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“Piss me off enough, and you’re damn straight I will.”
“Considering the water is still fucking cold, I’ll shut my mouth.”
“You made the wise choice.”
The conversation turned to sports, and Reid settled into the easy discussion, but his mind kept wandering to Allison. He definitely wasn’t in love with her. He simply couldn’t be. But the thought of her naked body haunted his mind well into the night.
Chapter 6
Allison got in her car and headed toward her sister’s house to bring Presley dress shopping. She probably should have made a larger cup of coffee, but she had hope she’d be able to help Presley find the perfect dance attire before lunchtime. She sent up a silent prayer and focused on the road.
Luna lived seven minutes away, but with tourist season on the horizon, the drive time would double if not triple by the middle of summer. Luckily, it was still early in the year and only a few cars drove the main strip past the boardwalk toward the other side of town.
She pulled up to Luna’s single-family ranch and parked in the driveway. Just as she climbed out of the driver’s side, Presley skipped outside, arms in the air, wristlet in her hand. Her long hair was straightened, and Allison knew she probably spent a ridiculous amount of time getting it just right. She wore clear lip gloss since Luna refused to let her wear anything tinted. She looked like the preteen she was, but to Allison, she would always be that five-year-old girl with pigtails, who loved to play hopscotch and watch Disney movies.
“You’re late,” Presley said as she continued skipping toward the car.
Allison turned the gold watch on her wrist. “By a minute.”
Presley rolled her eyes. “Still late.”
“Your mother isn’t even out of the house yet. I’d say she’s the one who is late.”
“Mom’s always late. You never are.”
“I know, just one of the reasons I’m better than her.”
“I heard that!” Luna called out from the porch step, and Allison looked at Presley as they both giggled.
Luna hurried out of the house, juggling her keys, bag, and an extra-large cup of coffee. She managed not to drop anything, yanked the door shut, and met them at the car.
“You got that?” Allison asked as Luna held her wallet, using her chin and chest as she zipped and unzipped different sections of her bag.
Luna dropped her keys in one of the openings then let her wallet fall from her chin right into the bag. She looked up, a smile on her face. “All good.”
Allison got into the driver’s seat. Luna followed, dropping into the passenger seat, and Presley took up her usual spot behind her mom. Allison waited to hear the clicks of seatbelts before she put the car in drive. “Dress shopping, here we come.” Allison caught Presley in the rearview mirror, a smile spreading wide across her face.
Oh, to be young again, when the only care in the world was what to wear to the school dance and not trying to figure out who sent a threatening letter. Allison didn’t want to even think about it, but the way Reid had reacted made her wonder if she needed to take the threat more seriously.
He was a cop. Being overly protective and concerned with matters was his job. Of course he’d freak out over the letter, and it’s not like she’d had any others show up since. It was a onetime thing by someone who clearly had nothing better to do with their lives.
Feeling better on the matter, she shoved any thoughts of that stupid letter to the back of her mind and focused on her day with two of her favorite people.
“Do we have a style in mind?” Allison asked, glancing at the rearview and catching Presley’s similar whisky-colored eyes. All her siblings had some sort of green in their eyes, but Allison, like Presley, did not. She told Presley it was because they were special.
“There’s this purple dress I saw online that is one shoulder and has like a band of like satin that goes around the middle.” Each word was filled with more excitement than the previous.
“I told you, no shoulderless dresses,” Luna said, and Allison watched Presley deflate in the backseat.
“Why not?” Allison asked, knowing damn well her sister would give her hell, but she didn’t have a direct view of the deflated sixth grader. “One-shoulders are very classy.”
“Not for a twelve-year-old.”
“It’s better than strapless, and correct me if I’m wrong, didn’t you wear a strapless dress to your sixth-grade dance?” Allison tossed Luna a smirk and was met with daggers.
“You did?” Presley’s head poked in between the seats. “Then how come I can’t get the dress I want?”
“Sit back.” Luna let out a sigh. “I’m going to kill you,” she mumbled under her breath, and Allison had no doubt she’d get the speech about undermining her as a parent.
