Chapter 05
Friday nights around this town were so slow sometimes. I was typing up my report at the end of my shift. It had been a busier one than usual. There had been a break in at a local cleaning company earlier that afternoon that closed early on Fridays. The owner was very frazzled as it had never happened before and there was hardly any trouble like that in our town. It concerned me a bit as nothing had been stolen or taken.
The owner's office had been literally torn apart with files thrown every which way. They had gotten everything back together and came to the conclusion that nothing had been taken. But it was concerning that whomever had broken in seemed to only be concerned about employees that had worked there previously and currently.
I scrubbed my hand over my short beard as I considered it. Stranger things had happened and we did have the occasional break in. It just felt off and something was nagging at me about it. It coincided with that Larry guy’s inquisitions about someone new in town and I didn’t like the way things were adding up.
“Hey man. Did you find anything else out from that break-in?” Paul asked, plopping down in his usual place across from my desk, nodding at Nick as he headed out the door.
“Nah, nothing was stolen or taken. Just employee files had been gone through. But none of that was even taken. Weirdest fucking thing ever.”
Paul’s eyebrows came down as he thought. I finished up typing and saved the file, sitting back in my chair and watching him.
We often bounced theories back and forth. We thought so alike regarding cases it was incredibly beneficial that we were partners and often worked together.
“Maybe a disgruntled ex-employee?” he theorized.
“Could be,” I agreed. “I’ll keep it open for a while and see if anything else transpires. Any similar break ins. I don’t think much will come of it,” tapping my fingers absentmindedly on the desk, I scowled at my computer monitor.
“And all the security was cut off?” he asked, breaking my train of thought.
“Yep, not a damn camera was running for about an hour and a half. Whoever it was knew their way around electronically. The alarm system didn’t even go off. The owners were only aware when they got there this morning.”
Paul sighed and glanced at his phone. A grin came over his face and he glanced up at me.
“What?” I asked drily. I never knew what was going to come out of his mouth.
“Guess who’s at my house for girl’s night?” he asked.
“Dude. What are we, twelve?” I threw a pencil at him.
He laughed, ducking. “Rebecca Wareman,” he continued, watching me.
My entire body heated, just at her name. I cleared my throat, “Really? So she and Monica are hitting it off?”
He laughed, tossing the pencil back down on my desk. “Yah, that’s really what you want to know. But, yes. They seem to be hitting it off. Nat and Lexi are actually inseparable.”
“Nat?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow.
“Natasha. Becks’ daughter. She’s in Lexi’s grade and they seem to have adopted each other as sisters. She sounds like a sweet girl. Doesn’t have any siblings. Lexi said about ten times this week that she wishes Nat was her sister instead of Lacey.” Paul laughed under his breath, “Girls, man.”
“You wouldn’t change it for the world,” I replied.
“No, I wouldn’t. I love Lacey like my own. But man, sometimes the hormones and bickering!” he shook his head. “I’m fucking outnumbered in my own home. Three women. I don’t stand a chance. And when the girls have friends over?”
I laughed at the look of dismay on his face.
“Seriously, Lucas. You gotta get hooked up with someone that’s friends with Monica, so I’m not alone all the time with all the pink and boy bands.”
“I’m thinking about asking Rebecca out,” I admitted.
“YES!” Paul lit up like a Christmas tree. “WHEN? Do you want to come over now? We know where she is!”
“Yah, that’s not creepy at all!” I shook my head, “Chill. I’ll do it when it seems right and I see her around again.”
“You fucking better,” he said, standing. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, yeah?”
“Same time, same place. I practically live here when I’m not at home.”
“Further proof you need a woman. Get a little bit of a life!” he said, raising a brow.
“Get the hell out of here to your sleepover,” I laughed.
“Fuck,” he said, walking out the door.
He could bitch and moan all he wanted. I knew as soon as he got home he would be asking those two little girls if there was anything they needed to make their girls’ night sleepover better. Paul was one hell of a man and I considered him my best friend. I hoped some day I would be just as good of a husband and father as he was. I needed to actually have a serious conversation with him about raising a kid that wasn’t his own. I needed to think about these things if I was going to ask Rebecca out. She was a single mom, and who knew how long she’d been on her own. There was more than her emotions involved in this and I didn’t want to fuck it up regardless of if it went anywhere or not.
I’d always wanted children and the thought of one that wasn’t my own didn’t bother me. Hell. How much of an asshole would I be if that did after someone who wasn’t my actual parent had raised me? I needed to make sure Becks was comfortable with everything and I didn’t end up breaking two women’s hearts.
