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“Oh my God,” she whispered, moving away. “I’m like the town slut now.”
“You’re my fiancée,” he growled at her. “She fell asleep during the movie and when she woke, we were talking.”
Parker set the flashlight on the rail of the truck only to swear when it rolled off. “Fuck, my foot.”
“Christ, he’s just like Barney Fife.” His words were low in Emma’s ear. He got a chuckle for that and brought her closer once more.
“With who? I heard you were engaged now.”
“I am, Parker. I’m with her tonight.”
“Who?” The light shone on him and Emma. “I just see Emma Henricksen. You cheatin’ out here?”
The woman in his arms stiffened and he knew this wasn’t good.
It baffled the mind who thought it would be a good idea to give this man any authority. And a gun.
“My fiancée, Parker. Emma Henricksen is my fiancée.” He pushed his lips against her temple. “So, no, I’m not out here cheating. Why, again, are you here?”
“Told you, it’s movie night. I thought someone stole your truck.”
Linc rolled his eyes. “You thought that someone stole my truck and parked here? My big, jacked-up truck that damn near everyone in town knows belongs to me?”
“That’s the one.” Parker sounded so damn chipper about it. “I know you take a lot of pride in your truck. And you’re one of our hometown heroes, so we keep an eye out on your things for you.”
Emma moved against his chest and he figured she was laughing at him and the situation. Flexing his hand, he kept it on top of the blanket and not where he wanted to put it. Under the blanket, on her body.
He huffed with impatience and more than mild irritation. Cockblocked by a cop who belonged in Mayberry. Seconds later, the light was right in his eyes and he squinted.
“Parker?”
“Yeah, Linc?”
He ground his jaw. “The light?”
“Pretty impressive, right? I saw it on one of those infomercial things. You know where they run over it with a tank or something like that. So bright it will cut through the dark.” A pause. “I knew I had to get one, you know how dark it can get in winter. I bet it will make seeing through the snow easier.”
Linc tugged the blanket over Emma’s head, protecting her. The beam was too wide for him to just dodge it.
“Parker, I don’t give a fuck where you got it. I meant the light, as in, get it out of my face.”
“Right, right. Sorry.”
He breathed a bit easier when once again the light was directed toward the ground.
“Good night, Parker.”
“I can take a hint.”
“Can you though, really?” he whispered the question and from the jerking of the woman on his lap, she heard him.
“I’ll leave you two lovebirds out here. But Linc, you’re not supposed to linger after the movie is over.”
“We’ll head out soon.”
“See you do. I don’t want to have to write you up.”
“Good night, Parker.”
“Night.” The light swept an arc then began to retreat as Parker carried it, and himself, away.
Linc had just started tugging on the blanket over Emma when they heard a commotion. The light wobbled and most likely fell.
“Umm, Linc.”
He clenched his jaw. “Yes, Parker?”
“I seem to have gotten myself stuck. Could you help me out?” His voice was a bit higher than usual. “Don’t know how this happened.”
A bark of laughter escaped Emma and she slapped a hand over her mouth as she met his gaze. All he could do was nod with understanding.
“Let me go help him, then I’ll get you home.” He rested his forehead on hers.
“I’ll help.”
They climbed out of his truck and walked over the ground where some early fog was rolling in, close but not touching. The light made it so they could see Parker. The man was on the ground tangled in the cords from the speakers that attached to vehicles.
“How did he do that?”
Emma’s question echoed his own.
Linc grunted. “I never know with him.”
Thankfully, the revolver Parker carried had fallen away from the man. Linc picked up the light and had Emma hold it as he got to work untangling the officer.
His boys weren’t ever going to let him live this down.
…
“You just don’t seem like his type of woman.”
Emma may have agreed with Mrs. Stevenson but that didn’t mean she enjoyed hearing it from a woman who looked like most of the women she’d seen Linc with during his baseball days.
Biting the inside of her cheek, Emma took a deep breath and prayed for patience. “I think that’s why it’s called love. There’s not any rule for it. Besides, Linc and I are both from this town, so we’ve known each other for years.”
Emma had no reason to tell her the infatuation was one-sided and she was pretty certain she could be considered a cyber-stalker for how often she looked him up.
