Page 4 of No Sweet Goodbyes

Stupid.

So fucking stupid.

My best friend’s little sister.

Completely off-limits, regardless of the fact that Linc keeps trying to set us up.

I’d almost put her behind me. I swear I had.

A month in the desert, over a thousand miles from home, and she barely existed. Until I got that call from Linc and then decided to walk into Mom’s shop.

And there she was, with sweat-drenched clothes and a plate of food in front of her.

All my good intentions of staying away from her went out the window.

Just like that.

I followed her outside like a fuckin’ puppy, needing to have any amount of her time that I can.

I have two weeks.

Two weeks to convince her to give me a shot… and then what? Just ask her to wait for three months?

No.

I need to stay the fuck away from her until I’m home.

Then I can try to win her over.

Maybe she’ll even forgive me for ditching her at Remy’s wedding.

When I finally get dressed, there isn’t a drop of hot water left, and I don’t give two shits about it. I put on the most comfortable pants I own, ignoring the fact that they’re a pair of jeans, and slide into a black t-shirt that’s barely holding on at the seams at this point.

“Here.” Vi shoves a rounded plate of mashed potatoes with gravy and honey-baked ham at me when I walk into the kitchen. “You eat. I’ll fill you in on everything you’ve missed.”

One bite of potatoes.

That’s what I manage to get into my mouth before my phone starts to ring.

“I need you to come into work tonight.” Linc’s voice fills the kitchen when I answer and put it on speaker, determined to get through dinner. “I know you’re not on shift and not slated to come back until later this week, but I need you to do me a solid and come cover some shit.”

I tear off a piece of ham and chew slowly, mostly so I don’t freak the fuck out and tell him to rot in hell. “Why?” I manage to growl as I swallow. “And don’t you dare tell me it’s so that you can have a night off with Kennedy.”

Over the last month, I’ve worked every single day. Reporting for two weeks’ duty the day after my friend Remy’s wedding was shit enough, but I haven’t even had a full twelve hours home yet after that two weeks turned into a month.

“Isn’t it enough that your favorite friend asked you to do it?” Linc snorts in the background before I get a chance to tell him how I really feel about things. “Emma sent me a text. The couple that lives across the street from her are fighting, and she’s got their kid over at her place for the night. I figured it might go easier if there’s a detective with me when I show up. You know, less intimidating or more intimidating, however you want to look at it. Emma asked me to call it in as a drive-by, rather than put her on the record. So really, you’d be doing her a favor that she doesn’t know about.”

Emma.

It has to be Emma. Not only has she completely invaded every single thought I’ve had for the last month, no matter what I’ve tried to tell myself while I was training, but from what I heard while I was gone, she’s also gotten into the habit of eating at my mother’s restaurant on an almost daily basis.

I put down my fork and stare longingly at my dinner. “Has it reached domestic dispute status?” I run a hand over the stubble on my chin.

“Not yet,” Linc says over the sound of static in the background of his cruiser. “Emma didn’t make an official report like I said. She just… She cares about the kid, you know. She doesn’t want to see anything bad happen if she can help it.” He sighs, and I feel the weight of his worry through the line. “She told me they were going at it again.”

“Text me the address,” I tell him. “I’ll put on some shoes.” I don’t tell him that he owes me one. I don’t give him a hard time about it. I just go. Because I’ll do anything for Emma, even if I can’t explain why.

“Don’t worry about the food,” Vi calls out behind me. “I’ll put it in the oven for you.”

---