Lucky Strike

by M Andrews

  “How’s baby Matthew doing today?” I ask, running my hand over her bump. I love that they’re naming their son after Brian’s dad. In the little time I got to know Matthew before he passed, I could tell he was a good man. He was always so kind to me. He was more of a dad to me in the year and a half I was around him than my father was for my entire childhood.

  “He’s been very active today. He kept kicking me all through mommy and me yoga this morning. It feels like he’s playing a game of soccer in there.” She lets out a tired laugh.

  I lean over her belly to have a little chat with my soon to be nephew. “Hey buddy, give your momma a break. There’ll be plenty of time for running and playing when you come out.” Just like that the kicking stops. “Good boy.” I softly giggle and give her belly one last rub before standing upright again.

  “Matthew sure likes his Auntie Lucky.” Brooke smiles, picking Ella up out of her stroller.

  “What can I say, I have a way with men.” I return her smile then step back around the coffee counter to make Brooke her usual vanilla latte and a pretty pink cupcake for Ella. “So when is the little man due to arrive?” I hand Brooke her latte and slide the plate with the cupcake to Ella, and watch as she squishes the pink frosting between her fingers before bringing her hand up to her mouth to lick off the fluffy pink frosting.

  “Two more months and it cannot get here fast enough. I’m so ready to have my little prince in my arms.” She smiles from behind her coffee cup.

  “I really thought you were going to say it was because you are done with being pregnant.”

  “Oh, heavens no. I love being pregnant. Even when I was bent over the toilet with morning sickness, I loved it. There’s this little life growing inside of me, that’s a perfect mix of Brian and me. It’s just the most amazing feeling ever.” She is absolutely beaming with joy. I hope I feel the same way when Ryder and I have babies. It’s a scary thought, me as a mother. I didn’t exactly have the best mother growing up. Nanny Doreen was the closest thing to a mother I had. But I know kids are something Ryder wants and I want to give them to him. I just worry what kind of a mother I will be.

  “How are things going with you and Ryder?”

  “It feels like when we were friends but now we get to have hot, dirty amazing sex. I’m still figuring out the whole relationship stuff, but I’m so damn happy. I don’t think I’ve ever really felt this happy before.” A smile erupts on my face, the excited butterflies begin fluttering in my stomach at the mere mention of Ryder.

  “Look at you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that in all the years we’ve been friends. My black-hearted best friend is in love.” She squeals. Normally this lovey bullshit grosses me out, but I actually kind of like it with Ryder. I guess I am changing. “So are wedding bells and baby booties in the future for you two?”

  “I want to give Ryder all of those things. I’m just a little scared what kind of wife and mother I would be. I don’t want to be like my mother. I already went down one fucked up road with Jackson because of her and our screwed up DNA. I just don’t know if I have what it takes to be a good mom.”

  “Are you kidding me, Lucky? You’re more than capable of being a good wife and mother. You already broke the mold by coming home and facing your demons head on. You could’ve kept running but you didn’t. You actually took advice from Lucy and you gave up stripping to make Ryder happy. You put someone else before you. You’re growing up sweetie.”

  “So this is what growing up feels like?” We both giggle.

  “Look, when the time comes for wife and mother duty, you will know what to do. And you have me and Lucy here to help. You can take it as a good sign that you’ll be a great mother in that Ella loves you and Matthew isn’t even out of the womb and he already loves his Auntie Lucky.” She gives me a warm, comforting smile.

  “I hope you’re right,” I say returning her smile.

  “I know I’m right. Now give me one of those pink cupcakes.”

  I look up from the pastry counter just in time to see Ryder and Dylan walking through the coffee shop door.

  “Good afternoon, ladies,” Dylan greets both Brooke and me with a smile.

