Oakley scrambled out of the doorway as they passed, looking at the dirt all over me. “What happened?”
I shook my head. “Don’t ask.”
We both climbed in the car and spent the rest of the afternoon not doing much at all. That was simply how the job went. Long stretches of nothing interrupted by situations that turned your hair prematurely gray.
As we pulled into the parking lot of the station at the end of our shift, Oakley glanced over at me. “Well, this is it. Our last ride.”
I gave her a smarmy smile I knew would get her all riled up. “Oh no, it’s not. I plan to ride you tonight, in fact.”
“Wyatt!” She tried to hush me, putting the car in park and rushing to get out.
I burst out laughing, realizing I’d never had so much fun with anyone, ever. I didn’t need a flashy life or drugs and alcohol to have a good time. I just needed Oakley.
The rest of the crew, including Sheriff, Betty, and even the maintenance guy, walked outside the station to watch us. I frowned as I got out of the car and walked closer to Oakley. Shit. I’d just been teasing her. I hadn’t actually meant to get us in trouble. “What’s going on?”
Oakley spun, lightning fast. Two little darts flew at my chest and the next thing I knew, I was facedown on the pavement, a pillow under my face.
“What the fuck?” I roared, blinking rapidly and trying to get my muscles to function.
Charles stood next to Oakley, laughing his damn head off. Oakley tried to hold back a smile even as she looked down at me in sympathy. In her hand, she held her Taser, minus the two loaded electrodes. I realized two strings went from her unit to my leg.
She’d fucking tased me.
I stood, swaying on my feet for a second before I pounced, hauling Oakley over my shoulder. She screamed and pounded on my back, but I was having too much fun thinking of payback to care.
“We put a pillow down for God’s sake!” Oakley yelled, like that made up for the fact she’d tased me in front of the whole department. I hadn’t felt that jolt since we had to tase each other in the academy for practice.
Sheriff Locke stopped me, a beefy hand on my chest. He shrugged. “It’s a tradition. We tase everyone who leaves our unit. Now put my deputy down.”
I let Oakley slide down my body until her feet hit the ground. She looked up at me with those big blue eyes and I couldn’t be mad at her.
“Is this to get me back for letting you get shot last time we rode together?” I asked her, pretending to have my feelings hurt.
“It only seemed fair,” she answered, all sass and innocence.
I’d be smacking that ass tonight. Hard.
“Oh, and you might want to put a sweater around your waist,” Oakley added, smiling prettily.
I frowned. “Why?”
She gestured to my pants. “You peed yourself, Lieutenant.”
I looked down and saw a tiny dark spot on the front of my pants. “Mother f…I didn’t pee myself!”
Oakley spun and walked inside while the deputies behind me roared with laughter. I ignored them all and followed Oakley, arguing with the back of her head. “I swear! The parking lot was wet. That’s not pee, Oakley.”
“Whatever you say…” she sang, swinging her hips as she walked away.
Arms crossed over my chest, I grinned evilly, thinking of all the things I’d do to her tonight as payback. This insufferable woman had become the best thing to ever happen to me.
Epilogue
Oakley
“We’re going to be late, Vee.”
I checked my watch for the millionth time. I should never have let Vee talk me into getting ready at her house before heading to the end-of-summer bonfire down at the beach. She’d lured me in with talk of going to beauty school to be a hairdresser. I’d been trying out new hairstyles lately—Wyatt went wild when I left it down, which was quite the motivation—and was game to let her experiment on me. And my hair looked gorgeous in soft waves down my back, but then she’d wanted to dress me too, and then do my nails in a soft pink shellac that I’d normally forgo because it wasn’t conducive to my job. The bonfire had started fifteen minutes ago and, quite frankly, I planned to spend the evening cuddled up to Wyatt, not making myself into a pageant queen.
“All right already. Calm your tits.” Vee came out of her tiny closet, dressed in jeans and a sweater.
I looked down at my sundress and flip-flops, ignoring her vulgarity, though it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “Um. We seem to be dressing for different seasons.”
Vee tossed me a ball of pink. “Here. Take my sweater. It matches the dress and will keep you warm if the breeze kicks up.”
Considering changing would make us even later, I stuck with the dress. I might freeze, but that just gave me more reason to snuggle up to Wyatt or suggest we leave the bonfire early.
By the time Vee stopped to get gas, made a left instead of a right on Main Street, and then took forever to successfully parallel park along the coastline, I was ready to press my luck by jumping out the window.
“What is up with you tonight?” I asked her crossly as she backed up a third time.
“What? Parallel parking is hard, okay?”
I pressed a hand to my forehead, telling myself to calm down. Tonight was supposed to be a night of fun and relaxation. “I just don’t know how you grow up in a small town your whole life and still make a wrong turn.”
Vee put her little car in park, her front bumper still a few inches over the line into the
