Free Witness Protection: Hide and Seek by Ursula Dukes

marshal that was working on the
case.
    But, it wasn’t just any marshal. It was Cole Harding. And
now that you're back, I'll bet that connection will be stronger than
ever."

 
    Madison felt her face, along with the rest of her body go
warm at the thought.
    She thought it best if she changed the subject. Donna meant
well, but she was forgetting one thing. Connection or no connection, Cole would
be leaving in a few days.
    "Salad's all finished. I think I'll go see if Hank
needs any help outside." She handed the oversized bowl to her and hurried
from the room.

 
 
 
    When Donna made no motions to follow her, she breathed a
sigh of relief. The intimate talk of her connection to Cole was beginning to
get to her. Thoughts and feelings were one thing, she could always hide those,
but it was the real-time talk that scared her.
    But then she remembered that hiding her feelings and
thoughts was something she was never good at, especially when it came to
matters of the heart and Cole Harding.

 
 
    "What the hell am I doing?" She questioned herself
as she headed outside to help Hank.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    ****
     

 
 
    The party was in full swing when Cole arrived and if it
wasn’t for Donna announcing his arrival so loudly, she might have missed him.
    For a couple more
minutes anyway.

 
    She'd just gotten off the phone with Zoe when Donna tapped
her on the shoulder.
    "Look who's here," she said and turned her head in
the direction of Cole.

 
    Madison glanced over Donna's shoulder and saw Cole talking
to Hank. He was dressed casual in jeans and his sunglasses hung around his
white crew neck tee shirt. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw him, but
her smile faded when she saw a woman by his side.

 
    "That's Deputy Faith's wife, Jessica," Donna
whispered in her ear.
    Relief flooded her and she silently scolded herself for
being jealous. He's not yours Madison .

 
    Donna gave her a slight nudge. "He's coming over. Now
is as good a time as any to start practicing on what we talked about
earlier."

 
    Madison smiled at Donna before turning around and greeting
Cole.

 
    After the introductions were made, Cole placed his hand underneath
her elbow and led her away, to a more secluded spot in the back yard. Light
jazz music played in the background and the sound of laughter echoed softly
around them.
    "Everyone seems to be having a good time." She
tried making small talk.

 
    "I wanted to apologize for last night," he said.
He was having trouble concentrating. She looked amazing in a turquoise colored,
strapless maxi dress. The turquoise emphasized her raven colored hair and brown
eyes. She was wearing a pair of strappy sandals and her toes were painted
summertime peach.
    "You look beautiful by the way," he whispered in
her ear. His blue eyes roving over her features.
    "Thank you. You look good yourself. So this is what you
look like when you're relaxed." She teased.
    "Who says that I'm relaxed? I still worry about you
Madison, that hasn’t changed and it never will."
    She felt a strange flip-flop sensation in her heart.
    "Cole, it's been three years. I think it's safe to say
that nothing is going to happen to me. But I appreciate your concern, really I
do. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to…"
      Before she could
continue, he planted a soft kiss on her lips. Lips that he'd been wanting to
devour the moment he first laid eyes on her.
    When she didn’t move, he kissed her again, this time it lasted
longer and was more seductive.
    "Cole…" her breathing was uneven as she muttered
his name against his lips.
    "I can't…" when he trailed his lips up her neck
and along her jaw to her mouth, she sucked on his lower lip before kissing him
again.

 
    Just as she began to melt further into his kiss, she forced
herself to push him away. She seemed unsure of what to do for a tense moment or
two. But when she came to her senses, she murmured, "I can't do
this."  
    When she turned to walk