The woman driving the black vehicle twists her head around, blanches, and swerves to the shoulder, bouncing off thecurb. Her passenger slaps her hand over her mouth and sits straighter in her seat. I don’t recognize either of them, so they must be from out of town.
“Watch out, ladies, or we’ll be here for the two of you.” Dale shakes his head, causing the tight curls on the top of his head to sway with the movement. The sides and back of his head are shaved close to his skin.
Dale’s hands are in the perfect driving position as he lifts a finger to wave at them. They both sheepishly return his greeting. My partner wears the same uniform design I do–a white polo shirt and black pants. And it doesn’t look any better on him than it does on me.
Who thought polyester pants were a good idea? They’re hot, scratchy, and not the least bit flattering. Now the police department…. They’ve got it good. They get to wear those black cargo pants that make everyone look like a badass. Why couldn’t we get those?
The next time we have a team meeting, I’m proposing cargo pants. It only makes sense. We’d be able to store more PPE in cargo pants.
He flicks on the blinker to Beacon Street. The park is the pride of our town, with its up-to-date playground equipment, secured through a grant two years ago, and plants and flowers strategically placed throughout the space to make everything bright and cheery. The area has a scenic feel that attracts not only parents with children, but also the lunch crowd.
“Your mom is lucky to have you and your brother. Well,” he chuckles softly, “she’s lucky to have you. I’m not sure yourbrother is as on board as you are with jumping in and sacrificing your personal life to take care of your mom.”
“Thanks.” He’s not wrong on that front. My brother grumbled more than once about having to check on her every day and assured our mother that most of the responsibility would fall on me.
‘Because Emily doesn’t have a life.’ Those were his words. ‘Outside of pretending to have a life by volunteering for everything.’ Those were also his words.
Sadly, my brother is not wrong about that either. I don’t have a social life. And I do tend to overdo it in the pitching-in department.
Of course, it’s all his fault for always telling me that I couldn’t do anything on my own without someone needing to jump in and rescue me. It’s made me want to prove myself that much more.
I study the parked cars as we drive through the park entrance. It’s a slow winding road that goes from one end of the park to the other. There are multiple playgrounds, open-air and covered picnic tables, and game areas spaced throughout the several-acre plot with the baseball fields and swimming pool at the end.
Dale switches off the lights so that people don’t freak out unnecessarily.
Louise Walker’s white sedan pulls up a safe distance behind us. I shake my head. Louise likely closed the library and picked up Rosemarie Martin from the flower shop, the second she heard the accident on her scanner.
By a set of six swings, a group of people is clustered around an officer who’s crouched beside a small child. The kid is wearing a red shirt and blue shorts.
“There’s our victim.” I point in the direction of the crowd.
“Got it.” Dale pulls in front of the police cruiser and shifts the gearshift into park. “Grab your gear.”
“On it.” As I grip the door handle, the police officer glances over at us and meets my gaze through the closed window. Jake Thompson. My heart flips in my chest as I choke on my spit and cough until tears fill my eyes. Do not throw up. Whatever you do, do not throw up.
“Is everything okay?” Dale quirks his eyebrows while yanking the driver’s side door open.
“Perfect,” I sputter as I regain my breath and straighten my shoulder. Perfect? How can I be perfect? Jake Thompson is back in town.
When the girls told me that he was back, I thought they were lying. Or it was a cruel joke. Well, it might be a cruel joke, but it’s real.
I unclench my hands, not realizing I’d curled them into fists, climb down from the cab, and yank open the ambulance doors. I’m no longer a naïve little girl. I’m a grown woman. I have my own place. I have a career. I don’t drool over asshole guys.
Especially guys like Jake. Those that think they have the world by the tail.
“I’ll get your stuff.” Dale places a hand on my shoulder. “Go on ahead and see how our patient is doing.”
I stare at him, searching for signs of pity. Surely, he didn’t realize why I gasped. No, there’s no way. He wouldn’t suspect anything. He’s years older than us, and our falling-out happened four years ago.
Everyone’s likely forgotten. Just like I have.
The second the vision of Jake and Amanda, naked and fucking each other’s brains out, enters my head, I shove it back into a box, fling the lid closed, and snap a padlock over the latch.
And then another one. And another.
“Sure.” I step over the chain that separates the park from the street. Blood whooshes in my ears, blocking out the sounds of the children still climbing on the jungle gym.
You can do this. He’s nobody.
