3. Knox

Her full pinklips parted as annoyance and shock warred in her pretty green eyes. Her nose, dusted with freckles, scrunched, and she said... “Neighbors?”

I nodded. “You rented from Dustin Jenkins, right?”

A frown was all the confirmation I needed.

“Trust me, I don’t bite.” I had to wink.

She groaned and walked to her minivan with me chuckling silently behind her. Before opening her driver’s side door, she said, “Drive my daughter safely, okay?”

I held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

“And stay away from Sinclair dinosaurs,” she retorted.

That was the first time a woman had surprised me in quite a while. I was about to ask her where she’d heard about my high school escapades, but she got in the van and slammed the door.

When I glanced at Nancy, she wore a pinched look on her face under a head of salt and pepper hair. “Have a great day, Mrs. Cappes,” I said.

“You too, dear,” she replied with a wave.

I got into my seat and buckled up. I knew Emily’s dad, Seth, in high school and heard from the grapevine about his divorce—I just hadn’t known his ex was moving to town. Maybe the rumors had been wrong. Glancing to the back seat, I asked Emily, who had her mom’s wavy brown hair and freckles and her dad’s brown eyes, “All buckled in?”

She nodded seriously. Apparently, she’d gotten that from her mom.

“Wanna use the police radio?” I asked her.

Her brown eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly.

“Okay, tell your mama we’re getting ready to go.” I opened the window between the front and back seat and then passed her the mic. When she held it in her hand, I pushed the button that activated the speakers outside the car. “Push the button and let her know.”

“Mommy, we’re getting ready to go!”

I smiled at the excitement in her voice and kept smiling when I saw Larkin’s expression soften through the passenger window. “Now tell your grandma goodbye.”

“Bye, Grammy!”

Nancy waved from the front porch.

“Should I turn the lights on?” I asked.

“Oh, yes!” Emily said.

I smiled, pushing the button to make the lights go, and then began driving away from the Cappeses’ house. Then, I switched the radio to talk with our daytime dispatcher, Whitney. “Officer Madigan to dispatch,” I said.

“Copy,” she replied.

“I have a little kid in the car, Officer Emily Cappes, and will be busy for the next half hour. Let me know if anyone needs backup.”

“Sounds good. Have fun, Officer Cappes!” Whitney replied.

I glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing Emily shimmy happily.

With the speaker back on its rack, I said, “Tell me, Miss Emily, what brought your family back to Cottonwood Falls?”

Despite being so happy just moments before, her features sagged. It was like seeing a light dim. My heart squeezed before she even spoke in a small, sad voice. “My daddy and my mommy divorced.”

“Oh no. I’m so sorry,” I said.

She looked up and then back down again, brown hair falling across her face. “My daddy’s with his new girlfriend in Dallas, and Mommy and Jackson and me moved here.”

My lips parted as I tried to wrap my mind around it. Seth was in Dallas with his new girlfriend while his family moved here without him? Larkin wasn’t from around here, but I guess it made sense if Seth’s parents were babysitting.

And I hated to say it, but Seth was always a blowhard growing up. He loved to show off when he got the chance and oftentimes flirted with girls from multiple towns in the area at the same time. Sucked he hadn’t changed much, especially with two babies.

Finally, I said, “I’m sorry, Emily. If you and your family ever need help, I’m right next door, okay?”

She nodded and then looked out the window.

“What’s your favorite thing to do for fun?” I asked her, trying to perk her back up.

Her expression lifted slightly. “I love to go swimming and do crafts. With glitter.”

I chuckled. “I have a niece I think you’d love.”

“I wanna meet her!”

“Let me ask your mama.” We pulled up in front of the house, and I noticed it in a way I never had before. Chipping paint, weedy yard. That was no place for a child to kick their shoes off and play. But I schooled my expression as I got out of the car and went to open the door for Miss Emily.

“Can you unbuckle me?” she asked.

“Sure thing, chicken wing,” I said.

She giggled. “My name’s not chicken wing.”

“Ohhh. I gotcha.” I unclipped the belt and she slid out of the car, running over to her mom, who was bent over the back seat, pulling out her baby. I had to look away to keep from ogling her curvy backside. And then a fresh wave of frustration rolled over me. What kind of guy cheated on a woman? Especially one who carried his children?

From what I could see, she was good-looking and had enough spark to burn down half the prairies in Texas. Was there something under the surface I hadn’t noticed?

“Can we, can we?” Emily begged.

Larkin approached with Jackson on her hip, wearing a confused expression. “What is she asking about, ‘local hero’?”

Oh, she was a feisty one. If only that didn’t intrigue me more. I held my hands out, trying to make her more at ease. “I’m having some family over for dinner tomorrow night, and I think Emily would love to meet my niece. Well, nieces, but one of them’s just a toddler, so they might not have much to talk about.”

Larkin chuckled, as if despite herself, while Emily tugged at her shirt, revealing more of Larkin’s ample cleavage.

Good God, I need to keep my eyes above her damn shoulders.

Pulling back up at her shirt, Larkin said, “That’s awfully nice of you, but don’t feel like you have to invite us.”

“No trouble at all,” I said. “I’m sure my sister-in-law would like to meet you too.”

She shifted Jackson to her other hip, and he looked up at me with wide brown eyes just like his sister’s.

“You’re welcome to come too, Jackson,” I said with a smile. “He’s a cutie.”

Larkin’s smile seemed unrestricted now as she grinned down at her son. “We’re fond of him.”

Emily tilted her head. “Well, I wasn’t so sure at first, but he’s okay.”

I chuckled.

“High praise from this one,” Larkin said, running her hand over her daughter’s wavy brown hair. “It would be great to meet some new people. What can I bring for food? Or do you and your girlfriend have that covered?”

Most people might not have noticed the hint of color that tinged her cheeks or the way her eyes quickly glanced down before meeting mine again. But I was trained in reading people, and Larkin was curious about me.

What I didn’t understand is why that thought had a light feeling bubbling up in my stomach. She was freshly divorced with two children. Dating me was probably the last thing on her mind. “No girlfriend, and no need to bring anything. I’m actually a pretty decent cook.”

“Is that so?” She raised her eyebrows like she didn’t quite believe me.

“When you lose your mom young, everyone has to learn to pitch in,” I said. The wave of sadness that came along with that fact was a regular part of my life, but Larkin’s features fell since it was news to her.

“I’m so sorry, I—” she began.

“No need to apologize,” I said quickly. “Just bring your appetite and your kiddos. We’ll have a grand old time.” I gave a little wave to Jackson, saying, “See you tomorrow, buddy. See you later, Officer Cappes.”

Emily grinned and waved, and I swore, I saw a small smile on her mother’s face as well.

I walked away and got in my car. As soon as I was out of sight, I pulled over along the curb and got out my phone, sending a text to my family’s group chat.

Knox: You’re all coming to my place for supper tomorrow night. Bring something good to eat.