Page 50 of Johnathan

Abby flushed. “They are. But there is no way that you saw him kissing me!”

“I didn’t. The cowboy hat move was my first clue. God, how fucking hot was that? Like he was preserving your modesty by blocking you off from the rest of the world. The second was how absolutely flushed your face was when you walked by here. You went on your date last night but here John is dropping you off in his clothes. I’m thinking you’re doing the walk of glory from his arms and not from mystery man number one! You little vixen.”

“Turns out mystery man number one should have been nicknamed Mr. Date Rapist.”

Emma’s face dropped and turned ashy. “What!? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure the guy spiked my drink. John and Jackson were at the bar together and noticed I was struggling when the jerk was trying to get me to leave.”

“Oh my god. Abby. I’m so sorry. I pushed for you to go out with him.”

“Don’t start thinking this is your fault, too. It only belongs to that creep. Which reminds me, I need to screenshot all of our messages. John made me promise I’d delete the app once he had the evidence.”

“Oh he did, did he?”

“Emma. He told me he wants to be the man who takes me out on dates,” Abby whispered. “He told me he wants to be the only man to hold me in his arms at night.”

“Oh my gosh! I knew it! I knew he was trying to flirt with you all those mornings. How are you feeling? Are you totally freaking out?”

“I honestly feel just happy. He held me this morning and I cried in his arms, Em. I cried for the first time since that night with Marco. It just feels right.”

“Hey, I didn’t think you were on the schedule today.” Deputy Marc Bollings sat at the front desk, a large cup of coffee in his hand. Marc was one of the deputies that came out of class at the same time as John, and they’d been close buddies since.

“I’m not. I need to see Hank. Is he in?” John jingled the keys in his hand, feeling unsettled about the conversation he was about to have.

“Yeah back in his office. You okay?”

“Not really. I’ll fill you in later.”

“Yeah, okay. Go. I’ll be out here all day.”

John stalked past the front desk and into the main hallway of the Sheriff’s Department. Hank’s office door was open, and John didn’t waste a second before stalking towards it.

A single knock was all it took to get Hank’s attention.

“John. Everything okay? You’re not on the schedule today, are you?”

“No. Mind if I shut the door?”

“Shit. Whatever is on your mind is that bad?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, okay. Shut it and come sit down.”

John entered the office, closing the door behind him. It only took him two strides to find himself next to Hank’s desk, sitting in the chair opposite him. His leg bounced with all the pent up rage he’d been holding in. There was no part of him that wanted Abby to see how upset he was at what had happened to her the night before. But with Hank, he’d let him see.

“Alright. I’m all ears.”

“I think someone drugged Abby last night at The Broken Spoke.”

“Abby?” It took a minute for understanding to appear on his face. “Abby Cooper?”

John nodded.

“What the fuck?” Hank growled. “Is she okay? Why wasn’t Sam busting down my door this morning at the farm?”

“She’s okay. I just dropped her off at her apartment, but she asked me not to call Sam.”

---