“Just when I thought my day couldn’t get any better,” the husky female voice of ADA Lucy Millstone answered.
“Hey, Miss Millstone, I need a favor.”
She chuckled. “It’s about damn time, Sheriff. I knew I’d wear you down one of these days.”
He smiled. At least some women were not immune to his charm. “I got a boy in lockup who I believe would benefit from some community service rather than a stint in juvie.”
“All work and no play, huh?” she teased.
He’d enjoyed their flirtatious banter back and forth for years. He’d never crossed the line because he was the sheriff and she was the prosecutor. There was too much of a conflict of interest in the powers at play, and above all, Bently respected the office. That was why, once he’d become sheriff, he’d ventured outside city limits when he needed some female company. Until Belle. He’d never wanted a woman as much as her before. If she elicited such a reaction from him with the brush of a touch, how much more amazing would the sex actually be?
“Sheriff?” Lucy called, bringing him back to the issue at hand.
“Yeah, sorry. Been a long day. I’ll send you over the details in an email.”
***
Later that evening, he drove to the public courts parking lot. He’d run home long enough to change into some long shorts, a muscle shirt, and his sneakers. He parked his truck and grabbed the basketball out of the bed as he walked towards the near-empty courts. A lone figure caught his eye dribbling down the side before shooting and scoring a basket.
“Nice shot,” Bently called out.
The boy turned, his demeanor changing the instant his eyes met Bently’s.
It was the kid with the bike. “TJ, right?”
TJ nodded. “Sheriff.”
Bently dribbled his own ball as he approached the young man. “You can call me Bently. I’m off duty.”
TJ searched the empty lot behind them.
“You up for a little one-on-one?” Bently asked.
TJ hesitated, turning his head to scan the area.
“I promise I’ll go easy on ya.” Bently smiled, hoping to set him at ease.
TJ faced him again. “Alright. Let’s see what you got.”
Bently set his ball aside and situated himself at the half line. “First one to five wins.”
TJ didn’t waste a second as he faked left and swerved around, narrowly missing Bently’s block. He had to hustle to keep up with him. The kid was quick. TJ lined up the shot. Bently swiped his hand out, knocking the ball from TJ’s grip. The ball bounced out of bounds. TJ ran over to get it. Bently crowded the line, shifting his weight from side to side in anticipation of TJ’s move. The ball bounced between his legs and TJ disappeared around his left, quickly catching the ball and making the shot. Nothing but net.
“Damn. You’re good at this,” Bently said, his blood pumping. This was going to be more of a challenge than he’d thought. “I let you have that one, so get ready for my A game.” He chuckled.
Forty-five minutes and three games later, Bently crashed onto the metal bench out of breath. He stripped off his shirt, now soaked with sweat. He’d won two out of three, but TJ was good.
“You play on the school’s team?” Bently asked.
“Nah. I’m graduating this semester and I don’t have time for team sports.”
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
“Ahh, so you’re like super smart, then.” Bently wiped his head with his shirt.
TJ shrugged, and smiled as if he was shy. “I’m starting January classes at the local college. I want to be a doctor someday.”
“Wow. Well, I’m sure you’ll get there. You seem like a good kid.”
TJ nodded. He seemed more relaxed around Bently now that they had spent some time challenging each other and laughing.
“Thanks for my bike. Sorry about my sister the other day.”
Belle. The woman was an enigma. She’d gotten under his skin.
“No problem. Happy I could help . . . Is she always so . . .” Uptight? Rigid? Angry?
TJ laughed. “Protective?”
That was a safer answer. “Yeah.”
“She has good reason,” TJ said seriously, as his eyes grew dark. “She’s like my mom more than my sister.”
“Where are your parents?”
TJ shifted his gaze to the ball in his hands. “Not in the picture.”
“Mine either,” he confessed.
TJ looked up at him. “Why are you hanging out with me?”
Bently shrugged. “I came here to play ball.”
TJ nodded, seemingly accepting his answer.
“You made any friends yet?”
The kid hesitated. “One.”
Bently pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Give me your phone number and I’ll send you the link to a pretty cool place my friend Aaron runs. A lot of teens in the area hang out at his facility. They have basketball courts, game rooms, people your age.”
TJ took his phone and typed in his information before handing it back. Bently sent him the link to Hope’s website.
“You really got it bad for Belle, don’t ya?” TJ asked.
Bently cringed. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not the first to try and fail to get with my sister. Besides, you left a puddle of drool in our driveway.” TJ laughed.
Bently pushed his shoulder playfully. “I did not.”
“You sure seemed speechless.” TJ smirked.
“Well, she’s made it clear she doesn’t want anything to do with me. I can respect when a woman tells me no.” He wasn’t a total asshole.
“You’re not really her type.”
A pang of disappointment rippled through him. “She prefers doctors?”
TJ laughed again. “Something like that.”
Bently stood and stretched his tired limbs. “You want a ride back home?”
“My sister’s at work.”
“What’s that got to
