Chapter 4
Hazing – when the new kid gets teased by the other kids. May involve a grumpy seal.
Lucas
I idle the truck at the curb in front of the park. “You sure you’re going to be okay?”
I signed Natalia up for a sports camp for the rest of the summer. I don’t want her home alone all day during the school break. Plus, this will be a great way for her to make some friends on the island.
She huffs. “I’m twelve, Dad. I’m not a baby.”
“You have your lunch?”
She holds up her packed lunch.
“And you know how to get home when camp is finished?”
She rolls her eyes. “There are these things called phones. They’re pretty handy. I can look up an address and directions on one.”
I didn’t want to get her a smartphone. She’s too young for one. I want her to play outside and meet friends. Not spend the day staring at a screen. But my ex gave her an iPhone as a gift. I refuse to be the bad guy who doesn’t allow her to receive gifts from her mom.
I ruffle her hair. “Smart alec.”
“Any more questions? Or can I join the other kids?”
“Get out of here.”
“Bye, Dad!”
She jumps out of the truck – I’m not allowed to help her out anymore – and rushes toward the other kids waiting in front of the sports park. She doesn’t know any of them but she doesn’t hesitate. That’s my girl.
A car honks behind me and I drive away. Natalia doesn’t bother to glance in my direction. I don’t know how I’m going to survive her teenage years. Her pre-teen years are brutal enough.
I arrive at the police station in Smuggler’s Rest less than five minutes later. Although there are two smaller towns on the island – Pirate’s Perch and Rogue’s Landing – Smuggler’s Rest is the only town with a police station on the island of Smuggler’s Hideaway.
I grab my bag and make my way into the station. I had a tour of the station when I was here for my interview so I know my way to the locker rooms.
“Hey,” I greet the other man in the room when I enter.
“You must be the newbie.”
I sigh. Let the hazing begin.
I offer him my hand. “Lucas.”
He grins. “Weston.”
I know the name. “My new partner.”
He nods. “During your training period. We usually do individual patrols on the island.” He slams his locker shut. “I’ll see you at roll call.”
I check the clock and notice I’m behind schedule. Getting a twelve-year-old ready and out of the door during the summer holidays is not easy. Hopefully, she’ll make friends today and be more excited about camp tomorrow.
Once I’m changed into my uniform, I make my way to the meeting room for roll call. Weston waves at me and I sit next to him.
“Settle down,” the sergeant orders as she enters the room.
I glance around and notice there are less than ten people in the room. At my previous station, there were at least fifty. I hope this job isn’t going to be boring.
“First order of business is our new officer. Lucas Fellows.” She points to me and I nod. “He’s coming from the big city of Baltimore so make sure to give him a Smuggler’s Hideaway welcome.”
Great. The sergeant basically just told everyone to go ahead and haze the new kid. I hope I at least don’t end up bald with whatever they have planned. Natalia would never let me hear the end of it.
Once the briefing is finished and we’ve collected our weapons, Weston leads me to the parking lot full of police cars.
“Nice vehicle,” I say as we settle in.
“Smuggler’s Hideaway earns a decent amount of money from tourism. Speaking of which, you want to join me at Mermaid Karaoke tonight?”
“Mermaid Karaoke?” Is this part of the hazing?
He smirks. “It’s awesome. The women dress up as mermaids and sing. Most of them can’t sing but the outfits.” He waggles his eyebrows. “They’re worth the price of admission.”
“Sorry, I can’t. I’m a single dad and I don’t have any babysitters yet.” I’ve never been so happy to have a kid before. Mermaid Karaoke? No, thanks.
“I heard you have a kid. A girl?”
“How do you know? Are there no secrets on this island?”
“You’re getting the hang of it.” We drive out of town toward the beach. “How are you enjoying your house on Treasure Trail?”
“You’re not going to pretend not to know everything about my life?”
“Nope.”
“Interesting neighbors.”
“Chloe or Mrs. Agatha?”
“Chloe. She…”
I cut myself off before I tell him about how she showed up at my house in nothing but a raincoat. There’s no reason to embarrass her. Judging by how red her cheeks were when she fled my house, she was embarrassed enough.
I clear my throat. “She was mowing her lawn before eight a.m. on Sunday.”
