Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Emmanuel
I check my reflection in the rearview mirror as I park in front of Lucy’s townhouse in the morning. My eyes are a little bloodshot since I slept less than an hour last night. I followed her home after her shift, and although I promised her that I wouldn’t stay out here all night, I did stay parked at the end of her street with her townhouse in view until the sun came up.
I wanted to make damn sure that bastard didn’t return. If he would have, I wouldn’t have just let him off with another warning. I would have taken his life for threatening my girl.
Once Santino started his shift, I got him to come over and replace me. I had just enough time to go home, sleep for an hour, shower, get dressed, and come back.
I take a deep breath and step out of my truck, nodding to the cop car parked four houses down. Santino nods back, starts the car, and then turns around, disappearing down the street.
I can’t believe I get to go out with this angel. Gratitude fills my bones as I look up at her townhouse, remembering how damn good she felt in my arms. I can still taste her sexy mouth. It’s still making me all tingly inside.
Her dog starts barking in the window as I walk up to the door, fixing my flannel shirt. It’s a beautiful spring day—sunny and crisp. It’s the perfect day for a hike up Silvergray Mountain. It’s not too hot and it’s too early in the season for mosquitos—the perfect combination.
I smile when I hear her voice behind the door. “That’s enough, Cutter,” Lucy says. “Please stop. He’s our friend.”
Friend … Hopefully, I’ll be more than that by the end of the day.
I suck in a breath when she opens the door, looking more gorgeous than ever. Her face is all flushed from holding her dog back and her hair is a little disheveled. She’s looking like she just got… Well, let’s just say I hope I’m lucky enough to see her looking like this again…
“Good morning,” she says in a breathless tone as she struggles to hold her huge Rottweiler back. Cutter’s front legs are off the ground as he tries to get to me. I like this dog already. He’s doing his job protecting our girl.
“Cutter!” she shouts, trying with all her might to pull him back. “ Stop! ”
Cutter is growling as he glares at me. I stare back at him, not showing any fear.
“You can let him go,” I say.
She blows a strand of hair out of her face. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” I say, nodding. If this girl is going to be in my life, me and this dog are going to have to get used to one another. We might as well face each other now.
She lets him go and he scrambles right up to me, the black fur on his back sticking up like a mohawk.
He sniffs my legs, looking like he’s trying to decide whether to back down or maul my face off. I just keep my hands on my hips and stare down at him, my breathing calm, my body still. We’re like two alphas sniffing each other down, trying to decide who is at the very top of the pecking order.
Meanwhile, Lucy is watching all of this with a nervous look on her face. I know she wants us to get along. I want it too.
That’s why I brought a secret weapon. A few of them in fact.
When Cutter steps back and growls at me, I pull it out.
His ears go back and his eyes widen when he smells it.
On the way here, I stopped at the bakery to get us some fresh sandwiches and snacks for our hike. They were selling some homemade dog treats, so I cleaned them out, buying the entire display.
The way to a dog’s heart is through his stomach, and I have no bones about buying Cutter’s friendship. Especially if it means I get to spend more time with his owner.
“Is this what you want?” I ask in a chipper voice as I pull a dog treat from my back pocket.
He licks his lips as he stares at it in awe.
“Sit,” I say. He does.
“You going to be my friend?” I ask, holding it just out of reach. He whimpers. I’ll take that as a yes. I give him the treat as Lucy watches with a beaming smile on her face. He scarfs it down and then I give him another one.
He doesn’t give me any more problems after.
“Thanks for thinking of that,” she says, relieved that Cutter isn’t in attack mode anymore. He runs into the house and returns with one of his toys, shaking it at me.
“Of course,” I say as I look her over. She’s stunning in a pair of black yoga pants that hug her curves so perfectly and a long plaid button-up shirt that hangs low. I’m admiring her outfit while undressing her with my eyes at the same time.
“I thought we could go for a hike through the mountains,” I say, trying to keep the huskiness out of my voice. “I picked up lunch from the bakery.”
She’s already blushing as she looks up at me with those breathtaking brown eyes. “That sounds perfect. Would you mind if we bring Cutter? I don’t want to leave him alone while…”
Her eyes drop to the floor.
“That’s why I chose a hike,” I tell her. “So he can come too. I have more treats for him in the car.”
His head tilts when I say the T-word and we both laugh.
It’s not long before we’re driving down a beautiful mountain road—windows open, music blasting, Cutter’s head sticking out the window. His ears are flapping in the wind and he looks so happy with his tongue hanging out, slobber clinging to his black lip in strings. Lucy laughs as she takes a picture of him and then snaps one of me.
