by KL Donn
“I don’t think it’s a very good idea, Reed,” I say.
2
Reed
It’s been two days since I kissed my new neighbor. Two days since I’ve seen her. Two days since I’ve had a woman turn me down for the first time in my life.
I don't consider myself a playboy or ladies’ man, but I have always gone after what I want when I want it.
And I fucking want Hope Carson desperately. But she’s filled with secrets I can’t decipher.
After working nightshift for so long, I’m relieved to be back on days. Getting used to the hours this time was a hell of a lot more difficult than ten years ago as a rookie beat cop.
When I decided to pursue a career in law enforcement, I knew I wanted to patrol near beaches, in the warmth, but not too far away from my family. Florida turned into the perfect location. For nearly a decade, I’ve called Jacksonville home.
Building a family of my own here has always been in the plan, and until a couple of days ago, I was still looking for the right girl.
The day Hope Carson walked into my life, the world shifted, and she appears in every image where I can picture my wife, the mother of my children. And even though I feel slightly foolish at having these feelings for her when I know nothing about her, I intend to succeed at making my dreams a reality.
Starting with a carrot muffin and tea. It’s what my partner’s wife suggested I bring her. Especially since it’s now almost dinner.
Shit, maybe I should have just brought dinner. She couldn’t reject me then.
Noticing an unfamiliar car in her driveway, I still knock on the door. When one of the big guys from her moving team answers, I try to figure out if he’s the brother or the friend. I refuse to imagine she has a boyfriend already.
“Who are you?” the man barks out.
Knowing I need to play nice here, I bite back the retort on my tongue and answer nicely. “Reed. I’m Hope’s neighbor. She home?”
He steps back and allows me to enter, only to be stopped by the other beast of a man. “What do you want with Hope?” He’s just as direct too.
“How about you get her, and I’ll discuss that with her.” Just because I intend to play nicely with the obviously protective men in her life doesn’t mean I’ll allow them to walk all over me either.
“Hey, Luca, do you think you could come with me to– Reed.” As soon as I hear her voice, my eyes search her out. Watching her descend the stairs in a pair of cotton shorts and another baggy sweatshirt, her hair a mess on top of her head, I’m struck by her beauty all over again. “What are you doing here?” She hesitantly walks down the last two steps and stops.
“Well,” I push past the two men trying to block me and hold out my offerings. “My partner's wife suggested a muffin and tea as a peace offering. However, I’m regretting not getting dinner because I’m starving.”
“A peace offering?” Her brows furrow as she looks down at my hands. “For what?” I can hear the two men behind me whispering as they watch us.
“The other day, me being a jerk. Kissing you.”
“Kissing? When the fuck did he kiss you?” one of them asks, interrupting me.
“I’d really like to spend some time with you, Hope.” She’s still staring at the offering in my hands.
“I’d really like to know why you’re kissing my sister,” the same man demands.
Turning my head, I come face-to-face with the bigger one, who was inside. So this is the brother. “It usually happens when there’s a mutual attraction.” I smirk at his dropped jaw.
“There’s no attraction, asshole. Hope doesn’t–”
“Luca!” Shame enters his face at his sister’s cry.
Staring down at Hope, she tries to hide her face, but I can tell she’s upset and likely trying to hide her tears again. There is a lot more going on here than I first imagined, and I’m determined to get to the bottom of it.
“Hey.” I lift her chin with a knuckle. “Ain’t nothing to be upset about here.” She shakes her head.
Grabbing her hand, I gently tug her over to the small dinette in her kitchen and pull out a chair for her. When she sits, I place the muffin and tea on the table and sit across from her.
“Give it a try. It comes from Tillie’s sister’s bakery on the boardwalk. All-natural, everything from scratch and all that jazz.” I grin, trying to get her to return the gesture.
She doesn’t, but she does take a sip of the tea.
“Tillie?” I perk up at her inquisitive question. She’s showing interest.
