The Off Limits Rule (It Happened in Nashville 1)

My taunt gets me a sideways glare. “Cooper. I can’t be wild anymore. I’m responsible for more than just me. If I go to jail, I have a four-year-old who will really miss his mama and, frankly, be startled to see how ugly she looks in orange.”

I squeeze her hand. “Lucy, trust me. I won’t let you go to jail. We’re going to jump in and jump out then hit the road.”

She groans and gently bangs her head back against the headrest a few times. “This is stupid. You’re a bad influence.”

“That’s my tagline. Now, come on. Get out and shut your door quietly.”

“Because if I don’t…I’LL GO TO JAIL!”

“I’m going to personally drive you to jail and drop you off myself if you don’t quit yelling that.”

We both get out and stealthily shut our doors. I should say I shut my door quietly. Lucy tries to shut hers slowly, but it isn’t hard enough to latch. She presses it a few times, but it still doesn’t seal, so she has to throw her hip into it, making it shut with the absolute loudest WHAM I’ve ever heard.

She hisses and bares her teeth in an awkward expression. “Oops. Sorry.”

I shake my head and hold out my hand before I even realize what I’m doing. Lucy takes it without a moment’s hesitation, and I pull her down the sidewalk. Again, I parked a few houses down from our destination—because you can’t exactly park in the driveway of the property you’re about to trespass on.

It seems like everyone is asleep in the surrounding houses because the street is basically dark. I don’t think anyone will see us and call the cops, but if they do, it’s going to make this night a whole lot more interesting.

“I can’t believe you’re making me do this!” Lucy says as we trudge across the lawn, rounding the corner of the house and heading for the back gate.

“Relax, we’re just having some fun.” I let go of her hand to reach over the gate and unlatch it.

“I can’t relax!” She’s whisper-hissing at me. “I have a terrible feeling you’re recruiting me into your felon gang or something, and to initiate me, you’re going to send me into this house to steal their big-screen TV.”

Now that’s a funny mental image: Lucy trying to lift a massive television out of a house on her own. I’m almost tempted to make her do it just so I can take pictures and always have something to make me laugh on rainy days.

“What’s a felon gang?” I ask, tugging her through the gate with me. “Is that like a special sub-category of gangs?”

“You know…like a group of felons who gang up together to steal.”

“You basically just restated the ori

ginal title with more non-descriptive words. Here, stay close so we don’t trip the light sensors.”

“Ohgoshohgoshohgosh,” she says, staying close to my back as we hug the outer perimeter of the yard, heading toward the pool. It feels good to have her this close to me. She smells sweet. I can’t pinpoint the scent; it’s just soft and sweet. Maybe even a little fruity. “I’m going to jail. I am GOING to jail. Me, Lucy, will be going to jail.”

“What do I have to do to get you to stop chanting that?” We’re at the pool gate now; I unlatch the small fence and step inside, holding it open for her.

“Buckle me back into your truck and take me home safely.”

I level her with a loaded look. “Is that really what you want?”

She knows what I mean. This moment is more than just this moment. This is Lucy’s chance to choose to live. She told me in her long-winded first text that she wished she were challenged more. Well, here it is—her first challenge.

She holds my gaze, taking in a long deep breath through her nose. She looks toward the darkened house, and then when her eyes turn back to me, I see worry. “Lucy, I think you need this. Tomorrow morning, you’ll wake up, and go get your son, and have breakfast, and be a mom with all the bells and whistles—”

“I don’t wear bells and whistles on Thursdays.”

“—but tonight…you are just Lucy, a woman who deserves to let loose and have fun. What do you say?” I’m only about 30% sure she’ll do it. She doesn’t really have a good reason to trust me. Like she said, for all she knows, I’m a terrible guy and am actually leading her into trouble.

But when a slow smile starts to spread over her mouth, warm blood rushes through my veins, pumping and reviving my old familiar heart until it’s three sizes bigger. No more stealing Christmas for me. “Let’s do this.” But she quickly amends her declaration: “As long as this is only jumping in the pool and not actually destroying or stealing any property.”

I smile. “None of those things.” I step toward her to put a hand on her lower back and urge her through the gate. “Just swimming.”

“Wait—I didn’t bring my swimsuit,” I say, blinking down at the gorgeous pool. It’s all lit up with warm lights and the reflection of the moon. It’s calling to me like I’m a little hobbit. Luuucccyyyy…

But that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t have my swimsuit. Cooper is standing close to me, his arm nearly brushing mine, and suddenly, I remember every teen movie I’ve ever seen. Maybe he wasn’t expecting a swimsuit—just a birthday suit.