I turned my cruiser onto Pine Street, noting the couple of people out and about, the activity at the Pine Street Market across the street. Nothing suspicious to note, which was always good.
A parking spot was open right in front of the business. I whipped the cruiser in on impulse, taking a quick opportunity to say hi to my girl.
“Luke.” Her bright smile greeted me as soon as I opened the door. She was already coming around the counter to meet me on the floor. “What are you doing here?”
I pulled her to me and captured her lips in mine. Scarlett rose to her toes as she kissed me back.
“I was driving by and thought I’d stop in. How’s things going today? Any trouble?” I asked as I dotted her face and neck in more kisses. The taste of her skin was becoming an addiction, and I had no plans to curb it.
The soft noises she was making seemed to be affecting her ability to speak. I pulled away with a grin.
“Hmm? Oh, no. No trouble. A couple of people came in. I even got to do my first order. It’s been a great day.”
“Good. Do you think Daisy will have some more hours for you in the future?” I knew she was worried about money, with only working two days a week. She had her savings, but that would only last so long if she was paying all her bills from there.
“I doubt it. It’s pretty slow in the evenings. Honestly, I don’t think she was missing much revenue by closing early those days. She’s already doing me a favor by letting me keep the place open for her.”
An idea had been circulating in my mind for the past week, but I hesitated to put it there. But still, I couldn’t help but think that if she moved in with me, let go of the rent, utilities, and internet bills, how much easier that would make everything for her—and how much better it would be for me.
First, I needed to find my own place. Wyatt’s house was great, but I couldn’t exactly invite someone to move in with me into someone else’s house that I wasn’t even paying rent on.
“We’ll figure something out,” I said. “In the meantime, let me know if you need any help with bills. I’ve been living rent-free for months. I’ve got you.”
“Thanks, Luke. But I’m not going to take your money. I’ll be fine.”
“Alright. Well, I’ll let you get back to work. Don’t want Daisy to think you’re screwing off,” I smirked.
“Thanks for stopping in, babe. I’ll try to wait up for you tonight, I promise,” she laughed. It wasn’t like this was a hard job, but for whatever reason, it was really affecting her. She had been exhausted for days, especially at night.
I left her to finish her shift and got back into my cruiser. It was only a minute later that I turned down Maple Street and caught sight of three young guys loitering around the back of the building. I slowed the car, and as soon as they clocked me watching them, one of the men took off running, as if that wasn’t suspicious enough.
“Boys,” I said as I approached the two kids left standing there. Owen Hayden and Tyler Cress were known around town as general troublemakers. Tyler had shown up in town a couple of years ago, finished out his senior year at Calla Bay High, and he’d been on our radar ever since. They ran in the same circle as Ryan Redmond, from what I knew. Both men, barely older than kids, were dressed in all black, sweatshirts, sweatpants, hoods pulled up over their heads. The only difference was Tyler’s bright white kicks compared to Owen’s black footwear. “Not creating any trouble around these parts, are you?”
“Of course not, Officer. We wouldn’t even know how to find trouble, ain’t that right, Owe.”
“Nope. Just walking around our beautiful downtown,” Owen replied.
“And your friend there? He just thought it seemed like a good time to get some exercise in, I imagine?” I gestured my head in the direction the other guy took off in. My gut was telling me a drug deal was just taking place, but I had no proof of that. “Why don’t you both empty your pockets for me?”
“Why don’t you go fuck yourself?” Tyler said. He stood with his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, all swagger and arrogance. “I know my rights, Wilder. All you stumbled upon was a couple of guys chatting behind a building. Nothing to see here.”
“Yeah,” Owen piped up. “Go fuck yourself.”
The lack of originality or any form of creative thinking had me raising a brow at the kid. Clearly, one of these kids was the ringleader, and it wasn’t him.
The worst part, though, was that Tyler was right. I didn’t see any drugs or money change hands. I was suspicious, that was for sure, butreasonablesuspicion… that would be harder to explain. Some cops would have detained them and performed the search anyway, but that wasn’t my MO.
“Where you boys heading off to next?” I asked.
“Just here, there, and everywhere,” Tyler responded. Owen laughed like his buddy was hilarious. Fucking kids were pissing me off.
“Fair enough. Stay out of trouble. I’ve got my eye on you two.”
“No trouble from us,” Tyler said. As I walked back toward my cruiser, he kept talking. “Probably pick up some soda from the market, maybe stop in the candy store for a treat,” he laughed. “Pop in the flower shop after that.”
That had me spinning around on the spot.
“What did you say?”
