Last Chance

by Natalie Ann

  Though she’d said all along she wasn’t bringing him upstairs tonight, she was slowly starting to change her mind. She was close to voicing that when his phone rang.

  “Sorry. I need to get this,” he said once he looked at it. “It’s the dispatch office.”

  He answered the phone, listened on the other end, gave a quick affirmation, then hung up. “I really hate to cut this night short, but I’ve got to deal with something.”

  “Anything serious?” she asked, getting off his lap, her body cooling instantly with a ton of regret.

  “Not anything that I really need to deal with, but it’s one of those things that’s better if I do.”

  “Meaning what?”

  “Two of my neighbors, well, two people on my street, have been going at it for twenty years. Things quiet down for a while and then they start back up. They’re always accusing the other of breaking their fences, or stealing flowerpots, even stealing food out of the gardens. Petty shit that drives me and the rest of the street insane, but someone has to keep them in line, and everyone looks to me to do it to keep the peace.”

  “You’re getting called away for that?” she asked, grinning.

  “Hey, the life of a small town chief of police. Don’t knock it,” he said, kissing her quickly. She was glad it wasn’t something she had to worry about him getting hurt doing.

  “So what is it this time?” she asked as she followed him to her front door and watched as he slid his sneakers on. If she looked at his thighs flexing over the motion, she wasn’t saying.

  “This time the Jacksons’ grandson was riding his skateboard in the shared driveway and scratched the Parkers’ old Buick.”

  She felt her lips twitch. “I’m sorry.”

  “Go on, you can laugh. I’ll go there and play peacemaker. Tell them it was an accident and the old Buick isn’t even worth as much as the kid’s skateboard.”

  She burst out laughing. “You wouldn’t say that.”

  “No, but I’ll be thinking it. I’ll come up with a more tactful way to phrase it before I get there.”

  “I like that tact that you’ve got. Might be a nice thing to learn.”

  “I think you’ve got more than you want to give yourself credit for.”

  She grinned at him, then tilted her head, and said, “My door is open if you want to come back, but I’m sure since it’s on your street, you’ll just want to go home.”

  “I’d love to come back. The problem is, you’re being wishy washy again and I don’t want you to regret that in the morning.”

  She felt her jaw drop, then closed it. He was right. So very right. She said she wouldn’t do that, and she was. Worse, he’d figured it out. “How about Sunday night?”

  “You’re having a family dinner on Sunday,” he reminded her.

  “I am. It’s an early dinner. But I’ll make sure I’m home early enough for you.”

  He gave her one more kiss, and said, “If you get home on Sunday and still feel that way, then give me a call. I’ll get here as fast as I can.”

  “Don’t go breaking any speed limits.”

  “I’m the chief of police. No one will stop me,” he said, tweaking her hair, then walking out the door.

  No Pushover

  The next day Riley was reorganizing her closet again, trying to find the best way to have it make sense, when she heard her doorbell ring.

  Rather than run downstairs, she grabbed her phone and pulled up the app to see who was at her front door. She loved all the security that this development offered.

  When she saw it was her parents, she ended up running down the stairs as fast as she could anyway, and yanked the door open. “Mom, Dad, what you doing here?” she asked, first hugging her mother, then her father.

  Her mother laughed and said, “We figured we’d stop here first, because once we get to Max’s, I don’t think your father will release Jocelyn long enough to come here to see your place.”

  “Dad,” Riley said, looking at the slight blush on his face. “Are you going to replace me with another favorite girl?”

  “Never,” he said.

  Her father had always joked with her, but not like he had in the past ten years. She found she was happier knowing she got to experience his softer side later in life, rather than when she was a teen, when she might have taken advantage of it and been disrespectful. Instead, she’d learned to respect her parents and was thankful for the relationship they had now because of it.

  “Come on in. Let me show you around.”

  Her parents came in and took their shoes off. She didn’t have to ask, they knew. Then again, they were the same way. “I love the colors. They suit you well. Calm and cool. Soothing, even.”

  “You never thought I was soothing,” she told her mother.

  “No, but you’ve always been calm and cool.”

  She was glad her parents thought that. And that they still saw it. It let her know she was getting back to the way she used to be, or at least getting better at hiding that she wasn’t.

  “You can’t run a successful business being a hothead, right, Dad?”

  “So you learned something from me after all,” he said, smiling at her.

  She’d walked them through her entire house, which didn’t take long, then offered them a drink while they relaxed in the shade on her little patio.

  “What’s this I hear you’re dating the chief of police?” her father asked.

  She looked over at her mother sharply, who only grinned back at her. She couldn’t remember the last time her father questioned her about anyone she dated until she actually brought them home. Even then, it wasn’t until she’d been with someone for months on end.

  “We’ve been on two dates. He’s nice. Sweet. Nothing at all like I’d expect of someone in law enforcement. Doesn’t throw his weight around and has a ton of respect in the community.”

  “So you can walk all over him?” her father said.

