2. Larkin

I muttered morethan a few choice words as I followed the annoying officer in his police car with its flashing lights driving far faster than the speed limit. At least I wouldn’t be late. Even if it felt like every single person was staring at us and memorizing my car so I would be even more of an outcast in this tiny, one-stoplight town.

We reached my former in-laws’ house, and I parked behind him in the driveway. I got out of the car, indignant. “Happy?” I asked him as he stepped out, coming my way. When he got closer, I realized he was a good eight inches taller than me. I hated that I had to lift my chin to meet his eyes. Or how hard I had to work to pull my gaze away from his tatted biceps.

“Thank you for the escort,” I said. “You’re free to go now.”

He chuckled silently. “How am I supposed to know you’re not just going to a friend’s house to get me off your case?”

I narrowed my gaze. “Fine, wait here.”

But he didn’t need to wait because the front door opened, and Emily came running out, followed by her grandma, Nancy, holding Jackson in her arms.

“Mommy!” Emily said, jogging a few steps forward. But she stopped a couple feet short of me, still on her grandparents’ wraparound porch, eyeing Knox.

“This is—” I began.

He stepped forward and got on his knee in front of her and stuck out his hand. “I’m Knox Madigan, and I wanted to welcome you all to town! What’s your name?”

Emily answered softly, “Emily Cappes.”

“Nice to meet you. Would you like a badge, Emily Cappes?”

She gave a tentative smile and shook his hand, nodding.

He let go of her small hand and then reached into his pocket, still kneeling on the ground in front of the porch so he could be at eye level with her. I could feel Nancy giving me a quizzical look, but I couldn’t take my eyes away from the interaction.

Knox reached his large hand into his pocket and pulled out a shiny golden badge. “It’s got a little poke on the end. You might want to have your mama help you put it on, okay?”

She nodded dutifully, taking the badge from him.

“What do you say?” I asked her, not wanting to get on this guy’s bad side my first day in town.

“Thank you,” Emily said.

He grinned back at her. “You’re welcome.”

He stood back up and smiled at my mother-in-law. “Nancy. Nice to see you. Didn’t know you were watching your grandkids nowadays.”

She smiled back at him. “Just started today,” she said with a smile that belied her upset at the divorce. “What brings you to our neck of the woods?”

Knox tilted his head toward me, and I internally cringed. Nancy would not like the sound of me speeding. But he told her, “Ran into Larkin here, and she said the kids might enjoy seeing police lights.”

A sense of relief swept through me. Nancy might have been supportive of the kids, but I was on thin ice.

“What’s your name?” he asked, giving Jackson a little wave.

“Jackson,” Nancy and I answered at the same time.

He grinned at my son, who was eyeing him curiously.

Emily said, “Can I ride in the car?”

“Oh, honey,” I said, “I’m sure Officer Madigan has important things to do.” Like pulling over other moms on their way to pick up their kids.

“Nope.” He popped the p. “If your mom tells me where to go, you can ride with me.”

Emily jumped up and down in front of me. “Can I, Mommy? Please?”

I hesitated, but Nancy said, “He’s a local hero, Larkin.”

I had to hold back a roll of my eyes. But because Emily looked so happy and hopeful, I couldn’t say no.

“Fine,” I said. “But we need to put your car seat in his car first.”

Nancy took Jackson to the shade of the front porch and sat in her rocking chair while I went to get the car seats. Jackson giggled happily as he held on to his grandma’s hands, pushing himself up to stand in her lap. He still had yet to walk, but at least he was using his legs.

With those two occupied and Emily asking Knox all sorts of questions, I took Emily’s car seat from Nancy’s Oldsmobile first, carrying it to the cop car, hoping this was the first and last time my daughter would be riding in the back of one. When I reached the car, where Knox was showing her all the equipment inside, I said, “Can you unlock the back door so I can put this in?”

“No need,” Knox said, turning away from the car and giving me a smile. His teeth were perfectly straight and white like he was secretly a model instead of a small-town police officer.

But even his charm couldn’t distract me from car safety. “Yes, there is a need. She’s safest in a harness, and I will not have her riding without one, even with a ‘local hero.’”

He tipped his chin down so I could see his eyes narrow playfully behind his glasses, like he was amused by me instead of annoyed like I was with him. “I took a training on installing car seats. I can put this one in. Trust me, I wouldn’t risk a hair on your daughter’s head.”

The fiercely protective way he said it caught me off guard. I was used to Seth being annoyed that Emily wasn’t at least in a booster seat.

I handed the seat to him, watching as he properly anchored it into the vehicle. I had to admit, he’d done it perfectly.

When he noticed me watching, he explained, “I have some nieces who like to ride along from time to time, so I became a certified car seat safety technician.”

Damn my ovaries for getting too excited.

It was just all this talk about rebounds with my sister. After all the garbage I’d seen on the dating app already, the thought of a man who was interested in caring for children and actually knew how seemed like a fairy tale.

“Why don’t you get buckled in, Emily?” Knox said, oblivious to my inner dialogue. “We’ll wait for your mama to get the little guy loaded up before we go.”

Emily got situated in her car seat and started talking his ear off. “That’s my baby brother, Jackson. He’s a year old. He doesn’t talk yet. Mostly eats and sleeps. He does crawl now...”

I listened for a moment, gauging how Knox engaged with her. He didn’t act bored like most guys my age did with little kids. Or like he was just placating her. He actually appeared interested in hearing what she had to say.

I couldn’t hear them while I walked over the concrete driveway to Nancy’s car and took out the other car seat for Jackson. We kept the base in Nancy’s car since she was getting older and it was easier for her to use, and I set it in the back of my car before going to get him.

Nancy kissed the top of Jackson’s head, leaving a ring of red lipstick before passing him to me. “That Knox really grew up well. It was touch and go there for a moment.”

I glanced over at the car where he was standing, talking with my daughter, who had buckled in. “What do you mean?”

Shaking her head, Nancy replied, “Always pulling pranks around town. Saran Wrap over the pool, sombreros on the Sinclair dinosaur, you name it, he did it. About got in serious trouble.”

“And now he’s the one in charge of town safety?” I observed.

She shrugged. “Someone’s gotta do it.”

I shifted Jackson to my hip, holding him tight and looking him over, from his short soft brown hair to his dark blue eyes, pale skin, and rosy cheeks. “I’m so happy to see you, sweet pea.” I pressed a kiss to one of his full cheeks then blew a raspberry, and he giggled happily.

Nancy said, “Getting settled in at the new place?” There was a tinge of sadness to her voice. She was way more disappointed in the divorce than her son.

“Trying to, at least,” I said. “Thanks for watching the kids today.”

A frown tugged at her lips. “Too bad you and Seth couldn’t make things work like some couples do after a slip. I know a marriage is hard but—”

“I know it is,” I said, trying to hold back my frustration. He was the one who cheated, not me. It was too bad. But this was reality. I wasn’t going to stay with a man who could sleep around on me while I carried his child. “You’ll watch them for my first day at work on Monday?” I asked.

She nodded, pushing up from her rocking chair. Then she called over to Emily, saying, “See you soon, Em!”

Emily waved back before Knox shut the door.

Then I carried Jackson to the minivan and put him in his seat. He instantly started fussing and fighting. I swore no one was stronger than a toddler who didn’t want to be put in a car seat or have a diaper changed.

When I was done, I pushed the button to slide the door shut and looked over at Knox, who stood at the open door of his cruiser, forearms resting on the doorframe.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

I told him the address, and a look I didn’t quite understand spread on his face. “I know that place.”

“How’s that?” I asked.

His grin turned into a smirk. “I’m your new neighbor.”