“Come on! It’ll be fun. Whaddaya say?”
“I say it could be fun, but I’m out. You know how things are with me.”
“How are things with you?” he asks. His question was way too fast, way too direct, and way too biting. His interrogation techniques are slipping, or he wants me to know that he’s onto something.
“I’m good. You know…just doing the dad thing.”
“Charlotte’s good?”
“Couldn’t be better,” I say.
“That’s good.”
Sanchez knocks on my window and holds up five fingers. I look down and see the light next to the five on my phone blinking. I give her the thumbs up.
“I hear someone a knockin’,” Vic says.
“Yeah, I got a call on the other line unfortunately.”
“Okay man. Well…give it some thought. We should get out there ya know? It is Valentine’s Day after all and we’re not getting any younger. Two single guys like us ought to be catches.”
“I’ll let you know, brother man.”
“Catch you later,” he says.
I hear the dial tone and look down at the red light blinking next to the five. It stops blinking.
That’s strange.
I lean forward in my chair and put my elbows on my desk, pivoting my right elbow bringing my fist up to my mouth.
It’s the basic body language tip-off that you subconsciously don’t want to tell a lie. Your mind is using your hand to block your mouth from saying something. It looks similar to one of the ways you catch a cough, except in this case you’re catching another kind of virus…a lie.
But there’s no way I’m lying to anyone, especially Vic. I just need the right opportunity to tell him about Violet and I, and I need to find a way not to get wrapped up in his Valentine’s Day plans. I’m not even sure he’s really interested in doing anything on Valentine’s Day anyways, but I certainly am.
I’ve got the perfect surprise planned.
CHAPTER 36
Violet
The minute we enter the dog park Charlotte takes off like a wild child. The dogs seem to notice her right away and immediately chase after her. So much for tennis balls.
That girl has an incredible imagination. Come to the dog park when you don’t even have a dog? How does a girl that young even think of something like that?
I’m not sure, and I thought it was a little bit crazy but I went with it anyways.
Now I’m glad I did. Charlotte zigs to her right eluding a golden retriever and then zags back left away from a Labrador. They’re in hot pursuit, but she’s determined not to let them catch her.
Suddenly she stops. “Boo!” You can hear her voice all the way across the park. I think every single one of the adults in the park bursts out laughing. There’s something so infectious about the joyful exuberance of a child.
As much as I want to teach Charlotte new things about life and help her with her schoolwork and just be there for her, I’m quickly realizing I can learn from her as well.
She’s such a bright little girl and she has no fear. The quality I’m trying to improve in myself just comes so naturally to her. I’m not jealous at all. I’m more in awe of her. I never really knew it was possible to be in awe of a child, but I never really thought about children until her.
Sure, I want to have my own family one day, but Charlotte’s shown me there’s another way to get started in that pursuit. I’d love to give her a whole houseful of brothers and sisters…if that’s what the future has in store.
Charlotte runs around like a chicken with its head cut off for another ten minutes until she’s starting to tire herself out.
“Uh,” she says as she makes her way back to me. She’s bent over and swinging her arms wildly for effect. Suddenly she shoots her back up straight and starts giggling.
“Want to do it with me?” she asks.
This is the part where I would have said no just a few months ago. Not only that, we’re surrounded by other adults. I’d never embarrass myself like that…until now.
“Hmmm,” I say. “Let…me…think about it!” I run toward her quickly tapping her on the shoulder. “Tag you’re it!”
I take off across the dog park with Charlotte hot on my heels and all the dogs chasing after the both of us.
I’m zigging and zagging and trying to avoid Charlotte, the dogs, and my fears of holding back and not letting myself go. Sometimes I’m too practical and too logical…not now. Right now I’m free and it feels absolutely incredible.
Our game of tag goes on for a solid five or six minutes, alternating back and forth. Finally I make my way toward her as slowly as I can. Not because I want to, but because she’s hunched over out of breath and I’m nearly on empty.
“Got ya,” I say. Tagging her one last time. We both fall onto the grass on our backs and immediately we’re surrounded by a whole bunch of dogs who want nothing more than to lick our faces.
We’re rolling around when I realize we need to work together. “Teamwork!” I say.
I roll towards Charlotte and give her a full body hug as we tuck our heads and try to only let the dogs have access to our backs where they can’t lick us anymore…not that it wasn’t fun.
A few seconds later the dogs are gone. We look up and see them back to enjoying their own game of doggy tag.
We both swivel over onto our butts and put our hands on the grass. It’s like we’re doing so many thing in unison these days. I feel like she’s becoming a mini-me, or maybe I’m becoming a bigger version of her. The truth is I think we both compliment each other…a lot.
