Page 84 of Catch
“Oh, the handcuffs are for her,” Miles pointed toward me, waggling his eyebrows.
My face went full tomato red. I turned away and took a long, unnecessary sip of coffee while everyone else cackled like a pack of hyenas.
We chatted for a little while longer, but eventually, Easton and Jesse had to pick up Max from preschool, and Grams and Gramps left for their Piggly Wiggly run. That left just West, who, judging by the look on his face, was still worried about something.
Miles’ phone rang, and he lifted a finger toward me before disappearing into the kitchen. “Linc, what’s up?”
Suddenly, I was alone with West. He sat there, leaned up, elbows on knees, eyes distant like he was working something out.
“What can I do to ease your mind?” I asked gently.
He let out a short laugh and shook his head, clearly debating how much to say. “Didn’t realize you could notice,” he admitted. “But this isn’t about you or Miles. I promise. Just… keep an eye on him for me.”
I nodded, heart tugging. “I will. This tour’s still hitting a lot of small towns. Sometimes we’ll be close enough to come home for Sunday dinner. And it’ll all be over in a couple months.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” he smiled. “In the meantime, if you need me, Miles will know where to find me.”
“That was Linc,” Miles said, coming back into the living room. “He just wanted to check in. Asked if I’d be at work tomorrow. I told him I’d be there, but I need to talk to him and the captain face to face.”
West stood and clapped him on the back. “Good call.” Then he turned to me. “Y’all have fun. And I better hear all about everything when you get back.”
“You got it,” I smiled.
Miles hugged him, then I did too, and we watched from the porch as a dark SUV pulled up. A man opened the back door forWest, then jogged around to the driver’s seat. Something about it made my heart ache for him, just a little.
“You okay?” Miles asked, shutting the door behind us and pressing me gently against it.
“Yeah, just nervous,” I admitted. “What if the label won’t agree to take Sam off the tour? What if you end up in jail again? Because, let’s be honest, youwill hithim again.”
Miles smiled and leaned down, kissing me soft and sure. “No one wants this to get uglier than it already has, Loxley. And if they push back… well, we’ll remind them about those bruises he left on your wrist. Trust me. They’ll see that your terms are better than none.”
The rest of the night, Miles packed a few bags. We made some plans but there really wasn’t much to overthink. In terms of the tour, he’d slide right in. He didn’t need an extra bed. Didn’t want a paycheck, although I was going to ensure he got one. But it was just like he said: as long as we were together, everything would be perfect.
Chapter Forty-Nine
MILES
Before Loxleyand I left town, we stopped by the police station so I could speak with Captain Sullivan. This wasn’t a conversation for the phone or an email. Plus, I needed to thank him and introduce him to Loxley. She had a few things she wanted to say as well.
Walking into the station hand in hand with her, and not wearing my uniform, it was clear to anyone paying attention what was about to happen. Linc spotted us first, his eyes flicking between my face and our intertwined hands. His expression shifted from curiosity to understanding in a heartbeat.
Loxley gave him a hug, a soft smile gracing her face. "Thanks for helping me the other night," she said, and if I wasn’t mistaken, she kissed him on the cheek. Linc’s face turned redder than a stoplight, and the grin that followed could’ve lit up the whole station.
I was once again considering dismembering someone I cared about, but I took a deep breath and let Linc have his moment. He deserved it, after all.
Captain Sullivan appeared in the doorway of his office, motioning us inside. His sharp gaze met mine, and I could tell he already knew what I was about to say. He always had a way ofreading people, which was a skill that made him both a great cop and an intimidating one.
“Captain, I’d like you to officially meet Loxley Adams. Lox, this is Captain Sullivan.”
They both stood, reaching across the desk to shake hands. Loxley’s smile was genuine and warm. "Thank you for the help the other night. I was in complete shock when he got arrested and I was pretty useless."
“Nah,” Captain Sullivan said with a dismissive shrug. “Miles has never done anything without a good reason. Even keeping you a secret was done with the best intentions. And that Sam guy?” His mouth tightened. “He was lucky we managed to pull Miles off him when he showed up here.”
Loxley turned to me, eyes wide. “Wait… Sam was here?”
Damn it. I’d never mentioned that part.
“It was the morning you left,” I said carefully.
