Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
JACK
It’s Friday morning and I’m at my desk at the precinct, staring at the same line of text in my case notes for at least the twelfth time. I keep telling myself to focus, but my brain doesn’t give a damn. All it wants to do is replay every second of the night I met Poppy.
I rub the bridge of my nose and scroll back to the crime scene photos in front of me, but all I see is Poppy—her wide, brown eyes, her flushed cheeks, the way she bit her plump bottom lip nervously.
She’s officially imbedded into every neuron in my head.
I don’t know how this happened, or why it happened so fast. I’ve never wanted anyone this badly.
It isn’t just that she’s beautiful. She’s real. Poppy’s smart, scrappy, stubborn as hell, and laughs in a way that makes my chest ache. Even after spending the afternoon locked in my bathroom, she was a total knockout. It’s insane how much I can’t get her out of my head.
Every time I look at my phone, I hope there’s a new message from her.
I shake myself and force my eyes back to the screen.
Nothing sticks. The details of the case smear together into one big blur of blood spatter, time-of-death estimates, and witness statements I can’t even concentrate on.
I’m supposed to be prepping for a meeting with the ADA this afternoon, but I haven’t accomplished jack shit.
The digital clock on my computer ticks over to eleven-ten a.m. Four hours, twenty-three minutes, and a handful of seconds until I can escape the station and start prepping for our date.
I’m officially losing it.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I whip it out so fast I almost knock over my coffee.
It’s just an alert from the news app: “City Council votes on new development.” Boring.
I scroll anyway, only half-reading. My eyes keep darting to the message thread with Poppy, rereading her last text from eleven pm last night.
Kitten
Thanks again for dinner. See you at seven tomorrow :)
I stare at the smiley face for an embarrassing length of time. Seven can’t come fast enough.
A crumpled ball of paper ricochets off my monitor. “Wake the fuck up.” Kil Walker’s voice cuts through the haze. I look up and see him propped on the edge of his desk, shaking his head.
“What?” I ask, deadpan, even though I know exactly what he wants.
He nods at my phone. “You gonna tell me what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” I lie, knowing my experienced partner is going to see right through it.
He snorts. “Bullshit. You’ve been checking your phone every two minutes.” He leans in, lowers his voice. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think it’s a female who has you acting like a lovesick idiot.”
I shoot him a look. “I plead the fifth.”
He ignores that, obviously. “Don’t give me that shit. Spill.”
I know he isn’t going to give up, so I sit back and shrug, “I met my soulmate.”
Kil’s eyes widen, and I realize I managed to shock my stoic partner. He leans closer and turns on his interrogation face. “Explain.”
My phone buzzes, saving me from answering him. My heart drops when I see it’s from my twin brother, not Poppy.
Spare Parts
I haven’t seen you for a few days. Salty is missing your menace.
Me
I’ve been busy. And don’t call my little angel a menace. She learned all her bad habits from her brother. YOUR GODDAMN DEMON.
Spare Parts
Mentally picture me rolling my eyes at you and multiply it by 100. Now, tell me about the girl you met.
I swear, Worthington Hills has more busybodies per square mile than the rest of Texas combined.
Me
Roll your eyes all you want, but you’ll be feeling this soon. I mean, you copy every other thing.
Spare Parts
Not fucking happening. And you copied me first.
Me
I found the perfect apartment in the building.
Spare Parts
And I found the perfect puppy in Pepper’s litter.
I roll my eyes and send him a middle finger emoji.
Me
Whatever
After he bought an apartment in #1 Love Place, I helped him move in and found the building is nothing like the other high-rises in Worthington Hills.
Most buildings in this town are all fake charm and shiny brick, but #1 Love Place is pure glass and steel.
Modern, clean lines, killer views from every angle.
The lobby screams money in a way that makes me roll my eyes every time I walk through it.
You can practically see your reflection in those marble floors.
Even the chandeliers look like they belong in a modern art museum instead of an apartment building.
It also has all the modern conveniences like a coffee shop in the lobby, a dry cleaner on the first floor, and security to rival Ft. Knox.
Most apartments in the building are rentals, and the ones for sale are few and far between. When I found the perfect apartment for sale, I jumped on it. And my twin brother living in the building had nothing to do with it. At least not much to do with it.
After moving in, I was scrolling through social media one night and saw an advertisement for French Bulldog puppies.
One look at Pepper’s little scrunched up face and I knew I had to have her.
I contacted the breeder before I could overthink it, and instantly paid the deposit just to make sure nobody else got the little gremlin.
Of course, Jay couldn’t resist buying one of Pepper’s litter mates and naming him Salty.
Spare Parts
I haven’t forgotten that you met someone. Stop changing the subject and tell me all about it.
Fuck my life. The gossip hotline in our building is goddamn relentless. And I know my twin is worse than a dog with a bone. The fucker will never give up.
Me
I’ll explain when I have the time.
Spare Parts
I’m never going to let it go.
Fuck. I already know that.
At three on the dot, I’m slipping on my jacket and mentally running through my date plans for tonight when my phone starts buzzing on the desk. My pulse jumps as I check the screen, praying it’s Poppy.
No such luck. Worthington Hills PD. Main line.
Fuck. I already know what this means. Patrol doesn’t call unless something’s gone sideways.
I swipe to answer before the second ring. “Vale.”
Dispatch barely waits for my greeting. “Hey, Detective, we have a possible homicide at The Double C Shop on Highway D.”
Goddamn it.
Of course, today would turn to shit. I clench my jaw so hard my back molars grind together, sending a jolt of pain straight to my temple.
I snatch my keys off the desk, and the metal bites into my palm.
I jab two fingers toward Kil in a sharp "follow me" gesture.
The leather of my shoulder holster creaks as I stride toward the elevator, each step hammering my frustration into the dingy linoleum.
There goes my early out. There goes my fucking date with the only woman who’s ever made me feel like this.
While Kil navigates the SUV through afternoon traffic toward the dusty outskirts of town, I pull out my phone and type out a quick message to Poppy.
Me
It fucking kills me to cancel tonight, but I have a new case. Rain check on dinner? I’m sorry.
Three dots appear, then disappear, then reappear. It feels like hours while I wait for her to respond.
Kitten
No worries, Detective. Go solve a murder. We can reschedule. :)
Me
How about tomorrow night, same time?
Fuck. The thought of spending another twenty-four hours without seeing her causes my heart to literally ache, but I know I’ll be tied up until tomorrow at the earliest.
Kitten
Sounds like a plan to me.
Me
See you then.
I put my phone away, preparing myself to concentrate on the case. We pull up outside the brightly lit convenience store and see the scene is already hopping.
There are patrol units everywhere. Yellow tape is stretched across the parking lot from the pumps all the way to the front door. After Kil parks, I unhook my seatbelt, muttering. “Let’s get this shit over with.” So I can get back to wooing my girl.