Page 35 of Cop Blocked

“Anyone ever told you that you’re an overbearing, territorial asshole?” Rachel counters.

“I offered to bring you dinner and hang out with Piper for a little bit to let you rest. You’re acting like I’m moving in and rearranging the furniture.”

“And I said, we are fine. Piper is taking a nap, and if you’d get off the phone, I could take one too.”

“You’re doing this bullshit thing that you did before the accident. You’re pushing me away and refusing to talk.” I snap. “And yeah, I’m more than a little pissed off by it because I was good enough when you were in the hospital falling apart, but I’m not good enough now.”

There. I said it.

She sniffles on the other end of the phone, and now I feel like the asshole she’s accusing me of being.

“I’m sorry. All of this. Everything. It terrifies me.”

“I’m fucking terrified, too, Rachel. The thing is, you don’t have to do this alone. Any of it.”

“I’ve always done it on my own, okay? I don’t know how to do it any other way.”

“So, stop being so stubborn, and we can figure out how to do this together.”

Rachel sighs. “Okay.”

“Okay? Okay, as in, ‘Yes Logan, please bring us an extra-large ham and pineapple pizza so we can have dinner together’?”

“Extra pineapple, and would you stop by the store and pick up a bottle of children’s pain reliever for Piper. I gave her the last dose earlier. We might be fine…”

“I’ve got it covered. I’ll be there soon.”

Before she can change her mind or argue, I hang up the phone and throw on something other than my gym shorts.

“Smokey, Lucky, I’ll be back. You two stay out of trouble.”

Lucky, the white kitten, meows loudly at me.

“That’s enough of that. I’ll feed you both again when I get home.”

* * *

Finishing my last slice of pizza, I toss the paper plate into the empty box and begin gathering the trash.

“Hey, you don’t have to do that,” Rachel’s sleepy voice whispers. She barely touched her pizza before she started yawning and ending up falling asleep with her feet in my lap. “Wipe the smirk off your face, smartass. I almost forgot about the bum leg.”

“I’m not saying a thing.” I feign innocence and continue cleaning up.

“Where’s Piper?”

“I’m right here, Mommy! Logan helped me get paper to make you a picture.”

She bounces in the room, and proudly shows her mom the picture she painted.

“That picture is lovely, sweetheart. What have we said about painting ourselves?”

I freeze in my tracks.

“It’s make-up!” Piper giggles.

Yup. The kid has painted her entire face.

“I swear, I had no idea.” I quickly defend myself. “Piper, can you find a washcloth? I’ll help you clean up.”

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