“Chloe was mowing her own lawn?”
“You know Chloe?”
My stomach burns at the thought of Weston and Chloe being more than friends. What the hell? Am I jealous? I don’t get jealous of women. Hell, I was married to Holly and I didn’t get jealous when she spoke to other men.
I must have indigestion. I can’t possibly be jealous of a woman I barely know being with my partner.
“She’s friends with my little sister, Sophia. I’ve known her since she was a snotty-nosed brat.”
I bet Chloe was a cute kid with her red hair and light skin. She probably had freckles and wore her hair in pigtails.
“Does your sister still live on the island?” I need to steer the conversation away from Chloe. I don’t appreciate the way my body gets riled up upon merely hearing her name.
“She just moved back.”
The radio squawks. “Officer Fellows. Come in, Officer Fellows.”
“This is Fellows.”
“Tourists called in a disturbance on Reef Road.”
“On our way.”
Weston hits the sirens and I switch on the lights while he makes a U-turn.
“Are all of the street names on Smuggler’s Hideaway unusual?”
“One thing you should know.” He grins. “There’s nothing usual about Smuggler’s Hideaway.”
We arrive on Reef Road and Weston pulls to a stop in front of a large crowd of people. I frown. “Domestic?”
“We’ll see,” Weston sings.
Shit. His grin is not a good sign. Is this part of my hazing? Am I being pranked?
There’s no sense incomplaining or asking questions. I learned when I first joined the police force twelve years ago. Accept the bullshit. Let everyone laugh at you. It’ll be over and forgotten soon enough.
When Weston motions me forward in front of him, I know this is part of my hazing. I force my way through the crowd to reach the center of attention.
I skid to a halt when I notice a seal lying in the middle of the road.
“How the hell did you get a seal here to haze me?”
“This isn’t a hazing. This is Sammy. Hey, Sammy.”
The seal lifts its flipper and waves to Weston. I rub my eyes. I must be seeing things. Because a seal did not just wave to my new partner.
“Sammy is an escapee from Sealife.”
“Okay. Let’s get in touch with Sealife and get Sammy back home.”
“Nah. Sammy’s not going anywhere. Except to get off the road.”
“How is this not a hazing?” I ask because he can’t seriously think I’m going to move a seal. Seals are wild animals. I shouldn’t be touching him. Not to mention he probably weighs five hundred pounds.
“Sammy’s a Smuggler’s Hideaway resident.”
I cross my arms over my chest and glare at Weston. I’m done with the riddles. I have enough riddles and confusion at home with my pre-teen daughter. I don’t need the confusion in my work life as well.
“Explain.”
“Sammy was at Sealife as a pup. They set him free when he was older but he wasn’t interested in living life as a wild seal. He came ashore in Smuggler’s Hideaway and hasn’t left since.”
“And what? You let him roam free through the island?”
“Not free. Sammy’s not allowed to pretend to be a traffic stop.” He wags his finger at the seal. “Are you?”
Sammy covers his face with his flipper. And here I thought I’d seen it all as a police officer in Baltimore. I was wrong.
“How do we get him off the street?”
“There’s one sure way.” Weston kneels down close to the seal. “Sammy, get off the road before I call the dog catchers. The dog catchers.”
Sammy barks before wriggling off of the road. “Bye, Sammy boy.”
“Show’s over,” I tell the crowd. “Nothing more to see here.”
A woman rakes her gaze up and down my body. “I disagree.” She bites her bottom lip and flutters her eyelashes at me. “I’ll be at Mermaid Karaoke tonight.”
“Sorry. I have a kid at home.”
Weston slaps my back. “You’re using your kid as an excuse?”
I shrug. “I’m recently divorced. I’m not interested in a relationship.”
“Not even with Chloe?”
My cock twitches at the thought of my neighbor laid out in front of me. Her red hair spread over my pillow. I bet her porcelain skin blushes a pretty pink when she’s excited.
I clear my throat. “I’m on a break until my daughter is older.”
Weston rubs his hands together. “This is going to be fun.”
I ignore him. The same way I’m ignoring my body. My cock might want to discover all there is to know about Chloe. But it’s not happening. I don’t need a woman now. Especially not a woman who shows up to my house where my daughter is living without any clothes on.