Page 217 of Hot Cops

“So adopt.” It was an answer Macie had offered countless time in the past two years.

“You know I’d do that in a New York minute, but Annie really wants to have a baby. She doesn’t want to stop trying yet.”

Macie smiled sadly. “None of this is news, Evan. What’s wrong? Why are you here, sweet pea?”

He took a drink of his beer, then he stared at the bottle, unable to hold Macie’s gaze. Then he heard the words that had been trapped inside him for well over a year falling out.

“I’m fucking done in, Mace. I’m tired. Sex is completely regimented. We’re on this schedule. I’m all but punching a goddamn time clock in the bedroom. It’s hurting my marriage. I love Annie. Really love her, but we’re just so tense. Every month when we find out she’s still not pregnant, I hold her while she cries and tell her it will be okay. But what if it’s not? What if those words are a lie and it’s just another way I’m failing her?”

Macie reached out and took his hand, waiting until he raised his eyes to look at her. “You aren’t failing her. Don’t say that. Don’t even think it.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

Macie squeezed his hand. “Everything happens for a purpose and in its own time. Can I make a suggestion?”

Evan nodded. Her advice was the reason he’d come. He was out of ideas and running on empty. He needed someone to point him in the right direction.

“Stop trying.”

He frowned. Hadn’t she been listening? He and Annie wanted to be parents. They wanted to have a baby of their own. “Macie?—”

“It’s time to put the baby thing aside and focus on your marriage, Evan. I’m not saying you and Annie should stop trying to get pregnant, but don’t schedule sex or read charts about ovulation times or have Annie stand on her head for twenty minutes afterward or whatever other voodoo shit y’all have been trying.”

Evan laughed. “You think the standing on her head thing would work?”

Macie shook her head and snorted. “I’ll bet you twenty dollars Annie is sitting at home feeling likeshe’sfailingyou.”

The thought bothered Evan more than he cared to admit. “That’s ridiculous.”

“She’d say the same thing to you, and you’re both right. It is. You and Annie are a solid couple. You always have been. Don’t fuck that up. So here’s my solution. It’s a holiday weekend. Y’all should put it to good use.”

“I think you’re forgetting I’m a cop and the words ‘Fourth of July’ in this town are synonymous with ‘party ’til you’re stupid’. I’ll be patrolling the streets, arresting drunk drivers.”

Macie frowned. “Maris isn’t that big a town and most of the drunks know to stay put once they got a snoot full. Besides, everybody and their brother will be down by the lake, dancing on the beach then passing out in tents and cabins. You’ve got some seniority at the department. Take the early shift. Give the rookies the later one. It’ll be good experience for them.”

Evan admitted she had a good point. He’d been with the Maris police force for eight years. And though the Fourth typically included lots of heavy partying, he could count on one hand the number of drunken arrests he’d made during the holiday weekend—be it driving under the influence, idiots picking fights, or one fella pissing in the fountain in the middle of town.

“Well…” He couldn’t think of a good reason not to ask for some time off, except lately, work had been his escape from the stress at home.

Macie must have sensed she was wearing him down. “We’re closing the restaurant tomorrow and taking our meat on the road, setting up a big spread like we always do. You and Annie need to come eat, drink, listen to Tyson’s band and then watch the fireworks with all of us. Let’s face it. One night with our crazy family is sure to make you forget your worries. Kick up your heels and shake the rest of this crap off for a little while. The two of you need to give yourselves a break.”

It was good advice. His thoughts had been consumed with worry and fear of what the future held for so long, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d relaxed and simply lived in the moment. Macie was right. If he and Annie didn’t take a big step back, they were in danger of destroying a good marriage. He loved his wife more than anything and the idea of losing her felt like a hard punch to his gut.

It was time to reignite the romance, time for them to remember what it felt like to be in love, without a care in the world. It was time to make the sparks fly again.

CHAPTERONE

Evan glancedat the clock on the dashboard of his car and sighed. He only had a few more minutes left on his shift. Traffic had been steady most of the day as revelers headed to the lake to celebrate the Fourth, but it had slowed down in the last hour or so. He figured most everyone had already gathered by the lake and had started digging into the barbeque ribs Sparks laid out every year. His mouth watered just thinking about them.

He’d taken Macie’s advice and managed to talk his captain into letting him get off early. He had made plans to meet Annie at the lake around six for some barbeque and dancing.

For the first time in months, he was actually looking forward to seeing Annie, rather than worrying about heading home to find her either waiting to rush him into the bedroom because it was a good time for sex, or upset because she’d gotten her period again.

It was date night, and he was determined they were going to have fun. They were going to turn things around this weekend. Get back on track.

He was just about to pull onto the road when he saw a familiar car speeding by, going way faster than the forty-five mph limit. He turned on his lights and followed, grinning at the chase.

His wife had always had a lead foot. They’d actually met when he pulled her over for speeding.

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