AllFreeNovel
Share Us
No doubt about it, working with this woman was starting to break me.
The night we’d met, I’d wanted time to stand still so I could listen to her talk forever. But after that? Every word out of her mouth that wasn’t an apology for her part in what happened with us just rubbed me the wrong way.
And don’t get me started about yesterday. Our collision in the hallway was the first time we’d touched since the night we met, and she might’ve been the one to walk away with a goose egg on her forehead, but that didn’t mean I got away without a scratch. It’d hurt a lot more than it should’ve to realize as close as that run-in had brought us, it wasn’t close enough.
I turned onto the highway, trying not to get all worked up again for no reason. I’d been proud of myself for not even thinking about Paisley when I’d directed the duped diva and her worthless new husband to the B&B, and I didn’t want to ruin it now.
Well, I’d thought of her a little bit since she lived there, but that didn’t mean anything, right?
Just as I came around a bend in the road that would eventually turn into Main Street, a car blasted into my path at the speed of light, quickly enough that I didn’t even have to tap my breaks.
After half a second of internally raging at their stupidity, I flipped on my lights and sirens and gave chase.
“Ocean-213 to base, show me on a traffic stop,” I said into my radio, rattling off the location and the plate number of the black SUV.
The driver made his or her first smart move of the day and pulled onto the shoulder, saving me from even more paperwork if they’d fled.
“Copy,” came Remi’s reply, followed by the registered owner’s information—a woman’s name I’d never heard before—along with a clean criminal history for both the vehicle and its owner.
“10-4,” I said, getting out of my cruiser, and carefully approaching the open window of the SUV.
I’d heard traffic stops were the most dangerous activity in a police officer’s daily life, but I hadn’t believed it until I actually made it onto patrol. There was nothing like the feeling of approaching a vehicle for something simple and hoping against all hope it’d stay that way and no one would get hurt in the process. You just really never knew.
“Is there a problem, officer?” a friendly male voice greeted me.
I cracked a smile, nearly cracking a joke about that question usually coming from those who knew full-well what the problem was. But instead, I froze, my boots stuttering to a raspy halt in the gravel.
It was him.
I hadn’t seen Tyler Stevens since the court date that drove the final nail in the coffin that was any shot I’d had with Paisley, and that was years ago.
But I’d know him anywhere.
I’d never forget him.
And yet... his name wasn’t the one Remi had given me when she’d read me the vehicle’s info.
“Sorry if we were going a little too fast,” a chipper brunette said with a flirtatious wave from the passenger seat. “I’m Candy, and this is Tyler. And you are?”
Her syrupy tone wasn’t unusal at a traffic stop, but instead of replying to her obvious attempt to flirt her way out of a ticket, I glanced at Tyler to see if he’d fill in the blanks.
Candy. No doubt, she was the Candice Bradshaw named on the SUV’s registration. And thank goodness, too, because if Paisley’s brother had rolled into my town in a boosted car, there’d be more hell to pay than I had the energy to write the check for.
When Tyler didn’t supply my name for his partner in crime, I tipped the brim of my ball cap at her. “Officer is fine.”
“Ooh, OfficerGrumpy, maybe?” she teased, shooting me a flirtatious wink that had me grinding my teeth.
Tyler, however, only laughed. “Easy, darlin’. If you’re tryin’ to flirt with the guy to get us out of a ticket, I’m not sure callin’ him grumpy is gonna cut it.”
I blinked.The guy?He sounded like he didn’t have a clue who I was. Either that or he was playing dumb to save face for his girl.
“Here’s my license and the registration,” Tyler offered, handing it over along with his phone, which was open to his car insurance app. “And the insurance is right there. I’m covered for the car on her plan, but it’s in her name.”
I grunted, too surprised to say a word as I took the info to the back of the vehicle and raised dispatch again. “You sure there weren’t any warrants? No criminal history?”
“All clear,” Remi advised.
“Copy.” I cleared my throat. “10-21.”
