by D Scott
"Nothing, sheriff, just filling in the boys about the hot little piece that Brooks’ been fuc—" I growl furiously and move to lunge again, but I can't break free of the arms holding me back.
"That's enough. You all wanna sit around and gossip like a couple of school girls that's on you, but it's not gonna take place in my locker room." Shane turns an angry glare on Brooks. "Keep fucking around and next time I'll let him rearrange that pretty boy face. Hit the shower and wash off that blood — and learn to keep your mouth shut before somebody ends up hurt."
Bobby shoves Scotty off of him and wipes at the blood dripping from his lip as he stalks towards the showers. Everyone stands around frozen in place as the sheriff turns to me next.
"My office now — grab your shit," he barks then storms out of the locker room cursing under his breath.
I let out one harsh breath, then another, and then shove off the arms still holding me in place. I ignore everyone in the room as I storm over to my locker throw on my hoodie and grab my gym bag before slamming the locker door shut. I push my way past the guys still standing around and head towards the sheriff's office. I don’t try to hide my pissed off look as I walk, and it has everyone hurrying out of my way.
I make it to the sheriff’s office and give the door a knock before entering. I don’t hesitate. I just walk to one of the chairs in front of his desk, drop my bag and sit. Shane reads through a folder as I sit there and it’s about a minute before he closes the thing and tosses it onto his desk. He sighs and leans back in his desk chair, closing his eyes for a moment before tilting back forwards and settling his sharp blue gaze on me. It’s an intimidating stare, and if I wasn’t so pissed off at the world right now I’d probably be forcing myself not to shift under his hard glare, but right now I just don’t give a fuck. I’m only here because he demanded it, and even though my mind is fucked up over Gina, I’m not trying to lose my job.
Shane clears his throat and steeples his fingers in front of his face before speaking. “I’m not gonna ask what went down with Bobby, because I don’t really care. You two are grown men, and if you have shit you need to hash out you can do it own your own time outside of my precinct. I’m not gonna sit by and condone my officers going for each other’s throats in the middle of the damn locker room.”
I should probably stay silent for the sake of my job, but I don’t.
“That little pretty boy prick deserved it. He needs to learn to keep his mouth shut or someone’s gonna teach him how. Soon.”
He tilts his head. “And who’s gonna be the one to teach him — you?”
I shrug, not opposed to the idea of kicking Bobby’s ass.
Shane swears under his breath and shakes his head. “Look, Gavin, I know Bobby is just about everyone’s least favorite person and he’s an ass on his best of days, but he’s harmless. You know that. The guy is all talk and no substance, you just can’t let him get under your skin. Be he got to you today because you let him.”
I clench my jaw and look away, because he’s right. Bobby is notorious for his big ass mouth but even if I could, I wouldn’t take back my actions. The prick had it coming to him for what he said about Gina, and even if I am pissed at her for skipping town, I’m not going to let anyone talk about my little misfit.
I crack my knuckles and roll my neck to calm down when I feel myself starting to get pissed all over again. Shane snaps his fingers angrily before speaking again.
“See — that’s it right there. We’re just having a conversation and even now you seem like you’re gonna explode at any second. You’re on edge, Brooks, and you need to calm the hell down.” He sighs. “I chose you as my second in command because you have an uncanny ability to keep a level head on the job, which is a huge asset in our line of work. But since last week, you’ve been mad as fuck at the world and your self-control isn’t where I need it to be.” I keep my face blank, not even making an attempt to defend myself. He sighs again, and runs his hands over his shaved head. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you — I don’t make it a habit of involving myself in my officers’ lives, and I sure as shit don’t listen to the gossip that mills around this place, but something’s off with you Gavin. I don’t know what you need to do to fix it but I know you haven’t been able to do it here.” He pauses. “I want you to take a short leave of absence until you can get your head back on straight.”
That has me sitting up real fast. “You what?”
“I want you to take some time off — you don’t have to worry about this affecting your vacation days or your PTO...”
I shake my head, not concerned about any of that. “I don’t give a shit about my vacation days, I have more than enough. And I don’t need to take time off, I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, Gavin. You’re on edge, and everyone at the station has noticed it. You’re dedicated to the job and I appreciate that, but right now, you need time away to get your head on straight.”
I let out a frustrated breath. “I don’t need time for shit.”
Shane shakes his head. “This isn’t a request, Gavin, you’re taking time off.” I fall back into the chair. “So as of,” he makes a show of looking at his watch, “right now, you have a two week leave of absence from the station. Use it wisely.” I take the finality of his voice as my dismissal and lean over to reach for my bag before getting up.
“And Brooks,” I pause, “when you get back, you better have your shit together.”
My jaw clenches as I nod.
There’s no use trying to convince him that I’m fine, and to be honest, I’m really not. Being without Gina has me twisted, and maybe some time off work will do me some good. I haven’t really given myself time to process her leaving, and now that I have two weeks off, maybe that’s exactly what I need to do.
Gavin
Thursday
I lean back and rest my head against the soft cushion covering the wooden rocking chair. The morning breeze blows across my face as I force myself to take deep slow breaths of the crisp, cold air.
