Page 46 of Love Bank
Bain grabbed my face, his rough palms cupping my jaw fervently. “I’ll buy you a new rug. I’ll buy you ten new rugs.”
“Hell, I’ll buy you twenty if you’ll just come give your statement so I can get home. Susie’s making meatloaf,” Chief said from the doorway, patting his belly.
17
Bain
“Grab your purse. We’ll take my truck.”
Lucille put her hands on her hips, ready to argue with me about every damn thing. If I said the sky was blue, she’d say it was red. If I said her ass looked fine in those pants, she’d tell me I was an asshole all while blushing at the compliment.
“Not right now, Lucy. Just get your bag, lock the door, and get in my goddamn truck.” My eyes felt like they were rolling around in sandpaper. I’d never been so scared as when the alarm sounded at the prison right after I blew off Lucy’s text about the idling truck. The minute the bell sounded, I just knew without a shadow of a doubt, Lucy was in trouble and it was all my fault.
Again.
I hadn’t taken her seriously about inmates leaving my prison to harass her on their way out of town and look where that got us?
Lucy stuck her tongue out at me, and had I not been knocking myself senseless inside with guilt, I would have found her antics hilarious. She was Lucille Ball’s twin when she stuck her tongue out at Ricky.
The chief had left half an hour ago, but I’d stayed behind to help Lucy clean up her clinic. The bastard who’d escaped my prison and his buddy had really done a number on her office. Blood from my gunshot destroyed her rug. I’d taken it out back and tossed it in the trash. The other guy had broken his nose from Lucy’s head, which had caused blood to splatter on the filing cabinet. I hadn’t had the heart to tell her it was matted in the back of her hair too.
Before he left, the chief promised me a visit bright and early tomorrow morning to discuss two inmates escaping in the first two weeks the prison had been open. I’d have to sweet-talk my way through that exchange with my balls in my hand—not literally, that would just be wrong on so many levels—and hope he had mercy on me. If that conversation didn’t go well, I could kiss my job goodbye. Kiss Auburn Hill goodbye.
And there was a blonde-haired woman in a silk blouse and high heels with fire in her belly just waiting to burst out. I wanted to be around when it happened.
Lucy collected her things and sailed by me, her perfume catching me as sure as a hook around my neck. She stomped out the door—an impressive feat in dainty heels—and stood there tapping her foot waiting for me. God, the woman drove me right out of my damn mind. She was irritating as hell and I needed to smack her ass more than I needed to practice my speech for Chief Waldo tomorrow.
I walked out of the clinic, giving it one last glance, silently promising the structure I’d protect it better, protect Lucy better. Never thought I’d become the self-imposed guardian of thousands of swimming little sperm that didn’t come from my own body, but nothing was going according to plan in Hell anyway.
Lucy locked the door behind us and didn’t even flinch when I put my hand on her back and guided her past her convertible to my truck, half on the sidewalk and half in the actual parking lot. In my rush to get over here, I didn’t give much regard to the parking lanes.
Opening the passenger door and then noticing her eyeing it with skepticism, I saw the problem. There’s no way she’d be able to climb in, even with those pants that were driving me to distraction. The front tire, up on the sidewalk, raised the height of the truck considerably. There was nothing for it.
I grabbed her by the hips and lifted her up, easily getting her to the seat of the truck as she squealed in surprise. Her hands grabbed my biceps, still squeezing even when she was fully seated in the truck. Her face was an inch from mine, her stormy eyes finally losing that edge of wariness those bastards had put there. My heart lurched in my chest and I realized I couldn’t just beat myself up inside. I mean, I could and would for a very long time, but I also needed to apologize to her. No more feuds over birds and sample cups. Just a sincere apology for letting her down. She’d come to mean something to me—wasn’t sure why yet, but I’d examine that later—and she was owed an apology.
I ran my thumbs over her hip bones, wishing the layer of clothing were gone so I could feel her soft skin. She paused, staring at me intently, barely even breathing.
“Lucy, I don’t even know how to properly apologize—”
“You don’t—” she interrupted me.
“Just let me say this, please?” I begged.
She nodded and motioned zipping her lips. I plunged ahead.
“I should have taken you seriously from day one and I didn’t. I know a simple apology isn’t going to cut it when you’ve just been held at gunpoint, nor should it. But I promise you this: I’ll spend the rest of my life apologizing to you to make up for it. And more importantly, I’ll do better.”
She sat there staring at me, not moving a muscle. A bead of sweat formed on my brow, but I didn’t dare let go of her to swipe it away. If she didn’t accept my apology, I might never get the chance to touch her again. Might always have to carry this guilt like a heavy burden.
Just when I was coming to terms with her telling me to leave her alone, her lips lifted on one side and those eyes danced.
“Well, that’s gonna be pretty damn annoying.”
I frowned. “What’s annoying?”
“Apologizing to me your whole life? It’ll be like Groundhog Day. Every time I see you, you’ll be saying the same thing, reminding me of a day I wish to forget about. No, thanks. Apologize now and get it over with already.”
I swallowed my laugh, utterly charmed with this woman who always said and did what I least expected.
