Page 52 of Catch
I nodded, feeling like an idiot. “I just need to know which one won’t kill me.”
Blue lined up a few bottles, explaining proofs, percentages, and taste profiles. Turns out the stronger the whiskey, the less likely I’d suffer the next morning. It didn’t sound right, but I trusted her.
Instead of hitting the liquor store, I bought a bottle from her stash and made my way home, laughing at myself for how far I’d go for Loxley’s latest whim.
When I walked in through the kitchen, the familiar sound of her guitar filled the house. She was strumming softly, singing half-formed lyrics. But the moment she spotted me easing into the living room, she tossed the guitar aside and ran to me, jumping into my arms like she’d missed me all damn day.
“Hey, beautiful,” I said, kissing her.
“Did you bring the stuff?” she asked between planting kisses on my lips and cheeks.
“Of course I did. But tell me again why you think drinking whiskey is a good idea?”
“It’ll make me a real country star,” she said with a wink.
Normally, I’d be carrying her to my room, letting her help me out of my uniform before we did anything else for the evening. But since I didn’t have to work tomorrow, or apparently all weekend, I told her to get changed.
Then we headed out in the Jeep. The sun was setting, music was playing, and our hands were intertwined near the shifter between us. The bottle of whiskey was tucked safely on the floorboard behind her seat.
“Where are we going?” she hollered over the noise of the wind.
“Lookout Point,” I yelled back. “It’s where all the cool kids go to make out.”
“How romantic,” she laughed. “I hope the cops don’t find us.”
“Speaking of cops,” I grimaced, remembering I needed to tell her about Captain’s visitor. “Apparently, someone’s coming to town. Captain thinks they’re gonna help us find you.”
“What?!” she shouted, almost making me slam on the brakes. “What does that even mean?”
“I don’t know, Lox, but it makes me wonder if your manager is going from town to town, police station to police station, trying to find you.”
“What should I do?” she asked, her voice tight with panic.
I ran my thumb over the back of her hand, then brought it to my lips. “Don’t worry, Lox. You’re always safe with me.”
She turned to look out the window, watching the trees blur by as we drove. I didn’t know what she was thinking, but I worried she’d decide that enough was enough and leave me to go back on tour.
It was what she should’ve done. She had contracts, fans, and employees. Those people depended on her being on stage everynight. But I’d started depending on her too, and selfish as it was, keeping her with me had become my new mission.
When we got close to the lake, I turned onto an old path I’d found years ago. It wasn’t an official lookout point, and I’d never caught anyone there while on patrol, but it was where I went when I needed peace. It was one of my favorite places in the world.
The Jeep’s headlights cut off as the moon began reflecting on the lake. Other than the water in front of us, we were surrounded by trees. It was so secluded that no one could see us unless a boat came uncomfortably close.
Clouds had gathered across the water and I could tell we wouldn’t have long before the rain caught up with us. I spread a blanket out on the grass near the edge of the small cliff, then pulled Loxley down beside me. She sat comfortably, her gaze fixed on the shimmering water.
“This is even better than being on the lake the other day,” she said with a smile.
“Probably because I didn’t bring the fishing poles,” I joked as I grabbed the bottle of whiskey and a couple of red Solo cups.
“Nice touch,” she said with a grin, lifting the cup after I poured her a couple of fingers’ worth.
“I thought you’d like that,” I said, raising my own cup. “Country singers drink out of red solo cups.”
“Well here’s to finding out who I really am,” she added, clinking her cup against mine.
Our eyes locked as we each took a sip. I knew what to expect—the burn in my throat, the warmth spreading through my veins. But Loxley clearly didn’t. She took too big of a gulp and ended up coughing, her eyes watering as I laughed and patted her back.
She tried again, with the same result.
