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As I make the drive back to town, I can’t stop myself from making a new life plan. I see myself moving in with Lincoln. I can see myself adopting Ava as my own. I see this baby being born and the four of us becoming a family. Lincoln and I getting married.
The sound of police sirens hits my ears, pulling me from my thoughts. I look up into my rearview mirror, finding red and blue lights flashing behind me. Uttering a curse word or two, I pull over and lower my window.
“Miss, do you know how fast you were going?”
I look up, finding Lincoln standing next to my car looking down at me with a grin.
I smile at his handsome face. I was so lost in thought. I didn’t even think that the cop pulling me over could be him. I shake my head to clear it. “I’m sorry. I guess I was spacing out.”
He bends down. “You were going fifty in a thirty-five. I could write you a ticket for that ma’am.”
I bat my lashes and flash him a flirty smile. “Please don’t do that, officer. I promise, I’ll never do it again.” I keep my tone breathy and flirty, making him chuckle.
“Tell you what, I won’t write you a ticket. I’ll let you off with a trade.”
My brows lift. “A trade?”
He nods. “No ticket if you bribe me with a kiss.” His blue eyes sparkle as he tilts his head to the side.
“Deal.” I grab his shirt and pull his mouth to mine.
16
LINC
Luckily, we’re on a quiet backroad so I don’t have to worry about anyone driving by and seeing me with my head inside Emery’s car. My hand is cupping her jaw while she is caressing my face. The kiss is long, but soft and much needed. Things have felt a little strained between us in the last few days but I’m not sure why. It just feels like she’s pulling away from me. She hasn’t been staying the night at the house and yesterday, I didn’t see her at all, except at the daycare. She had an excuse to get out of dinner and claimed she didn’t feel well last night. Part of me worries she’s slowly pulling away to break things off. Then we have moments like this that, makes me certain that everything’s okay. I just can’t put my finger on what feels different between us.
I slow the kiss and break it off before we get too carried away. “You’re coming over for dinner tonight, right?”
She presses her lips together. “I’m not sure yet. I have some things to do today, which is why I’m not at work. But I’ll try and stop by sometime this evening when I get back into town.” She glances at the time on her watch. “I really should get going.”
Speechless, I nod and back away. “I’ll see you tonight…maybe.” I tap the door of her car before turning and walking away, wondering what’s going on. What does she have to do? What does she mean when she gets back in town? Where is she going? Where was she just now? I plan on putting Ava to bed tonight and then the two of us are going to discuss what’s going on between us. Just thinking about it causes my gut to tighten up. It’s no secret that I’ve been falling in love with her. If she’s pulling back, I hate to even think of the pain I have in store.
I climb behind the wheel of my cruiser and watch her drive off ahead of me. I end up following her back into town and at the four-way, she turns like she’s heading home instead of going to the daycare. I pull up to the stop sign, sitting there until her car is no longer in sight. Then I head back to the station.
I head inside and take a seat behind my desk as I let out a long sigh. I rest my elbows on my desk and rub my eyes. I’m tired, stressed, and a little worried about having this talk with Emery later. I’m not paying any attention to what’s going on around me until Tom flops down in the chair across from my desk, making me jump.
“What the hell?”
“Sorry if I scared ya. I just had to stop and ask if you knew that Allison was back in town?”
“What?” The world stops spinning. Everything freezes. Everything but my heart that is. My heart more than doubles its pace.
He nods. “Yeah, I just saw her walking out of her mom’s house. That is her mom that lives over on Sixth Street, isn’t it?”
My mouth is hanging open, but I nod. “Are you sure it was her? What did she look like?”
His brows lift. “She looked good. I mean, she’s older but she still looks like herself. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a white top. Her blonde hair was down and straight. She was driving a black BMW.”
I frown. How in the hell is she affording a BMW? “What did she say?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing. I just drove by. I didn’t stop and talk. I take it you didn’t know she was in town?”
I lean back in my chair, lost in thought. What is she doing back here? Did she come back for me or Ava, or does she just happen to be in town to visit her mother? In all the years she’s been gone, she’s never come back. Not that I know of anyway. But I think I would know. She wouldn’t have to be here long before someone would tell me.
“No, I didn’t know.”
His eyes soften and he taps my desk as he stands. “Well, be on the lookout. There’s no telling what she has up her sleeve.”