“My partner Colby’s wife. She’s always bringing in treats from Peyton’s bakery. We’d all be fat if it weren’t for the fact it’s all healthy.”
“What kind of tea?” Hope asks quietly, sliding a sad look to her brother before refocusing on me.
“A peach, lavender, chamomile concoction or something. It’s her own recipe.”
Her eyes close as she takes a tiny sip, and the smile that graces her face is far more erotic than any experience I’ve ever had. It’s satisfying and filled with pleasure. Knowing I gave her this little slice of heaven is an aphrodisiac.
“Reed, can I talk to you for a sec?” Luca interrupts our moment, and from the anxious look on Hope’s face, I want to kick his ass.
“Sure,” I reply. "I’ll be right back,” I tell Hope and stride towards Luca and his friend, following them outside.
When he tries to close the door behind us, I push it back open. Hope doesn’t need to be locked out, or in, rather, and I have a suspicion that’s happened quite a bit in her life.
Raising his hands, Luca backs off.
“Look, Hope is different. She’s not like other women. You can’t play with her.” His instinct to protect his sister is admirable.
“I don’t intend to. I’m not a player. I don’t sleep around, and not that it’s any of your business, but she’s a big girl. She can make her own decisions.” I cross my arms, waiting for whatever it is he really wants to say to me.
“Just don’t break her fucking heart. She’s had enough of that in her short life.” I nod. I can respect his desire to protect Hope, but she has me now. I’ll do the protecting from now on.
“Anything I should know about?”
“Nah, man. Everything you need to know should come from her. When she trusts you, she’ll spill.” We shake hands, and I watch as he and his friend walk away with a wave to Hope before I head back inside.
“So, what were you going to ask Luca to do?” I grin when I see she’s finished her tea and muffin. Providing for her, even in a small way, is one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done.
Hope
I thought, for a minute, Luca was going to kick Reed out. I’m not sure how to be around so many alpha males, and I think Reed usurps them all.
Staring at Reed as I ponder how to answer his question, I’m quickly lost in his rakish looks. His hair is a mocha brown and just long enough to run my fingers through. His eyes match, appearing like melted chocolate and filled with compassion and excitement. His full lips are perpetually quirked in a sexy smile with just the hint of a dimple showing in his chin.
He’s tall, too; well over six feet and overshadows my short, five-foot three-inch frame. The way he’s watching me now has butterflies exploding in my belly that are much different than the little peanut I’m carrying.
“Hope?” I love how he says my name with a little possessive growl, like he owns it. Or maybe me? “Earth to Hope.” His husky chuckle as he waves a hand in front of my face has me shaking my head.
“Sorry. Daydreaming, I guess.” Swallowing, I try to stall and think of a response. I don’t want to lie to him, but I can’t tell him the truth either. “I was going to go shopping for a new bookshelf, and I needed Luca’s help to carry it to the car and into the house.” My chin tries to wobble from the lie, but I force a smile in its place.
“I’ll do it. We can get dinner too.” Reed doesn’t give me a chance to agree or protest before
gripping my much smaller hand in his overly large one and pulling me along behind him to the door. “We’ll take my truck in case it’s too big for your SUV.”
Snatching my purse and house keys off the pedestal table by the front door, I get the locks turned, and we’re in his truck in minutes, heading to the furniture store.
I was supposed to be shopping for the baby’s bedroom set. Crib, dresser, rocking chair, change table, now, I’m getting a bookshelf that I doubt I’ll ever use.
“Where do you want to eat?”
“Anywhere is fine.” I feel sick about lying to him. I’m not sure I’ll eat much anyway.
“St. John's Town Center okay with you? It’s got food and shopping.” I nod as he drives. I’m not much for small talk, but Reed seems to enjoy it. “Are you from Jacksonville?”
I shake my head as I answer. “Daytona Beach.”
