?”

  “It’s a girl?” Annalee felt a sneeze coming on, and already her arms were showing signs of bumpy, itchy hives, but the dog was too darn persistent to ignore.

  “Found her scroungin’ around the back of the police station a few years back, when she was a pup.” He picked up a well-worn stick and tossed it outside. The dog bounded after it, then ran back inside, tail a-wagging. Calaway scratched Penelope behind the ears and handed her a treat. “Go lay down now.”

  “Penelope? Why Penelope?” Annalee asked.

  “I just saw it once in a book and liked how it sounded,” he said with a shrug. “And if you say her name again, she’s gonna want to play fetch with you, so shush. I’ll go get supper started.”

  Annalee smiled. “You lied to me, John.”

  “Beg pardon?”

  “You said your house came a close second to The Ritz. I think it’s so much better.”

  “Well, make yourself at home.” Though he turned away far too quickly to be sure, Annalee thought she saw a hint of color in his cheeks.

  Blushing? Again?

  Amused, she let her eyes wander around the living room. Except for a few pictures on the walls and a great picture window that overlooked the river, the room was sparsely furnished. A floor lamp and an old plaid sofa facing the radio were all that hinted a human being inhabited the place.

  She turned the radio on and sat down on the sofa as the room filled with bright jazz music. The Ink Spots were singing a snappy tune about a fellow whose woman hated him because his feet were too big.

  Penelope immediately stationed herself at Annalee’s feet...and drooled on her shoes.

  “Now, this is what I’m used to,” she said to the dog. “Drooling and panting and wanting nothing more than to play around. But your daddy blushes and stammers, because he’s a nice man.”

  The dog whined and wagged her tail.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” Calaway asked. “Got a few Bock beers. A little whiskey, too, but I don’t think you’re the whiskey type.”

  “I’m more of the soda pop type these days,” she said with a smile. “Liquor will get a girl into trouble every time.”

  “Soda pop it is. Penelope, leave Annalee be.”

  The dog glanced at her master as he returned to the kitchen, then put her head down on Annalee’s knees for a moment...and left a gooey mess on her dress. Annalee knew she should be upset. Simple as the dress was, it still had cost a pretty penny. But as she stared into the dog’s bright brown eyes, all she saw was a creature who wanted to be loved.

  She scratched Penelope behind the ears and couldn’t help but smile. “First lesson, Penelope: a lady never drools.”

  The radio announcer came on just as the Ink Spots’ ditty ended. “And now here’s a new number from the Glenn Dougherty Orchestra, featuring the lovely Christine Wilson...”

  Annalee’s heart leaped into her throat. Christine Wilson? The trampy blonde from the chorus line?

  A soft whisper of a voice filled the room. “You came... I was alone... I should have known... you were temptation...”

  “That’s my song!” Annalee would have shot to her feet, but Penelope’s wet chin was set firmly in place on her lap. Worse, the child within gave her insides a swift kick. “I swear, if it weren’t for you, Kiddo, I’d be giving that whiskey a whirl right now.”

  “If you want the whiskey, I’ll get you the whiskey,” John Calaway offered.

  Annalee jumped, startled by the sound of his voice, but managed a smile. “The soda’s fine,” she said quickly, absently smoothing the fur on the top of the dog’s head. “I was just telling Penelope this was a number I used to sing.”

  “Did you?” He handed her a tall glass of soda and sat next to her on the couch. “She’s got a nice voice, don’t you think?”

  “No, I don’t,” she snipped. “I think she’s got the voice of a gargoyle and a face to match—and if I didn’t like your dog so much I would get up off this couch and turn the damn radio off right now.”

  Calaway stared at her as though she’d gone mad, and broke into incredulous laughter. “It’s just a song, Annalee.”

  “But it was my song. Glenn promised we would record it together...” She stopped herself there and forced a deep breath into her lungs. “I’m sorry, John. I don’t mean to let my temper get the better of me.”

  “If that’s all the temper you got, I think it’s mighty cute.” He switched the station and waited until a deep, mysterious voice announced that only The Shadow knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men. “All better now?”

  Annalee’s pout gave way to half a grin. “Better.”

  “Supper’s almost ready. I thought we’d eat outside. You don’t mind, do you? It’s a little more scenic on the porch than in here.”

  “Can I at least set the table?”

  “It’s already set,” he told her with a beaming smile. “Katie Belle Calaway didn’t raise no barbarian, you know. I promised you supper fit for a queen, and doggone it that’s what you’re gonna get.”

  ****

  Annalee sat back in her chair and gazed out toward the river, where the setting sun cast a blaze of gold across the water. Supper, now a memory that sat heavy in her stomach, w
as delicious, but as she enjoyed the pleasure of Sheriff Calaway’s quiet presence, curiosity overcame a full belly. “So how come a fella like you doesn’t have a steady girl?”

  Calaway dabbed at his lips with a napkin, then set it aside. “A fella like me?”

  “You know, nice. Decent.”

  “I was hoping you’d say handsome and dashing, but that’s all right.”

  “Well that, too.”

  “Maybe I’ve been waiting for a gorgeous little blonde to come into my life,” he said with a chuckle. “And then she does and she scares the hell out of me.”

  “You tell me who this little trollop is who scared you—I’ll give her a what-for!”

  “Aw, you’re no trollop, Annalee.”

  She turned to look into his eyes, blue eyes that shone with nervous candor, and felt a terrible, immediate urge to throw her arms around him. Instead, she glanced out to the river, to the green grass and willows that sprang up along its banks, and gave a smile. “You know what I would like to do right now?”

  Calaway shook his head.

  “Something I always wanted to do and just never had the chance.” She stood up from the table and kicked off her shoes. “Race ya to the river.”

  “Beg pardon?”

  “Come on—or did Katie Belle Calaway raise a chicken?”

  The fear in his eyes melted away until all that was left was bemusement. “I ain’t no chicken.”

  “Then take off your shoes and race me!”

  Before he could undo the first lace, she was off and running. With the wind in her hair and the cool grass beneath her feet, she felt like a child again, happy and carefree, and for a moment she thanked God she was in the company of a man who would not think her insane for taking such pleasure in the simple things.

  In a flash he was behind her, his bare footfalls heavy in the grass. “Don’t you jump in that river, Annalee! Don’t you dare!”

  She hurled herself headfirst into the water with a joyful whoop and came up shrieking from the cold. “I beat you!”

  Calaway skidded to a stop just short of the waterline and watched as Penelope leaped past him and bounded into the river with a great splash. “You went and corrupted my dog, too!”