Day five of driving and shitty gas station coffee has me a mere few miles from the exit I’ll take to get to Balsam Cliffs, Maine. My new home.
Pushing the button on my dash, I call Aubrey.
She answers on the first ring. “Hey, how are you feeling?”
“Tired. And I want real coffee. Good coffee. A latte with vanilla and cold foam.” My mouth practically waters at the dream of a good coffee, or even just one that doesn’t still have grounds in it.
“Once you’re settled, I can take you to Emerald Roasters. I promise Esther makes the best latte.”
I could practically cry at the thought of never having Jess’s coffee again. She opened Buckles and Brews in the town I used to call home, roasting her own beans and crafting flavors. “We’ll see.”
“I promise she’s pretty damn close to being as good as Jess.”
“I’ll hold you to that. I’ve got one mile until my exit. Are we meeting at my new home, or yours?”
“Let’s meet at the cabin. Your new landlord will be there soon once he gets a break from work. I’d like you two to meet before you meet the rest of the family.”
She pauses, and I glance in my rear view to notice the car tailing me doesn’t turn with me off the highway.
“Actually scratch that, I want you to wait a few weeks before you meet all of them. I don’t need you running scared off to who knows where.”
“I thought you loved them?” I raise a brow, wondering if I’ve missed something in the last month of healing.
“No, I absolutely do. They’re great. Just… a lot.”
“Okay. Well, GPS says fourteen minutes. So I’ll see you soon?”
“Can’t. Wait. Love you.”
“Love you.”
Ending the call, I look up just in time to see a fucking cop pass me and turn around with his lights on.
God dammit.
I pull over on the side of the road, rolling my window down.
“License and…” His words trail off as he lowers his aviators to look at me. “And registration, please, pretty lady.”
I’ve seen this look my whole life. I’m not naïve about my looks. My mother was an Italian model, and I’m her twin. Was her twin, until she died four years ago.
“I’m sorry, officer.” I turn to dig through my center console for the new identification Ryder got for me. “Just one minute.”
Only I would manage to get pulled over five seconds into my fresh start.
When I turn back with my license and registration in hand, I see him staring at my now empty left ring finger still sporting a tan line from the stupid engagement ring James gave me six months ago.
“I see a tan line but no ring. That mean you’re here and single?” A grin appears on his face that I can absolutely see melting panties. Unfortunately for him, and probably myself, my panties are frozen to my body.
“Listen, Officer…” I search his body for a badge. “Keaton.”
A wink in my direction really solidifies his intentions. Fuck. If only I wasn’t getting a fresh start in this small ass town.
Hooking up with a cop in the back of your car on your first day in town is probably not the best idea.
Okay, definitely a bad idea.
“Officer Keaton, you don’t want me. Trust me on that. I have a tan line that just won’t fade, same as the ex that gave me the ring. Not to mention anxiety that could cripple an army and absolute shit taste in men. And since you look like my walking fantasies, that makes you the biggest fucking red flag I’ve ever met. Run as far and as fast as you can away from me.”
