3. Ashton
Chapter 3
Ashton
Fuck. I should’ve gone with my first instinct and let Emily go with just a warning before I ran her license. Once the warrants came back, my hands were tied and I had to bring her in. Now, we’ll have to straighten this shit out before I can get her alone.
I guide Emily through the front door of the small sheriff's office, feeling the weight of each step. The place is slightly outdated with the faint smell of old coffee lingering in the air, and I’m regretting we have to spend our first day together here.
Emily's handling this all with surprising grace, especially given the circumstances. I lead her into one of the empty conference rooms, try to give her a reassuring nod, and say, "Hang tight. I'll be right back." She flops down into a seat, looking more like she's waiting.
Stepping out of the room, I run into Sheriff Dillon, who's leaning against his office door with a smirk on his face. He immediately narrows his eyes, sizing me up. "Gannon," he starts, his voice low and measured, "why isn't the suspect you just arrested for a warrant out of Houston in cuffs or being processed?"
I wonder if my boss is ready for the bombshell I'm about to drop. "Guess who's the latest goddamn victim of the Silver Spoon Falls water," I say, pointing at my chest.
He nearly spits out his coffee, coughing as he shoots me a disbelieving look. "Wait, are you fucking serious?" I nod my head, glaring at him through narrowed eyes. "Leave it to you to find your soulmate while you're arresting her," he chortles.
"Once you're done laughing, could you help me?"
My boss suddenly turns serious. "What do you need?"
"I need to find a way to make this go away so my soulmate doesn't have to spend the night in a jail cell." No use beating around the bush. I’m already planning our future and naming our first child, and I don’t have time to deal with bullshit.
"Is that all?" He rolls his eyes. "You do realize thirty-one unpaid parking tickets isn't going to be easy to sweep under the rug?" he counters, folding his arms across his chest.
"Come on. It isn't like she's been out robbing people at gunpoint. What if she pays the tickets and fine?" I'm goddamn desperate.
Dillon sighs, the teasing glint in his eyes replaced by a more thoughtful stare. "Let me call my friend in Houston, and we'll see what we're working with."
"Thank you." I breathe a sigh of relief, thankful my boss knows what I'm going through right now. After all, he fell victim to the Silver Spoon Falls water a while back. "I appreciate it."
"Just invite me to the wedding."
"I'll think about it," I call after him, and he flips me off over his shoulder.
While he works his magic, I head into the conference room to see if Emily needs anything. Fucking hell. When she looks up at me and smiles, I know my life and my heart will never be the same again.
As the flickering fluorescent lights overhead cast their dull glow around the room, I wonder how long it will take for Dillon to get this straightened out. I'm about to go hunt him down when he strolls back into the room. "I've got bad news." He sits on the edge of my desk. "The Houston parking authority has decided to crack down on unpaid violations. They aren't willing to budge, so we're going to have to keep your girl here until a judge signs her release in the morning."
"Fucking hell." I feel like I've been hit by a ton of bricks. "You have got to be kidding me."
"I wish I was." He rubs his bottom lip. "But that doesn't mean we have to put her in a cell by herself. Why don't you search the emergency supplies closet and find a warm blanket and pillow? She can crash on the sofa in my office." I'm suddenly thankful Dillon keeps a supply of new blankets, pillows, and extra toiletries in case of situations like this. He's the best goddamn boss in the world. "We'll just keep the details of her incarceration our little secret."
"I'll stay with her." I'm not about to leave her here on her own all night. "And I'll need tomorrow off to help her organize her mobile grooming van."
"I'm going to need a little more information." He looks confused, so I explain Emily's new business plan. He listens intently while I give him the same spiel my girl gave me earlier.
Once he’s up to date on what’s going on in my life, I tell him, “Oh, and I’m going to need you to stop by my house and pick up Edna. I’ll get her back once I get things settled with Emily.” I’m probably stressing the bonds of friendship, but I don’t care.
“Anything else I can do for you?” His glare is anything but friendly.
“Not right now, but I’ll let you know if I come up with something.”
“Fucking asshole,” he grumbles as he walks out the door.
Once all the paperwork is squared away, I tell myself it's time to break the bad news. I stride back to the conference room where I left Emily earlier. She paces the floor, her gorgeous blue eyes shining with anxiety. When she sees me, there's a spark of curiosity in her eyes mixed with a glimmer of hope.
"What's going on?" Her interest is piqued as she sits a little straighter, clearly ready for some good news.
"Sheriff Armstrong made a call to Houston, and they refused to drop the warrant without you having a video hearing with a judge in the morning," I tell her, pissed I couldn't get this taken care of.
As her aqua eyes fill with tears, I have to fight the urge to pound my frustration out on the wall. "Are you serious? I've never been in jail before."
"Don't worry, you won't have to stay in a cell." It’s not fucking happening. There’s no way my curvy little soulmate is spending the night in a cold goddamn cell.
She blinks several times, asking, "What do you mean?"
"We have to keep you in custody, but that doesn't mean we have to lock you up. Sheriff Armstrong said you can use the sofa in his office, and I'll stay overnight to make sure you don't get into any more trouble," I tease, trying to make it sound as casual as possible.
"Why are you doing this for me?" Suspicion and relief war in her gaze.
"Because I won’t let you spend the night in a fucking jail cell." I don't really know how to explain the whole water and love-at-first-sight situation. That's a conversation for another day.
"Thank you." She rushes over and throws her arms around my waist, giving me a big hug. Fuck. My cock grows painfully harder as I breathe in her delicate floral scent. When she steps back, I groan from the loss of her closeness. "Will I be able to get a hearing early?" she asks, a touch of concern creeping back into her voice. "I really need to organize my van this weekend if I have any hope of getting everything ready to start taking clients Monday."
"We'll get you in front of the judge as early as possible. Once that's taken care of, I'll help you get your van ready for customers. Don't worry, gorgeous, we'll be able to get it ready to go by Monday."