“I’m originally from Queens. My parents are still there. We’re a very Greek family. My brother Theo is up in West Virginia. Works for some special ops team or something. I’m sure whichever of us settles down first, our parents will be moving close by.” Watching as he speaks, the smile on his lips, his relaxed nature, I can see he loves his family very much.
“Luca moved here a few years ago to start his own company. I only recently followed.” My morose tone gives away my sadness, and Reed reaches over to where I’m sitting and squeezes my thigh.
“What do you do for work?” I freeze, not anticipating that question.
“Uhm, I just graduated from college. I was an art history major.” I’ve always been fascinated with sculptures. Never good enough to create my own, I’ve always wanted to be the curator of an art gallery. My plans are on hold now.
“What is an art history major, exactly?” When he asks, I have trouble discerning his tone between sarcasm and curiosity.
“It’s boring, really.” I choose to give the bare facts. “I studied and analyzed works of art, learning the history of the pieces as well as the criteria for what makes one unique or a rip-off.”
“Do you create your own pieces of art?” The road sign for the mall is close, and I’m watching him like a hawk, trying to understand his line of questioning.
“No, I was never incredibly talented or coordinated enough to create anything worth saving. I’d like to curate for a gallery or a museum one day, though.”
“I doubt you weren’t good enough. You just didn’t have the proper encouragement. We’ll work on that.” The way he says that makes me believe he envisions some sort of future for us. Placing a hand on my belly as he backs into a parking space, I know there can’t be.
Reed is all about family. Why would he want the baby of a single mother who doesn’t even share their DNA?
I’m going to get hurt.
Pushing the negative thought to the back of my mind, I decide to enjoy this one evening with Reed. The way he smiles, how he always puts me first. When he opens the truck door and helps me down, I fall into his chest, and if it weren’t for the baby doing a flip, I think he would have kissed me. But I pulled away too quickly.
“Burgers?” I blurt out instead.
“MShack?” I nod in response. They have the thickest shakes.
Sitting down to eat, I see the way people stare at Reed, with lust and interest in their eyes. But I don’t believe he notices. Anytime I sneak a look towards him, his eyes are always on me.
The hairs on my arms stand up when he speaks, and when he touches me, sliding a finger down my arm, caressing my cheek, I could get lost in the feelings he’s beginning to evoke in me.
Because of my disorder, dating has never piqued my interest. I've had no idea how to approach a man, let alone read how he feels about me, but Reed makes me want to.
In a lot of ways, I wish some things could be different, but I wouldn’t change my situation for the world. Not for anyone.
I just hope he can forgive me when he finds out the truth.
3
Reed
Every cop I know savors the uneventful days on the job. We relish in them because it means we’re doing our jobs, and the citizens are safe. The downside is that it also means a twelve-hour tour feels like twenty-four.
I’m halfway through my day of working on a ton of paperwork I need to catch up on, and all I can think about is Hope. The way she smiles, laughs, even when she’s not sure when to laugh. It wasn’t until after we’d eaten and been in two stores that she relaxed around me last night.
We talked about nothing overly important but enough for me to get an understanding of who she is. She loves comedy movies, drama TV shows, and romance books. She’d like to travel to Iceland one day to see the northern lights. After watching a documentary about it, she became fascinated. Other than that, Hope is a simple girl just looking to live a quiet life.
We didn’t talk much about our romantic lives because it seemed to make her uncomfortable when I asked her about family and the future. But I get the feeling she hasn’t dated too much, and I think that can be attributed to her shyness. I also made it clear to her that I was single and interested. Her ruddy blush afterwards was endearing.
When we returned home, she was too tired to stay up for me to put the shelf together, so I promised to do it tonight and managed to snag her cell number. That alone felt like a victory. I sent her a message a few minutes ago to ask how she’s feeling, and the wait for an answer is killing me.
When I do finally hear my phone ding, I’m disappointed to see it’s my brother, Theo.