  Ryder saunters over to the coffee bar. His Seattle PD shirt hugging every hard sculpted muscle in his chest perfectly. His dark blue cargo pants slung low on his hips. His baby blues sparkling only for me. I spot the group of girls sitting at the table in the corner eyeing Ryder. Sorry ladies but he’s all mine. He steps behind the counter and slides one of his strong arms around my waist, pulling me to him. Our lips meeting in a warm kiss. My stomach does an excited flip. This man makes me feel like a giddy teenager.

  “Lucky and Brooke, you two need to help me convince this guy to join SWAT with me.”

  I look over at Dylan then back at Ryder. “Baby, do you want to join SWAT?” This is the first I’ve heard any of this.

  “I’m not joining SWAT.” He looks at me then turns his attention to Dylan. “Don’t bring them into your twisted plan to get me to join,” he scolds.

  “Ryder you would be amazing on SWAT,” Brooke says, adding in her two cents on the issue. I couldn’t agree more with her. Ryder would thrive on SWAT, he wasn’t meant for patrol or as a desk jockey duty.

  “You should have seen him this morning at the training session I dragged him to. He fucking blew everyone away. He even impressed the new Sergeant. You have to fucking join!” Dylan shouts waving his arms erratically in Ryder’s direction.

  “Edwards you’re just making a fool of yourself,” Ryder replies, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

  “I agree with Dylan and Brooke. I think you should do it.”

  Ryder gives me a sideways glance and I can see by the look in his eyes he’s surprised by my response. “Not you, too. Look I’m not talking about this anymore. I came here to get some coffee and see my girl. Now give me some coffee and more of that sugar, baby.” He chuckles, lifting me up in arms.

  He can distract me now, but we are so not done talking about this.

  It’s after midnight when I finally come crashing into bed. I stare up at the ceiling, the room spinning all around me. I’m going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning. It’s what I get for playing beer pong with Edwards, but it was the only thing that shut Edwards up about me joining SWAT. I just did that training exercise to keep him quiet, but secretly it was the most exhilarated I have felt in months on the force.

  I kick off my boots then roll over and wrap myself around Lucky. I’m ready to pass out but Lucky has other plans. She turns in my arms staring me right in the eye. It may be dark in here but I can see the pissed off glare painted on her face.

  “So, you think staying out all hours of the night is going to get you out of talking about joining SWAT?” Lucky sits up in bed and turns on the bedside lamp. Folding her arms in front her she waits for my response.

  “Lucky, I am too drunk right now to talk about this.” I rest my arm over my eyes in a lame attempt to block out the light.

  “Oh no, you’re not dodging this again. You want me to be more open with you on what’s going on in my head, then your ass has to do the same buddy. So we are not sleeping until we talk about this,” she scolds.

  “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m not joining SWAT… end of story.”

  “Look, I get you’re struggling to find your place on the force because your other soulmate left you to be a detective. But you can’t wallow in self-pity for the rest of your life. You would make one hell of a SWAT officer if you would just get your head out of your ass long enough to see what the rest of us so clearly see.”

  “Lost doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling. I feel empty without Brian by my side in that squad car. This is the first time I’ve ever questioned if being a cop is for me.” I feel like a whiny little bitch right now. This is exactly why I didn’t want to talk about this.

  “Being a cop was all you ever talked about when we were kids. I still have a scar on my wri
st from when you two dumb dumbs cuffed me to that chair and lost the damn key. You sitting at a desk piecing together a puzzle is not you, but writing tickets for the rest of your career isn’t either. Being a SWAT officer is what you were made for. You’re willing to step in front of the line of fire when everyone else is too scared. Let me put it in a way you will understand. If you don’t, at least, go through the training course, I will never let you stick your dick in any part of my body ever again.”

  Well, she makes a good point and I think my dick would fall off if it never got to fuck her again. Looks like I’m going to training.

  “Okay, fine.” I raise my hands up in surrender. “I’ll talk to the Captain in the morning.”

  “That’s my boy.” A satisfied smile stretches across her face as she leans over to kiss me on my cheek. “Now let’s get some sleep.” She nestles back under the covers, turning onto her side. I snake around her. My dick stirring to life.

