For Love and Donuts

by McKenna Rogue

  He covered my hand with his, then brought his other hand to my hip, pulling me in closer.

  “Whatever happens between us, Cherry, you’re never alone. We’re friends if nothing else. I know Logan and Poppy are big fans of you too. Plus, Karina would probably kill me if I burned any bridges with the best baker in town. Please don’t let yourself be isolated because you’ve made some bad choices trusting people. We all do it. And shouldn’t those people be a little ashamed for not being trustworthy in the first place?”

  “I don’t know,” I shrugged. “But I’m done worrying about it. At least for right now. I just want this storm to be over and for us maybe to get a real first date.”

  He chuckled. “We should definitely do that.” He pulled away a step, but it hardly broke the hold he had on me. “Let’s get some rest. I’ll light a couple of candles so we can give the flashlights a break.”

  Once the candles were lit, we curled up on the cot together. It wasn’t really big enough for two, smaller even than a twin-sized bed, but the way he wrapped around me, keeping me warm with his big, hot body, it felt cozy. There was nothing sexual about the way he held me, but somehow, it felt even more intimate, just to be cuddling.

  Eventually, I started to doze off. But as he held me, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more between us than just attraction and serious sexual chemistry.

  Could I already be in love with him?

  6

  Damon

  I woke up with a raging hard-on and Cherry pressing her ass right into it. Why were we stuck in the basement of her bakery and not somewhere I could fuck her senseless the way I wanted to?

  I held her to me, not wanting to let her go. I couldn’t believe she’d opened up so much to me last night, and not just with her body. It felt like there was something more brewing between us than just attraction.

  I knew I liked her. I had all kinds of respect for her. But there were plenty of women I liked and respected. With Cherry though, there was something more to it than those simple emotions.

  I wanted to know everything I could about her. I wanted to know how she ended up the way she did. I wanted her to introduce me to her parents. I wanted to be someone important enough to Cherry, she would want to introduce me to her friends. I wanted to curl up next to her every night and wake up next to her every morning.

  I was starting to think like a crazed man. Maybe this is what love was about. Songs and poems didn’t talk about love like it was some kind of rational thing that made all the sense in the world. Biology played a part too. Biology, we definitely had an edge with. I knew sex between the two of us going to be mind-blowing. Feeling and watching her come undone had changed my world. Then her eagerly taking me into her mouth. I’d never come so hard in my life. I barely held on when she decided to wrap her capable hands around my dick. Jesus, just thinking about it had me wanting a repeat session this morning before we went to assess the real damage of the storm.

  Cherry stirred in my arms, then stiffened.

  “Cherry, it’s Damon,” I whispered in her ear, not wanting to break the quiet spell of the morning, “We’re in the basement of the bakery.” I felt her tension slip away.

  “Sorry, I was sleeping hard. Woke up a little disoriented.” She sat up, and I fought the urge to groan in protest at her leaving my arms. “Do you think it’s safe to go upstairs? I could really use a bathroom.”

  “I think so. It sounds like the storm is over. It’s still early.” I sat up, pulling the blanket over my lap to hide my erection “You should take a flashlight with you. I don’t know if we have power yet.”

  Once she was up and fully dressed again, I followed her up the stairs. It was still dark, but the rain had stopped. Cherry shined the light into the café and gasped.

  “Oh my gosh.”

  “I really think it’s not as bad as it looks,” I said, trying to be reassuring. There was no way I was going to let her figure out all of this stuff alone, anyway. I knew guys who would help out and give her a break if money was an issue.

  “I’ll take your word. It looks like a nightmare to me.” She surveyed the back areas. “At least the kitchen looks like it just needs a good scrub down.”

  “You go ahead into the bathroom. I’m going to check everything out.” I waited until she was safely tucked inside, then went right for the storage room. It was still void of Michael. I wondered if he really left or just found somewhere else to hide. I didn’t want to leave Cherry alone until I knew she’d really be safe, but I was going to have to head out and see if there was anyone in town who needed help. I needed to check in on Barely, and I wanted to pay a visit to Jamal too. Neither of them loved storms, and this one had been particularly bad.

  I checked everywhere on the main level, then went back down and double-checked all the basement’s nooks and crannies to make sure Michael hadn’t taken advantage of our sleeping. I slept hard through most of the rest of the night. My neck was killing me. I should probably had a doctor check it out, but there was no time for that right now. The hospital was probably overwhelmed after the storm, anyway. I knew my injuries weren’t serious enough to warrant taking a doctor away from someone who might need attention more than me.

  When I got back upstairs, Cherry had already grabbed a broom and a trashcan.

  “I’m not going to be able to relax until some of this gets cleaned up. I need to be able to open back up as soon as possible.”

  “I understand. I need to check in at the station to see where I’m needed. I’ve double-checked everything, and aside from the front window, I think you’re secure. Are you comfortable with me leaving you alone?”

  “Of course. I can’t imagine Michael or anyone else really wants to hurt me.”

