Holidays and Handcuffs (Bringing Home Trouble)

Chapter 2

Jack

Stepping out of my car, I scan the back bumper. No damage, just a tiny scratch. I straighten up, looking over at the car that hit me. A blue sedan. I can tell it’s a woman in the driver seat from the hair.

I stroll over cautiously to make sure she’s okay, but I stop in my tracks. The blonde hair, the cute button nose. It’s…it’s Emily. Emily Carter. Ten years older, but unmistakable. The little girl I always felt the need to protect, now a stunning young woman.

I can’t help but smile despite the twist in my gut as I think back to what I did to her brother. Does she know about it? I have to take my chances. I was just thinking about her minutes ago, and now she’s right here. That can’t be a coincidence. She’s sitting in her car, eyes squeezed shut, hands gripping the steering wheel, holding on for dear life.

I tap on her window, and she flinches. Slowly, she cracks it open just enough to plead, but her eyes are still shut.

“Please, don’t arrest me. I didn’t mean to—”

“You know, you have a knack for getting into trouble every time we meet.”

Emily’s eyes fly open, and a chuckle escapes me as I stare at her stunned expression.

“Jack?” she whispers, disbelief thick in her tone. The last person she probably expected to find here. Hell, I didn’t expect to see her either. At least not in the exact minute I was thinking about her.

I grin. “You’re looking at me like I’m a ghost, Princess.” I watch as a dozen emotions flicker across her face, confusion and recognition. “Are you okay?” I ask, looking to my cruiser and then back at her.

“I’m okay,” she stutters. She hesitates for a second, biting her lip. “How much damage did I do? Do you have to arrest me for hitting a police car?”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “There’s no need for that, Emily. No damage was done.”

Her relief is instant. “Are you sure?”

She pushes open the door and steps out of her car. As she moves past me, a familiar scent hits me—her scent. It’s a soft mix of lavender and rose, and it takes me right back to high school. She smelled just like that back then, too.

“Thank God,” she mutters under her as breath as she checks the bumper for herself, heaving a sigh of relief.

I can’t help but stare, my mind racing with memories of the girl I used to look out for. The girl I couldn’t get out of my head in the last ten years—and now, after all these years, she’s standing right here in front of me, like something straight out of a dream.

She turns to me, crossing her arms, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Well, are you a ghost? I didn’t know you were back in Auburn.”

I shrug, smirking. “Been back for only a day.”

“So, you’re a police officer now?” She eyes my uniform, some element of surprise in her voice.

“I am. A lot has changed, I guess. How about I buy you coffee and we catch up?” I offer, pointing at the coffee house beside us.

Her eyes flick to the coffee shop, then back to me, a spark of something I can’t quite read lighting up her expression.

“Yeah,” she says softly, “I’d like that.”

“After you,” I say, pointing for her to go ahead. As we walk into the coffee house, my whole-body tunes into her presence, an instant awareness humming beneath my skin. It’s strange how easy this feels, how natural. Like no time has passed.

I can’t stop watching her as we walk toward the counter. Emily’s changed in the ten years since I left Auburn. Now, she’s a woman, and damn, she’s got curves in all the right places. The kind of curves that make it hard for me to keep my thoughts straight, especially with the way that familiar scent of hers is messing with my head.

We approach the barista, and before I can even open my mouth to place our order, the guy behind the counter beams at me. “Whatever you’re getting, it’s on the house, Chief. Welcome back to Auburn.”

Emily’s head snaps toward me, her brows raised in surprise. “Chief?” she echoes, her voice tinged with disbelief.

I wink at her. “You heard him right.”

As we sit down with our coffees, I feel her eyes on me, curiosity burning behind that soft gaze. She leans forward slightly, waiting for an explanation.

“So, are you going to tell me how you’re now the chief of police after being away for so long?”

I take a sip of my coffee before speaking. “Auburn needed a new police chief,” I begin, leaning back in my chair. “Apparently, I’m the guy for the job.”

She blinks, absorbing the information. “You? The new Chief of Police?” She shakes her head, as if trying to picture it. “Where have you been in the last ten years and how come you’re suddenly back in Auburn as the Chief of Police?”

I chuckle, the sound coming out low and rough. “It’s been a while. I joined the military after high school, followed my dad’s path. Earned a few medals,” I shrug. “But I always knew I wanted to come back to Auburn.”

I clear my throat. I knew I wanted to come back to Auburn because of Emily, because it felt good to protect her, it felt good to be seen by her.

“The world is beautiful,” I tell her. “But Auburn is special.”

She nods slowly, my eyes move to her left hand as her fingers trace the rim of her cup, no ring. Good.

“Back to small-town life?”

“Yep.” I glance at her, trying to gauge her reaction. Tell her the truth, she’s one of the reasons you returned. “It seemed like the right fit. I’ve had enough of the chaos, needed to settle down somewhere.”

Her lips curve into a small smile. “It’s a good place for it.”

Emily’s eyes drift to my wrist as I take another sip of coffee, and when they widen in surprise, I know exactly what caught her attention. Her lip’s part, and she’s staring at the bead bracelet—the same one she gave me ten years ago.

“You still have it,” she says softly, her voice filled with disbelief.

I glance down at the bracelet and smile. “Of course, I do. I promised I’d wear it, didn’t I?”

Her eyes flicker with wonder, maybe something more, and she shifts in her seat, leaning forward just a little. “You’re still wearing it after all this time?”

I nod, lifting my wrist to show her the bracelet more clearly, it’s worn now but I’ve had it on since the day she slipped it on my wrist. “Yeah. I had to add a few extra beads to make it longer. It was getting tight.”

She looks at me, clearly surprised. “You... added beads?”

I shrug, trying to keep it casual even though her attention is doing all kinds of things to my pulse. “It’s my lucky charm. Couldn’t exactly take it off now, could I?”

Her gaze softens, and I swear, the way she’s looking at me right now makes my chest tighten. There’s something about this moment, sitting across from her in this quiet coffee shop, that feels like we’ve picked up right where we left off all those years ago.

“I didn’t know it meant that much to you.”

I lean forward, the space between us shrinking. “It still does.”

Her eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, the world outside disappears. It’s just the two of us. The way she’s looking at me... it’s like she’s seeing me for the first time, and damn if that doesn’t send a jolt of heat straight through me.

“It does?” she seems shocked.

“I never forgot about you, Princess,” I say quietly, my eyes never leaving hers. “Not for a second.”

Her lips twitch into a soft, almost shy smile. “I didn’t for...” her phone rings, interrupting her. Her eyes drop to the screen, and I watch as her expression shifts to fear, worry. She doesn’t even hesitate before getting up from her seat.

“I’m sorry, but…I... I have to go,” she stammers, her voice tight with urgency.

I stand as well, concern rising in my chest. “Is everything okay?”

Her hands shake slightly as she grabs her bag. “My brother… he’s sick. They need me at the hospital.”

The fear in her eyes is unmistakable, and I want to reach out, but before I can say anything, she’s already moving.

“How about dinner tonight?” I ask, following her out of the coffee shop.

She pauses, glancing over her shoulder, and nods. “Yeah, dinner sounds good.”

“Give me your number,” I say, pulling out my phone.

She rattles it off quickly, and I save it just as fast. She’s already halfway out the door when she turns back and gives me a rushed, but grateful smile.

“Thanks for the coffee.”

And with that, she’s gone, slipping out of the coffee shop. I stand there for a moment, still feeling the warmth of her presence lingering in the air, but my gut twists with concern.

Her brother. Billy. Something tells me that her family still don’t treat her any better than they did in the past.