by Andria Large
GAME
WARDENS:
Jayme & Tripp
By: Andria Large
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
Game Wardens: Jayme & Tripp
Copyright © 2019 by Andria Large.
All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, scanned, distributed, or used in any manner whatsoever, via the Internet, electronic, or print, without the express written permission of the authors, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For more information, or information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the author: http://www.AuthorAndriaLarge.com
Edited by: Sarah Waizenegger & Stacy Flanary
Cover Design by: Andria Large
First Edition, 2019
Please note: Andria Large acknowledges the copyrighted items named in the novel, Game Wardens: Jayme & Tripp. The author does not own the right to the products, songs, or brands that are mentioned in this story.
Also by Andria Large:
The Beck Brothers Series:
Henry
Sebastian
Quinn
Christian
A Beck Valentine (novella)
A Beck Halloween (novella)
Renegade Series:
Sweet Renegade
Wild Renegade
A Taboo Love Series:
Hey There, Delilah…
Unmasking Charlotte
Crossing The Line
Steeling Parker (novella)
Standalones:
Hammer & Nails
How To Save A Life
How To Save Love
War Wounded
From War To Forever
What If I Stay
Finding Gunnar
A Country Song For Christmas (novella)
To Love Again
Love & Hockey
Game Wardens: Jayme & Tripp
BLURB
Texas Game Warden, Jayme Flanagan never expected his ex-wife to turn into an evil, conniving bitch. He also never expected to fall in love with a man, but that's exactly what happened after he got introduced to rookie, Tripp Littrell. As Jayme's ex-wife put him through the wringer, Tripp was there to keep him sane.
Tripp was pleasantly surprised when he got partnered with someone as sexy as Jayme. Jayme had never been with a man before, that is, until Tripp showed him what it was like. Tripp was fine with their casual messing around, until Jayme got shot; then he could no longer deny that he had fallen in love with the other man. Would Jayme admit that he loved him too? Or would they have to end what seemed like the perfect relationship?
Table of Contents
Copyright
Other Works
Blurb
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Dear Reader
About The Author
CHAPTER ONE
Jayme
“I DON'T have time to argue with you right now, Mallory.”
He snatched his pants from the end of the bed and hastily yanked them on. He was not in the mood for this shit right now. He had to get to work. He put his boots on and stood at the end of the bed.
“When are we going to talk about this? You never have the time!” Mallory complained.
He zipped and buttoned his pants while glaring at his wife.
“We have talked about it. You just don’t like the answer, so you want to beat it to death.”
“I want a baby, Jayme.”
“And we agreed before we were even married that neither of us wanted kids. Now you do, and I still don’t. We’re not going to agree on this!”
He was sick and tired of arguing over this. It was becoming an everyday occurrence, and he was starting to resent his wife for continuously bringing it up. Couldn’t she see that he wasn’t going to change his mind?
They’ve been married for two years, and this whole baby thing started about six months ago. He thought it was because all of Mallory’s friends were having babies, and she wanted to be part of the “in” crowd. They had agreed from the very beginning of their relationship that kids weren’t something either of them wanted. Now for her to go and change her mind, kinda pissed him off. It put more tension on their already not-so-great marriage.
He pulled on a white undershirt and his tan uniform button down, buttoning it up and tucking it into his pants. He grabbed his utility belt off the bed and put it on. Mallory continued her bitching as he went to the gun safe in their walk-in closet, and took out his duty weapon. He checked and holstered it. Ignoring his wife, he left the room and headed downstairs for a cup of coffee and breakfast.
As he was making himself an omelet, Mallory stormed into the kitchen. Her dark hair pulled up in a messy bun, her brown eyes smudged with makeup that she didn’t take off the night before, and her normally full lips formed into a thin, angry line. She was a beautiful woman, it was one of the reasons Jayme married her. However, her attitude lately was turning him off.
“I hate when you do that!” she barked.
“Do what?” he asked, knowing full well what she was talking about.
“When you just walk away while I’m talking to you.”
“You weren’t talking to me, you were talking at me and I’m tired of hearing the same shit over and over,” he murmured as he flipped his eggs.
“I don’t see what the big deal is--“ Mallory started.
He whipped his head around to glare at her. He laughed incredulously. “Are you kiddin’ me? A baby is a huge deal. A baby changes everything. I don’t want kids, never have. You’re not going to change my mind.”
Mallory let out a frustrated scream as she balled her fists at her sides and stomped her bare foot.
He rolled his eyes and turned back to his eggs. “Great, and now you’re acting like a petulant child. Giving me even more reason to say no.”
He turned off the stove, slid his omelet onto a plate, and carried it and his coffee to the kitchen table and sat down to eat.
“You’re such an asshole!”
“Love you too, Babe,” he muttered before shoveling a helping of omelet into his mouth.
