Page 6 of Blind Date with a #FIREFIGHTER
I jump to my feet. “I’ve got to go.” I look at the waiter. “Bill. Now!”
“Alex, what’s wrong?”
“My son needs me.”
“Can I help?”
I look at her. She doesn’t know me or my situation. I don’t know her. She must see the hesitation.
“I have a master’s in social work and child development. I can help.”
“I’ll get my car and pick you up at the door.”
CHAPTER 4
Thea
I nod. “Go, I’ll handle the bill.”
I meet him at his truck where he’s pulled up to the curb. He has his phone on speaker through the dashboard.
“Yes, she’s violating the restraining order. I’ll be there in five. You need at least two officers there when I arrive. She snuck out the back door the last time. Who are you dispatching?”
“Turner and Davis,” the dispatcher responds.
“Good. They know me and the situation.” Alex disconnects.
The way he’s gripping the wheel signals the extreme control he’s exerting. The mention of a restraining order has my own heart racing. Is this going to set Aaron back?
I stare out the window, trying to give Alex space. My heart is breaking for him and his son. Aaron hadn’t disclosed any of his trauma, but I’ve been doing this long enough to know some of the signs. The way he constantly looked to see where his father was. His possessiveness of the books. His tentative sharing of information. His watchfulness. All indicated the child had residual issues.
We pull into a quiet, gated, older middle-class neighborhood with late nineteen fifties homes. The patrol car is pulling up atthe same time. One officer immediately heads to the back of the house.
“How can I help?”
“Can you follow, be a witness, and depending on what he says happened, maybe take Aaron to his room while the officers and I deal with her?”
“Absolutely.” I follow him to the door where the other officer is speaking to a tall, blonde woman. A beautiful, sophisticated woman that’s the total opposite of my short round form. I study her carefully. A very young woman.
I didn’t know Alex was my blind date tonight but after meeting him at the Book Nook he seemed so mature. Oh my god, how old is he?
“What the hell are you doing here, Cersei? You’re in violation of your restraining order.”
“Your babysitter invited me in. Then asked me to stay when she needed to leave. I was just helping when asked.”
I see him grind his jaw and glance at one of the deputies. “We’re going to check on my son. I’ll be pressing charges.”
Alex takes my hand, and we head through the house and into an office. Officer Davis follows.
“I’m here, buddy. I’m here,” Alex says when we enter the room.
Walking around the desk, he squats down beside the chair and slowly rolls it out. A flash of arms and legs explode from under the desk and into his arms. “I’m sorry I texted you. I didn’t know what to do when the sitter left cuz she got sick.”
“Sick?”
“Cersei brought cookies. I didn’t eat any, but the sitter did. Then she started throwing up. Cersei told her she’d stay with me till you got home. That’s when I hid and called you. I’m sorry, but you said she’s not supposed to be alone with me.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, buddy. You did great. Just like we’ve talked about. I’m here now and this will not happen again.”