  I took Cherry by the upper arms and stepped into her space, so she had to tilt her head to look up at me.

  “I don’t want you underestimating Michael. He tried to choke me out last night because you and I were both telling him to leave. That’s not a normal reaction. And not everyone in this small town is so nice. Just be careful.”

  “All right, I’ll be careful. If I see Michael, I’ll call the police.”

  “Then you call me,” I directed.

  She gave me a nod. “Okay, I’ll do that.”

  “Thank you.” I kissed her forehead. “I’m going to go check on a few people, check in at the station, then I’ll give you a call and let you know when I can head back here to help you finish cleaning up. Do me a favor and stay away from the glass and broken window until I get back. It’s at least a two-person job, and I don’t want you to get hurt. Your hands are part of your job, and if you’re wounded, you won’t be doing yourself any favors.” I tried to suppress the image that popped into my head of her hands around my cock. I didn’t need to be walking funny because I had a raging hard-on in my pants.

  “Yeah, yeah.” She made an overdramatic show of rolling her eyes. “Is this what it’s going to be like to date you? You’re just going to worry over me all the time.”

  “Damn straight,” I grinned and kissed her again.

  I went to the basement and got dressed back into my uniform before heading out to my car. I really didn’t want to leave her, not with Michael on the loose and plenty of dangerous things in the bakery she could hurt herself on, but I also knew Cherry wouldn’t stand to be coddled. She’d just fight me more if I tried to keep her from what she wanted to do.

  I ran by my house first. Barely was cowering under my bed when I unlocked the door, but the sound of a can of cat food being popped open brought him right out. I scratched him behind the ears for a minute before I checked for property damage and changed into fresh blues.

  Once I was satisfied everything was secure at my place, I headed to the Joneses. It was a short drive, and even though it was just after seven in the morning, I knew at least Jenny and Dan would be up. They had several rental properties they managed, including Cherry’s apartment building, and I had no doubt they’d be spending the day
trying to check up on everything.

  Jamal opened the door. Dark circles and slumped shoulders revealed the teenager hadn’t gotten much sleep either.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I just wanted to make sure you and your family were doing okay. It was an intense storm.”

  He lifted his shoulder and dropped it. “It’s over at least.”

  “I’m sorry it was a rough night, buddy. Do you guys have any damage? Is there anything I can help with?”

  Jenny came and stood behind him. “Officer Langley?”

  “I was just checking in with you guys. I wanted to make sure you were doing okay after the storm last night.”

  “That’s really thoughtful of you. I think the most we have is some screen damage, and one of the trees in the backyard had a branch break off, but it’s nothing serious. I don’t think there’s a lot of property damage. I just want the power to come back on before everything in my refrigerator and freezer goes bad.” She glanced at Jamal and smiled a little. “Jamal’s actually been a really great help this morning.”

  The kid’s face lit up at the small compliment, but he quickly hid it again under his typical disaffected youth stare.

  “Are any of your cellphones charged still? I can give you a call if I find out when they expect it to be back on.”

  “That would be great. Thank you.”

  “No problem. Just hang tight. The streets are littered with big hunks of trees and debris, so I would suggest staying put today if you can manage it until we get some of this stuff cleaned up.”

  After Jamal’s, I drove toward the station slowly, looking for any major signs of damage or anyone seriously hurt. I needed to check in, but I also couldn’t just drive past someone suffering.

  The station was chaotic—phones ringing off the hook, people in a constant state of hurry, from one end of the station to the other. I wove through the chaos to my desk. The voicemail light on my phone glowed red, but phone calls were the least of my worries.

  The police chief approached me. “Langley, have you heard from Karina yet?”

  I stood up. “No. Why?” Karina usually beat me in, but her desk didn’t look like it had been touched. I didn’t have any missed calls on my cell, but with as crazy as the storm was, I’d figured she’d just holed up somewhere, waiting it out like the rest of town.

  “She was out there last night patrolling. We lost all communication. She hasn’t come back online.”

  I reached into my pocket for my car keys.

  “What was her last check-in?” Damn it. Why was she out by herself? I told her I would go with her if she decided it was something she needed to do.

  “Off Maple and 55th.”

  I was out the door before he could say anything else. The further I traveled down 55th, the worse the debris got. I struggled to maneuver my car around fallen trees, broken mailboxes, and loose shingles. Where the hell was Karina? What if something had happened to her? I would never forgive myself. She was my best friend. My partner. I needed her to be okay.

  The black and white patrol car stretched diagonally across the street.

  Or, I should say, what was left of it.

  I hardly recognized it as a car at first. The back end was almost completely obscured by tree roots, and the roof was caved in from the weight of the trunk. Everything else was leaves and branches.

  “Fuck.” The curse hardly covered the panic bubbling up in my chest. Please, tell me she’s not in the car. Tell me my partner’s not still inside that wreck. My heart pounded as I shoved open my car door and bolted forward.

  “Karina!”

