by Sadie King
It finally dawns on me why she’s so cross.
“You don’t want them to find out about last night.”
“Would you want to exhibit in a space that was broken into?”
I shake my head. “I guess not.”
“So can you please be discreet and stop scaring the customers?”
I raise my hands in a gesture of surrender. “Fine. I’ll go back to the car.”
“Thank you.”
“But if it looks like you may be in danger in any way, I’ll be straight back in.”
I leave before she can respond and stride back to the car where I take up my vigil.
3
Jacob
It’s later that night when I see her leave the shop with a bag slung over her shoulder and something in her hands. She crosses the road and taps on my window. I wind it down a crack.
“I brought you something to eat.” She holds out a plate with a sandwich on it. “A peace offering.”
I eye the sandwich skeptically. “What kind?”
“Peanut butter and jelly. It’s all I had left in the fridge.”
I pretend to think about it, but my growling stomach gives me away. I wind the window down and take the plate. I take a bite and pretend to chew it thoughtfully, like I’m tasting a gourmet dinner.
“Mmm, strawberry jelly?”
She nods.
“You’re forgiven.”
She reaches into her bag and pulls out a thermos. “I made you some coffee.”
I take it off her gratefully. “Thank you. You’re an angel.”
She leans awkwardly on the side of the car. “Look, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to be prickly.”
“It’s okay. I get it. No one wants a cop hanging around.”
“It’s just that business hasn’t been great.” She bites her lower lip, and I notice the dark circles under her eyes.
“You wanna tell me about it?”
She looks back to her shop. It’s the only one on the street still open.
“I need to get back and do some work.”
“I think you could do with a night off.” She hesitates, and I press on. “How about I buy you a late dinner.”
She looks at me in mock horror. “That sandwich not good enough for you?”
“Oh, this sandwich is great. But I’m a big man. This is just starter size.”
She laughs and seems to relax. “Aren’t you supposed to be watching the shop?”
“Next shift gets here in about an hour. How about you finish up what you’re doing, and I’ll take you out then?”
“Isn’t that against some kind of police code, taking the victim out for dinner?”
She’s right. The Sergeant would have a fit. But I’m drawn to her in a way I can’t explain, and I don’t care if it costs me my job. I don’t tell her this. Instead I say, “I wouldn’t have thought of you as a victim.”
It’s the right thing to say. She stands up taller. “Of course I’m not.”
She thinks about it for a minute and nods. “Sure. I’ll go get something to eat with you.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “I’ll see you here in about an hour.”
Just over an hour later, and we’re sliding into a booth at the local diner. It’s the only one that’s open twenty-four hours a day, and I often stop by after a late shift. I order a steak, and she goes for the chicken wings. I love a girl with a good appetite.
The waitress pours us coffee while we wait for our food.
“So, you wanna tell me about the business?”
She puts down her cup. “It started online. At first, I was just selling my own stuff, but I realized there are so many good jewelry makers out there and we’re all doing this online thing separately. So I wanted to bring them all together in a shop that’s also a gallery.”
I nod. “Sounds like a good idea.”
“I went after the local makers first. We get a lot of tourists through here on their way to the mountains. They want a memento, something that’s made locally that’s a little more personal than a fridge magnet. So I contacted all the small local artists, and it went from there. The gallery gives them an opportunity to exhibit their work and brings people into the shop.”
“Sounds like a good business idea.”
“Except a business comes with overheads.” She takes a sip of her coffee and screws up her face. “I really wanted a shop on the main street, where there’s more foot traffic. But there’s no way I could afford it.”
She sighs and stirs a generous amount of sugar into her coffee.
“Is it not working out as you’d hoped?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “There are so many hidden costs. The insurance is more expensive, the door had to be repaired. I was hoping to repaint the storefront, but it will have to wait. So yeah, if word gets out about the break in, and no one wants to stock their goods, then I’m screwed.”
She rubs her eyes tiredly.
I lay a reassuring hand over hers. “It’s a great idea, and you shouldn’t give up on it.”
Her hand is soft and warm under mine, and I feel something like a warm tingle at the contact. “It’s very brave, opening your own business. You must have known it wouldn’t be easy.”
She nods and doesn’t move her hand from mine. “Yeah, I just didn’t think it would be this hard.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
She shakes her head. “I’ll need to see what the next month brings and if it’s enough to stay afloat. Otherwise I’ll go back to just the online store.”
I frown. The thought of her giving up worries me. There must be some way I can help. “What are your plans for decorating?”
“I was gonna keep it simple. Fresh white paint with ruby red edging to match the logo.”
The food arrives, and I lift my hand off hers to make room for the plates. I thank the waitress, and when I look back at Lexi, she’s got a smile on her face and seems to be sitting taller.
“Anyway,” she says picking up her fork, “enough about my problems. Tell me about you.”
