Chapter 5 Blake
BLAKE
I’d been in some really shitty situations in my life, but a kid stealing my purse just seemed to take the cake right now.
I wasn’t sure what I was more pissed about—that he took my purse or that I didn’t see it coming.
Either one was pretty bad. We were in a small town. It was supposed to be safe. And yet, I’d just had my purse stolen by some kid.
I felt the chase wash over me, and before I could think about what I was doing, I took off at a dead sprint after the punk.
Yes, I was fast, but this kid? Hell, I was having a hard time catching up to him.
I wasn’t sure if that was because I was getting older, possibly pregnant, or just losing my edge.
“This is not happening!” I shouted, pushing myself to the limit.
The kid looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening as he saw me gaining on him. He tripped over his own feet, but there was no slowing down. I was already at full speed with no way to hit the brakes.
I slammed into him, but my momentum with him tripping over his own damn feet sent us flying right toward a shop window.
“Not again!” I shouted as we crashed right through the glass, landing on a display of books.
Groaning, I shifted off the kid, hoping he wasn’t in the same condition Parker was when I sent him flying through a window.
“Hey, kid. You okay?”
“Take it!” he said, shoving the purse at me. “Geez, lady.”
As he rolled over, I gasped in horror when I saw the glass sticking out of his stomach in almost the same exact spot Parker had been impaled.
“Oh my God!”
I spun in the glass just as I heard Parker’s footsteps slow. His wide eyes said it all. This was bad. Really freaking bad.
“Geezus, Blake! You don’t have to shove every person you see through a window!”
“I didn’t mean to!” I shouted, suddenly not feeling so good. “He tripped!”
“Not through the glass. Christ, he’s just a kid!”
“I know that!” I yelled, losing my shit.
I had to get this kid to a hospital and fast. The mayor would never want to work with me after I shoved a kid through a shop window.
“Alright, just don’t move. I’ll get you help.”
A young woman carrying a stack of books peered at the window, her glasses perched precariously on the edge of her nose. Taking in the scene, she shook her head slowly.
“Well, this is a new one.”
“Cassidy?” Parker gasped. “Is that you?”
“Michael?”
A smile stretched across her face as she took in my fiancé, and I suddenly found myself irrationally jealous.
“Oh my god!” Parker laughed, rushing through the shop door and wrapping his arms around the bookish woman. “Look at you, all grown up!”
“Well, that tends to happen as the years go by,” she chuckled. “Look at you! God, I can’t even get my arms around your huge body. Have you been taking steroids or something?”
“Military.”
“Right, I heard about that. I’m really sorry about what happened,” she said sympathetically.
“It’s all over now, so that’s something.”
“Well, it’s good to see you back. I know your family missed you.”
I stared at the conversation in a mix of confusion and fascination. This was Parker. My Parker. And he was hugging and talking to this woman as if they were best friends.
“Um…not to interrupt, but I really don’t feel so good,” the kid complained.
“Then you shouldn’t have stolen my purse,” I snapped, feeling irrationally angry about the fact that he was upset about bleeding out when Parker was over there making kissy faces at this book woman.
“Gosh, it’s so good to see you,” Cassidy grinned. “I’m so happy you’re back. Even if you did come crashing through my window.”
“Well, I didn’t. Thankfully, not this time.”
“Um…hello!” I shouted, getting Parker’s attention.
His grin slipped as he looked back at me and suddenly realized we had a bit of a situation on our hands. “Oh, shit. Sorry, this is my fiancée, Blake.”
As he held out his hand, I slapped it away, irritated by how long it took him to remember I was there. “Maybe you want to call 9-1-1?”
“Right. The kid.”
“Don’t worry about me,” the kid grunted. “Just bleeding all over the damn place.”
The woman put down her books and came over, holding out her hand. “I’m Cassidy.”
“Blake,” I muttered.
“It’s so great to meet you. I’ve heard all about you! I just didn’t think we’d meet like this.”
“How have you heard about me? I only got in two days ago.”
“Well, news travels fast in this town. I also hear congratulations are in order,” she beamed.
“Look, I don’t even know if I’m pregnant yet. It would be nice if people would stop congratulating me when I haven’t even taken the test!” I snapped.
Yes, I was pissed, but I also knew I was overreacting.
“Okay, the ambulance is on the way,” Parker said, walking back over to the scene of the crime.
But instead of asking how I was, he turned back to Cassidy. “I just can’t believe little Cassidy Hill is all grown up.”
“I’m not that much younger than you, Michael.”
“No, but the last time I saw you, you only came up to my shoulder.”
“I still only come up to your shoulder,” she laughed.
