Page 38 of Call it Fate

Iain’s eyes grew wide. “Really? That would be totes awesome! I’m gonna go change and tell Lexi.” He ran out of the room, and seconds later, I heard the breezeway door slam shut.

I wasn’t sure who Lexi was, but it didn’t matter as I glanced up to see Mr. Uniform watching me closely. “You’re the guy on the bench from a few days ago.”

I wasn’t stupid. He was sizing me up. “Yep. Thanks again.”

“Welcome.” He leaned against the banister with crossed arms. “So, you know Em?”

Em?He obviously knew her well enough to give her a nickname. “We go way back.”

His brow furrowed, and I could almost see him connecting the dots.

Yeah, I had her first.

“Zach? I didn’t know you were still here.”Em’svoice broke through our staring contest as she came to stand next to the officer. “I thought you’d left earlier this morning. Mama covered breakfast duty this morning, so I didn’t know.”

I moved to stand next to her, maybe a tad closer than was necessary. “No, I slept late after our evening together last night. The clinic is closed today.” I deliberately allowed the innuendo to stand. I didn’t mind saying I felt a little smug when the deputy’s eyebrows arched as he looked at Emalee. “However, I wasn’t expecting to see the police when I came down for breakfast. I was worried.”

Her eyes grew troubled. “Oh. I’m sorry, Zach. Breakfast is all gone. It’s a tradition that the guys on duty from the sheriff’s office stop by and eat up any leftovers at the end of my serving time so they don’t go to waste. They’re like human vacuum cleaners, sucking up everything in sight.” She grinned at the guy.

His smile was just a little too possessive as he smiled broadly at her, throwing in a wink before he turned his gaze back on me with a smirk.

“I see.” It was a generous thing, taking care of local law enforcement, but that probably meant the guy in front of me was here often, spending time with my son and my…whatever Emalee was. Or could be. Or…whatever.

Emalee gave us both a weird look, but she made the introductions. “This is Reid Braxton. He’s one of our deputy sheriffs, same as the other guys in there.” She looked at Reid. “And this is Zach Abbott, a…a friend.”

His shrewd blue eyes raked over me as he held out his hand, giving me a super tight handshake. “Nice to meet you. How long are you here?”

It was a simple enough question, but it also asked,why are you here? Where have you been all these years? What are you planning to do now?

“I’m not entirely sure. I’m filling in for Doctor Claypool, so as long as it takes him to recover.”

He raised his eyebrows. “That’s great. Doc Claypool is highly thought of. It was a blow when he got sick.”

We know him; we don’t know you, therefore, we don’t trust you.

A slight commotion formed as the officers moved toward the vestibule. “Hey, Brax! You comin’?” someone called from the entranceway.

Reid held up a hand. “Be there in a sec.” He dropped a hand on Emalee’s shoulder and bent to press a kiss to her cheek. “Thanks again for helping me out today. I owe you one.”

She laughed and squeezed his hand. “Pretty sure I owe you more. Besides, Lexi will help keep Iain busy today while I work. It’s a win-win.”

Reid tipped his head to me. “Zach. I’m sure I’ll see you around. Welcome to town.”

“Thanks.” He left to join his colleagues, but I’d already dismissed him and was refocused on Emalee. “Is he your boyfriend?”

Her eyes widened. “What? No! Not that it’s any of your business.” She glared at me.

“If he’s involved in my son’s life, he most certainly is part of my business.”

“Shh!” Her eyes darted around the room, but we were the only ones left. While I was ready to claim Iain publicly, apparently, she didn’t feel the same. “Reid and I are friends. Close friends. Remember I told you a woman was killed in the bank robbery?” She waited until I nodded. “His wife, Abigail, was one of them.”

I sucked in a deep breath. Whatever I thought of the guy, that was tough news to absorb.

“They had a baby, Lexi. She was almost four. And even after he buried his wife, he still came to the hospital to check on Mama and me. It created a bond. He’s like an older brother. And for your information, he’s very much part of Iain’s life, just like Chase. If it wasn’t for him…”

“What?”

She frowned. “Never mind. He’s a good man and a good friend. Since he’s a single dad and I’m a single mom, we help each other out from time to time, like today. His sitter got sick, so it left him in a lurch. I’m here, and even though Lexi is a few years older than Iain, they practically grew up together, also like a brother and sister. So, she’s staying with me today.”

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