“Are you gonna marry my dad?” she asks. I was definitely not ready for that.
“I don’t know, sweetie.”
“Why not?” she says. I guess she learned how to interrogate from the best.
“Well,” I begin. I’m skating on thin ice here. I wasn’t really prepared for this. “The guy is the one who asks the girl,” I say.
“Oh. Right,” she says. “Well, in that case I think my dad should ask you. And he should do it soon too, so somebody else doesn’t do it first.”
I’m so touched by her words I don’t know what to say. I feel my chin tremble a bit and a tear well up in my eye. That was fast. What is it about Chance and Charlotte? Just when I think they can’t surprise me any more they go and do it again.
Part of me was wondering if Charlotte sees me as her mother or more of a friend and sister. Now I know the answer. She see’s me as both.
And I see her as someone I want to be in my life for as long as possible, preferably forever. She’s perfect.
CHAPTER 37
Chance
“Hey beautiful,” I say, answering my phone.
“Hey sexy man,” she says back. “How was work?”
“Good.” I don’t want to worry her about her brother right now. No point, and plus that’s something I need to figure out on my own. I’m the man. I need to handle this.
“Home soon?”
“Yeah, not too long,” I say. “I might have to pick up a few things first.”
“Oh perfect. That’s why I called. If you’re stopping by the store could you pick up some milk? We need it for coffee in the morning.”
“Sure thing. How’s Charlotte?”
“Well, I would say you wouldn’t believe it but there’s nothing I don’t believe anymore when it comes to you two.”
“What did she get into this time?” I say. I’m laughing and I don’t even know what it is yet.
Violet tells me about the dog park and how Charlotte had never-ending energy, until about ten minutes ago. She’s already had dinner and is passed out.
Violet’s going to get her into a quick bath and then off to bed. I won’t be able to talk with her tonight. Man, I’m getting tired of nights like these. I’m missing out on my baby’s moments. As much as I’m trying to do everything I can the single dad thing is really starting to be a drag.
“Okay,” I say. “I’ll see you soon.”<
br />
There are a couple stores where I can pick up milk and the things I need, but there’s only one choice right now. The one that’s over by where I have to go tonight.
I pull into the cemetery and park the cruiser. I usually don’t leave the station in my uniform or with a car, but I was out towards the end of my shift and I start the morning shift tomorrow on patrol. It actually saves the taxpayer’s money and also let’s people know we’re there for them. Bad guys who see more police cars on the streets are likely to reconsider their nefarious plans.
My pace is slower than it usually is. Tonight’s a big night for me. I’ve had many nights here. Many talks here. But none like the one tonight.
I feel my wife’s grave pulling me towards her tonight more than ever. I think she knows. She knows tonight is different.
I reach the headstone and squat down next to it. I brush off some dust that’s gathered and read her name. Underneath it says, “Daughter. Mother. Wife. Best Friend to All Three.”
The waterworks start immediately. I run the back of my forearm across my face and try and stop the pain.
“I miss you so much, woman. Every damn day. Not a minute goes by…” I stop. “Not a minute goes by I don’t remember us.”
I look off into the distance. I’m alone here tonight. Again. There’s a certain feeling that being alone here adds to this…this coming here. I like when it’s just our alone time, especially when I have something important or special to say.
“I remember what you said…about Charlotte and I and if anything ever happened to you.” This isn’t easy. “It took me a long, long time and I didn’t want to but it’s just happening. It’s someone we both know. You know her brother better. You always liked him. We both did. It’s Vic’s little sister. She’s an adult now. I know you remember her. Violet’s her name.”
I want my wife to know. She needs to know. She deserves to know, to be in peace for our daughter and me.
“And Charlotte…she’s not an adult yet, but if she keeps growing like this she’s going to be one really, really soon.”
Damn, I can’t do this. Pull yourself together, Chance.
“She really likes Violet. They get along really well. All three of us get along really well. Like I said, it took me a really, really long time, but I’ve found love again. I know you’ll be happy for me. I know you’re up there watching down over me…over all of us.”
I laugh and the tears fall into my eyes.
“I’m not even sure why I’m telling you this,” I say in-between sniffs. “You already know it all anyways. You see everything from up there. Maybe you even sent this angel to me. If you did then I owe you a huge thank you. And I owe you a thank you for giving me Charlotte. She looks more and more like you every day. It’s hard sometimes when I see her becoming more like you, but it makes me happy. There couldn’t be a better woman for her to become, and Violet and I are going to continue leading her down that path towards becoming just like you.”
I come up out of my squat and feel a bit lightheaded. This moment has been overpowering.