Seriously, was I not here? Did Parker forget I existed? What the fresh hell was this?
Shoving off the ledge, glass tinkled as it hit the ground around me just as the ambulance pulled up, along with the fire department and the police.
“Great,” I muttered as a particularly tall officer in a cowboy hat strolled over.
“So, what have we got here?” Tipping his hat, he took in the scene, chuckling at the kid lying in the glass. “Wesley, I see you’re up to no good again.”
“Fuck, this really hurts.”
“Yep, that happens when you land in glass. So, what was it this time?”
“He tried to steal my purse,” I snapped, feeling extra angry at the moment.
The man nodded. “Uh-huh. So, you tackled him through the glass. Fair enough.”
“I didn’t mean to do it! He stole my purse and I just…lost it!” I glanced over at Parker for help, but he was still chatting it up with the book lady. “Parker!”
He finally turned to face me, catching a glimpse of everyone gathering around us. “Oh, shit. Sorry. I was just catching up—”
His body stilled at the pissed-off expression slanted across my face. Finally, he seemed to regain his senses because he immediately intervened as the paramedics got to work.
“Hey, Mav. It’s been a while,” he said, tugging the lawman aside. “This is Blake, my fiancée.”
“Not that you’d know it based on the way you were flirting with that woman,” I muttered.
“Ah, the spitfire,” Mav grinned. “Yep, I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I bet you have,” I grumbled, thinking of all the possible things he could have heard already.
“So, what exactly happened here?”
“That kid stole my purse and I chased him down.”
“Through a window,” Mav noticed. “That’s an interesting tactic.”
“It’s sort of a thing for her,” Parker laughed. “Last time, I was on the receiving end.”
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “And you’re marrying her?” He tossed his head back, barking out a laugh. “Damn, I guess when you find the one, you put a ring on it.”
“Listen, this is great and all, but can we wrap this up? I have things to do.”
Mav nodded. “Yep, I heard about that. Don’t suppose you had time to take the test since you just walked out of the drug store.”
“How is it that you know I bought a test, but didn’t show up in time to catch the kid trying to rob me?”
Mav ran his hand over his jaw in thought. “Well, information is a tricky thing. But it seems you had this handled. Any chance either of you wants a job?”
“Not interested in taking some bullshit law enforcement course,” Parker said. “Already went through all the training I needed at basic. Then spent my time in the military.”
“Yeah? What if we could move things along?”
“Are you serious?” Parker barked out a laugh.
Mav shrugged good-naturedly. “We’re always looking for good officers. Both of you would be great candidates. Uh…but we do have some laws we have to follow. Generally speaking, tackling people through windows is frowned upon.”
“It was one time!” I snapped. “He stole my purse!”
“Yes, and while I appreciate the enthusiasm you tackled him with, if you work in my department, we’ll have to tame that just a hair.” Then he leaned in and lowered his voice. “But there’s always an instance where we can bend the rules.”
Slapping Parker on the back, he stepped away from the scene. “Well, I’m off to the hospital with these fellas. Gotta find out where Wesley’s parents are and if they’re gonna take responsibility for him.”
Tipping his hat, he walked away just as a paramedic approached.
“Ma’am, can I take a look at your cuts?”
“I’m fine,” I said, brushing him off.
“That gash on your arm looks pretty nasty. Are you sure I can’t—”
I was just about to lose my shit on the paramedic when Parker stepped in. “You know, I’m gonna take her to the hospital anyway, but thanks.”
Tugging me away from the window, Parker lowered his voice. “Are you alright?”
“Oh, it’s nice of you to notice I’m still here.”
A smile split his lips before he realized I was serious. “What?”
“Oh, come on. You were so wrapped up in that book lady that you hardly noticed I was even here!”
“Cassidy?” he laughed. “She dated Jeff for two years in high school. I just hadn’t seen her in a while. That’s all.” Tugging me closer, he wrapped his arms around me. “Is somebody jealous?”
“Not jealous,” I mumbled.
“A little bit.”
Fine, I was jealous. A lot jealous, but it was only because…well, I wasn’t exactly sure why I was so jealous, but it pissed me off when I saw him talking to her.
“Come on. Let’s get you to the hospital.”
“I don’t need to go to the hospital. I’m fine.”
“Humor me,” he smiled softly. “We’ll get you cleaned up, and you can take an official test to see once and for all if you’re pregnant.”
“According to the town, I already am.”
“Well, the town does know best. Besides, I want to find out what’s going on with that kid.”
“You’re worried about the kid who stole my purse?”
“Thievery is not a normal thing in this town. If he was stealing, it was for a reason.”