Free Justice for Mackenzie by Susan Stoker Page A

Mack’s eyes. “We aren’t rushing this, Mack. There’s no need for a one-night stand. This is gonna last a hell of a lot longer than one night anyway. Let go of me and let me give you my number.”
    Mackenzie realized she hadn’t let go of him since he’d put her on her feet and she reluctantly forced her fingers to unclench at the back of his shirt, and to lower her arms. She licked her lips, liking how Daxton’s eyes followed her movements.
    “Give me your phone, Mack.”
    Mackenzie reached into her purse and pulled out her cell. She entered the password and put it into Daxton’s hand. She watched as he clicked buttons as he added his contact information.
    “I programmed in my cell, my work number, as well as the number at Company F…which is my Ranger Company. If you can’t reach me, leave a message. If it’s an emergency, call the company and tell them it’s you. I’ll make sure the admins know you’re with me and if you call, they can interrupt me. They can get in touch with me no matter what I’m doing. Okay?”
    “Wow. Okay, but I’m not the kind of woman who needs to call if she runs out of milk or something, Daxton. I can go and get the damn milk myself. You should get that about me.”
    “And I’m not the kind of man who expects or wants you to call me if you’ve lost your purse. But I do expect if you truly need me, that you’ll call. I won’t be happy to find out you’ve driven yourself to the emergency room or clinic if you fell and broke something.”
    “Really? That’s the example you have to give me?”
    Dax liked her spunk. “Yeah. You were the one who told me you were clumsy, remember?”
    “Okay, okay, you’re right.”
    “Good. So you’ll call.”
    “Yeah. I’ll call if I need something. But, Daxton, you should know something.”
    “What’s that?” Dax fingered the hair by Mack’s ear that had come loose from her clip and was wisping around her face.
    “I’m a text kinda girl. I have the unlimited package. I like texting, sending and receiving. Is that a problem?”
    Dax smiled and leaned down and kissed her hard, and way too briefly, before pulling back. “It’s not a problem. I’ll get used to it.”
    The smile he got in return was worth his response. Dax knew he’d do what he could to see it again and again. “Okay, I’m really going now. Lock your door and stay safe.”
    “You’ll…” She paused, not sure if she’d sound too needy if she asked what she was thinking.
    “What, Mack?”
    “You’ll call? We’ll go out again?”
    “Fuck yeah. I said we were dating, I didn’t lie. We’re going out again.”
    When he didn’t say when, Mackenzie mentally shrugged. “Okay.”
    “Okay. Inside. Lock the door.”
    “Thanks for a fun night. I’ll talk to you later.”
    “Yes, you will. Good night, Mack.”
    The last thing Mackenzie saw when she shut the door was Daxton’s upward chin lift as he stood and watched, making sure she barricaded herself inside her apartment. She slid down with her back to the door. Her butt landed on the floor and she wrapped her arms around her drawn up knees. She smiled. Holy freaking hell she was in trouble.
     

Chapter Seven
     
     
     
    “Don’t be nervous, ma’am. Just tell me what you remember seeing that afternoon.” Dax tried to sound calm and reassuring. Interviewing witnesses was a delicate balance between being sympathetic, but pushy, when it came to trying to pry the right information out of them.
    “I’d gone to the cemetery to lay flowers on my dear Harold’s grave and I saw a big tractor digging a hole in the back corner of the lot. I thought it was odd because that part of the cemetery hadn’t had a funeral held in it in a long time, but what do I know about how cemeteries do business? Maybe they were starting a new plot.”
    “What color was the tractor?”
    “Yellow.”
    “Did it look old? New? Did you see anyone?”
    “Well, I don’t know my tractors, but it was very shiny. There was