Linda led the way down the hall past several rooms to an open area. Brie was surprised to see a large playroom. It had toys for kids from all ages from a small slide to a video game area. There was even a corner filled with stuffed animals and books. Several children lounged about in the room, but the mood in the room was somber.
“Hey guys, look who’s here.”
Heads swiveled their direction, and then there was an audible and visible shift. “Officer Calhoun!” The children hurried to him and surrounded him.
“I’ll go let some of the others know,” Linda said as she touched Jesse’s shoulder and then walked away.
“Hey guys, who’s ready for some new toys?”
“Me! Me!” It was a resounding chorus as the kids bounced up and down.
Jesse got down on his knees and set down his bags. Surprisingly, the kids didn’t tear into them. They waited for him to hand out the goodies. If a child didn’t get something they wanted to play with right away, they simply handed it to another child. When his bags were empty, he gestured for Brie to set her bags down.
“This is my friend, Brie, guys. Can you say hi?” The children smiled and waved, and Brie began handing out the toys in her bags as Jesse had. When her hand reached the last toy, she looked up. Only one girl remained in front of her. A little girl of about five with no hair stood in front of her.
“Hi, sweetie, what’s your name?”
“Kyla. I have cancer.”
Brie’s heart broke at the childish innocence. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Would you like a doll?” Brie pulled the doll out of the bag and smiled as the girl’s eyes lit up.
“Thank you, Ms. Brie.” The girl hugged the doll to her chest and walked back to the stuffed animal corner where she sat down and proceeded to play a game with the dolls and animals.
Brie leaned closer to Jesse. “I can see why you do this. They all look so happy, and no one is even fighting.”
He flashed her a sad smile. “Yeah, their perspective changes when they are fighting for their lives.”
Brie decided at that moment, she was going to do something for these kids. She had the money to spare after all.
They stayed another half hour and then bid their goodbyes to the children. Brie and Jesse were quiet as they left the hospital and walked back to his truck.
“Thank you for bringing me here, but can I ask you a question? How do you keep doing this?”
His eyes caught hers and his brow furrowed slightly. “What do you mean?”
Brie shrugged. “I watched my mom die of cancer and now seeing these kids…. I don’t know. It just breaks my heart.”
Concern filled Jesse’s eyes and he grabbed Brie’s hand. “I’m sorry about your mom. I didn’t know. I would never have brought you here if I had.”
Brie glanced down at their entwined hands. She could feel heat transferring from his hand and slowly climbing up hers. “I’m glad you did. It put things in perspective, but” she paused and dragged her eyes back up to his, “does it ever get easier?”
Jesse took her other hand and pulled her a little closer, sending a fluttery feeling through her body. What was wrong with her? She wasn’t supposed to be feeling anything for him? He was a means to an end.
“I’d love to tell you it does, but I can’t. In the three years I’ve been doing this, I’ve seen a lot of children recover and go into remission. Those times are amazing because your heart fills with joy for them.” His eyes shifted to the side and he cleared his throat before meeting her gaze again, “But I’ve also seen kids not recover. That’s when I’m glad I have my faith to fall back on. It doesn’t make the present pain any less, but at least I know they’re up in Heaven pain free.”
“You really believe that?”
“I do, and so do millions of others. Brie, if there wasn’t a loving God watching out for us, then what would be the point of us being here? Our whole lives would simply consist of going through the motions until we died. That may sound nice, doing whatever you want, but it’s no life. It has no meaning but believing in Jesus gives meaning to life. During this part, our goal is to strive to be like Him, to show His love to others. But it doesn’t end there. We know there’s something even better after this life. We get to reign with Jesus forever afterwards in a place with no sin. The way God intended it.”
The words were foreign to Brie. Her father had been too busy running his company to ever take her to church, and she didn’t remember going with her mother before she died either. But Jesse’s face was sincere and there was an honest feeling in his words. “Do you think I could come to church with you one day?” She bit the inside of her lip as she waited for his answer.
