CHAPTER 5
Bailey
“So… any idea where we’re headed to drop this stuff off?
” Normally, I prefer to drive in silence, but for some unknown reason, sitting in the quiet with this woman is killing me.
I don’t know what it is. Being around her has got me feeling and acting like an awkward thirteen-year-old which, I might add, was not my finest era.
Palmer lets out a long sigh. “Honestly, no. Clay didn’t say who he was staying with when I asked. He just texted me an address.” She mumbles something I can’t quite make out.
“Sorry?” I ask, reaching to turn down the music.
She shakes her head. “It’s nothing. I was just making a snide remark about Clay.”
Gesturing at her to continue, I say, “By all means, please share.”
A suppressed smirk splits her face, and I want so badly to lean over and kiss the corner of that smirk until it widens into a full smile and laughter, allowing her to forget about where we’re headed and what we’re about to do, even if just for a little while.
“I said he’s probably going to be fucking someone else when we show up, so it doesn’t really matter where we’re going.”
Unsure how to respond, I press my lips together. “Yeah, I heard about that. Unfortunately, I don’t really have anything good to say to make you feel better.” I pause. “I can kill him if you want me to.”
She barks a sardonic laugh that makes me feel bad for a second. That might’ve been too far. Even though she’s pissed at him now, she loved him at one point; probably still does. I make a mental note to be careful with what I say—
—then promptly erase it when she says, “I don’t think I have enough money to pay you to make it be a quick and clean job.”
So, her sense of humor matches mine.
Noted.
“For you, it’s on the house.”
With a shake of her head, Palmer says, “I can tell you and Chase are friends.”
“Oh?” I cock my eyebrow teasingly.
She nods. “Yeah. He made the same offer. More than once, actually.”
I should’ve known he would. Moore and I are more alike than I care to admit most days.
We fall back into a quiet lull for a few minutes. I’m the first to break the silence. “He’s an idiot, Palmer. Clay, I mean. Not Moore.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Idiot might actually be too nice of a term. It’s his loss.”
Palmer crosses her leg over her knee and adjusts so she can get a better look at me. I can feel her studying me as I drive, so I force myself to keep my eyes on the road in front of me, occasionally glancing at the GPS app to make sure I’m heading the right way.
Her voice is wry when she responds. “I mean, based on the caliber of woman I caught him fucking on my couch, I doubt it feels like much of a loss for him.” She turns back to look out the front window.
“He was only pissed off yesterday because living with me was easy and comfy. I did the cleaning, cooking, laundry, and anything else you can imagine. I wasn’t even a roommate for him.
I was his mom, who he weirdly shared a bed with. ”
“You deserve better, Palmer,” I say quietly, then turn to steal a glance at her. Looking at her profile, I decide to take a risk. “You talk about the caliber of the other woman, but have you looked in a mirror recently?”
She scoffs, and I can feel her eyeroll. “Yeah. Right. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but—”
I pull up to the intersection and stop, waiting for the red light to turn. I take the opportunity to face her. “Palmer, you are beautiful and funny and smart.”
She looks at me quizzically, her face seeming to ask how would you know?
“Chase talks about you and Lindy all the time,” I answer her unspoken question.
“And I may have just met you, but I feel like I know you pretty well from his stories. From the things he has said, you’re kind, thoughtful, caring, and about a million other wonderful things.
And based on my observations alone, you have a smile that could stop a man in his tracks, a contagious laugh, and—I’m sorry if this is weird or creepy—but… ”
Her expression urges me to continue.
“Quite frankly, you have a body that is impossible to ignore.”
“Oh, stop.” Her face turns bright red, but I catch her smiling awkwardly at the floorboard.
Fuck, what I wouldn’t do for that smile to be directed at me. Subconsciously, my mind can’t help but wonder what else might make her cheeks turn that shade of pink.
Woah, down boy.
I press my foot on the accelerator as the light turns green and continue, “I’m serious.
With all of that going for you, surely you can understand why I have my doubts about asshole’s choices in women outshining you.
Plus, you know, I’ve met Clay. He’s not exactly a catch. ” I shrug apologetically. “No offense.”
“None taken,” she says. Palmer pauses for a moment, then says quietly, “I kind of just wanted to make him jealous.”
“How so?”
“Well, he kept talking about all the chicks he was talking to and planning on hooking up with, and it was just too much. I downloaded a dating app literally yesterday morning and decided to go on a date. I told Clay to get his shit out so I could bring the guy home and have him fuck me senseless.”
“Ah.” I nod, a pit in my stomach developing. “That makes last night and the whole him being a massive dick thing make a whole lot more sense.”
She puts her hand on my arm softly, and I’m careful not to move so as not to scare her off.
“Thank you again for helping me. And for last night.” She squeezes gently. “And for all the nice things you said.”
I focus on the road ahead of me. “There’s no need to thank me. Just making some simple observations.” I shoot her a quick wink, and she removes her hand.
Palmer runs her hands over her face. “I didn’t even bring anyone home last night.”
That little bit of knowledge feels weirdly reassuring coming from her lips. “He doesn’t need to know that.”
Shaking her head, she says, “It was stupid honestly.”
“I’m down if you are.”
“Huh?”
“To make him jealous.” I flash her a wolfish grin.
She laughs softly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
* * *
As we pull up in front of the address Palmer gave me, I can tell she’s nervous.
She’s been picking at her nails for the past five minutes.
One glance at her hands is all it takes to see she’s shaking.
Without thinking, I cover her hands with one of mine.
