The image of Claudia in a bathing suit was not helping the sweat already pouring down my back.
“Davis, hello. I thought that was you.”
I clenched my eyes shut at the sound of the familiar, nosy voice.
“Hi, Mary,” I said, trying to sound polite yet unapproachable. Mary owned the coffee shop in town and had been the focal point for all Kelly Lakes gossip for as long as any of us could remember. I had been coerced into taking her divorced daughter out once after I’d taken my father to have lunch at her shop one day. She’d suggested it, and my father had agreed in the spirit of pushing me out of the house. The minute I’d picked up Renee, it was clear that we didn’t even have enough spark between us to make a night-light flicker. Renee was fine with not seeing each other again, but her mother couldn’t accept it.
“I’m not used to seeing you out of your uniform. Renee said she had a great time with you that one night. You both should go—” Her smile faded when her gaze landed on Claudia. “Oh hello, Claudia. Back for another visit?”
“Yes, I’m—”
“Yes, I was just asking her what parts of Kelly Lakes she hadn’t seen yet. Not that there’s much to begin with. She’s a longtime visitor, but I thought I’d try to find some to show her.”
I shot Claudia a grin and wondered what the hell I was doing.
Claudia’s brow pinched for a moment before she flicked her eyes to Mary. Recognition bloomed on her beautiful face as a slow grin spread her mouth.
“I haven’t been on the back roads,” she purred, sliding her arm into the crook of my elbow. “We can pretend I haven’t been to the ice cream parlor because I’d love to go there later.”
She beamed up at me, her playful smile matching the wicked gleam in her eyes. I didn’t have to ask her to play along for her to get the hint. I also didn’t have to lean into her as she cuddled into my side, the scent from her fruity shampoo wafting up my nose when she rested her head on my shoulder.
“Do you have anything to suggest, Mary?” Claudia asked when she turned her head. “Maybe we can get one of those milkshakes that Mike always talks about tomorrow after Sergeant Davis’s shift. You’re open in the evenings, right?”
Wow, she was good at this. With no prompting at all, she’d left Mary speechless and darting her eyes around the park as if she were looking for a quick exit.
“I am. Feel free to stop by. Give my regards to your father, Davis.” She nodded to where Dad sat behind me, probably taking all this in to give me shit over it later.
“Well, that was interesting,” Claudia whispered, her breath fanning hot against my neck and triggering a rush of goose bumps down my arm. “Is it like Kelly Lakes town lore that Mary offers her poor daughter up to everyone?”
“Seems to be,” I said, locking eyes with Claudia for a long moment as she pulled away. “Thanks for being a good sport.”
“No problem. That was fun.” She dropped her gaze to the ground, the bashful smile curving her lips making her more beautiful, if that was even possible. I’d been so captivated by her that I’d barely given her an ounce of acknowledgment, yet she’d pretended to be with me in front of Mary without a second of hesitation.
“It’s just that she never—”
“Wants to let it go. Yeah, I got that. You seem like you have your hands full.” Claudia nodded back to my father. “I didn’t mind giving you a moment of peace. I’m really into the small-town hospitality thing, even though I’m alongtime visitor.”
She pursed her lips, and I couldn’t help another smile from drifting across my mouth.
She was something. And everything I wasn’t ready for.
“It was nice to meet your father. Try to stay cool.”
I reached out to grab her wrist when she shifted to walk away.
“It’s Jude.”
She stilled, pinching her brow at me.
“Jude?”
“My first name. It’s Jude.”
The side of her mouth curled into a smirk.
“As in Hey Jude, you make sad songs better?”
Her smile deepened as she inched closer to me. That same danger I’d sensed from her from the beginning—and wanted to avoid—flashed red.