His eyes twinkled, and he squeezed her hands, sending another fluttery feeling up her arms. “I’d love to take you to church with me. How about this Sunday?”
Brie nodded and stared up at him. They were in a moment and she knew he could feel it too. She parted her lips, willing him to kiss her. She wanted to know if his mouth would elicit a fire into her the way his hands did, but after a moment of his eyes staring into hers, he dropped her hands and opened the truck door for her.
Brie blinked. Had she imagined it then? His attraction? And why wasn’t he falling for her the way other men did? Brie had never had an issue getting a man to kiss her. Until now. Now, she had been turned down by both Kade and Jesse in less than two days. Confused, she climbed up into the truck and folded her hands into her lap. Maybe he was only looking for friendship.
The ride back to her apartment was quiet which made Brie feel worse. She had nothing to do but rehash the feelings and replay the moments over in her head and wonder what went wrong.
When he finally found a parking spot on her street, she reached for her handle, but Jesse stayed her arm. “Wait, Brie, let me walk you up.”
She shook her head, tears pricking her eyes. “No, that’s not necessary.”
“It is because I need to tell you something. Please.”
Brie shrugged and blinked to keep the tears back. “Fine, if you want.”
She stepped out of the truck and waited for him to catch up to her. Then they walked back to her apartment in silence. When they reached her door, she turned to him. “So, what did you need to tell me?”
He stepped toward her and reached his hand around, cupping her neck and tilting her face up. Brie’s breath caught in her throat. “I wanted to tell you that I don’t kiss lightly. When I kiss someone, it means something, and when I first met you, I couldn’t imagine kissing you. But I saw someone different today. Someone I could date, but I want to be sure, do you understand?”
The fingers of his other hand traced her lips, sending chills down Brie’s spine. An intensity blazed in his eyes that threw her heart into overdrive. She had never felt so connected to someone whom she hadn’t kissed. All she could do was nod. Her ability to speak was lost in the feelings between them.
“Good. Now, I’d like to see you again, so how about tomorrow if I don’t get called in?”
“I’d like that,” Brie managed to whisper.
Jesse brushed her lips with his finger one last time before he released her and stepped back. “Then I’ll call you later.” Before she could say anything else, he turned and walked to the elevator. His shoulders and neck were stiff as if he was fighting his own emotion.
Brie leaned against her apartment door and put her hand over her chest. Her heart thudded against it. She had never felt anything like that, and now she was certain that kissing Jesse might not only be explosive but addictive as well.
6
Jesse woke the next morning with Brie on his mind. He hadn’t thought there was anything to her, much less anything that would interest him. But she had been different. Maybe it was having to get a job. Maybe it was meeting the kids. Whatever it was, he had enjoyed spending the day with her yesterday, and he couldn’t wait to see her again today.
Maybe he could take her to the park. He rarely got a chance to take Bugsy to the park a
nd let him spend some energy. And if he was honestly thinking about a relationship with Brie, he needed to know she liked dogs. Or at least his dog.
He rolled over and scratched the Boston Terrier behind the ears. Jesse hadn’t planned on letting a dog share his bed, but Bugsy had never taken to the dog bed Jesse had bought for him. After a few nights of continually putting the dog on the floor and listening to him whine, Jesse had broken down and allowed the dog to sleep on the bed.
Jesse twisted back to glance at the clock on his nightstand, but it didn’t read nine am yet. He refused to call Brie before nine in case she slept in, but surely a text wouldn’t wake her. Unplugging his phone from the charger, he tapped a quick message to her.
Would you care to accompany Bugsy and I to the park today?
He wasn’t expecting a response, but his phone buzzed a moment later.
I’d love to, but I work until four. Can we do dinner instead?
Dinner would work if he could convince her to come to his place. Would she be up for that? Or would she be expecting him to take her to some fancy restaurant? Could he even afford to take her to some fancy restaurant?
Can I cook for you here?
Sure, gotta run.
