Stuck On You (2 page)

Mack didn't even blink. "I know what house arrest is. Go on."

"My program is different in that I'm going to hook up a device to your phone, too," Kate added, proudly pointing to one of the black suitcases on the chair. "It's another check to make sure you are where you’re supposed to be–an enhancement to my program."

"A program enhancement?" Mack smiled, raising an eyebrow in mock interest. "Imagine that."

"Nothing but the best.” She ignored his slam and smiled. "My computer will periodically call you and you have to respond with the words it asks you to say. If it isn't you responding, or if you leave the confines of your home, I'll know."

"And then what?" Mack asked.

"And then you violate the terms of your release and I'll surrender you to Pete or Judge Clark, and you'll go back to jail."

“Is it GPS?” Mack asked.

“Not exactly,” Kate replied hesitantly. The county didn’t have the money for GPS, so she proposed the next best thing, her program.

Judge Nash tapped his blotter with a pen. "It's been very successful in a lot of other counties. It has saved the taxpayers money. However, it's mostly used on the non-violent criminal."

"Dammit, I'm not a criminal, Pete!" Mack's words were like rapid gunfire.

"Sorry," said Pete. "Electronic home confinement is also used after a person has been convicted, as part of their sentence. I was thinking of that. I didn't mean anything by it. Of course, you're innocent."

Mack sat back in the chair and rubbed his wrists. The weight of his chains must be bothering him, Kate thought, and he had to know that he was neck-deep in trouble. He looked up and saw her watching him. When he frowned, she knew it was because he resented her sympathy.

He took a deep breath and let it out. "I guess I over-reacted a bit, Pete. Sorry."

"I can understand what you're going through," the judge said. "You think you've been set up, and your partner is not expected to live, and-"

Mack lunged forward in the leather chair. "What the hell do you mean? Tom's not expected to live?"

The judge looked at Kate, then back to Mack. "I'm sorry. I thought you knew. He's in serious condition. They got the bullet out, but it did a lot of damage."

"Damn," Mack said quietly.

A chill shot through Kate. She could see what this was costing him. He truly was in a bind if he was falsely accused and the person who might be able to clear him was in serious medical condition. But she reminded herself that it was not her business to judge, only her business to make sure her clients stayed at home and appeared for all their court dates.

She had always been drawn to Mack, and it was even worse now that he was in trouble. Maybe it was the proud set of his jaw, the eyes that radiated sincerity or the way he could always joke in the face of trouble. But his guilt or innocence was none of her concern.

Judge Nash loosened his tie. "I know you said that Tom could clear up this matter for you, but that's not likely to happen unless he gets a miracle."

"I'm not just concerned about him being able to clear my name. Tom's like a brother." He glanced at Kate, then focused his attention back on the judge. "I want to see him, Pete. Make it happen."

"I can't do that."

Mack sprang to his feet. The judge's eyes darted to the door leading to the courtroom, and Kate wondered if he was going to summon the guards for help if Mack came any closer.

"I'm asking you for old time's sake," Mack said. "Don't make me beg, Pete."

Kate heard his voice crack, and she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. Mack was already begging.

Pete Nash sat back in his chair, nervously drumming his fingers on his desk. "It's up to Kate."

Kate's heart skipped a beat when she heard her name. "Up to me?"

Both sets of eyes were upon her.

"Yes. It's up to you. I'm going to release Mack to your custody. He's going to wear the ankle bracelet and you're going to see to it that he doesn't ever leave his home. If you'll agree to accompany him to the hospital, I'll let him go, but just this once. After that, he's to do whatever you say. Is that all right with you?"

Kate wondered again if she could handle Mack as her first test case. She was afraid that he was going to throw a wrench into her best-laid plans. After all, he wasn't likely to just sit home and let her computer program do its thing. No, he'd be trouble, big trouble, and she hadn't thought about that when she got the phone call from Pete telling her why he wanted her to come to the courthouse to meet with him.