  “Speaking of putting my dick in you.” My hand slides between her legs.

  “Not happening jackass.”

  “Come on, Lucky. How about just the tip, you won’t even feel it,” I plead.

  “You and your tip can go sleep on the couch if you can’t keep your hands off of me.” She pushes my hand away, then wraps the blanket tighter around herself.

  “You’re so mean, Lucky.” I roll onto my back, my hard-on straining against my pants. Guess I’ll be taking care of this on my own.

  A pair of warm lips and a wet tongue swirling around my cock jolts me awake. I pull back the covers to see Lucky’s head bobbing up and down along my length. Her hand massaging my balls. Someone must be apologizing for cock-blocking me last night.

  The moment she opens her throat taking me deeper, my toes curls, eyes rolling back inside my head. Fuck, her mouth could be a weapon of mass destruction. She’s taking me down with every suck and lick. Her moans vibrating through my shaft, driving my need for release more urgent. Hands gripping tightly in her hair, hips bucking wildly against her face as I ram my cock further down her throat. I can feel her gagging around my length but she takes all nine fucking inches like a champ.

  “That my good little Clover.” A deep growl emanates my throat.

  God this woman knows how to bring the beast out of me.

  With one last flick of her tongue my body tenses, the fire raging through me as my seed paints the back of her throat. She swallows every last drop, then licks me clean.

  I relax back in bed watching her crawl over me. A sultry grin greeting me as she hovers over me, naked and begging for my touch. The pads of my fingers dance along her soft, warm skin.

  “I’m sorry for telling you no last night. You coming to bed drunk brought back memories of when Jackson would come home reeking of tequila and perfume. He would try his best to climb on top of me, but I always pushed him away.”

  I cringe hearing his fucking name. I just want to ram my fist into his face.

  “You never have to apologize for telling me no. I promise I won’t come to bed drunk again.” I brush the loose strands of hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear. Her green eyes sparkling like emeralds in the morning sun. “I did miss sleeping with you in my arms last night. I can go without sex but I can’t go another night without holding you.”

  Lucky lowers herself on top of me. It feels damn good to feel the weight of her pressed against me. One of the things I missed most when she was away was having her in my bed and wrapped in my arms. It’s something that always brought us back together. I can deal with no sex as long as I can still feel her in my arms.

  “Just so you know, I slept like crap without you, too. I like having my beast wrapped around me every night, it makes me feel safe.”

  I place a gentle kiss on the top of her head. “You won’t have to worry about falling asleep without me again.”

  My feet nervously tap against the floor as sit outside the captain’s office waiting for our meeting with Sergeant Bryant to start. The captain was waiting for me down in the cage when I arrived this morning. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who requested a meeting with him to talk about my future at the precinct. After seeing me ace the field test, Sergeant Bryant requested this meeting.

  The captain finally calls me into his office. I step inside and I’m met by the sergeant. He’s not at all what I expected when I first met him. Being from LA, I assumed he would be an over-tanned narcissist with a giant ego, but he was quite the opposite. He actually reminds me of an older me. Smart, funny, rugged good looks and he didn’t hesitate to call Officer Street an ass kissing moron during the training session I sat in on. I’m going to get along just fine with Sergeant Bryant.

  “Glad to see you again Officer Callahan.” He reaches a hand out for me to shake.

  “It’s good to see you, sir.” I shake his hand then take my seat in front of the captain’s desk.

  The Sergeant takes a seat on the corner of the desk, folding his arms in front of him. “I’m just going to cut to the chase here, Callahan. The reason why I called this meeting this morning is to convince you to join my team. I’ve read your file and had a chance to talk with the Captain about you. You and your former partner bent the rules on more than one occasion, but you got the job done and you dived head first into the shit everyone else was too afraid to. And that is exactly the type of cop I want on my team.”

  “Is it even possible for me to join SWAT after the shit I pulled a few months ago?”

