Page 26 of Saved By the Officers

“Mom,” Gracie hissed. “Stop embarrassing me.”

“Right. Cat toys.”

The store was small, but the shelves were packed. It wasn’t a large chain grocery store or Target, but it seemed to have everything we would truly need. Minus a BOB aisle.

In front of the aisle meant for pet owners, I tugged a toy off the metal hook, inspecting it before putting it back. “We’ll need cat or kitten food too,” I muttered, turning to look at the shelving behind me that was stocked with various types of cat and dog food.

“And a litter box,” Gracie offered.

“Right. Why don’t you go get us a basket, and I’ll take… Sir Top Hat?”

“Misery, Mom. Like my life.” With that, she shoved the kitten into my arms and stormed off.

“Wow,” I mouthed.

Shade appeared at the end of the aisle, all the flush from earlier gone. Though when he started toward me, another man was close behind.

“Trap?” I questioned, looking around Shade’s wide frame to take in the police officer uniform. “You’re a police officer? Guess there goes my theory of you two being serial killers. Though, I’ll be honest, even with the uniform, the jury is still out.”

“Thanks for believing in me?” he said awkwardly. Probably because I’d found him and Shade out, and now their killing spree was put on hold. “And yeah, Shade and I are police officers, not serial killers. I look sexy as hell in the uniform, right?” He pressed a hand to either hip and puffed out his chest.

I sucked in a breath.Sexy as hell is an understatement.

“You picking out stuff for our kiddo here?” Trap asked.

“Yeah,” I said, swallowing to clear my suddenly dry mouth. “Gracie went to get a cart.”

“Did you two have fun visiting Anne?” I nodded and picked up a packet of what looked like pot. Trap’s fingers wrapped around mine. “I don’t think we should give the little thing catnip this soon. Don’t want to get him addicted. ‘Be cool, stay in school’ and all that shit.”

My grin grew. “Is that the speech you give the kindergarten class on Public Servant Hero Day?”

“Yep. I even have it printed on tiny keychains for them to hang from their backpacks.”

“Does this stuff work, you think?” I asked, absentmindedly flipping the catnip over to read the warning label.

“Apparently cats go crazy for it. Draws them in like a moth to the flame.”

I huffed a laugh. “So that would make you and Shade man-nip.” I snorted at my joke but stilled when Trap didn’t come back with a funny retort. “Not saying…. Fuck. You know, catnip. It draws in cats. So man-nip because you draw in men?”

This would go down as the shortest friendship on record, started and ended in less than twelve hours.

Trap’s light brown brows pulled together, a deep line forming between them. “I get the somewhat lame joke, but, Georgia, why the hell would we want to draw in men?”

Eyes wide, I jerked my gaze between the two of them. “You’re right, you two are perfectly happy with each other. No need to look elsewhere, right? I’m dumb. I just—”

“Georgia.”

I snapped my attention to Shade, who now stood on the other side of me, hand on my shoulder.

Is it hot in here? Who set the heat to hell on a hot summer day?

“Why would we want to draw in men?” Shade demanded.

“Because you’re gay,” I whispered, angling my lips toward his hand so no one would overhear me.

“We are?” Trap exclaimed way too loud at the same time Shade’s questioning tone rang out with “I am?”

“Did you two forget?” I asked, stepping back so both were in my line of sight. “It’s your job. How could—”

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