Page 28 of Say I'm Yours
We walk over to the car, and Trent opens the back of the cop car. “Grace can ride in front.”
“I’ll get—” I start to say.
“In the front,” Trent ends my sentence. “Cooper wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable back there, would he?”
Way to back him into a corner on that one, Trent.
I fight back the urge to roll my eyes.
“Of course not,” Cooper replies through his teeth as he slides into the cruiser. “You should ride up front.”
“Problem solved.” Trent slams the door closed a bit harder than he needs to.
We walk around the back of the car, and I warn him. “Don’t be a jerk, Trent. I’m begging you. This is awkward for all of us.”
“Not for me.” He grins as he opens my door. “Get in, sweetheart. I’ll have you home in no time.”
Instead of arguing with him, I do as he says.
“Sorry about this, Coop,” Trent says over my shoulder and then saunters around the car with a little extra pep in his step. I glare at him.
“Sure you are,” Cooper mutters under his breath.
This has to be some cruel joke. My ex-boyfriend is driving my current date home in the back of a squad car. Because . . . why the hell not?
“I’ll drop you off first, Gracie. That way I can take Cooper back out with his spare.”
“Or you can take usbothto Cooper’s sowecan get his spare.”
“Grace,” Cooper says from behind the glass. “It’s fine, darlin’. We can do this another night.”
Trent snorts, and I slap his leg. “Are you sure? I don’t mind comin’ back out so you’re not alone.”
“What kind of sheriff would I be if I left him stranded out there?”
“The jealous ex-boyfriend type,” I mutter, seeing straight through his act.
“Don’t worry, Townsend. I won’t let anything hurt you out there.”
I slap him again. “Can you be nice?”
“What did I say?” he asks innocently. “I’m offering to protect your date from gettin’ mauled by a bear or God only knows what.”
My hands tighten in my lap, and I swear this drive is taking longer than normal. Cooper looks out the back window with his head resting on his fist. It isn’t anyone’s fault this happened, but it still sucks. And making matters worse, Trent looks calm and relaxed. He starts to whistle and looks over to smile at me.
I loathe him.
We arrive at my house, and my stomach clenches. I shift in my seat to face Cooper. “Would you walk me to the door?” I ask.
I need to salvage even a tiny bit of tonight.
Yup. This is my life.
“I can’t get out,” Cooper explains after he tries and fails to open his door.
Trent clears his throat. “We don’t like to let the criminals have access to an escape.”
“Well,” my voice grows hard, “Cooper isn’t a criminal, and you bein’ the helpful sheriff and all should have no problem lettin’ him out so he can walk me to the door, right?”
