I turn sideways to face him with my legs crossed on the cushion. “She’s doing as well as can be expected. I think Chad as done a lot of damage to her emotionally as well as physically.” My hands ball into fists at the rage building inside of me on her behalf. “To think that he’d drug her and then let his loser friends take advantage of her….” I trail off, unable to say the rest.
“I always knew he was an ass, but I had no idea how sick of a man he is. Sadly, narcissists don’t care about other people, other than for what they can get from them. I’ve seen too much of it. I wish….” He stares absently at the wall.
“Don’t.” I grip his hand in mine. “You couldn’t have known. So don’t beat yourself up. You were the only one who kept going to Mackenzie, trying to get her to leave.”
His eyes bore into mine. “I love you, Em. Thank you for always being in my corner. And if you have any issues, nightmares, anything after what went down today, let me know. The department has great resources for therapists. I’ll be talking to someone next week to deal with seeing you and Grace being held at gunpoint.” His jaw flexes as if he’s back in that moment again. “I’ll never get over seeing that.”
How did I even think that Jake was shallow and only became a cop to control people or to get women? Those were the most ignorant thoughts that ever crossed my mind. This man is the best man I’ve ever met.
“I will. Thank you. But as an EMT, we have great resources as well. I’ve seen some things that stuck in my head as well.”
He smiles wryly. “Look at us, we’re quite a pair.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I lace my fingers through his.
“Yeah, me either.” He tips his head toward the kitchen where everyone’s still chatting and laughing. “What do you say we get rid of these people and get naked?”
“I think that sounds like a fabulous idea.” I unlace my legs and stand.
As if my mother senses my movements, she retrieves Grace from my brother’s arms. “You two relax. I’ve got Grace tonight. Your brother moved the bassinet into the spare bedroom.”
I stop in mid-step. How did I not notice that? And more importantly, the walls are not exactly soundproof. Shit.
“Thank you. We appreciate that.” Jake beams at my mom. “As a matter of face, Chief Carter just messaged me and said he needs another statement from Em.” He snatches his keys off the coffee table. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“No worries.” My mom waves her hand toward us. “We’ve got everything under control here.”
“Thanks.” Jake places his hand in the middle of my back. “I’ll drive. But grab your purse. I think Chief needs a copy of your license.”
“My license?” I wrinkle my nose while retrieving my purse from the table by the front door. They took copies of my ID earlier at the station. And when did Chief Carter message him? I was sitting beside him the entire time.
When the door shuts behind us, Jake gives me a quick once over and bites his bottom lip as the cat climbs out of his soft bed, arches his back, and stretches. “Keys to your mom’s house?”
A huge grin spreads across my face as I pat my purse. “Right here, next to my ID.” I give him a wink. I have to blame a long day for why I didn’t automatically catch on to what he was doing when he grabbed his keys. “Big Boy, show me what you’ve got.”
“Any time, Pretty Girl.” The deep timber of his voice causes goosebumps to scatter across my skin. “Baby, I’ll show you what I have for you every damned day if you’ll let me.”
I fan the front of my shirt as heat floods throughout my entire body. Leave it to this man to make me melt in all the right places.
The cat rubs his side from head to back flank against Jake’s leg before moving to mine. His purr sounds like a miniature chainsaw. “You do realize we’re going to have to name the cat, right?”
“Right.” He slings his arm over my shoulders and kisses my temple. “Snowball?”
“He’ll be the laughingstock of the cat neighborhood. A yellow cat with the name Snowball.” My heart sings with happiness as we jog down the steps. “That basically means someone peed on the snow.”
“Kevin?”
“Kevin?” I laugh louder and shake my head. “Try harder.”
As he opens the passenger side door, I stare up at the stars twinkling above us. This day didn’t start out as we intended and there were more bumps than the craters on Main Street, but I couldn’t have asked for a better man to end my day with.
When I look back down, he’s staring at me with the same wonder I studied the stars, and my stomach rolls with a long tumbling somersault.
Chapter Eighty-Seven
Jake
Emily twists the lock, and we’re inside. This is crazy. And irresponsible. Immature. I should’ve never come up with the idea. I lied to our families, we’re sneaking into her mother’s house, and all to screw against the kitchen island. I’m a cop, for God’s sake.