We spend the rest of the meal chatting easily and laughing often. Despite her worries, she obviously enjoys life and is a fun girl to be around.
As the evening ends, I can’t help wondering what I can do to help. I’ve got a lot of connections in town, and there must be some strings I can pull to help her out. As I go to sleep, I decide to start making some quiet inquiries around town to see what I can do.
4
Lexi
As the week goes on, I get used to the constant surveillance. I work late every night, and it’s comforting to know Jacob’s out there watching over me.
We slip into an easy routine. I bring him coffee when he comes on shift, and later when I close up the front of the shop, I bring him a sandwich. They’ve become more elaborate now, with chicken and lettuce and relish. And I do a double portion, so he doesn’t get hungry.
I usually make one for myself as well and sit in the passenger seat to eat it with him. We chat for a while, and he always makes me laugh. It’s a good break for me, and I go back to the studio feeling energized and inspired.
The nights pass with no incident, and when I turn up to work on Friday, I’m surprised to see a ladder out front with Jacob balancing on it with a paint roller.
“What are you doing?” I ask, squinting up at him.
“I’m painting the front of the shop for you.”
“I can see that.” I cross my arms. “Why?”
“You said you needed it done.” He’s got a wide smile on his face and looks pretty pleased with himself. “The paint was donated by my friend who runs the hardware store. He was happy to help another local business.”
I know he’s trying to help, but I can’t help feeling annoyed. “Don’t you think you should have asked me first?”
He comes down the ladder, and I can’t help but appreciate how well the painting overalls show off his thick arms.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
I turn away and slam my key into the lock on the door. “I don’t need any help.”
The smile falls from his face, and he puts down the painting tray and brush.
I push open the door. “I’m perfectly capable of painting the storefront on my own.”
“I know you are. But you don’t need to do it all on your own.”
“I don’t need any help.”
He holds up his hands in surrender. “You don’t want to accept my help, that’s fine. You can wear yourself out doing it all on your own.”
I stand staring at him with my hands on his hips. All my life I’ve done everything on my own. It scares me to have to ask for help, to not be independent.
“I just don’t like you coming into my life and thinking you can run it for me. I don’t need you.” I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth.
His eyes go hard, and he nods slowly. “I understand. You don’t want me around.” He nods and looks away. “I understand. I’ll see you around then, Lexi.”
He crosses the road and walks away without turning back. I slump against the door frame, kicking myself for being so damn stubborn and independent.
It’s later that evening, and I’m sitting at my workshop. I’m using my soldering iron to try to shape a miniature silver rose, but I just can’t concentrate. After another failed attempt, I give up and fling my soldering iron down on the bench.
My mind is playing over the scene from today, and the more I think about it the worse I feel. Jacob was only trying to help, and I behaved like a real jerk.
I lean my elbows on the bench and run my hands through my hair. I’ve been on my own for so long, and I’ve always done everything for myself. It’s hard to get used to the idea of getting help from someone.
I think about Jacob walking away, and I know I need to apologize. I go into the kitchen and open the fridge. It’s going to take an epic sandwich to make this right.
I take my time carefully constructing the perfect sandwich. There’s chicken breast, tomato sliced just right, and I’ve selected the crispiest pieces of lettuce.
I even cut the crusts off and pin a toothpick through the bread to hold it together. I make a fresh flask of coffee and head out to the car.
I knock on the window of the unmarked car, holding the plate in front of me and wearing a contrite expression. The window rolls down and I open my mouth to apologize, but the words catch in my throat.
“Jacob didn’t tell me you did delivery.” A middle-aged balding man grins at me from the driver’s seat.
“Who are you?” I stammer.
“Officer Kregg at your service.” He gives a mock salute.
“Where’s Jacob?”
“He asked to swap shift.”
“Oh,” is all I can say.
“So I’ll be keeping an eye on the street for now.”
I try to smile at him and hope the disappointment doesn’t show, but he’s too busy salivating over the sandwich.
“Kind of you to make that up for me,” he says, licking his lips. “Is it chicken?”
“Yeah,” I say, reluctantly handing over the sandwich.
He takes it off me eagerly and takes a bite. “You don’t happen to have a drink, do ya?” he says with his mouth full.
I pull the thermos out of my shoulder bag.
“Thanks, sweetheart. It’s kind of you.”
“No problem,” I say. “I, ah, better get back to work.”
He grabs the second sandwich and hands me back the plate. “Here, take this.”
I grab the empty plate and slink back across the road. All I can think about is that Jacob asked to be taken off the surveillance. He doesn’t want to see me anymore. I’ve blown it.
5
Jacob
I watch Lexi go into the shop from my position in the alley way. I was furious after we argued today, and the first thing I did was request a shift change. But as night fell, I found myself worrying about her.
Officer Kregg's a decent guy, but he can get distracted. I don’t trust anyone else to keep her safe apart from me. So here I am, hiding in the shadows watching out for her, even though I’m not on shift.
