me in a silent goodbye and sauntered away.
I focused back on my cousin. “Bad day?”
Molly whined and leaned into her mother’s chest. “Someone’s not feeling well. Makes putting together her father’s surprise party nearly impossible.”
“What can I do?”
“Will you pick up the cake and help me decorate?”
“Absolutely.”
“I’m sure I’ll come up with more stuff later. Rachel and Tori are coming to help, too, so we’ll have reinforcements. At least Micah will be there. He’s great with the kids.”
“He is, isn’t he?”
She jostled Molly and stroked her hair. “Oh, yeah. He’s the best. Sometimes I think he likes kids more than adults. I’ve shamelessly foisted babysitting duties on him at more than one function. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to mind.”
“Lucky you.” It made perfect sense. He was a loner, but I was beginning to see what made him tick and could understand how the simple innocence of children would appeal to someone so emotionally wounded. From what I could tell, he never spoke of his time in Afghanistan. That made me wonder how horrid it truly was, but all the more determined to be his friend. Maybe he’d open up to me one day.
I locked up my desk, turned the calls over to the night dispatcher, grabbed my purse and followed Delilah outside.
“So, who’s Officer McHottie?” she asked with a smirk as I helped her load up the babies.
“Officer who?”
“Oh, come on. The cutie who was all in your space just a minute ago.” She made circling motions with her hands in front of my body.
“That’s Officer Varga, and he was not.”
She lifted a brow in disbelief then turned to buckle Molly into her car seat. “Whatever you say, Cleopatra.”
I bit my lip.
She stood and faced me. “What is it?”
“He asked me out.”
Her blue eyes bugged wide. “Seriously? What did you say?”
“I said no.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I have plans tonight. You know, Blake’s party.” I diverted by digging for my truck keys in my purse.
“With the way he was looking at you, I’m pretty sure he would’ve taken a raincheck.”
Sigh. “I don’t want a raincheck.”
“No?”
“No. Now, let’s go. This party won’t throw itself.”
Thankfully, she let it go. We split up and I headed to the bakery while she took the kids home.
“Thank God you’re here,” Rachel said as she ushered me inside Delilah’s house half an hour later. “Dee’s about to go crazy in here and the guys will be bringing Blake soon.”
I slid the cake onto the kitchen counter.
“Hey.” A very pregnant Tori peered up from her post at the stove, stirring what smelled to be chili dip.
“How can I help?”
Delilah bustled in, her hair in wild disarray and something that resembled strained carrots staining her T-shirt. “I don’t know.” She spun in a circle at a loss.
I grabbed her shoulders. “Stop. Who has Blake right now?”
“I think Jesse and Micah. Trace snuck out of work early to get the liquor.”
“Okay. I’ll take care of it.” I spun her toward the hallway. “Go shower and change into something suitable for a fourth of July surprise party for the love of your life. I’ve got this.” I’m not sure where this take-charge person came from, but I kinda liked her, especially when Delilah slinked off without argument and Rachel and Tori smiled in gratitude.
I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Micah.
“Hello?” His deep voice had goosebumps breaking out all over my body.
“Hey, it’s Jewel.”
“Oh. Hey.” He seemed surprised to hear from me.
“Sorry to bug you, but do you have the package?”
“Huh?”
“Blake.”
“Right. As a matter of fact, I do.” There was a smile in his voice.
“Where are you now?”
“Uh . . .”
I could hear Blake in the background and knew Micah was afraid to say too much. “Ten minutes away?”
“Less.”
“Five?”
“Maybe.”
Shit. “Can you stall somehow? Give us maybe another half hour? Delilah’s
I focused back on my cousin. “Bad day?”
Molly whined and leaned into her mother’s chest. “Someone’s not feeling well. Makes putting together her father’s surprise party nearly impossible.”
“What can I do?”
“Will you pick up the cake and help me decorate?”
“Absolutely.”
“I’m sure I’ll come up with more stuff later. Rachel and Tori are coming to help, too, so we’ll have reinforcements. At least Micah will be there. He’s great with the kids.”
“He is, isn’t he?”
She jostled Molly and stroked her hair. “Oh, yeah. He’s the best. Sometimes I think he likes kids more than adults. I’ve shamelessly foisted babysitting duties on him at more than one function. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to mind.”
“Lucky you.” It made perfect sense. He was a loner, but I was beginning to see what made him tick and could understand how the simple innocence of children would appeal to someone so emotionally wounded. From what I could tell, he never spoke of his time in Afghanistan. That made me wonder how horrid it truly was, but all the more determined to be his friend. Maybe he’d open up to me one day.
I locked up my desk, turned the calls over to the night dispatcher, grabbed my purse and followed Delilah outside.
“So, who’s Officer McHottie?” she asked with a smirk as I helped her load up the babies.
“Officer who?”
“Oh, come on. The cutie who was all in your space just a minute ago.” She made circling motions with her hands in front of my body.
“That’s Officer Varga, and he was not.”
She lifted a brow in disbelief then turned to buckle Molly into her car seat. “Whatever you say, Cleopatra.”
I bit my lip.
She stood and faced me. “What is it?”
“He asked me out.”
Her blue eyes bugged wide. “Seriously? What did you say?”
“I said no.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I have plans tonight. You know, Blake’s party.” I diverted by digging for my truck keys in my purse.
“With the way he was looking at you, I’m pretty sure he would’ve taken a raincheck.”
Sigh. “I don’t want a raincheck.”
“No?”
“No. Now, let’s go. This party won’t throw itself.”
Thankfully, she let it go. We split up and I headed to the bakery while she took the kids home.
“Thank God you’re here,” Rachel said as she ushered me inside Delilah’s house half an hour later. “Dee’s about to go crazy in here and the guys will be bringing Blake soon.”
I slid the cake onto the kitchen counter.
“Hey.” A very pregnant Tori peered up from her post at the stove, stirring what smelled to be chili dip.
“How can I help?”
Delilah bustled in, her hair in wild disarray and something that resembled strained carrots staining her T-shirt. “I don’t know.” She spun in a circle at a loss.
I grabbed her shoulders. “Stop. Who has Blake right now?”
“I think Jesse and Micah. Trace snuck out of work early to get the liquor.”
“Okay. I’ll take care of it.” I spun her toward the hallway. “Go shower and change into something suitable for a fourth of July surprise party for the love of your life. I’ve got this.” I’m not sure where this take-charge person came from, but I kinda liked her, especially when Delilah slinked off without argument and Rachel and Tori smiled in gratitude.
I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Micah.
“Hello?” His deep voice had goosebumps breaking out all over my body.
“Hey, it’s Jewel.”
“Oh. Hey.” He seemed surprised to hear from me.
“Sorry to bug you, but do you have the package?”
“Huh?”
“Blake.”
“Right. As a matter of fact, I do.” There was a smile in his voice.
“Where are you now?”
“Uh . . .”
I could hear Blake in the background and knew Micah was afraid to say too much. “Ten minutes away?”
“Less.”
“Five?”
“Maybe.”
Shit. “Can you stall somehow? Give us maybe another half hour? Delilah’s
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