Page 72 of Cop Blocked

“Logan?” That all too familiar voice has my whole body tense.

Not here. Not now. It can’t be.

Ensley throws her arms around me like we’re old friends. “Oh my gosh, I never thought I’d see you here!” Standing beside her is one of my Sergeants. “Logan, this is Joshua Briggs, my husband.”

A grenade may as well have landed at my feet with the weight of her words.

Her hand runs across her stomach, that’s when I notice - she’s pregnant.

“Sergeant Briggs,” I nod. He salutes. “Lieutenant Colonel Walsh.”

“At ease.”

“This is so great; you two know each other!” Ensley acts like a kid in a candy store. “What a small world. You look great, Logan.”

“Looks like you got everything you ever wanted, Ensley. I’m looking forward to deploying with your husband.”

“And who is this?” Ensley damn near sneers at Rachel.

Christ, for a moment, I completely forgot where I was and that she was here.

“I don’t think we’ve ever met. Logan and I go way back. I’m sure he would have mentioned me.” Her smile is as fake as her personality.

“Rachel, this is my ex-fiancé. Ensley.” I swallow hard. “Ensley, Rachel is my girlfriend.”

She snickers. “Still haven’t settled down, I see. You poor thing.” Ensley touches Rachel on the shoulder. “I bet he asked you to move in with him before he leaves, too, didn’t he?”

Rachel takes my hand, lacing her fingers with mine, and squeezing them. “I’m sorry. You must be the bitch that walked away from him. Thanks for setting him free so I could show him what a real woman’s worth.”

All the tension I’d been holding in blows out with my next breath. “Ensley, I wish I could say it’s been a pleasure. Briggs, I’ll see you at formation.”

I let Rachel lead me to the bar and order a shot of whiskey for us both. In one swallow, mine is gone.

“I didn’t expect her to be here.”

“I could tell, you looked like you’d seen a ghost.” Rachel sips from her tumbler. “We don’t have to talk about it.”

I blow out a breath. “We probably should.”

She orders one more round, and we walk out into the hallway.

“I spent seven years with her. We were engaged for two of those. She begged me to give up the Marines. I compromised and moved to a reserve unit. She wanted a baby and a wedding date. I took a job as a police officer. In my mind, we were okay.” I pause as the memories come rushing back all over again. “It had been a real bad day at work, Rhys got injured, we were all scrambling. I came home to find all her stuff packed up. I was leaving for my fourth deployment later that week.” The words pour from my mouth like vomit. “I haven’t seen her in five years.”

“I was right then. She is the one who walked away from you. The reason you’re afraid I’m going to leave too.” There’s a hint of anger in her words; more than that, her voice is filled with understanding and compassion.

“Yeah. Things went downhill after that.”

“Did she know about what happened to your parents? Why you didn’t want children?”

I shake my head. “She only knew that they were dead.”

“Can I ask you a question, and will you tell me the truth?”

“I already know what you’re going to ask.” Taking her hands in mine, I hang on like my life depends on it. “I’ve never lied to you, and I sure as shit won’t start lying to you now. I asked you to move in with me because I love you and Piper more than life itself. If I had it my way, I’d take you to the courthouse right now and marry you.”

Holy fuck. I said that out loud.

Rachel caresses the side of my face. “Logan, I don’t need some grand gesture to prove to me how you feel. Don’t go off half-cocked, thinking that just because we ran into your ex and she accused you of not committing, that you need to marry me right now.”

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