He clears his throat. “Marie says hi, by the way. She wanted to know if you’re always quiet or if you were just freaking out cuz it was your first day.”
I frown. “Marie?”
“Yeah, the owner of the coffee house.” He sits up. “Did you forget her name? That will never do. In a small town like this, you need to remember everybody or they’ll think you’re a city boy snob.”
“I’m not a snob,” I mutter. “I just met a lot of people yesterday.”
He nods. “Anyway, I told her you were just naturally on the quiet side, but that you did great yesterday.”
My face warms at the compliment. “Thanks.”
He shrugs. “No need to thank me. It’s the truth. From what I can see, you’re a great cop.”
Flattered but uneasy at the praise, I wrap my hands around the warm cup of coffee and take a sip. The creamy latte goes down easy and I give a sigh of contentment.
Liam’s lips twitch but he says nothing.
Since we didn’t do any reports after our shift yesterday because of the welcome party, we tackle that right away. Once that’s done we head to roll call and then out of the station to patrol. I’m relieved to get out of the building. Everyone is really nice, but all the new people stress me out.
The sky is overcast, the clouds sitting low on the mountains. Fresh snow fell overnight, and the plows are already at work clearing the streets. Liam drives with one hand on the wheel, relaxed, chatting about his parents’ upcoming anniversary party.
While family doesn’t mean much to me, I enjoy listening to him talk. His deep voice is soothing and I catch myself watching his hands as he gesticulates while speaking. He has nice hands, long tapered fingers and neatly groomed nails. When I realize I’m staring I quickly look away.
The morning is quiet. We handle a fender bender in the grocery store parking lot, take a statement from a woman whose mailbox was knocked over by a plow truck, and swing by the elementary school for a routine check. At the school, a group of kids spots our patrol car and they wave excitedly. Liam waves back with double the enthusiasm. One little blonde girl is especially happy to see us and she jumps up and down, waving both arms. I flutter my fingers at her as we pass by because she’s pretty adorable.
“Wow,” Liam deadpans. “Try to contain your excitement, Jude.”
I wrinkle my brow. “I waved.”
“You call that a wave? The Queen of England waves with more excitement than you. That was more like a muscle spasm.”
I chuff. “Be quiet. You were waving enough for both of us. We’re cops. We’re not riding a parade float.”
“No, but we’re also not at a funeral.”
I can’t help laughing. “God, you nag a lot.”
He grins. “That’s what my brother says.”
“I suspect he’s the smart brother.”
“Ouch.” He sighs. “It’s probably true though. He got the brains and I got the looks.”
“So… you’re aconceitednag.”
He glances at me, eyes narrowed. “Be nice. We have to spend a lot of time together. If you’re too mean I’ll ask for a different partner.”
I press my lips tight so I don’t smile. “Go ahead. It’s not like I feel like I won the lottery getting stuck with you.”
“Jude,” he fake whines. “You’re going to hurt my little feelings. I might look tough and macho, but inside, I’m a little teddy bear.”
“Okay, I’ll tone it down.” I turn to the window and notice my smiling reflection. I seem to smile a lot when I’m with Liam. His good nature is easy to be around.
Since it’s quiet, at 11:30 a.m. we stop at The Grizzly’s Den for an early lunch. Liam orders a patty melt and I get a bowl of chili. We sit in a booth near the window. Outside, a few flakes are starting to fall again.
Liam drags a fry through ketchup and says, “You said yesterday you became a cop to help people.”
“I did say that.”