  She wanted to take offense at that, but couldn’t. It was true that a lot of her exes were more mild mannered. They let her take the lead in the relationship and she’d thought she’d like that. She found she absolutely didn’t. At least not fully. Only, no matter how hard she tried, she always ended up in those situations.

  “Not really. He’s laid back, but no pushover.” She felt that deep down. He wasn’t pushy, but he wasn’t going to be pushed around, either.

  “Might do you good if you had someone that stood up to you,” her mother said.

  “We both know it wouldn’t,” Riley said, forcing a smile. It was best to change the subject now. She hated talking about her personal life, even with her parents. “Would you like something to eat? Can I get you some snacks to go with your drink?”

  “We’re good. We stopped for lunch about two hours ago. I’m still stuffed,” her mother said. “Besides, your father is holding out for dinner tonight.”

  Riley smirked. “I sure do miss Quinn’s cooking. Max is one lucky man.”

  Her mother nodded. “Well, maybe you just found your lucky man.”

  She wasn’t about to let her brain go there.

  ***

  “What’s this I hear? You’re seeing some new dentist in town?” Freddie, one of his officers asked.

  The last thing he’d wanted to do was go into work on a Saturday morning, but he had to file an official report of last night’s episode—and it was an episode, not an incident in his mind—on his street and he wasn’t about to do it at ten last night when he finally got the Jacksons and Parkers calmed down.

  “She’s great. Has a calming presence to her and is quick, too.”

  Freddie just laughed. “Yeah, that’s good to know. But I wasn’t talking about her seeing your teeth, but you personally.”

  He should have known it’d get out at some point. Not that it was a secret by any means. “And you know this how?”

  “A friend of Terri’s lives in the development. She saw your vehicle there. Since she knew about the Sanders’ st
olen tools, she wondered if something was wrong.”

  Freddie’s wife, Terri, was a big gossip in town, and she knew darn well there were no stolen tools involved. “Nothing wrong. Nothing for anyone to worry about.”

  “I wasn’t sure, so when I came in this morning, I looked for a log of any reports and there was nothing, just like you’re saying.” Freddie scratched his chin. “I signed in and looked at the security footage for the development and didn’t see anything that stood out there, either.”

  “There was nothing to see,” Trevor repeated. Nothing more than he was at Riley’s for a few hours and then left frustrated over the call he got. He was glad that he used some restraint and didn’t go back to her place like he’d desperately wanted to. It was probably a good thing it took him a few hours to straighten out the mess on his street.

  “You might want to let others know going forward if your SUV is going to be there more often.”

  “Guess I don’t have much of a choice, since we know watching security tapes isn’t part of the contract we have unless something is reported.”

  It was a firm reminder, but he wasn’t sure it’d be adhered to.

  ***

  Sunday morning proved more of the same for Riley. She didn’t get one step in the door before Max pulled her aside and said, “You didn’t say you were seeing someone.”

  “I didn’t know I had to report back to you that I was.” Wow, talk about interference. She’d needed some family support moving here, but didn’t expect it to come in this form.

  She could tell Max looked conflicted, which wasn’t normal for him. He hesitated a few minutes and finally said, “Trevor seems like a decent guy. He did good by us when we had trouble a few years ago.”

  “He said he knew you. I hadn’t realized he was the one who took care of things back then. He said something about the break in, but that’s all.”

  “He did. He’s got a way about him. An understated authority, for lack of better words. I’m not sure he’s someone you can walk all over, though,” Max said, tugging on her hair.

  She was kind of sick of everyone labeling the guys she dated, even if it was the truth. “I don’t have any intention of walking all over anyone. I never did before, either.”

  “Sometimes the best intentions still fail us in the end. I know that better than anyone,” Max said.

  She knew Max had a hard time with his ex-wife. The divorce was difficult, and he’d held on longer than most should have years ago, trying to keep his family together. “But that failure brought you so much happiness now.”

  “You’re right, it did. I forgot how smart you really are.”

  She laughed. “I don’t know why everyone seems to misplace that piece of knowledge.”

  “Probably because they can’t get past your pretty face.”

  “Can I help it if I was blessed with brains and beauty? Everyone should be so lucky.”

  Max put his arm around her. “And a father and brother that are plastic surgeons that steer you to what helps with that complexion.”

  “Shhh, that’s my secret. No one needs to know that.”

  “Anyone who knows you knows your beauty is more than surface, even if you’ve enhanced it a little.”

  She slapped his arm. “Not one needle has touched my face and you know it. Don’t you be spreading lies.”

  “No needles,” he agreed. “But lasers and some of the best products money could buy, though.”

  “Maybe my brother shouldn’t have given me all those samples to try and got me hooked,” she said back. “Or sent me all the articles on new procedures he was doing in his office that no one would even know were being done an hour after they were completed.”

  “Guilty.” He kissed the top of her forehead. A move he hadn’t done in years, and as annoyed as she wanted to be over this conversation, she really couldn’t be. “Let’s go eat. Quinn is making Dad’s favorite.”

  “Beef Wellington,” she said, suddenly starving. “What are my chances of getting my hands on Jocelyn?”

  “With Mom and Dad here? Slim to none. You’ll have to settle with Lara and Davy.”

