American Heroes Series - 03 - Purgatory by Kathryn Le Veque Read Free Book Online Page A

“It’s great to be doing something you’re passionate
about.”
    “I think so.”
    “So you think you’ll find
inspiration for your books down here in the bayou?”
    Her gaze lingered on him a
moment, eyes glittering. As she looked at the man, it occurred to her that he
would make a great hero in one of her novels. He was damn sexy in every way.
    “Maybe,” she said ambivalently.
    It was another one of those
awkwardly warm moments and after a few seconds of silence, they both started
chuckling again. Alec, oblivious to the transition from polite conversation to
gentle flirting between his mother and the sheriff, closed up his Styrofoam
container of stripped rib bones and set them on the table.
    “I’m going to get a trash bag,”
he stood up, wiping his hands off on his jeans. “Did you see which box they
were in?”
    Elliot shook her head. “No,” she
replied. “I packed them in with the kitchen cleaning products. It’s written on
the outside of the box. It should be in there somewhere.”
    Alec trudged off into the dark
house, his big feet echoing against the worn wooden flooring. Nash and Elliot
sat in comfortable silence for a few moments as Elliot continued on with her
coleslaw. Nash was watching every move she made, from the graceful sweep of her
hands to the way her lashes fanned out against her cheeks. She was an
entrancing creature to watch.
    “He seems like a nice kid,” he
said softly.
    She nodded. “He is,” she replied,
finishing with the coleslaw. “Since his dad’s death, he’s stuck to me like
glue. For the first three months after Rob died, Alec and his friends would
sleep at the house just to make sure I was okay. For months I had four boys
living at my house, sleeping in my living room, eating my food, attempting to
wash dishes or mop floors. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done
without them. It was like living in a frat house sometimes but I really thanked
God for them. They kept my mind off what had happened and kept it focused on
other things. They were such good kids.”
    Nash smiled faintly. “Would it be
too much to ask what happened to your husband?”
    She looked at him, his handsome
features and gentle eyes, and shook her head.
    “No,” she said softly. “Of all
people, you would probably understand the most.  Rob was a sheriff captain
assigned to the SWAT team. He absolutely loved it. I absolutely hated it. He
had been in command of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s SWAT division and even
trained SWAT recruits at the Sheriff’s academy.  One day, we’re at a barbeque
at a friend’s house and the SWAT team got a call out. He left the barbeque and
I never saw him alive again because when the SWAT team deployed at the
location, a ricochet bullet took him out as he got out of the van. He never saw
it coming.”
    Nash was no longer smiling by the
time she finished. He shook his head and hissed sadly. “Wow,” he exclaimed
softly. “That’s really rough. I’m so sorry to hear that.”
    Elliot thought on that very dark
day, feeling saddened by the memories that were struggling to heal. They
weren’t as bad as they used to be, but the sorrow was still there.
    “Thanks,” she murmured. “When
Penelope got accepted to Tulane, I jumped at the chance to move here. I wanted
to get away from the memories and start fresh. Not that all of the memories in
California were bad, but I really needed a change of scenery.  Everywhere I
turned I was reminded of my husband and it was just too much to take. I needed
to get out of there. Does that make any sense?”
    He nodded sympathetically. “Of
course it does.  I’ve lost a few friends over the years. Never a spouse, but
friends.  I get it.”
    She cocked her head at him,
curiously, the focus shifting. “Are you married, Nash?”
    He shook his head. “No,” he
replied. “My ex-wife and I divorced six years ago. She lives in Baton Rouge, as
do my two boys.”
    Elliot nodded in understanding.
“I’m sorry to