Three hours later, she’d at least started her load of laundry. She’d also read for a while and taken a nap. Then she’d remembered her clothes were sitting in the washing machine and forced herself to get up, only to realize she was out of quarters.
Strongly suspecting she wasn’t the only one napping, Liz decided to walk down to the campground store for quarters instead of going from camper to camper scrounging for some. It was hot and humid once she left the trees that shaded her site, and she didn’t like the clouds that were rolling in. The riders in the family must not have, either, because she could hear them approaching in the distance and they were going a little faster than usual. The first machines were pulling into the overflow site when she reached the store.
She traded a ten-dollar bill for a roll of quarters, then gave four of the coins back to buy a fudge pop. Standing inside, she soaked up some air-conditioning and took her time eating her ice cream while reading the day’s newspaper.
Halfway back, the rain started. And it wasn’t a drizzle. The sky opened up and the rain fell in what could only be described as a deluge. She broke into a jog as it soaked through her T-shirt and shorts and headed for the bathhouse. There was a small overhang over the bathroom doors where she could hang out for a few minutes and wait for the worst to pass. These kind of humidity-busting storms were fierce, but didn’t last long.
She didn’t see anybody as she ran, so she assumed they were all smart enough to take shelter. By the time she reached the bathhouse, the deluge had eased up, but the rain was still coming down pretty steadily.
When she reached the overhang, she stopped, panting a little. Her work kept her on her feet all day, but she wasn’t much for running. As she squeezed water out of her hair, the bathroom door she was standing in front of opened and Drew stepped out. He was fresh out of the shower and he stopped short when he saw her.
His gaze skimmed down her body and when it returned to her face his eyes were hot. “You have about five seconds to change your shirt before I push you up against that tree behind you and give the chipmunks a show they won’t ever forget.”
Liz looked down at her chest, displayed quite well by the soaking-wet light pink T-shirt. “I got caught in the rain, obviously. And if you want to give the chipmunks a show, that’s between you and your right hand.”
He set his shower bag down and took a few steps toward her, his gaze focused on her so intensely she felt like she was under a spotlight. “Is that right?”
“I have four brothers. I can hold my own, so you don’t want to mess with me.”
“I have police training.”
“Are you abusing your power, Officer Miller?”
Drew moved fast, but she was ready and at the last second, she turned. Taking him by the shoulders, she gave him a shove and he fell back against the tree. Ignoring the rain, she planted a foot on either side of his leg, pinning it between her knees. “Oh, I don’t think so.”
She realized her mistake a second too late. He hooked his foot behind hers and they went to the ground, his arm under her head to protect it from impact. His body pinned hers and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
“It’s Chief Miller.”
“Does that mean I’m in trouble?”
“I don’t know about in trouble, but I know you are trouble.” He was staring at her mouth and she shivered. “Now that I have you in custody, got anything you need to confess?”
She hadn’t robbed any banks lately, and he didn’t need to know she was still having a little trouble adjusting to the lower speed limits in Whitford. What else about her didn’t he know? “I wasn’t drunk at Mitch’s wedding.”
His gaze shifted from her mouth to her eyes, and she tried to ignore the weight of his body on hers. “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anybody confess to not being drunk before.”
“I mean, I wasn’t sober. But I wasn’t drunk.” She wasn’t sure why she was telling him this. Maybe he had some kind of police officer superpower when it came to confessions. “I know, the day I wrecked my car, I tried to laugh it off as too much alcohol, but that’s not why I went upstairs with you.”
“And I was a designated driver so I obviously didn’t drink, but if letting you blame booze got us over that whole awkward thing we had going on, I decided to let it slide.”
“It wasn’t booze.”
“Why are you telling me this now?”
Because his body was hot and hard and she wanted him again. “I plead the Fifth.”
“I’m a police officer, not a judge.”
“Fine, then I’m using my right to remain silent.”
He slid his hand down her side until his fingertips found the gap between her T-shirt and her shorts. Stroking that tender strip of skin, he lowered his face almost close enough to kiss her. “If you’re going to be uncooperative, I’ll have to frisk you.”
“Do you guys learn cheesy, clichéd cop pickup lines at the police academy or do they come to you later?”