  “I can handle that. Lara and I need some bonding time.”

  Max stopped and looked at her. “You’re a good sister, Riley. Thank you for noticing that Lara might be feeling left out right now with all the attention on the baby.”

  She had noticed it when she was staying there. And she tried her hardest to include Lara as much as she could, but she’d been so busy with work and getting her house ready. “Maybe I need to take Lara to the spa with me. Pedicures and manicures.”

  “Great. Get her started on that real early. Just what I need,” Max said, grimacing.

  “It’s still cheaper than the products you got me started on. I just need to find a good place to go,” Riley said.

  “Amber’s sister works at a spa as a masseuse,” Max said. “Which reminds me, I should get a package for Quinn. She could use some pampering.”

  “You’re a good brother, too. A great husband. What’s the place called? Do you remember?”

  “Yeah. It’s called Kennedy’s.”

  Riley grinned, her eyes lifting. “Perfect. I’ll call on Monday.”

  Keep Her That Way

  Sunday night, Riley was driving home thinking of calling Trevor. Anticipating it more than anything.

  Since the “relationship” was out in the open with her family, she figured they’d want to meet him at some point this week. But she wasn’t willing to even consider that right now. Two dates and a lot of kissing wasn’t an invitation for meeting the folks. Not in her eyes, at least.

  Besides, Max knew Trevor, kind of. And he was able to settle her parents’ minds. Which was surprising to her, because her parents never worried before and she couldn’t help but wonder why they were now.

  Unfortunately, on her way home, she came upon a pretty nasty accident forcing her to stop and wait until traffic could pick up. The closer she got, the nastier everything looked. The guardrails were all ripped off the side of the road, debris everywhere, and it looked as if multiple cars were involved.

  She heard sirens coming behind her and saw another ambulance added to the one ahead, then another fire truck. There didn’t seem to be a fire, but a lot of equipment.

  At the moment, it appeared she was stuck and wasn’t sure if she should try to turn around or not. The problem was, she didn’t know another way to get to her house if she did turn around and reception was sketchy here. Her only choice was to go back to the lake and wait it out at Max’s, or sit in the car here.

  She was inching her way closer to the officers when she saw Trevor talking to a State Trooper. He nodded at the tall man and jogged over to her quickly. “Hey. I can’t tell you how much my heart sank when I heard this come over the scanner ten minutes ago and worried you might have been on the road.”

  That warmed her more than she thought it would. “Aside from being stuck in traffic, I’m fine. I’m guessing you’re going to be busy for a while.”

  He snorted. “Yeah. It could be hours before this is all straightened out. We’ve got ambulances figuring out where to send people and I’m calling in road crews. I’ll be on site until the road is safe again.”

  “I understand. I’m bummed, but really hope everyone is okay. Is there another way for me to get home, or should I just go back to Max’s?”

  “There’s another way, but it’s around the lake and through another town.”

  “It’s better than sitting here for hours, or waiting it out at Max’s,” she said. The longer she stayed there, the more comfortable her family felt about questioning her on things she’d rather not talk about.

  “Got something for me to write on?” he asked. She handed over a pad and pen she had in her glove box and he wrote down directions. “Here you go. Sorry about this,” he said.

  “Nothing to be sorry about at all. Go do your thing. I’m not going anywhere.”

  ***

  Trevor watch
ed her pull away and walked back over to Cole McGuire.

  “So that’s Max’s sister?”

  Nothing got by anyone in this town. He was going to ask how Cole knew but then remembered Max was business partners with Cole’s sister, Celeste. “It is. How’d you guess?”

  “She looks like her brother. She drives a sweet vehicle that not too many locals around here have. And it’s been the talk of the town.”

  “The town?” Trevor asked.

  “Well, a small group of people in town,” Cole said, smirking.

  “That small group would be Max and Celeste.”

  “And Rene, too.”

  Trevor stopped for a second. Rene was Cole’s significant other. The mother of his son. His fiancée or whatever people were calling it now. He only knew that because Cole and he grew up together and people in this town liked to flap their lips about inconsequential dribble.

  “Why is Rene talking about it?”

  Cole laughed and slapped his big hand on Trevor’s back. “I thought you knew all the gossip in town.”

  “I’m on top of most of it. The important stuff, at least.” If there was such a thing as important gossip.

  “Rene works for Max. You’re dating Max’s sister. Riley’s been in the office a few times so the girls all know her.”

  “Six degrees of separation,” Trevor said, frowning.

  “That’s Lake Placid for you.”

  Trevor watched Cole walk away. He was a decent-enough guy. They got along well and had a mutual respect for each other now. They’d worked together plenty of times with Cole piloting the chopper for search and rescue in this area.

  Not like their fathers. The two of them butted heads more times than he could count. That was probably why he and Cole weren’t real close growing up, even though they were in the same class. They’d played sports together and ran in the same crowds, but never hung out otherwise.

  Thankfully, they both seemed to be different than their fathers back then and even now. Didn’t matter though, they both fought for the same team and in Trevor’s eyes that made them one.