Chapter 27
27
Spencer
I drum my fingers on the steering wheel to the indie rock beat. A nervous energy floods my system as I wait for the light to turn green. I’m on my way to pick up Cortney for an adventure that has the potential to blow up in my face.
Things are moving fast between us. I suppose that’s what you get when you fall for someone you used to know. So many things are still the same. Like her facial expressions, her hair, her laughter, the freckles on her skin, and the dimple in her cheek.
Learning what’s changed is like receiving a new gift every single day.
I discovered she no longer listens to pop when a mainstream song came on the radio. She’s exclusively a country girl. And that somewhere over the last twenty years, she gave up her belly button ring that she pierced by herself in Chloe Erickson’s basement in the tenth grade.
Or how she almost exclusively wears her hair down. Except for when she’s on an island vacation or working.
My favorite is how I can see her falling for me. Day after day, she reveals the girl who used to love me wholeheartedly.
Which means I’m running out of time to reveal the truth. The whole truth. Not the half story I gave her at the resort. She needs to know that leaving wasn’t my choice, and that there’s not a chance in hell I’ll ever leave her again.
Blue and red flashing lights sour my afternoon. The exaggerated whoop of a siren demands I direct my truck onto the shoulder.
Rolling my window down, I watch through the side mirror as a familiar silhouette steps out of the cop car. A frisson of nervous energy zips up my spine.
His approach is slow. The bastard is probably looking for a reason for the stop, seeing as I didn’t do anything wrong. Hasn’t stopped him before. I wouldn’t be surprised if he punched out my taillight himself.
The years haven’t been kind to Sheriff Perry. Black hair replaced with white. Deeper lines. Same badge. Same calculating eyes.
“License and insurance,” he barks at my open window.
“Sheriff.” I hand over the documents and return my hands to the wheel.
“Don’t move.” He returns to his car.
I watch him through the rearview. I don’t trust this guy and wouldn’t put it past him to fuck with me. Our history is deep and rooted in false accusations and grudges. His personal vendetta forced me away.
But I’m not eighteen anymore. And I won’t let anybody stand in the way of what I want.
Especially not a guy named Jim.
Time ticks by. Five minutes turns into ten. At the fifteen-minute mark, I consider getting out of my truck. Then I remember that I have enough scars without adding a bullet wound to the collection. After twenty minutes, he strolls back to my window and tosses the documents onto my lap.
“Town’s sure been quiet since you left it.” He looks toward the engine compartment. The position is seemingly innocuous, but I don’t miss the hand placement on his belt near his gun.
“I find that hard to believe, Sheriff.”
“Thought this was a leisurely visit.”
“More like a permanent one.”
His lip curls in a semblance of a snarl. “Didn’t think that was part of the agreement.”
“Heard you were about to retire. Seems to me like the agreement is over.”
“It’s never over.” He watches a white sedan drive down the road.
My knuckles whiten on the steering wheel. “There a reason you stopped me?”
“You were speeding.” He straightens and hands a ticket through the window.
“You and I both know I wasn’t speeding.”
His fingers twitch on his belt. “According to me, you were. Pay the ticket. Or don’t. Fuck if I care.”
I nod and toss the ticket onto the passenger seat. “See you in court.”
He lingers a moment longer, detaining me with his presence. I won’t drive off until he’s back in his car. I wouldn’t put it past him to call it in as an attempt to flee a traffic stop.
He whoops his sirens once more, then peels out around me, speeding off over the hill in a cloud of dust.
Fuck, I hate that fucking guy.
I pull back on the road, and this time, I do speed to my destination. If he wants to write me a second ticket, he can be my fucking guest. It’s his fault I’m late to get my girl.
A few minutes later, I pull up to the single family home. The front garden is vibrant in the daylight. A mixture of green Hostas and carefully curated colorful flowers. If I remember correctly, she must have picked up the hobby from her mom.
