Page 10 of After the Vows

I check the clock and notice I’m behind schedule. Getting a twelve-year-old ready and out of the door during the summer holidays is not easy. Hopefully, she’ll make friends today and be more excited about camp tomorrow.

Once I’m changed into my uniform, I make my way to the meeting room for roll call. Weston waves at me and I sit next to him.

“Settle down,” the sergeant orders as she enters the room.

I glance around and notice there are less than ten people in the room. At my previous station, there were at least fifty. I hope this job isn’t going to be boring.

“First order of business is our new officer. Lucas Fellows.” She points to me and I nod. “He’s coming from the big city of Baltimore so make sure to give him a Smuggler’s Hideaway welcome.”

Great. The sergeant basically just told everyone to go ahead and haze the new kid. I hope I at least don’t end up bald with whatever they have planned. Natalia would never let me hear the end of it.

Once the briefing is finished and we’ve collected our weapons, Weston leads me to the parking lot full of police cars.

“Nice vehicle,” I say as we settle in.

“Smuggler’s Hideaway earns a decent amount of money from tourism. Speaking of which, you want to join me at Mermaid Karaoke tonight?”

“Mermaid Karaoke?” Is this part of the hazing?

He smirks. “It’s awesome. The women dress up as mermaids and sing. Most of them can’t sing but the outfits.” He waggles his eyebrows. “They’re worth the price of admission.”

“Sorry, I can’t. I’m a single dad and I don’t have any babysitters yet.” I’ve never been so happy to have a kid before. Mermaid Karaoke? No, thanks.

“I heard you have a kid. A girl?”

“How do you know? Are there no secrets on this island?”

“You’re getting the hang of it.” We drive out of town toward the beach. “How are you enjoying your house on Treasure Trail?”

“You’re not going to pretend not to know everything about my life?”

“Nope.”

“Interesting neighbors.”

“Chloe or Mrs. Agatha?”

“Chloe. She…”

I cut myself off before I tell him about how she showed up at my house in nothing but a raincoat. There’s no reason to embarrass her. Judging by how red her cheeks were when she fled my house, she was embarrassed enough.

I clear my throat. “She was mowing her lawn before eight a.m. on Sunday.”

“Chloe was mowing her own lawn?”

“You know Chloe?”

My stomach burns at the thought of Weston and Chloe being more than friends. What the hell? Am I jealous? I don’t get jealous of women. Hell, I was married to Holly and I didn’t get jealous when she spoke to other men.

I must have indigestion. I can’t possibly be jealous of a woman I barely know being with my partner.

“She’s friends with my little sister, Sophia. I’ve known her since she was a snotty-nosed brat.”

I bet Chloe was a cute kid with her red hair and light skin. She probably had freckles and wore her hair in pigtails.

“Does your sister still live on the island?” I need to steer the conversation away from Chloe. I don’t appreciate the way my body gets riled up upon merely hearing her name.

“She just moved back.”

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