Swimming For Seduction (Sexy As Sin)

20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Tyler

“Are you nervous about heading to Quantico next month?” I ask Becky as we patrol the shadier side of town.

I can’t say I’m excited about our new assignment since we rotated zones at the station. While most of Thorngrove is an upstanding college town, there’s this other side that most people never see. It’s full of run-down trailer parks, dive bars, and vacant houses that are often used for nefarious activities.

“Not really,” she replies with a shrug. “Are you worried about your girl going to Indiana for the Olympic team tryouts?”

“Not as worried as I am about her going to France for three weeks for the actual Olympics.” I laugh half-heartedly.

My relationship with Ricki had been an uphill battle until she uttered those three little words six weeks ago. It’s like saying them freed her as much as they reassured me that we were headed in the right direction. We’ve been inseparable since with the exception of my job and her training.

She and Brady have made huge strides in getting to know each other as well. They meet for coffee or dinner while I’m working and when I’m not, we have group outings. Sometimes going to TG’s and sometimes going to Ball Busters since being an athlete herself, Ricki is a huge Bears fan regardless of the sport.

Classes will end for the year next week with graduation for the seniors the following Saturday. Then, Ricki will be off to the swim trials three weeks later. If—no, when— she makes it onto the USA Team, she’ll be headed to France a month later.

“She’ll do great, Ty,” Becky says, pulling me from my thoughts. “I can’t believe I’m friends with a soon-to-be celebrity’s boyfriend.” She laughs.

“Yeah, that’s pretty cool,” I tell her before preening in my seat. “But not nearly as cool as being the celebrity’s boyfriend.”

We both laugh until the dispatcher comes over the radio, announcing a domestic dispute at one of the trailer parks in our patrol area. I grab the mic and respond to the call, informing dispatch that we’re about five minutes out.

Ricki and I stand with my family as we wait for the new college graduates to make their way to us from the field. As soon as the group we’re waiting for get to us, I make a beeline to my big cousin to congratulate her and her boyfriends while Ricki runs straight into her brother’s arms. I have to fight back tears as I watch the love between the two siblings shine through the mess their father left them in.

We celebrate with dinner at TG’s before heading out to party at Tracey’s cabin. Just when we all think the night is over, Devon shocks everyone with his marriage proposal to both Tracey and Joey. So, I’ll be gaining two new cousins in the near future. It has me wishing I could claim Ricki in such a way, but she’s only nineteen and I’m only twenty-one. While we’re both technically old enough to get married, I know neither of us are ready.

“Don’t go getting any bright ideas,” Ricki says with a laugh as we step into the kitchen to refill our drinks.

“Wouldn’t dream of it…yet,” I tell her. “But definitely someday.”

“Someday,” she agrees, tipping her freshly opened beer toward me as my aunt’s employee, Jenny steps into the kitchen followed closely by her stepbrother, Ian.

Jenny marches straight to the make-shift bar, dumping ingredients into the blender and pushing the button just as Ian starts to speak. Ricki grins at the obvious tension between them as Ian rolls his eyes.

“Jenny,” Ian says admonishingly as soon as the noise from the blender stops.

“No, Ian,” Jenny says, pointing her finger at him. “I’m done with this conversation. I’m taking Aiden to visit my grandma before Christmas.”

“And letting her set you up on some ridiculous blind date while you’re there?” Ian asks as Jenny pours the drink mixture into plastic cups and loads them on a tray.

I don’t miss the hurt on his face at the idea of Jenny going on a date. It’s not the protectiveness of a brother. It’s the possessiveness of a man that wants to be her everything. I recognize it because it’s the same expression I face in the mirror every time I think about Ricki.

“Maybe!” Jenny shouts, ignoring the pleading tone of his voice. “And if you didn’t want that, then you should have said so a long ass time ago.” She grabs the tray of drinks and walks out without waiting for his response.

“Sorry about that,” Ian says when he notices us.

“No worries,” I tell him. “I’ve heard about her grandma’s famous book club. If you don’t want her going on a blind date with a stranger, maybe you should call Dotty and offer yourself as tribute.”

“Huh,” he says. “That’s not a terrible idea. It’s not like I’d get the grief from her dad’s side of the family that I would from my dad and her mom. Thanks, man.”

“Anytime,” I tell him with a grin. “Us cops have to look out for each other, right?”

“I’m not a cop,” Ian scoffs. “I’m an F.B.I. agent.”

“I hope your cousin doesn’t become as arrogant as you after she leaves for Quantico.” I laugh.

“Becky won’t,” Ian states. “I was an arrogant prick before the academy. At least that’s what Jenny likes to tell me.”

Ricki whistles through her teeth before hooking her arm around mine. “I think that’s about all the testosterone I can take for the moment. Let’s go dance before you take me home.”

“You got it, firecracker ,” I say before looking back at Ian as we reach the door. “Don’t give up if it’s real. The reward is worth the battle.”

Ricki and I mingle with our friends and family for a while longer before heading back to my apartment. Which is now our apartment since she agreed to move in with me when she had to officially move out of her dorm room last week.

Little do we know that we only have weeks before our lives are upended again.