From Sarah Culpepper. Theres facts and then theres truth.

Her fingers touched the keys, and she began to write.

S TEPPING OUTSIDE THE Western Carolina Sun offices Friday at quitting time, Chloe stopped abruptly when she saw a familiar beat-up truck parked at the curb.

Mackout of uniformleaned against it.

Hands on hips, legs crossed at the ankle, his body language might be construed as relaxed, but his intense regard was nothing of the sort. She clutched the strap of her ever-protective backpack as trepidation, relief and happiness coursed through her all at once. Off duty or undercover? she asked.

Off duty, he replied, making no effort to explain his presence.

Then I guess youre not here to arrest me.

Sounds like a guilty conscience working there.

It was true. They hadnt spoken since Sunday afternoon. Five days. But who was counting? And why should she have called him? She hadnt even called her parents.

When he didnt step away from the pickup, she looked over her shoulder. Are you waiting for me?

Yeah. Appearing uncharacteristically unsure of his next move, however, he hooked his thumbs in his jean pockets and chewed on the inside of his cheek. I dont know if I should be talking to you now. Have you written your article?

Its finished, she said with real pride. Although it hadnt been easy. At first my editor wanted it to be a series. Then she thought it would pack more punch as a single article, but supersized for Sundays edition. With all the photos, it takes up most of the Tri-County section. She took a deep breath and added, I think its safe to talk to me now.

I couldnt stay away. He spoke in such a low growl, she wasnt sure shed heard correctly.

She took a step forward. I beg your pardon?

You heard me. Moving away from his truck to stand right in front of her, he touched her fingertips with his. I want you, he said so softly she had to lip-read. His eyes said very, very much.

For the past four days, shed had nothing but tantalizing photos of him, the viewing of which only left her lonely. With a mind of its own, her body leaned toward him. Feeling a huge chunk of her emotional wall crumble, she said, We are adults.

Oh, yeah. His crooked grin did her in.

She pointed at her car, parked several spots up the street. Follow that Yugo.

Where?

To my place.

One eyebrow raised, he looked at her.

Weve determined were both adults, she declared, her heart racing, and we no longer have a business relationship to maintain.

No sooner had she got the words out of her mouth than he was in his truck. She dashed to her Yugo, then did a U-turn in the middle of the street before leading Mack out of the business district, past the college to the outskirts of town and her small apartment complex. In her haste to park, she ran over the edge of the newly sodded lawn. Let the landscape committee come after her. Leaving her backpack in the Yugo, she grabbed Macks hand as he sprang from the pickup and pulled him up the outside stairs to her apartment.

Before she could get her key in the lock, Mack hauled her to him and kissed her roughly. There was no ambiguity in this kiss. No deputy holding back.

Wait! she said, laughing and sliding down the door to pick up the keys shed dropped.

Hey, this was your idea, he claimed as he held her tightly and ran kisses over her neck. Made it next to impossible for her to think, let alone grab the keys.

And I have to live here. Although most of her neighbors were still at work. And did she care what they thought? Not at the moment. Aha! Triumphantly, she held the keys aloft.

Mack was trying to undo her shirt b.u.t.tons with his teeth.

As she jammed the key in the lock, he turned the k.n.o.b, and they both tumbled into her apartment. Lying on the floor with Chloe on top, Mack kicked the door closed. Now what? he said, laughing.

Mack. Laughing.

The sound made her spirits rise.

s.e.x, she breathed. Hot, middle-of-the-day s.e.x thats n.o.bodys business but our own.

Where did you learn to talk like that? he asked as he pulled her closer, a hungry glint in those dark eyes.

Wouldnt you like to know. There was something emboldening about having him all to herself. Off the clock. One thing was for surethey were about to alter the feng shui of every room in her apartment. But first things first.

She hopped up and dashed into her bedroom. Before he had time to do more than roll on his side, head propped on one elbow, and observe her, she grabbed a box of condoms from the drawer of her bedside table, then proceeded to toss several on the bed, then several in the bathroom, several more in the kitchen and the rest in the living room. Take your pick, she said when she was finished.

