Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
MILES
I didn’t sleep a wink.
How could I, with Loxley lying beside me, looking so effortlessly beautiful it hurt?
Her hair spilled across the pillow in soft waves, catching the faint glow from the small lamp that I had left on.
Every time I’d close my eyes, she’d sigh, or twitch ever so slightly, and I’d open them again, completely enthralled by the fact that she was even there, in my bed, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The night had been a complete whirlwind of emotions.
Taking her to my parents’ abandoned home was a lot to take in, but then I had to add dancing with her, and my battle between wanting to kiss her and knowing I shouldn’t.
All that turmoil just to have my decision derailed by a mouse.
A damn mouse. The universe really said, “Not today, Miles.” If that wasn’t fate stepping in to stop me from making more mistakes, then I don’t know what it is.
When I took her to my room for the night, there was no agenda. I wasn’t trying to pull anything. I just knew we both needed sleep before something else happened. But like a dumbass, I thought lying beside her was the very definition of “nothing else happening.”
Fuck I was wrong. So wrong.
Because as I laid there, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest, a thousand things happened.
Memories of her laugh from earlier that evening played in my mind.
The way her cheeks flushed when she asked if I was going to kiss her.
The way she trusted me to keep her safe, even from something as small as a rodent.
And that’s when I made a list.
10 Reasons Why Catching Feelings for Loxley Adams Is a Bad Idea:
1. She’s got too much to figure out, and me catching feelings isn’t going to help her untangle the mess she’s trying to escape.
That was the only one that mattered. It was the main thing stopping me from pursuing the feelings I had for her any further.
By the time the sun crept through the blinds, I had resolutely determined that I couldn’t let myself go any further.
So, I got up early, pulled on my uniform as quietly as possible, and checked the house for any more unwelcome guests.
I even set traps outside. That may have been overkill, but it made me feel like I was doing something useful.
By the time I left, I felt good about my resolve.
I’d put things back where they belonged: in the friend zone.
The fire station parking lot felt like the safest place to hide out for the morning.
Captain had me on “Loxley lookout” duty again, but instead of driving in circles, I parked and saved the fuel.
Maybe I was also hoping Easton would be on duty and up for a visit.
He’d always been good at dragging me out of my head.
It wasn’t long until I saw him striding up to my car with his trademark grin and knocking on the passenger-side window.
“Got any new buttons I can push?”
“Don’t touch anything, you jackass.” I laughed as he slid into the seat, immediately looking around like he hadn’t done it a hundred times before.
“Is this where my tax dollars are going? Or is hanging out at the fire station part of your super-secret mission?”
Instead of answering, I sighed. “Where’d you find my keys the other day?”
Easton’s eyes widened, and he squirmed in his seat. My question was random and immediate, but it wasn’t my intention to make him uncomfortable. I was just genuinely curious. “Grams gave them to me.”
“Grams? How’d she get them?”
“Hell if I know. She brought them to the station and told me to take them to you. Ask Linc, he’s the one that said he lost them.”
I nodded, letting the subject drop because the last thing I wanted to do was get into a fake conversation about where Linc may have left my keys when I knew damn well it was Loxley.
We shifted to small talk, catching up on Easton’s partner, Jesse, and their plans for the future. It was nice hearing him talk about something so steady and sure.
“You about ready to tell Jesse about the house?” I asked.
“Not yet. It's gonna take a lot of time and I wanna make sure everything’s right.”
“You mean between the two of you?” I asked, but he was already shaking his head no, as if my question was ridiculous.
“I know everything is right between us. I just meant with the house. I wanna make sure the plans are in place and any decisions you and West need to be a part of are taken care of before it’s her turn to make the decisions.”
Made sense. “I was there yesterday, and the place looks great. I think the house is ready to live again.”
“And I am so ready to bring it back to life,” he smiled.
We stayed quiet for a few minutes after that, which was unlike us, but with so much on my mind, it was hard to think about anything other than Loxley.
Then, out of nowhere, Easton sighed dramatically. “Speaking of Loxley Adams...”
I nearly choked on the coffee I had been tentatively bringing to my lips. “What about her?” Had I said her name out loud?
With Easton’s pause, I realized that the music that was playing softly on the radio had switched to one of Loxley’s songs, and her sweet voice was filtering through the car. The sound of a familiar tune played, and it happened to be one of my favorites of hers.
“She’s canceled more shows. Jesse’s heartbroken,” Easton finally said.
I tried to keep my voice neutral, but the words came out way too defensive. “I’m sure she’s not trying to break anyone’s heart.”
Thankfully, Easton didn’t seem to notice.
“Jesse’s just a big fan. She’s been obsessed since that night at the music festival.
Wants to relive the moment we fell in love, among other things.
” He wiggled his eyebrows, and I rolled my eyes.
I could barely comprehend what Easton and Jesse did to the sound of Lox’s voice.
