Free A Dozen Deadly Roses by Kathy Bennett Page A

the right thing was in the first place.  A good cop did the right thing and asked for forgiveness later.
    Mac started moving toward the door.  “I just thought you should know.  And by the way, I appreciate you standing up to the lieutenant.  I know I put you in a bad spot.”
    Before Jade could reply, the doorbell rang.  Mac was so close he opened the door.  It was the pizza man.  He wore a clear plastic raincoat, baseball cap and heavy rubber boots.
    Jade moved to the door, pulling some bills from her pocket and handed them to the deliveryman.  He gave her the flat cardboard box and hurried away, leaving a trail of soggy footprints behind.
    “I’ll be going, too,” Mac said.
    He looked so beaten and tired.  “Wouldn’t you like to stay for some pizza?  We have plenty.”  As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to take them back.  Maybe he’ll refuse, she thought.
    “Are you sure?”
    Tell him no .  What if he saw the resemblance between Donnie and himself?  What if he questioned her about her son’s father?  She still hadn’t established the best way to tell him he was Donnie’s dad.
    Proper manners won out over common sense.  She forced a smile.  “Of course I’m sure.  I hope you don’t mind having an inside picnic on the floor.”  She moved to the kitchen set the pizza down.  Quickly filling the cupcake pan, she slipped the treats in the oven.
    “Just let me get my son,” she said walking down the hall and entering one of the doors.
    While she was gone Mac surveyed the apartment.  It was neat and clean but there was no evidence a man lived here or ever had.  He’d been surprised by the child.  Not once since they’d started working together had she ever mentioned a son.  He knew some cops were fanatics about keeping their personal lives to themselves, and apparently, Jade fell into that category.  Thinking of the flower boxes and her ‘hidden’ son, she appeared to be a woman with secrets.  And he found that interesting.  Very interesting.
    Mac smiled to himself as he heard the little boy’s protests that their picnic was just supposed to be him and his mother.  He couldn’t hear Jade’s reply, but her coaxing tones carried through the closed door.
    In a few minutes Jade returned holding the hand of a small boy.  The child appeared to be about four or five.  He walked behind his mother, hiding behind the curves of her thighs.
    “Mac, I’d like you to meet my son, Donald.  I call him Donnie.”
    Mac tried to peer around Jade’s leg, but the little boy scrunched further away.
    “Donnie, we talked about this in your room.  This is Mommy’s friend from work.  Say hello to Mr. Stryker.”
    “Hello,” the child said, from behind her.
    Jade motioned for Mac to sit on the blanket spread out on the floor.
    “Sit down, Donnie.  Our pizza is getting cold.”
    Jade moved to the kitchen to grab the pizza and paper plates.  Her son clung like a leech to her leg.
    “Donnie, let go,” she ordered.  She gently pulled away.  Her sweater rode above her waist, and Mac was surprised to see she was wearing a firearm in the house.  Most cops carried a weapon in public when off-duty, but it was rare to wear one in your own home.  Somebody must have really spooked her.  His mind flashed back on the box of flowers she’d gotten yesterday and then the box today.  He wondered if the flowers and wearing the gun in the house were connected.  Maybe he’d get the chance to ask her later.
    “Hey, champ, would you like me to tell you how the firemen rescued me today?”
    Bingo!  The boy’s eyes lit up like fireworks, but he stayed put, warily eyeing Mac’s discolored face.
    Mac patted the blanket beside him.  “Come sit down and I’ll tell you how my face got all banged up and bruised.”   He was pleased when Donnie plopped right down next to him.
    While Mac told a watered-down version of the rescue, Jade placed large pieces of pizza onto the