I stood up and nodded to the rest of the guys on the clock as I left. Climbing into my truck I decided to do a lap around town before heading right home.
Wrapping up my lap around town, I turned down the main drag. It was nostalgic sometimes taking the old laps I used to cruise myself as a kid. Things were quiet tonight and everything seemed pretty chill. I would just fill up my truck and head home. Maybe watch a movie or something. I didn’t get too wild on the weekends.
As I pulled into the gas station, my eyebrows raised. Well, aren't I a lucky bastard? Rebecca Wareman was filling up her SUV. I pulled into the pump on the other side of her and watched as she sat in her car digging through her bag. She had her dark hair up in another one of those messy buns that women were wearing all the time. I smiled as she pushed her glasses back up her nose. God, the woman was adorable and I don't think she even knew it. You could tell no one had appreciated her enough. She sighed and threw her hands up in the air and I chuckled watching her get out, toting the entire bag after her. She looked like she couldn’t find her wallet.
I watched as she used an app on her phone to pay instead and she started filling her vehicle up. She seemed to be in her own world and completely unaware of her surroundings, which made me worry a little. Often women were distracted when they were filling their car up. It was night time and while it was a small town, this is how women often got robbed, hurt or even taken. My instinct to protect was rising in me and was rather unsettling. As an officer I would come to the aid of anyone and wanted them to be safe. But this heat of need to protect and at the same time wanting to shake her for being so distracted filled me.
I shook my head. Who knew how long this woman had been single. She didn’t need some overbearing asshole in her life. But if I was going to be anyone’s overprotective asshole, I wanted to be hers. I slammed my head into the back of my seat and sighed. I was definitely well and truly screwed with this woman it seemed.
I got out and began filling my own truck up, watching as she was still oblivious to me being right across from her. This just wouldn’t do.
I walked up behind her.
“Rebecca Wareman,” I said softly.
I watched as she jumped and dropped her bag, spilling things across the pavement. Well shit. I hadn’t intended to scare the hell out of her.
“I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t mean to scare you, I thought you noticed me pull in,” I said, bending to pick up her bag and items alongside her.
I watched her as she nervously took the items I’d gathered from me, noticing my patrol truck on the other side of the pump for the first time.
“No, I think I was lost in my thoughts,” she said, looking down and moving some hair that had fallen loose behind her ear.
I watched her and leaned an arm against her SUV, smiling down as she looked up at me and her cheeks turned a pretty pink. She licked her lips nervously. God I just wanted to grab her and kiss the hell out of her right now. I needed to get a grip.
“What are you up to tonight, Becks?”
“Oh! I just was over at Monica’s, hanging out.” She was stammering all over herself, and God dammit if my heart wasn’t melting at her absolute shyness. I heard the pump click off and reached over before she could, replacing the nozzle and capping her tank.
“Ah, you two would make quite the fearsome duo,” I nodded.
“She seems like she’d be a good friend!” Becks agreed. “My daughter Nat and Lexi have hit it off and are having a sleepover. I’m just going to go home and read a book.”
“Sounds like an exciting Friday night. No date planned?”
“I’m single,” I looked down at her as she turned a bright red.
I looked her over, she was in another oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants. Nothing fancy or dressy. Damn she was gorgeous though. That body and those curves. “Well, that’s every other man’s loss, isn’t it?” I said in a low voice as I looked down at her. “Would you want to go out sometime?”
“Me and you?” she practically squeaked out.
Jesus. Was she going to faint on me?
“Well that’s the idea, babe,” I tried to laugh in a reassuring way.
“Um….” Fuck. She was going to say no. Way to go, Lucas. “I guess?” I heard her say.
“Your enthusiasm is astounding!” I reached over, gently taking her phone out of her hands, where she was fiddling with it and put in my name and number before handing it back. “You’ve got my number now, can I get yours?” I handed her my cell phone and watched as she typed her information in. She was almost acting like she couldn’t believe this was happening. I needed to wrap it up and let her process this in her own way. “I’ll text you details later. You have a good night, Becks.”
“Night,” she said, and I watched as she practically sprinted back to her car and dove inside. As she pulled away and out of the parking lot, I glanced down, noticing a book on the ground. It must’ve fallen out and slid under her vehicle. I glanced up and noticed she was halfway down the road. Taking in the title I raised an eyebrow.
Looks like someone’s into romance novels. A bit of light reading it is then. Smiling to myself I made my way back to my truck to head home.