“Getting there,” I said, not wanting to think about all the dialysis research I’d done on Friday evening after his doctor had mentioned it as a possibility at his last appointment. I had been grateful to work in silence with Jake on Saturday and for the unexpected distraction after.
“Mr. Davis is a badass. Give him a few more months and I’m sure he’ll be walking all over the place.”
“I hope so,” I said, dropping my head into my hands and pinching the bridge of my nose. “He told me this morning that he looks forward to the day he’s well enough to throw me out.”
“Sounds like Mr. Davis,” he said, a laugh rumbling through his chest. “He looked like he was doing well when I saw him. It’s hard not to worry. I did the same when my parents were sick. But if you worry too much, both of you just end up miserable.”
“Yeah, too late for that.” A sad chuckle slipped out as I stood.
“I took the family into town yesterday, and Aiden wanted one of those shakes from Mary’s.”
I shut my eyes and nodded, anticipating what was coming next.
“I think I know what you’re about to say, or what you’re going to tell me you heard.”
“Listen, I didn’t bring it up to give you shit over it. We love Claudia, and from what Peyton told me, she’s having a hard time. This is good for both of you, and I was happy when I heard about your cozy market trip.”
“Wow, Mary didn’t spare any details, I guess.”
“You know that’s what she lives for. Although, Mary wasn’t so happy when she told us. She’s going to run her daughter out of town herself if she doesn’t stop trying to pawn her off on any single man she can find. You’d better tell your father to start walking faster.”
A laugh escaped me as I stood, adjusting my gun belt and pushing my chair against my desk. “That she is.”
I turned back to Keith, unsure what else to say. I didn’t want to tell him it was an act in case anyone overheard, and, like Jake, he seemed to be pushing me in Claudia’s direction. For someone who didn’t live here, she’d sure made a lasting impression on a lot of the residents. That didn’t surprise me because I couldn’t see how anyone wouldn’t notice her.
When I allowed myself to get close to her in the name of pretend, I could feel the heat between us and the jolt from wherever our skin touched.
When Dad yelled at me to get rid of the doom cloud over my head when I tried to talk to him about what the doctor had told us, Claudia popped into my head.
For a couple of hours, my life hadn’t seemed so dark and dull. And then I’d dropped her off, and intrusive memories of the demise of my marriage had sailed through my head and I was reminded of why I kept to myself.
“Claudia is only visiting for the summer. I know the town probably has us engaged.” I scoffed and shifted toward the door.
“You’re probably right,” he said, his shoulders shaking. “But even if she’s only here for the summer, she visits my niece all the time. And Brooklyn isn’t Mars. It’s not like she’s going that far when she goes home.” He exhaled a long sigh, shaking his head. “I just think you could use a break, Davis.”
Keith shrugged and padded toward me, dropping a hand on my shoulder.
“And from what Peyton told me, so could Claudia. So what’s the harm in a little fun? You could use some, I think.”
Keith was a bighearted, good guy who looked out for everyone, but how much of a loser did I appear to be if Jake and Keith were this invested in my personal life? My marriage had blown up a couple of towns over, but Maggie and I had both had enough connections in town that the details had traveled over. Between that and the concerned gloss in everyone’s eyes when they asked about my father, I was sick of being the Kelly Lakes focal point for town sympathy.
Whether I started up anything real with Claudia, maybe the idea of it would get people off my back. The interest in my father and me—or most of it—came from a genuine place, but it was beginning to choke me.
“Fun wouldn’t be a bad thing,” was all I said, not sure which one of us I was trying to convince.
“Exactly.” Keith slapped my back. “Be careful out there, Sarge.”
I wasn’t sure if he meant out there in the small crime element of Kelly Lakes or with Claudia. I nodded in agreement, hoping not to give him encouragement to clarify. I was always ready to do my job, but Claudia? I had a feeling casual and distant wouldn’t work when it came to her. But faking it, if she was still on board…maybe we could do that.
The consideration I was giving to the notion of fake-dating a woman—a woman I couldn’t stop thinking about—just to get people off my back and stop regarding me as some down-on-his-luck charity case was beyond ridiculous, yet somehow practical enough to give it serious thought.
Practical other than my pulse kicking up whenever I thought of Claudia snuggling her gorgeous body against me like she had for show.Justfor show. If I went along with this stupidity, I had to make that clear enough for both of us.
I waved to the other officers and headed out. The only thing I could agree with both Jake and Keith on was that, at some point, I really did need a damn break.
8
CLAUDIA
