Page 5 of Holidays and Handcuffs

She pushes open the door and steps out of her car. As she moves past me, a familiar scent hits me—her scent. It’s a soft mix of lavender and rose, and it takes me right back to high school. She smelled just like that back then, too.

“Thank God,” she mutters under her as breath as she checks the bumper for herself, heaving a sigh of relief.

I can’t help but stare, my mind racing with memories of the girl I used to look out for. The girl I couldn’t get out of my head in the last ten years—and now, after all these years, she’s standing right here in front of me, like something straight out of a dream.

She turns to me, crossing her arms, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Well,areyou a ghost? I didn’t know you were back in Auburn.”

I shrug, smirking. “Been back for only a day.”

“So, you’re a police officer now?” She eyes my uniform, some element of surprise in her voice.

“I am. A lot has changed, I guess. How about I buy you coffee and we catch up?” I offer, pointing at the coffee house beside us.

Her eyes flick to the coffee shop, then back to me, a spark of something I can’t quite read lighting up her expression.

“Yeah,” she says softly, “I’d like that.”

“After you,” I say, pointing for her to go ahead. As we walk into the coffee house, my whole-body tunes into her presence, an instant awareness humming beneath my skin. It’s strange how easy this feels, how natural. Like no time has passed.

I can’t stop watching her as we walk toward the counter. Emily’s changed in the ten years since I left Auburn. Now, she’s a woman, and damn, she’s got curves in all the right places. The kind of curves that make it hard for me to keep my thoughts straight, especially with the way that familiar scent of hers is messing with my head.

We approach the barista, and before I can even open my mouth to place our order, the guy behind the counter beams at me. “Whatever you’re getting, it’s on the house, Chief. Welcome back to Auburn.”

Emily’s head snaps toward me, her brows raised in surprise. “Chief?” she echoes, her voice tinged with disbelief.

I wink at her. “You heard him right.”

As we sit down with our coffees, I feel her eyes on me, curiosity burning behind that soft gaze. She leans forward slightly, waiting for an explanation.

“So, are you going to tell me how you’re now the chief of police after being away for so long?”

I take a sip of my coffee before speaking. “Auburn needed a new police chief,” I begin, leaning back in my chair. “Apparently, I’m the guy for the job.”

She blinks, absorbing the information. “You? The new Chief of Police?” She shakes her head, as if trying to picture it.“Where have you been in the last ten years and how come you’re suddenly back in Auburn as the Chief of Police?”

I chuckle, the sound coming out low and rough. “It’s been a while. I joined the military after high school, followed my dad’s path. Earned a few medals,” I shrug. “But I always knew I wanted to come back to Auburn.”

I clear my throat. I knew I wanted to come back to Auburn because of Emily, because it felt good to protect her, it felt good to be seen by her.

“The world is beautiful,” I tell her. “But Auburn is special.”

She nods slowly, my eyes move to her left hand as her fingers trace the rim of her cup, no ring. Good.

“Back to small-town life?”

“Yep.” I glance at her, trying to gauge her reaction.Tell her the truth, she’s one of the reasons you returned.“It seemed like the right fit. I’ve had enough of the chaos, needed to settle down somewhere.”

Her lips curve into a small smile. “It’s a good place for it.”

Emily’s eyes drift to my wrist as I take another sip of coffee, and when they widen in surprise, I know exactly what caught her attention. Her lip’s part, and she’s staring at the bead bracelet—the same one she gave me ten years ago.

“You still have it,” she says softly, her voice filled with disbelief.

I glance down at the bracelet and smile. “Of course, I do. I promised I’d wear it, didn’t I?”

Her eyes flicker with wonder, maybe something more, and she shifts in her seat, leaning forward just a little. “You’re still wearing it after all this time?”

I nod, lifting my wrist to show her the bracelet more clearly, it’s worn now but I’ve had it on since the day she slipped it on my wrist. “Yeah. I had to add a few extra beads to make it longer. It was getting tight.”

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