Seeming to have given up for the moment, Mallory stomped out of the kitchen. He could hear her upstairs. She was still having a fit. Her footfalls heavy as she went about her morning routine. He shook his head, this was going to come to a head eventually. How could they work this out? They were on two opposite ends of the spectrum on this. He had a feeling this was the first step towards the end of their marriage.
After finishing up his breakfast and coffee, he headed out the door without saying goodbye to his wife. He knew it wouldn’t help things, and it would have opened the opportunity for her to bitch at him some more. He drove to the station in a pissy mood, he hated starting his day like this.
He pulled up to the precinct and parked his dark green, state-issued truck in an open spot. Taking a deep breath, he promi
sed himself that the rest of the day was going to be better than his shitty morning. Maybe he’d even catch a bad guy or two.
Grabbing his outer carry vest from the front passenger seat, he slung it over his head and fastened the Velcro on the side. With Texas Game Warden written across his chest, he headed into the building to start his day on duty.
He smiled and nodded to other officers as he walked through the rows of desks toward the conference room where their shift meetings were always held. He walked into the room to see a few of his friends and a couple of fresh-faced rookies. Jayme sighed and shook his head. Some poor assholes were going to get shackled with the two new rookies.
Jayme sent a nod to his best friend and partner, Brendan Long. “Hey, man.”
Despite his name, Brendan was anything but long. He was the shortest guy on the force, topping out at five foot six. Jayme’s six-foot three frame towered over him.
“Hey, Flanagan. What’s with the frowny face?” Brendan asked with a wide grin. “Wife bitchin' again?”
He dropped down into the seat next to Brendan. “Oh my God, yes. It’s never-ending now.”
Brendan patted his forearm where it rested on the table in front of them. “I’m sorry, man. That sucks,” he said seriously.
“My wife and your wife talk shit on you all the time, just so you know.” Matt O’Reilly chimed in from his seat at the table behind them. When Jayme turned to glare at him, Matt was barely fighting off a smile.
“Thanks, O’Reilly, that’s exactly what I needed to hear,” he said dryly.
“You’re welcome,” Matt chirped.
“Douchebag.” He huffed.
He turned because he felt like he was being watched. He locked eyes with one of the rookies. They were the most stunning pair of honey colored eyes he’d ever seen. They were framed with long dark lashes and eyebrows that were a couple shades lighter. His gaze drifted over the rest of the man’s handsome face. His square jaw was cleanly shaven. He had a dimple on each cheek and little lines at the corners of his eyes that showed his amusement. He also had a wide mouth with full lips and straight, white teeth. Why the hell was he even noticing so much about this guy?
“Got a problem, rookie?” he barked.
The rookie’s grin broadened, his dimples deepening, and he shook his head. “No, sir,” he drawled in a thick Texan accent that they all carried.
“Mind your fuckin’ business then. Ain’t no one talkin’ to you.” He snarled. This kid was rubbing him wrong already.
“Yes, sir,” the kid replied, still smiling.
Fucking asshole. Who did this guy think he was?
More officers filed into the room, as did their sergeant. The meeting got started and the room sat in relative silence as their sergeant brought them up to speed on things that had been happening overnight. Then the meeting turned toward the two rookies.
“We have two new officers with us today. They are fresh from the academy, and I expect y’all to be nice. You were all rookies once, and I’m sure you remember what it’s like...” Sergeant Steve Bernard said. “That being said, I’m going to change around some partnerships in order to fit these guys in.”
Groans and complaints filled the room. Sgt. Bernard held up his hand. “I know, I know. You hate giving up your partner, but I can’t put two rookies together. Y’all know this. So, I’m splitting up one pair of you.”
Jayme waited. He prayed that it wasn’t him and Brendan. They’ve been partners for close to four years now, and he didn’t want a fucking rookie as a partner. Sgt. Bernard’s gaze landed on him, and his stomach bottomed out. He started shaking his head.
“Nope. Don’t do it, Sarge,” he said, pointing at his superior.
“I’m sorry, Flanagan. You and Long are the best I have, and I need these two trained right.”
“Come on, man! O’Reilly and Peters are just as good as we are!” he complained.
“Don’t drag us into this,” Matt argued. “We don’t want to be split up either.”
“This is higher than me, Flanagan, this comes from the Captain. You can take it up with him if you have a problem with it.”
Jayme pressed his lips into a tight line. He wasn’t going to argue with Captain Tony Reeves. Especially when he knew he wasn’t going to win. The man could argue like no one’s business. It would be pointless to even bring this up to him. He’d obviously already made up his mind.
“Flanagan, I want you with Tripp Littrell. And Long, you’re with William Darcy.”
“Which one is Littrell?” Jayme huffed and raked a hand over his short hair.
Dimples gave him a cheeky smile and a little wave.
