Page 28 of Please, Stay

Juliana met him at the front of the car. He wrapped his arms around Juliana.

Grayson took a step in that direction.

The man shifted Juliana away and pointed a flashlight toward him.

Grayson threw up his hand and tried to block the light. “Turn that damned thing off.” He caught the severity of his voice at the last second. It was hard not to slip into a character you played for months on end when in confrontational situations. And Juliana’s crazy, no-dating life felt more like a movie script than real life.

Juliana reached out and pushed his hand to the ground. “Knock it off, Cam.”

“I still have a job to do, Jules. And he’s in violation of the helmet law.”

“What helmet law?” she asked.

Grayson crossed his arms. The damn cop was going to give him a ticket. That should make for some great gossip. He wouldn’t have a choice but to leave town before word got out to the rest of the world.

“He has to have a helmet. It’s an automatic ticket for a violation.”

Juliana held up his helmet, still in her hand. “He has a helmet.”

“He didn’t have one on his head.”

“Because it was on my head.”

“I saw that.”

“Then why write him a ticket if he had a helmet?”

The cop shook his head. “Don’t start your backwoods logic on me. It’s almost two in the morning.” His head snapped up. “What are you doing out with a man at two in the morning?” He pointed his flashlight back at Grayson. “Who the hell are you?”

The kid was seriously ruining the end of a good night.

“I had a date with a nice man.” She stuck her chin out, almost daring him to say something about it, sticking up for Grayson. It was cute.

The cop leaned down. “Does your daddy know?”

“No.” She poked a finger in his chest with each word. “And. You. Better. Not. Tell. Him.”

He smacked her hand away.

Rage flew through Grayson. He crossed the distance and stepped in front of Juliana. “Don’t touch her.”

The cop blinked a few times but didn’t back down. His posture remained relaxed like he didn’t consider Grayson a threat. His head tilted to the side to see Juliana. “I gather he’s not from around here.”

Juliana slipped her hand into Grayson’s but remained a step behind him. Good. He could handle the cop. Pay the fine. Whatever it was, but he was tired of people pushing her around.

She started to call him, “Grayson,” but cleared her throat. “Henry, this is Cameron Dempsey. He’s Sheriff Dempsey’s son and my first cousin. He’s basically a brother since we’re the same age.” She patted his arm. “Oh. And he’s the one engaged to Addie.”

“I don’t care if he’s the President, I’m sick of people thinking they can lay their hands on you.” He pointed his finger in Cameron’s face. “Trevor and I both will have your ass if you so much as look at Addie wrong.”

Cameron straightened. Not quite to Grayson’s height but still tall. The look on his face might intimidate anyone else, but Grayson was over the entire situation.

“I’d never lay a hand on Addie. How do you know Trevor?” Concern clouded his features, making him look younger for a moment. “First, who touched you, Jules?”

Juliana sagged against Grayson’s side. “Daddy got riled up at the diner yesterday. Grabbed my arm was all. Iris calmed him down.”

Cameron ran a hand over his face. “I wish you’d move out here with Becky. Put some distance between you and Uncle Hugh.”

“No.” She shifted to stand in front of Grayson. “I’m not giving up on him. I really think it might kill him if I left. If he could only see Eliza and Carrie…”

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