Page 3 of Safe With Me

“It’s okay. Claudia usually comes in early and doesn’t turn on the lights in the front until she opens in the afternoon. She’ll hear a knock if she’s in there.”

His full lips curled into a smile, stealing my breath enough for me to dart my eyes away. They landed on his badge, a ray of sunlight reflecting off the metal giving me spots in my vision as I made outRussoacross the silver.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

I bobbed my head, pressing my fingers into my temple. “I’m fine, thank you. I should have called Claudia instead of loitering outside like I was trying to break in.”

“You’re fine.”

His voice slipped through me as it took a husky dip, almost making me shiver. I was probably hallucinating from stress and exhaustion, and once I had some breakfast and a liter of coffee, my senses would reset.

I’d wave goodbye to the handsome officer, hopefully shaking off some of the humiliation before the next time I ran into him. Because in a town this tiny, how could I not?

My eyes grew wide as he inched forward, leaning over me to tap the window with his knuckles. This close, I could make out his perfect profile. He looked more like a model than a cop, with a short layer of brown stubble dusting his chiseled jaw.

I spotted an older woman with bright-red hair over his shoulder, looking us over with her thick brows pinched.

I hadn’t even been out of my car for ten minutes, and a sexy cop had thought I was breaking in to a bar. And now, this lady probably thought I was committing other crimes nestled so close to said cop in broad daylight when he was simply trying to keep me upright.

“I think I have my equilibrium back,” I said, flicking my eyes to where his arm was still around my waist.

“Oh, sorry,” he muttered and pulled his arm away. I could’ve sworn I caught a bashful smile slip across his perfect lips. Without the tension in his features, he looked young. At least young enough to make me feel a little dirty from having that hard chest pressed up against me and, despite my state of mind, enjoying it.

“Hi, Mary.” He nodded at the woman still staring at us. “Everything okay?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing, Mike,” she scoffed, giving us both an obvious once over.

“I’m here to see Claudia,” I tried to explain. “I was peeking in the window to see if she was inside, and then I almost passed out. Then…Mikecaught me before I fell onto the pavement.” I glanced at Officer Mike. “Thank you.”

Mary regarded us with a slow nod, still gawking at us as she shifted down the street.

I’d come here for anonymity. Yes, in a small town, I’d expected people to be sort of in my business and naturally curious about the new girl, but I never thought I’d give them a reason to talk about me in the first fifteen minutes.

This was still better than what I’d left in Philly. I was embarrassed but not ashamed, and if I were more alert, I’d probably laugh at what—and whom—I’d literally fallen into.

“Lila! I didn’t expect you so early! You must have made great time or left at the butt-crack of dawn.”

Claudia rushed over to me and scooped me into a hug. When I’d first met her, she had been so bubbly and boisterous, I hadn’t known what to make of her at first. But as Steven had told us, she had a way of drawing you in right away.

She was gorgeous, with perfect skin, long black hair, and big, dark eyes framed by long lashes that brushed her brows, but her genuine kindness was what made her so beautiful.

From the first time we’d met, Claudia had felt like an old friend—and a familiar and friendly face was very welcome in this crazy new venture.

Not that Officer Mike’s face wasn’t friendly, but I didn’t have to force myself to stop staring at hers.

“I was on the road before the sun was up. Traffic was pretty light,” I said as she eased back. “Excited to start my new country life.” I tried to smile before something scratched at my throat again. “Thank you for…everything,” I managed to squeak out, feeling Officer Mike’s eyes on me in my second wave of emotion.

I had two speeds lately—angry and weepy—and I needed to alter both if any of this was going to work.

“Oh, Lila. Stop.” She squeezed my shoulders, shaking her head. “I was happy to get you hooked up here.” She glanced at the handsome cop over my shoulder. “Everything okay?”

“Oh, fine,” I said. “I wasn’t sure if you were here yet. When he found me looking clueless after I parked, he knocked on the window for me after I almost passed out.”

“Passed out?” Claudia squinted at me and grabbed my biceps. “Are you all right?”

“Other than embarrassed, yes. I was too busy packing before I left to eat anything. Once I have some breakfast, I should be fine.”

“I see,” she said, bobbing her head as she darted her eyes back and forth between us. “We’ll fix that once you come inside. Makes sense that you both get acquainted. Mike, this is Lila. She’s family from Philly and is moving to our lovely town to work for your father.”

---