“Oh, fuck me.” He groaned. “Of course, I get stuck with Ken.”
The room burst out laughing because yeah, Tripp Littrell did kinda look like a Ken doll. He had blond hair and boyishly good looks. Tripp smiled brightly, obviously not caring that everyone was laughing at him. Jayme wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn't the first time he’d been called a Ken doll either.
~~~
Tripp
Tripp’s stomach fluttered. He was excited and nervous. This would be his second go around as a rookie. The first being with the Austin Police Department. He was a street cop for five years, before deciding that he wanted something different. The Texas Game Warden Service was the only thing that piqued his interest. Not only did they deal with people, but animals too. He loved animals.
“Let’s go, Rookie. We’ve got shit to do,” said his new partner, Officer Flanagan. The man shoved out of his chair and headed for the door without waiting for him. Tripp lunged to his feet and hurried after him.
He was secretly ecstatic to be partnered with Flanagan. The guy was gorgeous. Flanagan’s former partner, Officer Long, was okay looking but nothing spectacular, just an ordinary looking guy. He was glad to have some eye candy to look at while he worked.
“What do you want me to call you? I only know your last name,” he said as he walked slightly behind his new partner.
“The name’s Jayme,” the man grumbled.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jayme.” He grinned.
Jayme glanced over his shoulder at Tripp, his expression dry. “Can’t say I feel the same way, Rookie.”
He shrugged. “Hey man, I get it. You don’t want a new partner. I’m sorry you and your boy got split up, but that’s not my fault.”
Jayme shook his head, his long strides taking them toward the front of the building. Tripp took the opportunity to check out his partner. The guy was an inch or so taller than his six-foot one frame. He had auburn hair that was cut in a military style fade. His emerald green eyes showed very little emotion other than annoyance at the moment. His square jaw was clean-shaven, and his lips were full and oh so kissable. He noticed the ring on his left hand, so there would be nothing happening between them. He could look though. Especially at the man’s spectacular ass. Good God, it was perfect.
They walked outside. The day was going to be a scorcher going off how hot it was, and it was only seven am. Jayme led them over to his truck, and they both got in. He started it and backed out of the spot.
“First stop. Coffee,” Jayme grumbled.
“Will coffee brighten up your personality?” he teased and was rewarded with a dirty look. He snickered. Oh, this guy was going to be fun to bust on.
Ten minutes later they pulled into a mom and pop convenience store named Maynard’s. After parking the truck, they both got out and headed into the building. The door chimed as they walked in and the older lady behind the counter looked up from the book she was reading. She smiled brightly when she saw Jayme.
“Oh! Good morning, Jayme! How are you today?” she asked.
He gave her a forced smiled and a nod. “Doing well, Mrs. Maynard. How about yourself?”
“Same as always.” She chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. “And who is this young man with you? Are you and Brendan no longer partners?”
“No, Ma’am, Brendan and I got a couple of r
ookies as partners now,” Jayme said. He could hear the bitterness in Jayme’s tone as he poured coffee into a large cup.
“That’s all right, Jayme. I’m sure this young man will be a good partner. Isn't that right, Sweetie?”
“Yes, Ma’am. I’m going to do my best. I’m Tripp Littrell, by the way,” he said and went over to shake her hand.
She blushed slightly and fanned her face with her book. “Oh boy, you’re a good lookin’ one, huh?”
He smiled crookedly at the compliment. “Thank you, Ma’am.”
“Go get yourself a coffee, Tripp. First one’s on me.”
“That’s very kind of you, Mrs. Maynard.”
“Go on, before I pinch those dimpled cheeks and never let you go.” She laughed.
Tripp barked out a laugh and moved away from the counter toward the coffee station where Jayme was stirring his coffee, his eyebrow cocked in what seemed like amusement. He grinned and went about fixing his coffee how he liked.
“Jayme, yours is on the house today too,” Mrs. Maynard called.
“Thank you, Ma’am,” Jayme replied.
They said their goodbyes to Mrs. Maynard and headed back out to the truck. They each set their cups in the cup holder on the center console, then buckled up. Just as they were pulling out of the parking lot, they got their first call. An alligator in a swimming pool. As Jayme turned the truck around to head to the residence, he called up an alligator specialist to assist them in removing the animal.
They pulled up to the residence about fifteen minutes later. A woman met them out front of the house and escorted them around back to where the in-ground swimming pool was. There was no fence around the pool, so he could see how easily a gator looking for water could find it.
There it was, a big ass gator chilling on the step of the pool. Tripp’s heart seized. He’d never seen an alligator up close. The thing was huge. He glanced at Jayme, who was standing a few feet closer with his hand resting on the butt of his weapon, like he would no doubt shoot the thing if he had to. Jayme looked back at him, a frown on his handsome face.
