“This is your version of wisdom? I think I’ll pass.” The kid leant back on his elbows, laughed again and shook his head.
“I better head back. Certain you’re not coming?”
“No.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Finn woke up alone just before dawn with a brain-splintering headache. A shave and wash in the police station bathroom did nothing to alleviate it.
People started dropping in shortly thereafter, small-town gossip having made the rounds. He greeted all comers, sunglasses firmly in place. The dark lenses were small protection against the glare of daylight bursting through the front windows, threatening to boil his eyeballs in their sockets.
It seemed like everyone in town had come calling. Everyone except for the person he wanted to see.
He ignored the pounding in his head, smiled and nodded and said nothing. Committee members stopped by, Sam included. He waddled in with his big belly leading the way. Plenty of people dropped by, smiling and making the right noises about his promotion to town cop.
Time would tell. Finn had wanted to wear the badge since about the age of five, but what it meant now, he didn’t know.
Two bored teen girls were practicing their wiles on him when Al wandered in midmorning. The sight of her did things to him that made life less simple. She was a punch to the chest. He could feel his heart flop over and offer up its bel y.
The girls stopped and stared at him and Al. And then stared some more. Then they scurried out with much excited whispering.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hey,” he said back.
She wore a denim skirt and a t-shirt with her hair down. Morning light did beautiful things to her, while it had tried to annihilate him.
How fucking unfair he’d only had her the one time. His fingers itched to touch her, to grab her and run.
Not being able to touch her would kill him. He would leave. Al would be safe here with Dan. Finn was unnecessary now. He couldn’t spend the next however many years watching her and wanting. Being kept at a polite distance would kill him, because this need he had for her wasn’t going anywhere.
“How’s your head?” Her fingers twitched at her side, her arms knife straight.
“It’s been better. Mind locking the door behind you? I’m done with visitors for a while.” Pain flashed across her face. He backpedaled fast. “No. Al, I meant with you on this side. Please.”
“Oh.” She turned her back and fiddled with the lock for a moment. Finn opened the internal door beside the counter, ushered her through to the back of the station. Out of sight of any spectators while they tied up loose ends seemed a good idea. Probably best not to have witnesses just in case he actually gave in to the temptation to beg and plead on his knees. Shit.
“Dan’s stil sleeping it off,” she said. “I don’t know what time he got back.”
“He didn’t wake you?”
“No.”
Finn shook his head, surprised over being surprised. “Manipulative son of a bitch.”
Al smiled, the love she felt for the big man obvious in her face. His overly familiar answering pang of jealousy made him silently snarl.
But she was here. She had come to him, and it had to mean something even if this was the big kiss off. That she cared enough to do it face to face was nice, though of course a phone call or an email was out of the question these days.
She wandered amongst the office desks out back, touching things here and there, looking awkward.
Smelling great. Soap and sex again. He never stood a chance.
“I have something to say,” she announced at last.
Finn sat on the nearest surface, a desk across from her. He nudged ancient piles of paperwork aside. “I’m listening.”
Her shoulders rose on a deep inhalation of breath that made the skin above her nose bunch up. “If I’m still what you want, then I need you to not grin at girls who stick their tits in your face.”
She paused for effect. He could only blink.
“I realize you’re an attractive guy, you’re going to get attention, that’s a given. I mean, you’re beautiful, I know this. But if you’re sleeping with me, then flirting like that is disrespectful. I’m a long way from being okay with it,” she said. “It hurts. I need you to understand that.”
He made to shrug and stopped. This was too important. “Alright.”
“There’s more,” Al warned, wearing her game face. Her serious eyes studied him, making him thankful the sunglasses still sat on his nose.
“Keep going.”
“If I’m not what you want then I stil want to be your friend. I care about you a lot, Finn. That doesn’t change … whatever you decide.”