I smile at her, wishing so much that it wasn’t too early in the date to put my hand on her knee. This is so perfect. It’s so natural. I could see us doing this forever.
This is how it would be if we were a couple. Just hanging out, enjoying each other, enjoying every moment, everything around me—every sensation and feeling—heightened because of her. I want it so badly. More than I’ve ever wanted anything.
I bring them to a hiking trail that only the locals know about. We share almost everything with the tourists that come to our town, but there’s an unspoken secret pact amongst the locals to keep this one trail to ourselves. It has some breathtaking views along the way and a perfect spot by a river to eat lunch. It’s always quiet, which I love.
Cutter bounds out of the truck, tail wagging like crazy as I grab our lunch and stuff it into a backpack.
I’ve done this hike hundreds of times, but it feels like I’m seeing it for the first time through Lucy’s eyes as we get started. She’s in awe as we walk under the tall Douglas firs and Ponderosa pines. She takes pictures of the colorful little finches darting between the branches and smiles when she looks at the photos. Cutter runs up ahead and then comes tearing back to us when he gets too far.
I already got this dog eating out of my hand. He’s looking up at me like I’m his long lost best friend. He brings me a stick, so I grab it out of his hand and launch it. Lucy smiles as she watches him take after it like a rocket.
“I was worried he wasn’t going to like you,” she says, grinning up at me.
“Is that a boyfriend test?” I ask her. “If your dog doesn’t approve, it’s over?”
“Over before it’s even begun?” she asks with a raised eyebrow.
I tilt my head, grinning at her. “Oh, it’s begun alright.”
She looks away, those adorable cheeks blushing.
“It started when I kissed those scrumptious lips.”
“ Hmmm ,” she says, playing with me. “I don’t think I remember that. Was that yesterday?”
I grab her arm and spin her around. She gasps as I pull her up against my body where she belongs.
“Maybe this will refresh your memory.”
She melts against me as I kiss her deeply, claiming her mouth like I’m going to keep it forever.
I’m ready to stop the hike and spend the rest of the day making out with this beauty, but Cutter has other ideas. He jumps on me with that damn stick in his mouth.
I toss it even further this time, but when I turn back to continue, Lucy is already walking, her cheeks a bright shade of red.
“So, what made you want to be a cop?” she asks as I catch up.
I’d rather talk more about us, but I’ll wait for that if I have to. This is going to be a long date after all. The subject of us is bound to come up again. I’ll make sure of it.
“I like to protect people,” I tell her.
“Tell me why.”
I sigh as I think about it. “It’s because of my dad,” I finally say. “My father wasn’t a large guy.”
“Really?” she asks with a chuckle. “That’s surprising.”
“I got my size from my mother’s side. He only came up to here on me,” I say, touching under my shoulder. “But he was wise and powerful in his own way. His personality was big enough to make up for his small stature. As I was getting older and growing larger, I didn’t realize my own strength. I would unintentionally hurt people. Just by bumping into them or accidentally grabbing them too hard. He told me that wielding my size and strength was a responsibility I couldn’t ignore. He said my power was a gift given to me and that I had to use it to protect people, not to harm them. He told me that the morning he died.”
“Oh no,” Lucy says, her hand flying to her mouth. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I say, taking a heavy breath. “I was nineteen when it happened. He got hit by a car while he was walking down Main Street. It was a new driver. He had just gotten his license that week. I went over to his house to beat the shit out of him, but he was so devastated about it. He was sobbing when he saw me and he collapsed into my arms. All I could hear was my father’s words… I should be protecting people, not hurting them. So, I gave the kid a hug and decided to join the force. Use my strength for good.”
I’ve never told anyone that story. It’s unnerving how she can make me open up so easily, how I want to tell her everything.
She slides her hand into mine as we walk past a large mossy boulder. “Your father would be proud of you.”
I look at her and she nods.
“The way you handled that guy last night,” she says with a shiver. “I was terrified. I had no idea what he was going to do to me, and then you… You came out of nowhere and saved me. I’m sure your father is looking down on you, beaming with pride that you honored your gift.”
I keep walking with her by my side, afraid that I might get choked up if I don’t change the subject. “You’re going to love these sandwiches I got us. Have you ever been to the Warm Loaf Bakery?”
“Almost every morning,” she says, hooking her arm around mine. “They have the most amazing cinnamon rolls. I can’t resist them.”
“I’m more of a croissant man myself.”