  I couldn’t see into the cruiser. I couldn’t get close enough to look in a window, let alone open a door. The tangled labyrinth of branches and leaves blocked every access point. I needed a machete, a chainsaw, anything to get through the foliage.

  “Is there someone in there?”

  I turned around to find one of the neighbors coming out of a house behind me.

  “I don’t know. That’s my partner’s car.”

  The guy nodded. “I’ve got a chainsaw.” He moved quickly, running back into his garage. Standing next to me, he pulled the cord and started up the machine. The chainsaw roared to life.

  I tried to stay calm as I pointed out where I thought would be the most effective places to cut. She couldn’t be in there. She’d gotten out, gone into one of the nearby houses. Any minute, Karina would come out, confusion on her face, wondering why we were trying to cut out the totaled car. She had to. She had to be okay.

  I radioed in my location and requested backup, but the firetrucks were all out on other emergencies. They’d get to us when they could. Until then, it was just me and the chainsaw guy, hacking through the branches.

  It took almost half an hour before we had enough of a path cleared so I could get to the driver’s side windows.

  They were fogged over. Someone had to be inside.

  “Karina?” I pounded on the metal of the door, trying to get a response. Between the fog and the crushed in glass, I couldn’t see well enough to know what was going on. “Karina, are you in there?” I still couldn’t believe she was in there. It had to be something else. Someone else.

  No answer.

  Fuck. She had to be okay. I yanked on the door handle, but the frame was too mangled, and all the door did was groan under the strain.

  We couldn’t get in through the doors. I grabbed the guy with the chainsaw again, hoping we could cut enough of the tree away that we could break through a window or the windshield. I needed to stay on task, to focus on the tree, or I’d fall apart. I couldn’t lose Karina.

  By the time the firetruck showed up, we had a good chunk of the tree cut up and out of the way. The main trunk was still over the car, but at least we could use the jaws of life to open the car up.

  Karina wasn’t as tall as me. She wasn’t as wide. Maybe we’d get in there, and she’d still be okay, just scrunched up in the floorboards, waiting to get out.

  As the firemen got to work, I asked the neighbor, “Do you know what time the tree fell?”

  “Sometime in the middle of the night. I’m not sure. Maybe one when it was at its worst. It was hard to tell one sound from the other, though.”

  “Thanks, man.” I nodded, even though the timestamp was like a knife in my gut. “I appreciate your help.” I reached my hand out. “Damon Langley, by the way.”

  “Dean Jeffries.”

  Dean and I did everything we could do to help as the firemen worked on the car.

  An ambulance arrived, adding to the red and blue lights flashing all over the street.

  The creak of metal on metal announced they’d gotten into the car.

  I held my breath, afraid to look.

  Karina was inside. Her leg was trapped, but she was breathing. I’d take unconscious over dead.

  It was killing me not to be in there helping her out, but the firemen were doing a great job. I knew she was in capable hands.

  I just wanted her to be okay.

  They put her on a gurney and wheeled her into the ambulance. I thanked everyone for helping out, trying to maintain my composure as a police officer. But as soon as I was in my car, the nerves kicked in again.

  Karina didn’t have any family and not a lot of friends. She’d lost everyone in a fire when she was little. I’d known her for a long time, but we never really talked until we started working together. Now, she’d become my best friend. She needed to be okay.

  I barely got to see her at the hospital before they rushed her into emergency surgery. In addition to her leg, the doctors were worried about swelling in her brain.

  There was nothing I could do. I paced the waiting room for fifteen minutes, wishing I could demand more information and minute-by-minute updates. I knew Karina. She was a fighter, and she loved this community more than anything. She’d want me out on the streets, helping people, not just waiting for news. I headed back out into the chaos of the world, doing what I could
to get Jubilee Falls back in working order. Doing what I could to make Karina proud.

  By the time I stopped working, it was just after ten o’clock the next morning. I’d managed to check in on Cherry off and on, including making sure her window got boarded up.

  As Jamal and a couple of high schoolers helped out in exchange for leftover cookies and pastries she’d had in the fridge, Cherry whispered that when I got off duty, I could go to her apartment.

  I debated with myself if I would actually do that. There was so much that needed to be done, and it didn’t seem fair that I should be flirting with Cherry when so many people needed help. But I didn’t want to be alone.

  I was hardly aware of my actions as I parked outside Cherry’s apartment building. My head was full of worry for Karina, and I was wiped out. I knocked on Cherry’s door, and she ushered me inside. Even as exhausted as I was, I couldn’t help but think she looked casual but still so sexy.

  “You need a hot shower and some sleep.” She pushed me toward her bathroom, and without any prompting, she started to undress me. She was careful and tender with my overworked body. “Any word on Karina?” she asked.

  “She’s still in critical condition. She took a hard hit to the head, and her leg was pretty badly damaged.” I leaned against the wall and reached for Cherry’s arm.

  She danced out of my grasp to start the shower, and soon, steam was filling the small room. She didn’t seem to care that I was naked. She was in caretaker mode. It was just as well because no matter how badly I wanted her, my body was in no shape to respond.