“I might not make it out here quite as much as I used to. But just know we’ll always be thinking of you. Thank you for sharing your life with me. And angel…thank you for sending me a new angel to see me the rest of the way.”
I turn and begin the walk back to my car. Damn, that was gut-wrenching. I had to let me wife know. It’s the right thing to do, for her and for me.
I love Carissa and I always will, but I’ve got a new love now. I know Carissa would love Violet just as much as I do. I’m going to love Violet with everything I’ve got. Heck, what am I talking about? I already do love that woman. The only thing left to do is to tell her.
CHAPTER 38
Chance
“Hey,” I say. I reach around and grab Violet’s butt, giving it a hard squeeze.
“Somebody’s feeling feisty,” she says.
Damn she looks good. She’s got on my gray sweatpants that I exercise in and one of my white T-shirts. Both are way too big for her, but I’m not complaining. The T-shirt, which would be form fitting on me, hangs off of her…so much so that I can see down the front.
“Did you remember the milk?” she asks.
“I did, but it’s still in the cruiser.”
“Okay, let me help you with the other groceries.”
I drop my bags on the counter and quickly put the cold stuff away. I walk back out towards the car and pass Violet on the way, giving her a wink. She’s got a couple bags that’s she’s trying to carry while making sure my sweats don’t fall off her. I’m not sure if it’s cute or sexy or both, but whatever she’s doing is working.
I get out to the cruiser and don’t see any more bags. Did she get them all?
I dig around in the back seat. I feel like we’re missing one, but there’s no way. The back seat of the cruiser is configured so no one can hide anything. And right now it’s bare bones with nothing in sight.
“Whatcha lookin’ for?”
I look up and see Violet sticking her head and body through the other door to the back seat. She puckers up and we both lean towards each other and kiss.
“I think I just found it,” I say.
“Oh? Is that so?”
“That is so,” I say. A switch flips inside me and I feel like the beast needs to come out.
“Ma’am, you’re under arrest,” I say. I reach around to my side and grab my cuffs. I normally carry the zip ties, but for some reason tonight I’m carrying the real ones.
Before she even knows what’s happening I’ve got her hand cuffed to the steel mesh cage that separates the front of the car from the back. I’m suddenly glad this unit hasn’t been upgraded to the bulletproof glass cage yet.
She looks at me lustfully as her mouth opens at the shock of what’s happening. It’s a shock, but I know she approves.
I quickly exit the car and get another set of cuffs from the front. I enter from her side this time and cuff her other hand.
“You have the right to remain silent…although I know you’re not going to be able to nor will you want to.”
I grab her by the small of her back causing the cage to rattle. I slide into the back seat and lift her legs up toward my midsection. She immediately wraps them around my back digging her heels into me.
“Ma’am we take resisting arrest and assaulting an officer very seriously in these parts. And we don’t always do things by the book,” I say. It’s definitely not true about not doing things by the book…at least until now. The idea of what’s about to go down in the back of this cruiser is definitely a bad idea…a very, very bad idea and I can’t wait.
“If you think I’m dangerous with just my legs I guess you better frisk me,” she says. “Imagine if I was carrying any weapons how dangerous I’d be.”
“What are these,” I say sliding my hand up underneath my T-shirt taking her breasts in my hands. “These are unlicensed missiles and I’m going to have to confiscate them for the good of humanity,” I say as I lift up the T-shirt and suck on her breasts.
“Uhhh,” she moans as her back arches. I’m careful to use my legs to provide a sort of chair for her to sit so the cuffs don’t tug at her wrists.
“I thought missiles were a military thing,” she says.
“They are, but we work together. And there’s something else we’ve learned from the military. It’s called enhanced interrogation techniques.”
“What?”
“When you do what might not be considered fair to get what you want out of your suspect.”
“What could you possibly want from me?” she asks. She bats her eyes playfully until I slide a hand around her back and force her chest even deeper into my face.
“I want you to want to cum so hard it drives you crazy. I want to take you to just short of the biggest orgasm of your life, only to pull back and build it even bigger, stronger, and more powerful. And when I know you’re finally ready I want to feel that orgasm as you cum all over my cock
which will be buried deep inside you.”
“Yes, officer,” she says. “I’ll tell you whatever you need to know.”
“Not with your mouth,” I say. I adjust myself so I can kiss her hard on her lips. “I’ll get all the information I need to know from watching your body. Watching you squirm. Watching you feel pleasure. Watching you try and move your body so I finish you off, but I won’t. Not until you can’t take it anymore. You’ve been a bad, bad, girl and now you’re going to get punished.”
Police Officer's Princess: A Single Dad, Brother's Best Friend, Police Officer Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 31) Page 16