Spring may be approaching, but that doesn’t mean a thing in northern Indiana. It’s still cold as hell here even though we’re approaching the month of April, which is the exact reason I went away for college and stayed away. I love the feel of a small town — always have — but the frigid weather for half the year, I can do without. Hence why I moved to Texas.
Another crisp wind flows past me, and my thoughts drift to Gina. We haven't been away from each other this long since we met. The one week she went ghost on me after our fight about her skipping school was the longest we'd been apart. I missed her so damn much that week, and she was still in town — still within reach — she was just pissed at me. But this is different. This time I can't drive down the street to her house and kiss her until she forgets that she's mad at me. I can't pin her to my bed and slide inside her until she forgets everything except my name.
She's gone and I don't know how long it's going to be before she comes back.
I know she'll come back. And when she does I wanna be ready.
Yeah I could probably call in a favor and track her down, but tracking her down and bringing her home won't solve anything, if I can't figure out why she left in the first place. I don’t plan to make the same mistake twice, which is why I'm taking my time off work seriously. I've spent the last week being pissed off at the world, and yeah, I'm still gutted that my little misfit is gone but I need to push past my anger and concentrate on getting my girl back. And I can't do that if I'm stomping around acting like an angry bastard. So I'm back home in Indiana for a few days, trying to get my mind right and face some of the demons I've been dealing with from Gina leaving.
Light footsteps padding across the porch pull me from my thoughts, but without opening my eyes I know who it is. "This seat taken?" My mom's warm voice permeates through the silence.
I answer without even opening my eyes. "There's always an open seat for you."
She
chuckles as she sits down, and the smell of her coffee catches the breeze.
"I brought you a cup."
Now that has me opening my eyes. Mom doesn't share her coffee with anyone — not even my dad. She buys some premium brand that we're all convinced she gets off the black market, and she keeps it hidden away until she's in the mood for a cup.
I take the mug she hands me, more out of curiosity than anything else, because I don't even know what the stuff tastes like.
I give her a smirk. “Turning over a new leaf in your old age?”
She slides her eyes my direction and lifts her brow.
“Drink your coffee and don’t sass your mother, son.” I roll my eyes.
“And don’t tell your father,” she adds, and I just shake my head.
Married for over thirty years and dad still hasn’t managed to con his way into tasting some of mom’s coffee. I chuckle into my mug as I take a sip.
And damn if that first sip isn't good. The coffee is still hot as hell but I still go back in for another sip because it's that good. There's hints of caramel and hazelnut — hell maybe even cinnamon — I don't know, but now I understand why mom keeps it locked away.
We sit in silence as we both sip our coffee and lookout over the cloudy grassland. My parents own a farmhouse and a few acres of land just outside of the town I grew up in, and on cold quiet mornings like this — I have to admit it — it’s pretty peaceful.
Mom takes another sip of her coffee before clearing her throat.
"So, are we gonna talk about it yet?"
I look at her with the mug halfway to my mouth. "The coffee?"
Mom scoffs and leans her head back against the chair dramatically.
"I swear, you can be just like your father sometimes. No, my dear boy, I'm not talking about the coffee. I'm talking about the reason you came home." She's looking at me with those green eyes that match my own, and there's no avoiding them.
"You figured that out?"
"Honey, you're my son. And you might be like your father, but you're still easy to read. You suddenly take time off work and come back home before the temperature reaches back up to the seventies...?" She tilts her head. "What happened with Gina?"
Damn.
I hadn't yet gotten around to telling my parents why I was back home but I guess now there's no need.
I sigh, and set my mug down on the little wooden table between us. "She left."
"She left...you?"
I shrug. "She left town."
Mom pauses for a moment. "Did she tell you why she was leaving?"
I shake my head. "She didn't even tell me that she was leaving."
She sighs. "Sweetheart..."
"I know she'll be back though."
"You do?"
"Yeah."
And then I fill her in on how I know my little misfit will be back. I even tell her about our weekend getaway in the city and the little ceremony I put together while we were there. I tell her everything that went down between Gina and I — hoping that just maybe she can help me figure out why my little misfit left.
So that when she comes back, she’ll never leave again.
Chapter 11
Gavin
One Month Later — Thursday
I finish my nightly routine of checking over the house — making sure lights are off, doors are locked, windows are closed — before finally making my way down the hall. I leave the door open slightly as I slip into the room, careful to stay quiet as I approach the bed.
My eyes are already adjusted to the darkness but the gentle glow of the moon provides the perfect amount of light for me to watch over Gina's sleeping body as I undress. She's taken to sleeping on her side these days because of her condition, and the sight of her ripe body never fails to bring a warm feeling to my chest. She's got one arm tucked under her while the other is gently cupping her round belly, swollen with our child.
I slip off my boxer briefs and check the baby monitor on the nightstand, making sure that our first born is sleeping soundly. I stand there for a moment double checking that everything is okay, the same way I do every night, before finally pulling the covers back and sliding into bed. I move in until I pressed up against Gina's back with no space in between us, letting her feel all of me as she sleeps. As usual, she rubs against me but doesn't wake as I align my front to her back. I ease her hand from her round belly up to my nape, before replacing her hand with mine. I cup her stomach, feeling our child shift and roll around inside her, as I press kisses along her shoulder. She moans softly in her sleep, and I keep at it — gently pressing kisses from her shoulder up to her neck. My woman's a deep sleeper and I know it's going to be several minutes before she starts to wake.