He rolled onto his back, his arms and legs thrown out in all directions. G.o.d, she plans to kill me.

And it was a long, slow, exquisite death.

At midnight they finally called for sustenance. Chinese takeout. At 3:00 a.m. they took a bath together. Because he wanted to use the bath crayons a coworker had given her as a gag gift. Mack managed to draw some pretty racy tattoos all over Chloes body as she covered him in psychedelic flowers. They got laughing so hard, the tenant below pounded on his ceiling. They needed to get out of the bath, anyway, because theyd extinguished all the candles around the tub with their splashing. In the dark they fumbled for towels, and then fell naked into bed.

He entered her with such pa.s.sion the bed rocked, the headboard banging against the wall. She came before he did, then clung to him as his shoulders heaved and his breath roared in her ears. Her heart thudded against his.

Long minutes they lay together. His weight on her felt like a shield.

And then they slept.

M ACK AWOKE TO READ 11:00 A.M. on the bedside clock. He couldnt remember the last time hed slept so deeply. The sunshine slanting through the blinds revealed Chloe curled against his heart, sleeping with a smile on her face and a smudge of bath crayon still on her shoulder. He felt overwhelmingly tender toward her. She made him feel alive for the first time in a very long while.

For five days hed battled with himself over whether he should follow her to Brevard. His mother had fairly nagged him to. Garrett and Samantha had both told him he was a fool not to. h.e.l.l, the whole town had chimed in on Chloes departure and what a shame it was. And for that reason, Mack had resisted his own instincts. Desires. Until Sarah Culpepper had groused about cutting off his nose to spite his face. He guessed cliches were cliches for a reason. There was truth to them.

But the tipping point had been the admission aloud in an AA meeting that, unlike his close friends and family, Chloe had discovered every one of his flaws. All his demons.

And she had been remarkably undeterred.

Now he wanted to perform some small, intimate act of appreciation for her. Make breakfast, maybe. Carefully, he got out of bed. Enthralled with her, he b.u.mped the nightstand, and a slew of computer printouts slid to the floor. Her article on the Colum County Sheriffs Department. t.i.tled The Pulse of a Community.

He had to look.

As he read, his heart sank. Hed braced himself for an expose. What he got was a testimonial. And he was its object, complete with his personal history and his acts of generosity. Tanya, Burt, Sarah and Garrett, among others, were interviewed. And all told how Mack had helped them. Saved them at one point or another in their lives. Both on and off duty. Youd think n.o.body else in town did a d.a.m.ned thing.

Sure, the department and its daily activities were written up in detail. Along with other deputies as individuals. But none of them were charging around the article in shining armor on a white steed. Not like this Deputy Whittaker. He didnt recognize the man from Adam.

With great difficulty he stopped himself from tearing the printouts to shreds. But he couldnt hold back the anger. He was p.i.s.sed that hed opened up emotionally, that hed now made a deep physical overture, yet Chloe hadnt seen him. Instead, shed merely processed what she needed. To sell papers.

What do you think? she said quietly from behind him.

He turned to look at her, raised slightly on the pillows, her face suffused with contentment. Do you think this is fair and balanced reporting? he asked, not caring that his tone was brusque.

Yes, she said with conviction, sitting up. With real human interest.

I thought we agreed I wasnt necessarily a sinner, but I sure wasnt a saint.

You still cant bring yourself to think youve earned the praise, can you?

He didnt answer. After reading her supposedly unbiased piece, he couldnt imagine her ever seeing him for who he truly was. Couldnt imagine having a relationship as two human beings, imperfections and all. Shed simply seen the badge and manufactured a hero. To further her career.

I gotta go, he said.

Dont, she said, a hitch of panic in her voice. If you do, you wont come back.

Yeah, she had that right.

He left.

M ID-MORNING S UNDAY , M ACK was having a devil of a time trying to fix the engine of the familys old and balky tractor when a newspaper landed with a plop on the ground at his feet. He swung around to face the sheriff, who looked as if hed won the lottery.