“Hm, well, all right. I guess maybe she can do down-to-earth things too, Bugsy. Let me get cleaned up and then we’ll run some errands and let you play.”
Bugsy looked up briefly before laying his head back down and closing his eyes. Jesse shook his head as he pushed back the blue comforter and sheets and got out of bed. The dog was barely five but acted like an old man sometimes.
After a shower and a quick breakfast, he loaded Bugsy up in his truck and headed to the store. He rarely had time to run errands during the week and his empty cupboards showed it. His dry cereal would have tasted much better with milk this morning. Not to mention his coffee.
Jesse had opted to live in one of the suburbs of New Jersey instead of New York itself. He liked being close to the city for the entertainment, but he hated the traffic having grown up in rural Montana. Besides, one day he hoped to have a wife and children, and he did not want them growing up in some high-rise apartment without a yard to play in.
He parked in the store lot, glad that the cool air would not only keep Bugsy safe while he was inside but also keep his groceries cold while they played at the park. Jesse loved winter, at least until the snow hindered his job. Then it became an obnoxious dirty mess.
The doors to the store whooshed open and Jesse grabbed a small cart. He had no idea what to fix Brie, but he assumed she ate healthy. Either that or she had an amazing metabolism to stay so thin. So, anything loaded with carbs was probably out. Thankfully, Jesse had once been an amateur boxer, and he knew how to eat healthy. He headed for the vegetable aisle and stocked up on lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and spices. Then he grabbed a package of chicken breasts and a loaf of French bread just in case. With the dinner items in his basket, he grabbed the few other groceries he needed. There was no telling when he’d get another day like this to stock up.
After paying for the groceries, he headed back to his car. Bugsy stood faithfully at the passenger window, his face pressed against the glass. When he saw Jesse, his active tongue licked the window. Jesse shook his head as he loaded the groceries in the bed of the truck. He’d have to wash the windows again, but that was a pretty common occurrence where Bugsy was concerned.
With the bags secured, Jesse climbed back in the truck and headed to the closest park. He pulled into a spot and parked before clicking on Bugsy’s leash and letting the dog out of the truck. Bugsy wasn’t the type to take off like a rocket, but New York had strict leash laws and the last thing Jesse needed was a citation on his record.
The park was rather empty today. A few die-hard runners jogged the nearby track, and some of the park benches were filled with people either reading or glued to their cell phones. Jesse walked Bugsy to the leash free enclosure in the park and removed the leash. Then he grabbed the ball he had shoved in his pocket from the truck and tossed it for the dog. Bugsy was terrible at fetching, but he loved to go after the ball and chew on it.
“Ah, your dog is so cute.”
Jesse turned to see a perky brunette at his side. She held a small white teacup Pomeranian in her arms and a flirtatious expression on her face. He was used to this reaction from women, but never really understood it. What was it about a dog that made a man more attractive to them?
“Uh, thanks. Yours is too.” Jesse did not understand teacup dogs. They required nearly constant supervision and didn’t live half as long as other dogs. However, they appeared to be trendy with the elite of New York.
The girl smiled and nuzzled her tiny dog. “This is Trixie, and I’m Kimber.” She put out her hand, a slender one with perfectly manicured nails.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jesse.” He shook her hand, careful not to squeeze too tightly. She looked fragile, and he didn’t want to break her.
“Wow, you have such strong hands.” She batted her overdone lashes at him, and Jesse tried to suppress his sigh. Why did all the women he met in New York seem like dressed up Barbie dolls to him? Why couldn’t he meet someone down to earth? Like the girls from Montana.
“Yes, well, nice to meet you. I better go rescue his ball before he destroys it.” Jesse flashed a wave and a smile, so as not to appear too rude and then jogged over to where Bugsy was chewing on his ball. “Here boy, let’s try again.” He tugged the ball from the dog’s mouth and threw it farther away to add even more distance between the brunette and himself.