She looks up at me, a slight sheen in her eyes.
“I can take care of this,” I offer gently.
Maintaining eye contact, Palmer shakes her head. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes for a moment to center herself. When they open, she shows a renewed resolve. “Let’s just get it over with.”
I give her hand a brief squeeze then open my truck door. “Okay.”
Palmer grabs the lamp and one of the lighter boxes as I slip my patrol cap back on my head. I hate wearing the damn thing while driving.
After moving to the truck bed, I stack the two boxes that slid back toward the tailgate on top of one another. Together, we carry them up to the front door. Palmer raises her finger to the doorbell and hesitates for a second.
Giving her a gentle nudge with my shoulder, I say, “Hey. I got you.”
She flashes a small smile over her shoulder then presses the button. Almost instantly, the handle turns and we’re face-to-face with a woman with purple hair and dark-rimmed eyes. Her gaze darts back and forth between us.
“Huh… well… that tracks, I guess,” Palmer muses. She holds out the lamp and box in her hands. “Here, Sonny. These are Clay’s. We’ll bring up the rest of the boxes.” As she turns to walk away, a mocking voice pipes up from behind the woman.
“What’s the problem, Palmer? I can be mature about this. Can’t you?” Clay sneers as he comes to the door. He wraps his arm around Sonny’s waist and kisses her, long and hard. She looks uncomfortable and doesn’t kiss him back. That doesn’t seem to faze him though.
“I’m sure you can, Clay. Here.” Palmer thrusts the things she’s holding into his hands, then turns toward me. “You can just set those right there. He can take them inside and put them where he wants them.”
Clay turns his cold stare on me, giving me a quick once-over. I know he recognizes me from last night, which is why he shifts his gaze back to Palmer with a cruel smile. “So, this must’ve been who you wanted to fuck so bad.”
I keep my mouth shut because it’s not my place to say anything. If that’s what he wants to think then let him. Also, who am I to bring logic to the conversation and point out that I was literally there with him; how could it have been me?
Clay keeps talking. “Women just love a man in uniform, don’t they?”
Sonny shifts uncomfortably next to him and puts her hand on his arm. “Why don’t you go back inside? I can take care of this for you.”
It takes everything in my power not to say anything. Instead, I set the boxes on the ground and wait for Palmer to give me further instructions.
Her pleas go unheard. Clay has fixed his gaze on Palmer, who is standing tall and isn’t acknowledging him. Her eyes find mine, and she gestures with her head toward the truck.
As we begin to walk away, Clay continues, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re a fucking whore with all the time you spend over at your little friend’s house.
You probably got started by fucking her husband and are just making your way around his circle.
Pretty soon, you’ll be fucking a general. ”
Palmer stiffens but trains her eyes forward, stepping off the porch. I follow her lead.
“Lucky for you, most of the higher-ranking people are old, so they won’t be able to see the fat piece of shit they’re sticking their dick in anyway.”
Any sort of intent to keep my cool leaves my body, and all I see is red.
My hands curl into fists, and I wheel around and stride back toward the house.
I have every intention of beating any trace of smug off his fucking face, but Palmer grabs my arm.
The pause in my gait gives her enough time to get in front of me and place her hands on my chest. My heart is pounding, and my breathing is heavy, but I center my focus on her eyes staring directly into mine.
“Go.”
My gaze flickers from her to the cocky motherfucker on the porch. The fire in my chest rears up again as he laughs.
“Bailey.” Her voice pulls my eyes back down to hers. “Please. Just go. I’ve got it. I can handle it.”
I nod, because I’m beyond words right now, and anything that comes out is not going to be directed at her, making the situation infinitely worse. Fighting every urge in my body, I turn away from the house and begin to walk back toward my truck.
Clay calls out, “That’s right, listen to your little girlfriend.”
Palmer’s hand is on the lower part of my back and the other on the back of my left arm. “Get in the driver’s seat.” Her voice is low and steady when she speaks. “How good are your tires?”
The question catches me off guard. “Um, pretty good. I go off-roading in the truck. Why?”
“I need you to be ready to go when I hit the truck bed twice. When I do, put the truck in reverse and hit the gas. Got it?”
Turning to look at her, I see a determined look on her face. I know that look. We’re about to go scorched earth on this motherfucker.
“Bailey?” she asks again.
“Yeah, I got it. Wait until the double tap and gun it in reverse. Just make sure you’re out of the way.”
She nods once. “Good. Now go get in the driver’s seat.”
I listen without question and start the truck.
In the rearview mirror, I watch Palmer climb up onto the tire to grab the remaining two boxes.
I keep my eyes trained on her as she unloads them and hops back down.
She catches my eye in the mirror, grins conspiratorially, then slaps her hand against the truck bed twice and backs away a couple of paces.
I hit the gas and back over the two boxes that she deliberately set behind the tire. They crunch loudly, and Clay comes running from the house.
I wince at the sound and send up a silent prayer that those boxes weren’t the ones filled with the dirty plates.
“What the fuck, Palmer! Are you insane?” Clay roars.
Palmer swings the passenger side door open and turns to face him. “Nope. For the first time in a long time, I’m actually thinking clearly!” She gets in the truck and shuts the door.
Through the window, I can hear Clay yell, “You stupid fucking bitch!”
Slowly, deliberately, Palmer rolls the window down and rests her arms on the door. I watch her face in the mirror as she smiles sweetly and waves. “Have the life you deserve, Clay.”
We pull away as she rolls up the window, laughing loudly enough for him to hear.