As if the conversation wasn’t already torturous, the radio DJ chimed in as the song went off.
“That was one of my favorite Loxley Adams songs, one of just two on her album that she is credited with writing. Also, where is Loxley Adams? More shows have been canceled, and there is still no sign of her return to the stage. Loxley, if you’re listening, get well soon! ”
“You and Loxley Adams?” Easton asked, making me once again choke over my words and shake my head in denial.
“What?”
“You both must have the same sickness,” Easton smirked. “You didn’t finish your food. You’re not going fishing with Gramps. You’re not making it to Sunday dinner. Did you forget how sick you were?”
For fuck’s sake, Easton was laughing while I was having an internal panic attack over the fact that I thought he somehow knew that not only was Loxley at my house, but I was falling for her.
One day, I intended to tell him, and everyone else the truth, but I sure as hell hadn’t wanted it to be then and there.
Not while Lox was still asking me to keep her secret.
“You idiot," I laughed, hoping it covered my initial reaction. “I’m not kidding when I said Captain has me doing something, and as soon as I’m done doing it, I’ll let you know.”
Just then, the dispatcher at the station started chiming in on the radio attached to my uniform. I sighed in frustration, already knowing that she was calling about the Murphy Brothers. They were undoubtedly back at Fiddlers, and I was being called to once again kick them out.
Easton was laughing as he listened in because he knew how much I hated that damn call. He knew how much I wished they'd permanently kick those two out of the bar.
“I better get over there. Do you wanna ride with me?”
“Nope,” he laughed. “I’m gonna go let you do your police work and I’ll stay here and wait on a fire.”
He climbed out of the car and gave me a small salute before tucking his hands into his pockets and walking back towards the station. I put my car in drive and pulled out onto the main road, heading north.
Fiddlers sat on the edge of town not far from where I pulled Loxley over.
It was the only bar in town which was both a blessing and a curse.
With it being on the main highway, lots of people traveled through, so there was always someone new at Fiddlers.
It was a fun place to hang out most of the time.
Easton and I used to find ourselves there once a week before he met Jesse. Most nights we enjoyed the atmosphere and the company that we found.
As I pulled into the lot, I noted that there were only a couple of cars, which made sense considering it was a weekday, and not even five o’clock. The crowds didn’t usually get bad until after eight in the evening, but the Murphy brothers always arrived when they knew Blue was working the bar.
When I walked in, I looked directly at the poor bartender, and she nodded toward the corner. Blue had both relief, and an apology, written all over her face. She was happy she was no longer alone, but she hated that she had to call me all the time.
“Come on guys,” I waved them over as if I were tired and uninterested.
Which I was. I hated the fact that I was required to drive them home like some glorified taxi driver.
I used to make them sleep it off in a cell, especially when they got destructive, but the owner never filed charges, and their petty shit wasn’t enough for anyone else to care about.
As long as they didn’t get behind the wheel of a car, all was forgotten.
But not for Blue and me, who were the only people that seemed to have to deal with them regularly.
The good news was that I wasn’t the only one that wasn’t shocked anymore. They knew the bartender was gonna call the station and they knew I was gonna show up. So they didn’t argue or put up a fight. They just laughed while they walked out and got in the back seat of my car.
Knowing they were secure for a second, I walked back into the bar and approached Blue, who had been a bartender at Fiddlers for the last couple of years.
She hadn’t grown up in Harmony Haven, but was from the next town over.
Easton and I had gotten to know her a little, but I wouldn’t go as far as saying we were friends.
There wasn’t much I knew about her other than she worked hard, and took care of her dad.
“When are you gonna leave this dump?” I smiled at her, tucking my thumbs into the belt of my uniform.
“You know I’m stuck here,” she sighed as she continued to wipe down the bar.
“You called me early.” I nodded towards the door, indicating that I was talking about the Murphy Brothers. “They didn’t look as drunk as they normally do when I get here.”
“I didn’t have time for them today.” She had grit in her voice and put her hands on her hips. “You and I both get off at four today. Let’s not wait until the last minute and let’s just get them out of here.”
“How do you know what time I get off?”
“Just take them home,” she laughed. “This isn’t our first rodeo, and you know it.”
“Yes ma’am,” I winked at her, turning on my heel to head out. I had to admit I appreciated her efficiency when handling that problem of ours, because I was ready to get home myself.
“Hey Miles?” Blue hollered at me and I turned back around.
“Yeah?”
“Are you gonna come in here for a beer anytime soon? Linc has been coming in, but I haven’t seen you in a couple weeks.”
“You’re only asking because you know I tip well,” I smiled.
“A girl has to live,” she laughed, shrugging.
I backed out of the door as her laughter faded away. In a few weeks, I knew I’d be back to my old self, but at that moment, all I wanted to do was get home to Lox.