After half an hour of chasing the ball, Bugsy lay down on the ground. “All right, boy, you ready to go back home?” The dog looked up at him and slowly stood back up. Jesse leaned down and lifted Bugsy into his arms. “It’s my fault, boy. I don’t get to exercise you the way I would like. Maybe I’ll see if I can get you a dog walker.”
Jesse carried the dog back to the truck. Before they got home, Bugsy had curled up and fallen asleep on the passenger seat. He let him continue sleeping while he carried the groceries inside and then came back for the dog. Bugsy looked up briefly as he laid him on the couch but quickly closed his eyes again.
Jesse returned to the kitchen to put the groceries away and prep for dinner.
Brie took off her shoes and put her feet in her soaking bath. She’d messed up slightly fewer coffees today, but she still had spent most of the day on her feet, and they were complaining. She wasn’t sure she would be able to do this coffee thing much longer. Unfortunately, her father’s ultimatum echoed in her head. She either had to have a job or a husband at the end of the month.
Her cell phone rang in her pocket, and she fished it out. “Hello?”
“Brie, what are you doing? There is going to be an epic party tonight at this old abandoned warehouse.” Ariel’s voice was chipper and spunky on the other end of the phone. She probably hadn’t done any work today. Brie envied her friend and wondered if she’d ever get back to those carefree days.
“I can’t Ariel. I just got off work, and I’m meeting Jesse tonight.”
“Work? What are you talking about?”
Brie sighed. “I spent too much money last month, and Dad threatened to cut off my supply if I didn’t get a job or get married. Since I had no one to marry right away, I had to get a job.”
“Ugh, that blows. What are you doing?”
“I’m working at the Java Hut. Didn’t you see my posts the other day?” She knew she had been busy, but how had her best friend missed all her social media posts about the job?
“Briefly, but I thought you were just doing some charity thing. I didn’t really pay attention.”
Ariel’s words rubbed like sandpaper. Her best friend hadn’t paid attention? “Well, it wasn’t, and since I needed a job, I figured I might as well find one that would allow me to interact with Jesse as well.”
“Fine. Fine. Go on your date. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”
Brie sighed and rolled her eyes. “I h
ave to work tomorrow, but we’ll catch up soon.”
She hung up the phone and wiggled her toes in the warm water for a moment longer before deciding she needed to get up and take a shower.
An hour later she stood in front of Jesse’s door. He had texted over his address, and Brie had taken a cab to his house. She would have taken one of her father’s limos, but after the credit card fiasco, she feared spending too much of his money. Thankfully, she’d had enough cash lying around to pay for the cab, but she would probably have to ask Jesse for a ride back.
She took a deep breath and rang the bell. From inside the house she heard barking and gripped her purse tighter. She wasn’t a big fan of dogs.
The door swung open and Jesse stood on the other side. At his feet was a Boston Terrier. Brie relaxed. At least it was a small dog. She liked those a little better.
“Hey, I hope you’re hungry.” He stepped back allowing her entrance.
Brie’s stomach rumbled, and she smiled. “I guess I am. I’m pretty sure I worked through lunch.”
“Yep, I do that a lot myself. I’d say you get used to it, but you never really do.”
As he led the way to his kitchen, Brie took in the surroundings. It wasn’t a big place, nothing like her apartment, but it had a homey feel. Though definitely much more masculine. Where she would have had pinks and creams, he had blues and browns. A large pair of deer antlers hung over his fireplace and above that a shelf lined with medals and trophies. She wondered what they were for.
“I wasn’t sure what you eat, you know if you’re on a special diet or anything-”
Brie’s eyebrows arched. “You think I need to diet?”
A soft pink color spread across Jesse’s cheeks, highlighting the row of freckles across his nose. “No, I think you look great, er fine, uh never mind.”
Brie bit back her smile. She enjoyed being able to fluster him, but she didn’t want him to know that.
“Anyway, I have bruschetta chicken, salad, and bread.”
Lawfully Pursued (Christian Opposites Attract Romance): A SWAT Lawkeeper Romance Page 4