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Her voice is so fucking sweet. I know she’s sorry, and I know she didn’t mean to upset me, but fucking hell. When a woman forgets you exist for over eight hours—not even bothering to call you to cancel your plans, that doesn’t say good things about your relationship. What it does say is nothing I truly want to hear but should probably listen to.
“There’s no point, Junie. I’m dead on my feet. The minute Lodge shows up at the station, I’m going home to sleep,” I mumble into the phone. I’m not lying. These damn all-nighters are too much. We’ve had a rash of break-ins and shit. Thepowers-that-bewanted patrols stepped up. Everyone is being extra cautious since all of the deaths a year ago. I can’t truly disagree either, it’s needed, if for no other reason than to make the citizens of Stone Lake feel safe once again.
“I could sleep with you…”
“Haven’t you already been in bed?”
“Just for a couple hours. I could definitely sleep the day away in your arms. What do you say, Sheriff?”
“Just go back to sleep, Junie. It’d be too dangerous to get on the road like that. I’ll talk to you tonight if you’re around.”
“I’ll be at the bar…” she says, and I can hear how unsure she is. Part of me wants to reassure her that everything is fine, but it doesn’t feel fine right now.
“Maybe I’ll drop by then,” I tell her, ignoring the tightness in my chest.
“You could come to my house to sleep.”
“Junie, I really just want to—”
“Please, Ben? I’ve had a shit night, and it doesn’t sound like yours is much better. Come over. You can catch up on your sleep, and I’ll fix you some pancakes for dinner.” I want to tell her no. I want to explain that just once I want a woman who puts me first in her life, because that sure as hell hasn’t happened before. I do none of that because I know Junie would get upset and it’d be another fight that I don’t want to have. “Ben? I really am sorry. I have a reason, and I’ll explain it all to you later if you want to hear it. I know I should have called, but I’ve been ordering phone records, pouring through call logs, and dealing with upset employees and vendors. I honestly didn’t look up. I fell asleep at my desk and… none of that is your problem, but I am sorry that I didn’t at least call.”
“You’re at the bar?”
“Yeah. Well, in my car in the parking lot. Just getting ready to head—”
“To my house. Get there.”
“But I thought—”
“That’s when I thought you were at your house, in bed, after already being asleep. If you’re going to drive anyway get to my house.”
“I can do that, Sheriff,” she responds, her voice warm.
I’m still upset, hell I’m fucking hurt and aggravated, but I smile because, damn, do I want this woman.
“You know where my key is,” I tell her, because I showed her where the hide-a-way key was a few days ago.
“I’ll be there waiting and, Ben?”
“Yeah?”
“I really am sorry.”
My throat gets tight. “Just be there when I get home. Extra bonus points if you’re naked and under the covers.”
“Naked? That seems like a new level in our relationship, Sheriff. What’s in it for me?”
“Can’t tell you, but it might make me feel good enough to forget that my woman forgot about me completely tonight,” I respond, my voice gruff, trying to sound like I’m kidding, but I’m not. She can probably hear the truth in my voice too.
“I’ll be naked,” she says and there’s a tightening in my gut that I can’t explain.
“See you soon, Junie.”
“Soon, Ben.”
A second later the phone goes quiet as she disconnects. I drop my head down, slowly bringing it from my ear, hoping I’m not wrong about Junie and this shit isn’t going to backfire on me, because I really fucking want this woman. If it blows up, it will do so much damage that the pain I felt when Luna pushed me aside will seem like a mosquito bite. If Junie pushes me away, I’m not sure I can withstand the hurt that rejection will bring.
Ben
