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“Nick!” he yelled once again just as the deputy’s car drove down the street toward him. The vehicle was slowing. Great. She could tell. He didn’t know how, but she knew he was looking for his kid.
He stopped with exasperation. Well, at least he could ask her for help.
Grant strode toward the car as it came to a stop next to the curb and the window rolled down. That was when he noticed the small child in the back seat.
“You have got to be kidding me!” Grant ducked down and stared at the deputy. “What are you doing? Is this some scared-straight bull?—”
A sharp look from the deputy had him biting his tongue. Instead, he yanked open the back door and glowered at her from behind. “I never gave you permission to take my son. I wasn’t going to say anything to anyone, but I think I’m going to have to file a complaint?—”
Officer Whitfield’s mouth fell open and she jerked her car into park before she shoved the door open and gave him a withering look. “Excuse me? I would never. You need to give your child a talk about stranger danger. Maybe explain why it’s not such a good idea to climb into an unknown person’s vehicle without asking you first.”
Before Grant could snap at her, Nick interrupted him.
“But I do know you.”
Both Grant and the officer turned their attention toward Nick.
He grinned. “You’re a police officer. We’re taught at school that if we’re scared or lost, we can find a police officer and they will help us.”
Grant couldn’t help but be proud of Nick for putting the woman in her place. On the other hand, even he knew Nick hadn’t been lost. This whole situation had been intentional. He swung his gaze back to the deputy and bit back a smirk when he witnessed the frustration filling her expression.
Nick continued. “You have the coolest car. Dad, can we take a ride with her? It can go over a hundred miles an hour, but Officer Whitfield said we couldn’t because we weren’t in a police chase. So, we just went the boring speed limit.” Nick clamored out of the squad car and hopped from one foot to the other, tugging on Grant’s wrist as he stood beside him on the sidewalk.
Why was this happening? Didn’t Grant already have enough going on? He couldn’t just have one week where everything went according to plan? Heck, he’d be happy to have a single day where everything happened the way it should.
Based on the interaction they’d had with Officer Whitfield, he couldn’t imagine that this situation would turn out well at all. There was only one way out of this.
Grant took ahold of his son’s hand and dropped down to his level. “Nick, what you did wasn’t okay. You can’t just go running off like that. Police officers are there for emergencies, and that’s not what had happened.” He glanced toward the officer, noting that her expression had softened slightly, before returning his attention to his son. “You need to apologize to the deputy. She’s working right now and I’m sure she has better places to be.”
The radio crackled but it was clear enough for Grant to hear the person on the other end say “Sagebrush.”
Slowly, he got to his feet. If she was being called out to Sagebrush, that meant the recent vandalism problems were still occurring there.
The officer lifted her radio to her lips. “Copy. This is Deputy Whitfield. I can head that way.” Her eyes cut to Grant. “As it so happens, I’m on my way to Sagebrush Ranch.” Her eyes softened further as she dipped her focus to Nick. “I suppose I could take you along if that’s where your dad is headed.” Her gaze locked with Grant’s. “With your permission, of course.”
He didn’t hesitate because he was worried that Nick wouldn’t be safe. What was safer than spending time with an officer of the law? It was the sour interaction he’d had with the deputy that fueled his desire to refuse.
Grant’s gaze dropped to Nick, who was once again bouncing from foot to foot. “Please, can I? That would be so cool. Then I could tell Sawyer at school that I got to ride in a real police car.”
If it wasn’t for the pair of large eyes that resembled the kid’s mother’s, Grant might have been able to turn him down. No one had warned him how hard it was to say no to a kid. He was still so new to this parenting gig.
A sigh burst from his lips, and he shot a pointed look at the officer. “Fine. But I’m going to need a badge number.” He turned his sharp gaze to his son. “And the second you get back to the ranch, you’re going straight to your room. End of discussion.”
Nick darted past him, but Grant grabbed hold of his shoulder, successfully stopping him from climbing into the car.
“I mean it, kid. You’re not to go wandering off. I set up that room for you so you have a place all to yourself. I need you to promise me that you will go straight home.”
Nick nodded vehemently. “I promise, Dad. Straight home.” Nick threw his arms around Grant and then climbed into the car.
The awkwardness between himself and the deputy had continued to grow throughout the conversation. He could thank her for bringing his son back and not pointing out Grant’s every mistake. He could even thank her for taking his son on the ride he desperately wanted. At the moment, he didn’t know what the proper response would be.
She glanced over her shoulder and turned around to face him through the window. “I’m sure you had quite the scare back there.”
“Yeah…” he said.
“I shouldn’t have to point out that you didn’t exactly have eyes on him.”
Grant frowned. “Then don’t.”