Every penny she had was invested in this program. She wanted to prove that house arrest would be good for Rose Lake in many ways.

She would only need to have minimal contact with Mack, and if he violated the terms of his release–bang–she'd surrender him. That's all.

Kate tried not to imagine what would happen to him if he were returned to jail. There would be more attempts on his life. Then an inner voice reminded her that it was his responsibility to abide by the terms of her program. If he failed, it would be his fault, not hers.

They both waited for her answer.

Mack stared down at her. "How about it, Kate?"

Her skin prickled under his scrutiny, and her heart pounded so loudly Kate was sure they could hear it over in the next courtroom.

"Won't the District Attorney object?" she asked.

"I'll handle the DA," said the judge.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She remembered how kind Mack was to her in high school when he’d found her sobbing by Rose Lake.

In her distressed frame of mind, she'd told Mack that she was so tired of moving from place-to-place that she prayed she could stay in Rose Lake forever.

"I got my wish after my father died," she had blurted to him, wracked with guilt.

But Mack comforted her and tried to show her that it wasn't her fault. Then he paved the way for her to be accepted by her classmates. Thanks to him, she’d had a wonderful senior year.

She also remembered when she was first hired as a probation officer and Mack was her firearms instructor. It was only because of his extra efforts that she qualified to carry a gun. If she hadn’t qualified on the range, she would have been let go.

She owed him.

"Kate?" Mack pressed.

She tried to put herself in his place. Mack was genuinely concerned and definitely worried about his partner. She would be, too, if the situation were reversed.

"Okay. I'll drive you to the hospital." She gave herself a mental kick. He was on house arrest, not on a motor tour of the city. Why was she suddenly caving in despite all her positive affirmations?

"Thanks, Kate, but one more thing."

She shook her head in disbelief. “You sure have nerve."

"Nerves of steel," he said. "That's why I'm a great undercover cop." He smiled the same disarming smile that had thawed out many a high school virgin. Or so she'd heard.

He met her gaze. "I want to take a shower before you put that ankle thing on me."

She stood. "No way. It's going on you before we walk out that door, and that's non-negotiable."

"Have a heart. I need to clean up and shave."

"The ankle monitor is waterproof. It'll survive your shower."

Another look at Judge Nash confirmed that she was all alone on this one, too.

"Look," she said, "this isn't some kind of deal where you can do what you want. Your home is your jail, hence the name of my business. Clever, huh? I already agreed to drive you to the hospital to see your partner, but I want you wearing the ankle bracelet."

"I thought you said it works off the phone."

"The voice verification does. However, with the ankle monitor, I can track you with another device."

"A shower. Just one quick, hot, soapy shower. And a shave. Then I'm all yours."

Her heart fluttered as the image of Mack lathering his hard body played in her mind. Correction, his hard
naked
body.

Then I'm all yours.

Her mouth suddenly went dry. Why did he still do this to her–make her still feel like a teenager with a crush? Casually, she walked over to the desk of the amused Pete Nash and poured herself a paper cupful of water from a pitcher on the corner of his desk.

"Well?" Mack asked.

His smile was giving her the start of an ulcer, but she was in charge here, and she was starting a program that she believed in.

"I agreed to take you to the hospital, but before we leave this room the ankle bracelet is going on. That's my offer, take it or leave it."

Mack shifted in the chair and his chains clinked together. "I'll take it, since I don't have a choice."

 "Are you ready to sign the conditions of your release now?" asked Judge Nash.

"Yeah," Mack said without much enthusiasm.

Kate opened her briefcase and took out an orange folder. She handed it to the judge who studied the papers briefly, signed the bottom of each one, and handed them back to her. "Why don't you spell it out for Mack."

"I want to make it clear to you that I will be making unannounced home visits as part of the program," she said. "That's another enhancement that makes my program special."

"At night?"

"At night, during the day, early morning–whenever I choose."

“Pete, why don’t you save Kate the trouble, and just set bail on me once and for all.”