“Oh, I like croissants too,” she says, chuckling. “I’ll eat anything that comes out of that bakery. The girl Abby is going to be so happy about this.”
She suddenly turns away and shakes her head like she can’t quite believe what just slipped out of her mouth.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing,” she says. “Forget it. Hey, look at those wildflowers.”
I’m not taking the bait. “What do you mean that Abby is going to be happy about this?”
She sighs as Cutter comes running back. He circles around us and then takes off up the trail again.
“She keeps wanting to set me up with someone in town,” she says. I tense up, feeling a wave of possessive energy surging through me at the thought of my girl going out with anyone else. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t jump the gun. It’s only a first date. Although…”
She doesn’t want to say it.
“What?” I ask softly, like I’m trying to coax a kitten forward.
“You did call me your girl last night.”
Shit . My adrenaline was racing like mad. I couldn’t hold it back. I had only realized I had called her that after and I wanted to die. I was hoping she hadn’t noticed.
“Too soon?” I ask, my cheeks getting hot.
She shakes her head as she grins at me. “Nope. I liked it.”
We slow to a stop, gazing into each other’s eyes. I lean down and kiss her softly. It’s not a passionate, full-blown make-out kiss. It’s a soft one. A loving one. A kiss that says you’re mine. And that you always will be.
One that says, this will be the first of many…
* * *
We have our picnic beside the flowing river, sitting on a large rock while Cutter tramps through the water confused and mesmerized by all the fish.
“He’s never been in a river before,” she says, laughing as he jumps back and barks when a large bull trout swims over to check him out. He flees onto the shore and then tentatively heads back in with his head hung low and his tail wagging.
“He’s a great dog. I think it’s wonderful what you did for him.”
She looks at me with her eyebrows raised. “Even if I broke the law, Mr. Policeman?”
“Laws aren’t always for the best,” I say with a heavy sigh. “Sometimes, if we want justice, we have to take it for ourselves.”
“Like you did last night?”
I sigh again. “Yeah.”
I don’t care what the law says, if those guys return to mess with my girl, they’ll be heading home in a body bag.
We dig into our fresh sandwiches, moaning at how good they are. Abby and Trish at the bakery always make the doughiest bread. It’s to die for. Lucy makes a sexy little moan when she takes a big bite and I struggle to keep my mind from spiraling into more dirty thoughts.
Luckily my phone rings, distracting me.
Oh shit. It’s the FBI.
“You can answer it,” Lucy says as I stuff it back into my pocket. “I don’t mind.”
“Sorry, it’s just…”
Her face goes a little red and she turns away with a flicker of disappointment on her face when I stop talking. Oh crap. I don’t want her to think it’s another woman. There’s no one else. There will never be anyone else.
“It’s just the FBI.”
She whips her head back around, looking at me in shock. “Well, answer it then!”
I sigh as I hit the button and stand up, wandering away. “Hello?”
“ Officer Rush ,” the familiar voice says on the other line. It’s the guy who recruited me and gave me the first two interviews before sending me up to the senior officials. “ I’m calling with good news. They’re so eager to get you on board that they’ve upped the offer by fifteen percent!”
“Oh,” I say, feeling heavy all over. “That’s nice.”
“ They sensed your hesitation and wanted to eliminate it completely. So? Are you ready to accept the generous offer and join the FBI? ”
I look at Lucy sitting by the river and Cutter tromping through the water, looking so at peace, and I realize this is where I want to be. These mountains are my home. This woman is my future. Being with this amazing girl beats any career goals I thought I wanted.
I just want her. I want to have kids with her and raise them in the Greene Mountains. I want to protect her and protect my town.
That’s what I’ve been missing all these years. This is the feeling I wanted. And now that I have it, I know that I don’t need anything else.
“I’m going to respectfully decline,” I tell him. “Thank you for the wonderful offer, but it’s not what I want anymore.”
He sputters, sounding shocked that I’d turn it down. He probably has hundreds of cops desperate to get that position.
“ But… Mr. Rush, it’s… The FBI! ”
I know what I’m saying no to. But by saying no to the position, I’m saying yes to Lucy.
“Thanks again,” I say as I head back to my girl. “I’m out.”
Lucy watches me as I hang up the phone and slide it into my pocket. I look around at the gorgeous trees, sparkling river, and spectacular mountains and take a deep breath of the cool mountain air, feeling relief flooding my body. I feel better than I have in a long time.
“Everything okay?” she asks.
I grin as I sit down and grab my delicious sandwich next to my scrumptious girl.
“Yeah,” I say, smiling at her. “Everything is just perfect.”