Page 13 of Making Home with You
“Jesus,” I murmur, amazed at the thoughts running through my head as I pull out a small black sock from beneath my sheets.Smiling, I throw it on the floor, wishing it was joining all of Sarah’s other clothes because she was still lying naked in my bed right now.
I’d meant it when I said I wanted her to sleep over, something else that joined the no condom thing and broke all my rules when I’d previously slept with other women.But Sarah isn’t just some other woman, I know that, no matter how new this thing between us is.And the idea of having her in my bed, of falling asleep beside her, waking up next her, maybe even during the night for a slow roll in the sheets, it all makes me feel…happy.
God, not even the thought of her brother and what he might do to me can wipe this fucking smile off my face.What the hell is it about Sarah Summers that is doing this to me?
Shaking my head, I finish off my beer before turning out the light.Rolling onto the pillow that still smells like her, I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.
The next day is spent dealing with the fall-out of New Year’s Eve.It’s not too bad, the cold keeping all but the biggest of idiots indoors and behaving themselves.But it doesn’t make my day any easier, especially when I get a call about some vandals graffitiing the fish and chips shop down at the pier.
“Fuck me,” I murmur, as I hang up the phone, knowing that’s the last place I want to go.I can only hope Carla isn’t there, even though I know the chances of that are slim.
“Sam?”I call as I walk out of my office.
The kid looks up at me, a half startled look on his face.“Sir?”
I offer a small smile, hold up my keys as if to say come with me.He scrambles to his feet and follows me out the door, always eager and ready to go.
He’s a good kid, even if he has spent the past six months or so trying to make up for the fact he let that asshole kidnap Kelsey one rainy night at her inn.
I know it wasn’t entirely his fault, that whole thing was beyond the scope of anything we’d normally see in this small ass town and he was as green as they come too.Still, it’s nice to know he’s genuinely sorry for his part in it all, even better that he’s actually learned from the whole experience.
“Got reports of some vandals,” I say as we pull out of the parking lot.“Down at the pier.You wanna handle it when we get there?”
Sam turns to look at me.“Yeah, thanks, Sir, that’d be great.”
I nod, glad that I can at least palm this off to him and he can deal with Carla.And really, it’s good for the kid to do this kind of stuff, and if he can help me out too, then bonus.
We pull into the parking lot of the shop and my gut tightens when Carla immediately walks outside, the look on her face suggesting someone has burned the place down instead of just spray painting a giant cock on the side of her building.
I have to stifle the smile when I see it, the positioning of the bright red dick making it look like one of the fish is giving it a blowjob while the others all watch.When I turn, I see Sam is also trying hard not to laugh and I get the feeling this might not go as smoothly as I’d hoped.
“Oh Finn,” Carla says, walking toward the car as soon as I get out.My skin bristles at her use of my first name, as though the fact we went to school together somehow negates my position as Chief.“Look what they’ve done,” she says, hands grabbing my arm.
I gently remove them, gesturing to Sam as I tell her, “Officer Corcoran will take care of it.”
Sam steps over to her, pulling out his notebook as he starts to run through a list of questions that I know will have no bearing on nailing whoever this creative genius is.Truth be told, there’s a part of me that would like to give the budding artist props for the idea.While Sam starts his questions, I move away, pulling out my phone and taking a few pictures under the guise of gathering evidence, but really so I can show them to Beck and Ryan over a few beers later on.
Eventually Sam comes back to me, biting his bottom lip when he gets another look at the artwork.
“All taken care of?”I ask, nodding in the direction the shop.
“Yeah,” he says.“But she wants to talk to you,” he adds.“Alone.”
“Shit,” I murmur, rolling my eyes.“One minute.”
I walk over, taking a deep breath as I open the door to her shop and step inside.“Ms.Robinson,” I say, making a point of addressing her formally as I stand just inside.
“Finn,” she says again, rushing over so she’s standing right in front of me now.“Do you think you’ll get them?”she asks, her hands once again grabbing mine.
I step to the side, pulling my hands from hers as I reply, “We’ll do everything we can, but in the meantime, can I suggest a trip to the hardware store and some paint.”
Carla moves so she’s standing in front of me again.“But who will paint it for me?”she cries, as though this is all too much for her.“Can you do it, please?”
I shake my head.“Not in the job description, I’m afraid.But I’m sure you’ll find someone.Now was there something else you wanted to ask me?”
Carla stares at me, her eyes wide as she acknowledges my brush off.Then shaking her head as though it was all in her imagination, she smiles, biting her bottom lip as she says, “I hope you weren’t too hungover yesterday.I know I was.I spent the whole day in bed.”
I swallow hard as I remember back to the time spent in my bed yesterday.Amazing how the hangover was the last thing I was thinking about.