Mack wiped his hands on a greasy rag. Who all has seen that crock?

Id say everyone in town. Except maybe the Baptists. Theyre still in church. Rachels Diner is buzzing. I think the newspaper machine in front of Nashs Feed and Seed is sold out.

And the deputies?

Theyre polishing up a halo for you.

The article wasnt supposed to go that way. I thought Id convinced Chloe the department was to be the focus.

The department looks golden, and its staff looks sterling. h.e.l.l, I couldnt have asked for better PR.

You like the article?

Why wouldnt I? Its the truth. Garrett looked him right in the eye. By the way, I brought your parents an extra copy of the Sun. That one he pointed to the copy on the ground is for your sc.r.a.pbook. To show your kids.

The guy had the nerve to whistle on his way to the cruiser.

The next few days were no picnic for Mack. People wanted to talk to him. To congratulate him. To clap him on the back. He struggled with their accolades.

It was sixteen months since hed returned from Iraq. It was ten months since Samantha had found him pa.s.sed out on her front porch and had hauled him to his first AA meeting. It was only five months since hed returned to the department full-time. And it was only two and a half weeks since hed looked into Chloes soft gray eyes and was forced to confront the man hed been. The man he was. The man he might become.

It would be nice if he could work through this newfound sense ofwhat? Belonging?with Chloe. Shed become the touchstone for working through his feelings.

But he hadnt heard from her.

Filling up his truck at the gas pump, he felt his cell phone vibrate. Every time he hoped against all reason that it would be a Brevard area code. It never was. It wasnt this time. It was Garrett.

Whats up? he asked as he topped off the tank.

Some repercussions from Chloes article.

d.a.m.n, would that thing never fade into the sunset?

I know its still not your favorite piece of journalism, Garrett said, amus.e.m.e.nt creeping into his voice. But someone thinks its pretty terrific.

Yeah, his mother.

Theres a charitable foundation out of Asheville, Garrett continued. Families First. As a result of the article, they want to give our department a family-services grant. Well have the final say as to how its used.

Thatsgreat. At least something good had come out of that week.

They want to make a formal presentation at a ceremony on the courthouse steps this coming Sat.u.r.day, Garrett continued. Out in the open. For all to see.

Ill be there.

You bet you will be. You and Chloe are going to be the ones accepting the check.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

F ACING THREE NEW OUTFITS laid out on her bed, Chloe was beside herself with apprehension.

As soon as shed learned that sheand Mackwere to accept the Families First grant check today, shed gone on an emergency shopping spree. At actual retail stores, not secondhand or vintage boutiques. Looking for clothes that June and Faith might approve of. The presentation was to take place outdoors at one oclock, Sheriff McQuire had said, so Chloe had chosen three outfits. One if it was seasonably warm and sunny. One if it turned frigid, which it could in the mountains in early May. And one if it rained.

Shed never spent so much on clothing in her life.

And now the day had dawned warm, cloudy and very humid. The weather channel predicted that a storm front was coming through, and behind it temperatures should drop. Great. Why not wear everything shed bought and adjust the layers as needed throughout the ceremony?

Sheriff McQuire had asked that they all meet up at headquarters at twelve-thirty. She had an hour to get ready and drive to Applegate. One hour before she was to see Mack for the first time since hed left her.

Apparently his anger over her representation of him in the article overrode any personal connection theyd established.

Did he think he was the only one whod taken a risk by opening up emotionally?

Exasperated, she said to h.e.l.l with sartorial indecision and picked one article of clothing from each newly purchased outfit. Lets get this final interaction over with.

W HEN C HLOE STEPPED INTO the sheriffs department offices, it was as if shed never been away. The deputies on duty stopped to welcome her back. Dispatcher Kim Nash tried to tempt her by opening a container of peanut-b.u.t.ter cookies.

No, thank you, Chloe said, waving it away. Wheres the sheriff?