Roughing up his hair with her fingertips, Derek had leant down to let her. His face was filled with nothing but pure love and adoration. It felt like a punch in the gut. I’d had that. Once. Although I’d sworn off ever again going down that path, watching them taunt and tease each other made me jealous. Part of me wondered if I’d ever get a shot again. I knew in my heart I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. There was no way in hell I’d put everything I had, everything I was, my whole heart in someone else’s hands, just to have it crushed again. Nothing was worth that sort of agony.
“Well, I’m so tired from being right all day, I think you should take me home and put me in the shower, Constable Cartwright.”
Mia waggled her eyebrows at Derek and I swear the guy melted. Not from the sun’s warmth, either. One batting of her lashes and he was putty in her tiny, yet surprisingly effective hands.
“On that note…I’m out.”
Without a word, Derek swept Mia off her feet and tossed her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, heading straight for the car. I couldn’t stop myself. Their relentless flirting all day had sex on my mind. Fuck, who was I kidding? Sex was always on my brain these days. It’d been too long since I’d had a warm, willing woman beneath me. I’d have to do something about that. Hearing the sexy little giggles from Mia wasn’t helping, either.
“Be safe!” I called behind them as Derek opened the driver’s side door and tossed Mia in as if she was a rag doll before flipping me the finger. Beside me, Logan chuckled. “Aren’t they your ride?”
“I’m not getting in the car with those two right now. Did you see them? They’re most likely to go at it on your driveway.”
“Now there’s an idea!” Mia squeaked before Derek put the truck into reverse and took off down the road.
As I looked over at Logan, the moment our gaze locked we both lost our shit. Doubled over from laughing so hard, it didn’t help my already aching, tired body. It took us a few minutes to pull ourselves together before I straightened my spine.
“I’m gonna head too. Thanks for today.”
“Seriously? You’re thanking me? For making you do manual labour? Are you on drugs?”
“Probably should be. But seriously, it’s not easy being the new guy in town.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Yeah, I forgot you’re only a bit older than me around here.”
“Yep. Met the single mums yet?”
“Been there.”
“Done that?”
“Fuck no! They’re husband hunting, and I’m not playing that game.”
“Me either. Me either.”
With a quick handshake and a promise to get together and watch the game the following week, Logan settled his sunglasses back over his eyes and walked off.
Alone, I turned and looked at the progress. Sure, it was slightly out of order on my list, but fuck, it felt good. For weeks I’d been making slow, steady progress, but to see one huge item done made me stand a little straighter and puff out my chest. What was even better was it seemed I may have finally made some friends around here. Friends who didn’t want anything from me or to know my whole history. Derek and Logan seemed like cool guys. And today, today was more help than I could have hoped for.
The shower was calling me and so was that beer, but remembering I was taking Josie out on the bike later curtailed that idea. And with that thought, gone were the tired, achy thoughts, replaced quickly with the bounce in my step and something to look forward to. Now I just needed to clean myself.
