He leaned down and gently brushed his lips across mine. “See ya in the morning, Criminal Martin.”
Chapter 15
“Only one more day,” Chase said as he handed me a mug of hot tea.
My heart plummeted to my stomach at that thought. In just one more day, my service would be over and there’d be no need for me to stick around Trinity Falls anymore.
“My ankle feels pretty good, too. I can almost put weight on it.” I bit my lip and looked at him. “Do you think I should stay upstairs tonight? I mean, I’m pretty sure I can climb up the stairs now without getting hurt.”
Chase blew on his coffee then took a tentative sip. “I don’t see why you should. This will be your last night here under house arrest. You get your bracelet off tomorrow morning, right?”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah. Um, I was wondering, would it be okay to stick around until Sunday? I mean, I’ll stay upstairs, of course. But Mimi said there’s going to be a protest on Saturday. We can stand in front of the fence line since it’s the county’s road and protest.”
Chase grinned. “So what you’re telling me is that you may need the upstairs next week if you get arrested again? I should probably keep it available to you?”
“Ha ha.”
His eyes turned serious. “Where will you go from here?”
I shrugged. “Probably back to Mom and Dad’s for a while. Look over any emails or messages I’ve gotten since I’ve been gone to see what needs my attention next.”
“I don’t know whether to throttle you or admire you.”
I smiled. “Thank you for letting me stay here with you. I mean, under house arrest and all.” I chuckled. “Truth is, this wasn’t nearly as horrible as I thought it was going to be.”
He set his mug down and walked toward me. “For me either, Alexa.” He reached out and cupped my cheek in his warm hand. “I know we’re two completely different people, but I—I really don’t want…”
He leaned down and captured my lips in a kiss. And not just a quick, chaste kiss. No. This kiss rocked me to my core and curled my toes. When he slid his tongue inside my mouth and pressed my lower half to him, I felt as though my insides had melted. One of his big hands cradled the back of my head, and I was vaguely aware of my own arms wrapping around his neck.
Never had I wanted anyone more than I wanted Officer Chase Cryer. Law-enforcing, peacekeeping, tender Chase. The kind of guy I grew up believing didn’t exist. And yet here I was, leaning against this powerful man, kissing him back, hoping like heck he didn’t break contact…and hoping even more he’d ask me to stay when my house arrest was over.
And that thought scared me to death.
He pulled back and searched my eyes. “When this is all over Saturday, we need to talk.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
He ran his thumb over my bottom lip, and I heard myself whimper. He leaned in like he was going to kiss me again, but Rocky chose that moment to wiggle in between us, whimpering.
“You need to go out, buddy?” Chase stepped back, ran his hand once more down the side of my face, and then opened the kitchen door so Rocky could play in the backyard.
***
“You’re sure this is oregano?” Chase asked my dad for the third time.
Dad looked up from his patch of soil and grinned at Chase. “Don’t you trust me?”
“Larry,” Mom said, “stop torturing the boy.”
Today Dad was wearing his “Big Brother is Always Watching” t-shirt, and enjoying every minute of his gardening at the senior center. Mom and Dad both were avid gardeners who loved to impart their wisdom to others. We even had a massive greenhouse on our property so we could have lettuce greens all year round.
Dad brushed the dirt off his jeans as he and Mom headed over to help Mimi and Ingrid label their herbs in the starter kit they bought.
“I see where you get your love of life and zest for helping others,” Sheriff Cryer said to me. “Your mom and dad are wonderful people.”
I glanced sideways at him. I wasn’t sure if he was putting me on or not. “Thank you.”
“Did Chase or your parents tell you they came out to my place to get ready for today?” Sheriff asked.