Theo: Any cabin rentals down there you recommend?
Contemplating his question, I recall my captain has one he often lets our squad use when we need some R&R.
Me: I might. What’s up?
Theo: My girl needs space from life here. Need somewhere quiet.
Me: The shooting at the college?
Theo: And so much fucking more…
Standing up, I stride towards my captain’s office. “Got a sec?” I ask.
Looking up from his computer, he waves me in. “What’s up, Burkhart?”
“Anyone using the cabin this weekend?” I’ve never asked, so he perks up.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. My brother’s girl was involved in the shooting we heard about last week, and he wants to get her out of town for a bit. Give her a place to regain some perspective.”
Without a word, he opens his desk drawer and tosses me a set of keys. “It’s theirs as long as they need it. You know the address?”
“I do. Thanks, man.” I text Theo as I walk back to my desk.
Me: I’ve got a place. About an hour away. When you coming?
Theo: This weekend.
Me: I’ll see you there with the keys.
Theo: Thanks bro.
While I’m excited to reconnect with my brother, I’m a little worried about his girl. I know who Lola is because he’s talked to me about her so much, and last week, he called to say things were finally happening for them, but that she was in a bad place after her friend's death. Now I worry if she’ll be ready for my brother. And parents.
My phone dings again, and I expect it to be Theo this time. I’m pleased to see it’s not.
Pretty Girl: Hi Reed, I’m feeling better. Thank you for asking.
Me: Glad to hear it. Still up for tonight?
Pretty Girl: Yes. I have an appointment late in the afternoon, but I’ll stop for Chinese food on my way home and come get you. If that’s okay? If you’re busy, that’s fine.
I shake my head at her answer.
Me: I’m coming pretty girl, wild horses couldn’t keep me away.
Pretty Girl: See you at 7. Bye Reed.
Me: See you soon pretty girl.
Anticipation motivates me to continue on with my paperwork, and I have it on my captain's desk in record time. As I glance up at the clock, I see it’s time to head home, and I’m grateful that no emergency calls have me running to a crime scene instead.
Locking the drawers of my desk, I grab
my truck keys and head out, saying goodnight to Colby as he’s on the phone.
The evening sky is clear, and the streets are quiet as I pull out of the parking garage and into traffic. Enjoying the leisurely drive home, my mood changes when I see a familiar car parked in front of my house. Glad to see Hope’s car gone, I try to hide my annoyance as I pull into the driveway.
Slamming my vehicle's door shut, I glare at Carla—my ex that won’t let go and pops up every now and again. Usually between boyfriends and in need of cash. We haven’t been together in over two years now, but she’s like a bad weed that just won’t go away.
“What do you want, Carla?” I snap, unlocking the door.
“Don’t be like that, Reed. Aren’t you glad to see me?” She purrs the words like we’re long-lost lovers. My menacing glower stops her from grabbing my arm like she was going to. “Can we talk, please?” A word I don’t think I’ve ever heard her say.
“Five minutes,” I bark as the door opens. “Stay here. Don’t wander. Don’t come in, and for fuck’s sake, don’t touch a damn thing.” Ignoring her dourness, I take the stairs two at a time to lock my weapon in the safe on my night table before changing shirts and rushing back downstairs.
“Three minutes left.”
“But you were upstairs and told me not to move,” she huffs out.
“Two and a half.”
Stomping her foot, she begins to talk as I go to the kitchen for a glass of water. “Braden and I broke up. He kicked me out.” I raise a brow. I don’t know why she thinks I care. “Can’t we just try again? We were so good together, Reed.” She puts on a pouty face that, once upon a time, I found sexy. Now she just looks like she’s got something in her eye.
“No. One minute.” I hear Hope’s car drive up, and I’m eager to get this viper out before Hope thinks there’s something going on.
“Please, Reed. I never stopped loving you, you know.” There’s a knock on the door before I can say anything.
“Time’s up. Leave.”