I leave the truck at Cortney’s curb and knock on her front door. The heavy wood swings inward. She opens the door, her eyes sparkling up at me as she fixes her earring.
Today’s dress is an olive green with cream flowers and tiny straps across her shoulders. The neckline is cut straight, showing off soft, tan skin across her chest.
“Hey. Everything okay?” A line of concern develops between her eyebrows. I sweep her into my arms, brushing off her question with a kiss.
“Perfect now,” I say against her lips, tasting the fruity gloss. “Ready to go?”
“Let me just grab my shoes and purse.” Her smile is sincere as she scampers around the corner.
A moment later, we’re back in my truck. Her ass is in my passenger seat, and my hand is on her thigh.
“Sorry I was late. Hope you didn’t wait long.” I flick my gaze off the road only long enough to scan her face.
“I hardly noticed. I wound up chitchatting with Ollie, and suddenly, there you were.”
“How’s he doing? Still riding the high of last week’s game?”
Cortney beams across the console at me. “He is. Actually, we were talking baseball. There’s a clinic coming up in Minneapolis that he’s been invited to.”
“That’s awesome. He’ll have a great time.”
“He is. I’m just a little concerned about him driving all that way himself. He’s still a newly licensed driver.”
“So go with him.”
“I don’t think he wants his mother tagging along.”
“Sure he does. Who wouldn’t want to spend the weekend with you?”
“Let’s see.” She taps her chin. “A seventeen-year-old boy and his best friend.”
I chuckle. “That’s only because they’re going to have their eyes out for girls.”
“Don’t I know it.” She sighs. “Lincoln was invited too. I’m going to call Juniper later and see how they’re feeling about the boys making the three-hour trip together.”
“Do you think she’ll say no?”
“She’ll say yes. I suppose for most people, that would make things easier…”
“There’s no need to make comparisons. You feel how you feel, and that’s valid.”
“I know. Somedays, I just miss the baby stage where he stayed where I put him. It’s hard to let go. Next year is senior year, then he’s off to college or whatever he chooses to do.”
“Let’s hope he doesn’t decide to dabble in some bad decisions.”
She cuts me a glare I can feel even without looking over.
“What?” I laugh. “You can’t pretend around me, Cort. I was there for your bad decisions.”
“Yes, and as a parent, it’s my job to hope, wish, and pray he doesn’t follow in my footsteps.”
I squeeze her thigh. “You turned out all right.”
The question is, Did I ?
With the way Sheriff Perry was always on my ass, it leaves the question about how different our lives would have turned out if I didn’t make myself a target for that vindictive little man.
“We’ve done all right so far. I’ve only caught him sneaking out once, and he hasn’t attended any field parties as far as I know.”
The nostalgia hits hard, bringing forth the smell of bonfires and cheap beer. Cortney sitting beside me as we played drinking games with all our friends, waiting until we were just drunk enough before calling Sutton or Lee to come pick us up and sneak us into the house.
“How about this? You let him go off on his weekend, and I’ll come keep you busy until it’s time for him to come home.”
She presses her thighs together.
“You’re offering to be my distraction for an entire weekend?”
“You should know I plan to stick around much longer than that,” I rasp.
I plan to be her distraction for the rest of her life if she’ll have me, but I keep that to myself.
I direct the truck to the curb in front of a squat brick building and kill the engine.
“What are we doing at a tattoo shop?”
My shoulder twitches in a shrug. “I thought you could come with me to get a tattoo.” Reaching over, I brush the hair away from her neck, my thumb sliding over the mark behind her ear. “And if you wanted to get this covered up, I’d pay for that too.”
Surprise swirls in her beautiful eyes. “You aren’t going to pay to cover my mistakes.”
“I’d drop a million bucks if that’s what it takes to get his mark off you.” Neutrality steals over my face. I just need to get her in that chair since the deposit I paid is more than enough to cover her ink. “Let’s just go see if there’s anything you like.”