Page 44 of Keeping You
It was just a conversation. That’s what I told myself when I dialed his number. But hearing his voice, talking about that day... it cracked something open that I didn’t even realize was still locked up tight.
We talked about Stu. About the choices we made. About the split second when everything went to hell. And for the first time since I left the city, I could admit the truth out loud. I’ve been drowning in guilt because I wasn’t there when my partner needed me most.
We were both seasoned cops. That call wasn’t anything special. He said, she said. We’d been to the house before. There had never been a whisper of actual violence. I didn’t abandon Stu; another unit had already arrived. Nobody expected a gun. Nobody expected the shift to end that way.
Bad luck. Pure and simple. At least, that’s what the captain told me. I knew that in my gut, but needed to hear it out loud from somebody who knew the score. Somebody who understood.
But, knowing it and believing it? Two very different things. I somehow feel lighter and heavier all at once, like I’ve been holding my breath for months and only now let a little air out. It’s about damn time.
The sound of a car door slamming pulls me back. I glance up and find Callie moving toward me with that effortless grace that somehow makes every muscle in my body unwind. She’s carrying a brown paper bag in one hand and a tray with two cups of coffee in the other, the sun catching on the strands of her hair like it’s got something to prove.
I push away from the wall to meet her halfway. “I thought I was going to get lunch.”
“It was on my way.” Her smile is so sweet, almost knowing, like she can read every thought running through my head. “Besides, you look like you’ve been standing out here thinkingtoo hard.” Her eyes search mine, then she reaches up and brushes a finger lightly across my brow, like she can smooth away what’s etched there. “Everything okay?”
“It is now.” My voice comes out low and gruff. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.”
“Here, let me take that coffee.” I allow my fingers to linger against hers for a beat too long, and that simple contact grounds me in a way nothing else has today.
Her cheeks flush, and I instantly remember the text I sent her earlier today. “Come on,” I say teasingly, nodding toward the door. “Let’s eat in my office.”
That fire in her eyes hits me right below the belt.
Inside, the blast of cool air greets us, and the tension I’ve been carrying in my shoulders loosens as I close the door behind us, shutting out the noise of the station and the ghosts that have been riding me all day.
The moment we’re alone, and the coffees and sandwiches are set safely on a surface where there’s no danger to them or us, something in me snaps. After weeks of pretending and hours of memories I’d rather forget, I can see now that this beautiful woman is the answer to all my questions.
In three strides, I have her back to the wall, and I’m cradling her face in my hands. My forehead rests against hers as I breathe her in. “Hey.”
Her lips curve in a shy grin. “Hey, yourself, Sheriff.”
Before she can say anything else, I tilt her chin with one finger and cover her mouth with mine. The kiss is slow and unhurried, until it’s not. First, I’m nibbling at the corners of her mouth and gently fascinated with how smooth the insides of her cheeks are. Then it hits like wildfire, and I’m sucking on her tongue, swallowing her moans, tasting and claiming what’smine. “I’ve been thinking about doing that all morning,” I murmur against her lips.
“Mmm, me too,” she admits, her hands splayed over my chest, warm even through the fabric of my uniform. “Though I’ve also been busy making peace with your sister.”
That has me pulling back, brows shooting up. “You have?”
She fills me in about Harper’s tears, Kirk’s betrayal, and the awkward but honest conversation that followed.
“So, Kirk was cheating on both of you?” A muscle jumps in my jaw, and I wonder if I’m going to have a problem unclenching my teeth. “'I should arrest him on principle.”
Her laughter is light, and it loosens the stranglehold my anger has on me. Her fingers trace the edge of my badge. “As tempting as that is, I think public humiliation is punishment enough for now.”
“I’m glad you and Harper talked,” I say honestly. “She’s been miserable without you.”
“I didn’t realize how much I missed her until today.”
A smile tugs at my mouth. “Does this mean our fake relationship can be officially over?”
She taps her chin with exaggerated drama. “Well, I don’t know. The original goal was to hurt Harper like she hurt me, but since that’s no longer necessary…”
“Callie Cooper,” I growl, sliding my hands down to her waist. “Are you breaking up with me?”
She looks up at me through long, wispy lashes, her eyes sparkling. “That depends. Are you asking me to be your real girlfriend, Luke Caldwell?”
The question hits harder than I expected, mainly because the answer comes so damn easily. “I think I am.”