The lights go off in the shop, which means she’s heading out back to work. I crouch in the alleyway and pull my jacket tight. It could be a long night.
It’s a few hours later when I see movement from Kregg's car. He steps out and stretches, his shirt riding up over his paunch, mouth open in a yawn. I check my watch. It’s almost 1:00 a.m., and I haven’t seen Lexi leave yet. Damn, she works too hard.
Kregg slams his car door shut and strolls around to the pavement. There’s a small triangle of greenery, and I wrinkle my nose in disgust as he relieves himself up against a tree. He zips himself up and scratches his belly, then looks around thoughtfully.
I can almost tell what he’s thinking as his eyes gaze wistfully towards the main street where the only 24-hour diner in town is. He looks back to the shop and makes his decision. He heads off in the direction of the diner.
I let out an angry breath. He shouldn’t be leaving his post. I watch him go, silently fuming.
A few minutes later, I realize I’m not the only one watching.
As soon as Kregg disappears around the corner, a figure creeps out from the shadows of a nearby street. I tense as I watch the person cross the road and stop in front of Lexi’s shop.
He must have known we had the place under surveillance. He’s been watching all week and waiting for his opportunity.
Silently, I pull out my phone and text a message to HQ asking for backup. When I look up from my phone, he’s got his hands in the air. I realize he’s holding a brick at the same time as he smashes it through the window.
Suddenly I realize that if he’s been watching all week, he knows Lexi’s in there, and he must be prepared for her.
I race out of my hiding place as he dives into the shop. There’s the smashing of more glass, and then I hear a woman scream.
“Lexi!” I call out, my heart racing.
I raise my hands over my face as I push through the broken glass. It’s dark in the shop, but I can make out the shape of Lexi lying on the floor.
“Lexi!”
As I move towards her, I catch a movement out of the corner of my eye. I spin around, dodging to the left just as the brick whistles past my head. My arm shoots out, and I knock the man off balance. He falls to the ground, and I’m right on top of him.
He twists around and hooks an arm around my neck, squeezing my windpipe. I can’t breathe, but I manage to dig my elbow into his chest.
He loosens his grip and I spin around, landing the force of my body on him. He twists under me and tries to scramble away, but I grab his arms and dig a knee into his back. With my other hand I grab the handcuffs from my back pocket and read him his rights as I slap them on him.
As soon as he’s neutralized, I leave him gasping on the floor and turn to Lexi.
She’s sitting up, huddled by one of the display cabinets.
“Are you okay?” I ask, crouching in front of her.
She looks up at me with wide eyes.
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “He tried to hit me with the brick, and I dodged out of the way, but I slammed into the display case and fell over.”
“Did you pass out? You might be concussed.”
“I don’t think so.”
“We’ll get someone to look you over just in case.”
She looks so vulnerable, so scared that I pull her towards me and hold her in my arms. She’s trembling and so I run my hands over her, making soothing noises until I feel her relax. As she relaxes, the shock subsides and she starts to sob.
“I thought you’d abandoned me,” she says between sobs.
I take her tear-stained face in my hands. “Never,” I say, and I mean it. “I’ll never leave you ever again.”
I sit with her until the medical team arrive
s, and I stay by her side as they check her over.
I identify the perp as Travis, the guy with the scar who skipped bail. I hand him over to my colleague to take him in. It should be my victory, but I’m too concerned about Lexi to care.
The medical team say she’s fine, just in a bit of shock. I get her a coffee and a sandwich, and soon she’s back to her usual sassy self.
“I’m going to take you home now,” I tell her. “The medical team may not think you need overnight observation, but I do.” She opens her mouth to argue, and I cut her off.
“I’m going to take you home, tuck you into bed, and then I’ll pull up a chair and keep watch until you wake up.”
She opens her mouth again, and I hold up my hand. “No arguments.”
She nods. “Can I just say...?”
“No. This is no time to be miss independent. I’m looking after you, and that’s final.”
She smiles. “Okay, okay. It’s only... I don’t want you to sit in a chair. I want you to snuggle up next to me in the bed.”
My mouth drops open. The thought of her warm body pressed against mine causes a smile to spread across my face and my dick to twitch in my pants.
“I’m sure I can take that into consideration. But the doctor said no more excitement tonight, so it’s strictly spooning.”
She laughs. “Spooning sounds good to me.”
6
Lexi
I wake up from a deep sleep feeling more rested then I have in weeks. I fell asleep with Jacob’s strong arms around me, and I smile thinking about how good it felt.
I roll over, but the other side of the bed’s empty.
“Morning sleepy head.” He’s sitting in the armchair by the door nursing a mug of steaming coffee.
“Morning.” I’m suddenly aware of my disheveled hair and puffy eyes, and I flop back onto the pillows.