My cock hardens as I rub him against her, and even in her sleep Gina pushes back into me, grinding her curvy body into mine. When she wiggles her round body, I know she's finally awake.
"Mmm...hi, deputy," she whispers softly.
She turns her head and I lean over to give her a kiss before whispering back.
"Hey, babe. Thanks for dinner."
"You're welcome, baby. Did you like it?"
"Ate every bite."
She chuckles tiredly. "Good." Our bodies continue to slowly move against one another as we quietly talk, and I know she can feel how hard I am for her. "Sorry we weren't up to greet you. I meant to keep you company while you ate, but..."
"They wear you out today?"
She sighs."Yeah." As if on cue, the baby rolls within her making us both laugh. "This one is gonna be a handful for sure. Not even born yet, and already I barely get any peace."
I smile. "Aww. Well, daddy's here now to make you feel better," I say into her neck. I don't have to see her face to know she's rolling her eyes at me.
I chuckle as I start rubbing my hand along her belly, feeling the baby's gentle kicks. I creep my other hand under her body, letting it slip under her t-shirt to cup one of her swollen breasts. She moans quietly and it has me growing even harder against her. I keep rubbing her until I feel her thighs rub together under the blankets.
"Need something, babe?"
"Gavin, please, touch me."
I know better than to tease a pregnant woman, so I don't hesitate to slide my hand from her belly down between her legs. She's bare under my t-shirt, providing me with easy access, and I get right to work capturing her clit between my fingers — rolling and rubbing the little nub until she's dripping wet. I give her swollen tit a gentle squeeze at the same time I pinch her clit and she gasps as she goes over the edge into an orgasm.
I grind my hard on against her as she rides the wave of pleasure. When her breathing calms I slide my hand back up to her stomach to check that the baby is okay. I feel a little kick and my mind eases, so I go back to focusing on my woman. She rubs my nape and presses back into me trying to feel my cock.
“More,” she whimpers.
I grit my teeth as my cock grows even harder at hearing her ask for more.
I bring my lips to her ear. “Can you take me?”
She wiggles her ass. “Uh huh. Give it to me.”
I place a kiss just below her ear.
“Alright, little misfit, just be still and let daddy do all the work.”
I adjust our legs, lifting one of hers over the top of mine, and work my shirt off of her before adjusting myself behind her. I keep one hand on her breast, and guide my cock between her legs with the other. I rub my length up and down her wet folds getting him wet enough to take her. Gina moans and whimpers at the feel of me moving against her. And when her wet warmth starts to test my control, I guide my swollen head to her entrance and slide inside.
“Gavin,” she moans.
I take a couple easy strokes, letting her adjust. “This okay?” I worry about her taking me now that she’s so big, but her condition makes her so soft inside, I can’t keep out of her. She arches and I see her stomach shift. “Damn it, Gina, be careful.”
/> “I’m fine, Gavin, move harder. I can take it.”
She arches again, and I pull my hand from between her legs to hold her hip. I keep her still as I tease her nipples with my fingers and lower my lips to her neck. My movements are gentle as I stroke in and out of her, not wanting to risk her or our child. I tighten my grip on her hip when she keeps trying to push back into me.
“Gina...” I warn.
“Harder, baby, please. I’m fine — I promise.” She moans. “I need you.”
Fuck. How do I say no to my pregnant wife when she’s begging for me?
I take a deep breath, and tell myself to man up — to stay in control.
I can do this. I can give her what she wants without losing my head.
With that settled, I grit my teeth and tighten my grip on her as I increase my strokes. I thrust against her harder, still mindful of the baby, but enough to give her what she’s pleading for. She rocks against me — no longer arching and shifting — so I let go of her hip and slide my hand back down between her legs.
“Mmm...Gavin.” She moans when I recapture her wet swollen clit between my fingers and start to rub. I squeeze her tit and nip her neck making her cry out.
“Your body is ripe with our second child but I’m already practicing to fill you with number three,” I say into her ear.
“Ohh yes! Fill me up, Gavin.” I rub her clit harder and speed up my thrusts.
“Turns me on seeing you with this big belly, knowing my seed gave it to you.” I nip her ear. “And I’m gonna do it again.” I squeeze her nipple. “And again.”
I squeeze her clit.
“Baby!” She cries out and floods my cock with her liquid heat as she cums.
The way her pregnant pussy tightens around me has me thrusting deep one last time and releasing my seed with a—
The throbbing of my cock has me jerking awake.
I’m covered in sweat as I take deep breaths, trying to slow my racing heart.
Just another dream.
I curse silently and rub my hands over my face before sitting up on the couch.
I haven't slept in my bed since I found out Gina left town, so I've been crashing on the couch each night instead. It's been over a month but I just can't force myself to sleep in my bed knowing she's gone. Hell, I dream about her each night that I sleep on the couch and I took her on it half as many times as I took her on my bed.