  The Sergeant lets out a hardy laugh. “Oh, son, the stories I could tell you about my early days on the force. Stealing a cop car while naked is not my concern. You made a mistake and you owned up to it. I have a huge respect for that. If you can promise me you won’t pull anything like that again, I will guarantee you a place on my team once you are put back on active duty.”

  “I’m pulling you from cage duty, so you can start training. By the time you complete the final exam, you’ll be back on active duty. You have a great future on SWAT, Callahan… that is if you want it?” The captain gives me a reassuring smile.

  I promised Lucky I would try. I just hope this is what I need to fill the hole I’ve felt since Brian left.

  “I just have one request.”

  “Anything you want I’ll do my best to make it happen.”

  “I want Officer Edwards to be my new partner.” I’ve spent the past two months working with Edwards in the cage. He can be a pain in the ass, but he’s the only one outside of Brian that I trust to have my back.

  “You have got yourself a deal, son. Welcome to the team.”

  “This shit is so damn cute!” I shout from over the racks of baby clothes. “Lucy, look at this one, it’s a police uniform onesie.” I excitedly wave the tiny black onesie in the air. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but all this baby crap is hella cute and I want to buy out the damn store.

  “Jesus Lucky, did you leave any of the clothes on the rack?” Lucy looks down at my overflowing shopping cart.

  “It’s not just clothes, I got other stuff too.” I can feel my face flush with embarrassment. I may have gone a tad overboard.

  “Let’s try and leave some of the items on Brooke’s baby registry for the rest of her guests.” Lucy takes the lead directing us to the cashier. But as we pass the girl section, my eyes growing wide and the crazy woman in me kicks in when I spot a pink and purple tutu I know Brooke would love for Ella.

  “Oh my God, Lucy look at this cute tutu!” My voice hits a high pitch octave I didn’t think I could ever make. I abandon my cart and weave through the racks of pink and purple baby clothes and pluck the tiny tutu off the rack.

  “Lucky, what the hell is wrong with you?” Lucy looks at me with a puzzled look in her face.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never looked twice at this stuff before. I’ve been doing a lot of crazy shit lately. I think opening myself up to one emotion has opened the floodgates to the rest. I’m talking to Brooke’s baby bump. I tried to make Ryder dinner. I’m going apeshit o
ver baby clothes. Oh, and then...” I wave my hands frantically in front of me “...I walked passed a bridal shop two days ago and caught wedding fever. I actually imagined myself in a wedding dress.” My breathing quickens and my heart is racing inside my chest. I feel like I just ran ten miles. “Lucy, I think I’ve caught girl.”

  Lucy bursts into laughter. “Oh my God! Caught girl!” She double overs, hysterically laughing at my predicament. The patrons standing by the cash registers now looking over at us.

  “Don’t mind her, she just having a mental breakdown.” I smile politely then turn my attention back to Lucy, who’s now holding her stomach still laughing her ass off. “Stop laughing at me you bitch.”

  “I’m sorry.” She stands upright, completely winded with tears in her eyes. “It’s just funny as hell to see you experiencing what every woman has felt since birth.”

  “I’m glad you find me so entertaining.” I walk back to my cart in a huff and throw the tutu on top of the pile of clothes. I feel like I’m slowly losing my mind and she’s making a joke out of it. I start to push my cart only to crash into Lucy.

  “I’m sorry, Lucky. It’s cute to see you getting all mushy over this kind of stuff.” She walks around the cart and slings her arm around my shoulder, squeezing me in a side hug. “It’s going to make throwing Brooke’s baby shower all the more fun.” She squeals excitedly, hugging me again.

  I definitely caught something because I willingly agreed to help plan Brooke’s baby shower. What the hell do I know about baby showers? The last party I threw was Brooke’s bachelorette party and I don’t think hiring male strippers and making Jell-O shots is going to cut it.

  “Oh shit, a pipe burst down at the new shop. I gotta go. Here let me give you some money for this stuff and I guess I can go to the party store later.” Lucy reaches into her purse to grab her wallet.