Page 2 of Stopped

Chapter Two

William

“Idiot,” I chastised myselffor the gazillionth time in a row as I drove back toward Town Hall. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

The fields whipped by in a blur of green as I pressed down harder on the accelerator. I wanted this day to be over so I could go home, crack open a beer, and lick my well-deserved wounds on a lounge chair in peace. I still had a list of shit to do, though. As soon as I made it to base, I'd clock out as quickly as possible and let my partner handle the rest.

Technically, Raine and I were County Sheriffs, but we were stationed in Windhaven as a quasi-town police force numbering two whole individuals. Things worked oddly in little towns like this. We were too small for a dedicated police force, but with the influx of tourists every weekend, we needed the coverage. It was a good job. Great, even. I loved working where I'd grown up with the occasional call-out to larger issues in the county. Best of both worlds. Also, the worst. The constant reminders of where I'd come from often left me feeling sour.

Case in point: my latest run-in with EJ. I'd been working up the nerve to apologize for years. The fact that I wanted to apologize and ask him for a second chance to do things right made me choke every time. He hated me. He had every right to. Why was it so hard to say sorry sometimes? The explanation for how our friendship ended wasn't a simple one, but I'd never even get to give him the short version if I kept choking on my words every time I found a reason to corner him.

Brake lights? Really? Sheriff Doherty, world-class idiot at your service. Normal people would be all, “Hey, here’s my number. Let's get coffee sometime.” Not me. No, I offered to help replace brake lights as if that was some sort of complicated thing and he was too stupid to do it on his own. Another tick against me. At the rate I was going, we’d be forty-six, not twenty-six, by the time I got up the nerve to come out and ask him out. I'd be ninety-six by the time I got him to agree to it.

I stopped the car in the reserved spot in front of Town Hall, grabbed my personal items, and hopped out. The jangle of my tactical belt followed me all the way through the front door and down the basement steps to our makeshift station house. Thankfully, I found Raine already waiting and ready.

“Afternoon, Will. Good shift?”

“Slow but decent. A couple of speeding tickets. A cow loose on Route 10. Same shit, different day. How's the little one?”

“Full of piss and vinegar. I barely slept a wink.” She smiled in spite of her complaints. Her husband was one of my best buddies. I was the proud owner of the title of godfather for their six-month-old son, Grayson.

“If you stick to the side roads, you’ll have an easy night.” Our shoulders bumped with a shared laugh.

“Is that the trick? Hide from the action? I think I'll keep myself busy instead, but thanks for the pointer, ass.”

“You know you love me.” I hung up my radio and signed off on the tour sheet. I was caught up enough on paperwork that I could put today’s off.

“Maybe. Depends on if you gassed the car up or not.” She ruffled my hair and went about preparing for her shift.

“Indeed I did, ma’am. There's a pack of tropical Skittles in the glove compartment as proof.”

“You are a doll.” She brushed my cheek with a kiss and headed toward the door. “Home safe, Will.”

“Stay safe, Raine.”

I escaped the building right after her, climbing into my truck and cranking the AC as high as it would go. August was unbearable in full uniform. Bullet-resistant vests in temperatures that hovered in the nineties were a special sort of torture. The promise of a respite from the heat tinged the trees with a golden whisper of the impending autumn. It was my favorite season of them all. I let my truck idle for a minute so the AC could work its magic as I went over my to-do list. First order of business—a stop at Willow Hill Market.

The convenience store doubled as a gas station, artisanal market, and deli. I visited the place at least three times a day when I was on duty. They were one of the best spots for cops to loiter because of the fact that we got free coffee if we were in uniform. No matter what time of the day or night, I'd run into someone in law enforcement—local, sheriff's department, state police, and even the occasional federal agent. Shooting the shit over a cup of coffee was a regular part of the job. While I still frequented the cafe in town, this spot was my second home.

I waved to the familiar faces behind the counter and bee-lined it to the coffee station. Large coffee dressed with my favorite artery-destroying vanilla creamer in hand, I backtracked to grab a basket and continued with my errands. I could have stopped at the grocery store in town, but the last thing I felt like doingwas cooking, so I loaded up on shit from their grab-and-go case. The basket was soon piled high with sandwiches, salads, snacks, and a slice of chocolate cake I planned to indulge in while I sat around feeling sorry for myself like the sad and lonely bachelor I was.

My pity party continued in the chip aisle, detoured to the drink cooler, and ended at the beer cooler. I took my sweet time perusing the selection of specialty brews and local favorites before grabbing the same boring six-pack of Stella I always defaulted to. By the time I hoisted the basket onto the counter, it was heavy enough to have me straining despite my strength.

“Party or something?” The friendly evening manager, Lou, peered up with a smile. “Or are we not seeing your cute face here tomorrow?”

“That’s the winning answer, love.” I grinned and winked. “Day off. I don't plan on leaving the house for a damn thing.”

“Aww, we’ll miss you.” She smiled back and continued ringing up my order. The sport-flirting was another part of why I loved coming here. We’d get bantering together so often, the ease of it had become natural and effortless in addition to completely harmless.

I eyed the total as she worked and laughed under my breath as she winked at me. “Oop, lucky day… ready-made sandwiches are half off!”

“You're a doll. Love ya, Lou.” I tapped my smartwatch to the reader and waved off the receipt. Sandwiches were never half-off. I didn't need to be carrying around physical proof of her favoritism lest I get us both in trouble.

“Yes, you do.” She leaned over the counter and tapped her cheek. I gave it a comically exaggerated smooch before snatching the paper bag off the counter. The least I could do to show my appreciation was bag up all my shit for her.

I stepped into the dining area to say a brief hello to a rookie Statie and his partner before lugging my bag to the truck. The AC was much more refreshing as I headed toward my next stop. I was becoming a regular face there. The emotions it inspired were conflicting and heavy.

Windhaven Pharmacy was another one of the town’s multipurpose stores. Small towns had a way of combining some of the strangest things. Late-season sales cluttered the front of the store with summery scented candles and camping gear, of all things. Deeper within, aisles and aisles of everything you'd expect in a pharmacy stretched toward the actual pharmacy counter at the back. The pockmarked kid behind the counter greeted me instantly.

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