“No,” was his quick reply. “I don’t want you going off half-cocked, investigating. You’re too personally involved. You are to stay home and let the sheriff’s department handle this.”

Mack swore, and the one word echoed through the high-ceilinged room. “They were the ones who arrested me.”

Forcing herself to concentrate on business once again, Kate placed two copies of the release agreement side-by-side on the judge's desk facing Mack.

“As I indicated, the voice verifier, the VV-98, will call you at random and ask you to repeat some words, so you’ll have to do that.”

Mack chuckled. “The VV-98?”

“Yes,” Kate replied, ignoring him. “Nothing but state of the art for you.”

She held a pen in the air, close to him. "Read the terms, then sign on the bottom line if you agree to abide by them."

Scowling, Mack snatched the pen out of her hand and scribbled his name on the papers without a glance.

Judge Nash stood up. "I'll get one of the guards to remove your chains."

Mack's gaze never left Kate's until the chains were off. It was as if he were trying to figure out how far he could push her. She felt her cheeks heating up under his scrutiny, but she didn't back down.

He rubbed his skin where the metal had dented it. "Strap the damn ankle thing on me, and let's head to the hospital," he finally said, adding an additional curse under his breath.

Kate nodded and unzipped the small nylon case. She pulled out the black plastic monitor that she had readied for the occasion.

Getting up from her chair, she walked over to him and leaned over. "Can you lift up your right pant leg a little?"

He grunted.

She stifled a smile and stared him down. Reluctantly, he scrunched his pants up past his ankle.

Knowing that it would irritate him, Kate said, "Just a little higher," even though it wasn't necessary in the least.

He rolled his eyes, but obeyed, and she slipped the black plastic device around his ankle and tightened the strap. Just being that close to Mack and brushing his sun-darkened skin with her knuckles made her pulse quicken. Why was she always so jumpy around him?

"Is that too loose or too tight?" she asked.

He waved off the question as if he could care less.

"Suit yourself," Kate said.

Judge Nash stood. "Good luck to you, buddy, and take care. I'll be following your case and rooting for you, but I can't be the judge of record. Judge Clark will be back from vacation soon, then this mess is all his."

"I understand," Mack said, finally looking away from Kate.

She gathered up her equipment. "Aren't you going to go change?" she asked, looking at Mack's jail clothes.

"I'm not walking back into that jail. They can send me whatever they're going to let me keep—like maybe my wallet."

Remembering that Mack had been arrested after testifying before the grand jury, Kate figured that they wouldn't let him have his gun and badge back until he was exonerated. That must have been another blow.

Judge Nash walked toward the door leading to the courtroom. "I'll get the deputies to let you go through the tunnel so you can avoid the reporters."

Mack extended his hand, and they shook. "Thanks, Pete."

Judge Nash nodded, but Kate noticed that he avoided looking directly at Mack. He must have been remembering better days when they'd played football together and were best friends.

Kate and Mack went through the tunnel which lead from the courtroom to the basement of the courthouse. After ascending a flight of steps, they went out the back door. Kate's car was parked across the street at a meter.

When they slipped into her car, Mack turned to her and said, "Sorry, Kate, but I have no intention of doing your program."

CHAPTER 2

The shock that registered on Kate Kingston's face might have been amusing under other circumstances, but Mack knew that Kate was dead serious about her program. She was serious about
everything
. But he might as well be straight with her.

He needed to be free to find out who framed him and why.

Maybe he could work out a compromise with Kate.

"But you agreed to the conditions of my program," she said, as anger sparked her eyes.

"I would have done anything to get out of jail."

"You're under a court order to be on house arrest." She hurled the words at him like stones.

He knew she was frustrated and angry and anxious. He felt the same. But he had no choice. He was a cop–a damn good one at that–and he had work to do.

He stared into her grass green eyes. They seemed to look right into his soul. And he loved the way her blonde hair fell around her face. In different types of light it shimmered with various shades of gold, and her body could stop traffic.