“Follow her.”
Jace stood his ground.
“Warm arms, every night, that’s what I got. Yep, I’m a lucky man.”
“Bree isn’t interested in me. There’s the difference. No point in me chasing after somebody who isn’t interested in being caught.”
“What’s going on?” Mark asked Bree when they got outside.
“I’m not feeling very well, Dad. Can I take your truck? Can you and mom ride home with someone else?”
“Sure, but if you aren’t feeling well—”
“Now, Dad, please. Just give me the keys.” Bree could see Jace through the windows of the restaurant. He was talking to Billy, but there was still a chance he’d try to follow her. She had to be gone if he did.
Her dad followed her gaze, reached into his pocket, and handed her his keys. “Turn left at the corner.” He pointed north on Elk Avenue. “It’s about halfway up the second block.”
“Thanks,” she waved as she broke into a run in the direction he pointed her in.
“Dammit,” Jace growled when he got outside.
Mark put his hand on his arm. “Let her go,” he said before he went back inside.
Bree swore when she saw the red flashing lights in the rear-view mirror. She always forgot about the ridiculous speed limit in downtown Crested Butte. Was it eve
n possible to drive fifteen miles per hour? She had to have been going three times that fast.
“License and registration,” the police officer said without looking at her when she rolled down the window. He glanced up just before she turned her head to dig through her purse.
“Wait,” he said. “Are you okay?”
This would be worse. Not only was she speeding, she’d also been crying. He’d probably add public endangerment to her speeding ticket.
“Ma’am, I asked you a question. Are you okay?”
Bree wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “I’m okay. Sorry, Officer, uh, Akerman. I…” What could she say? She’d just been propositioned by a man she’d already slept with, but the way he talked to her made her cry?
“Listen,” he said. “I’m not going to write you a ticket tonight, but I don’t think you should be driving when you’re upset.”
She brushed at her tears again, the ones she couldn’t seem to stop, and opened the storage compartment between the two front seats. Her mom would have tissues stored in there, wouldn’t she?
Bree found a pack, pulled one out and blew her nose. When she looked back at the policeman, he was smiling.
“I’m about to take a break for dinner. Why don’t you join me?”
“Uh, well—”
“I could insist, you know. Either have dinner with me, take a few minutes to collect yourself, or I’ll write the ticket after all, but that’s probably a federal crime. How ’bout you just join me, and neither one of us will get in trouble?” He winked at her.
“You are a policeman. I mean, that looks like an official police car,” she muttered.
He pointed in the direction of Elk Avenue. “I’m gonna pull around your truck and park over there, behind that building. I’m hoping you’ll follow me and have dinner with me. If not, I’ll understand.”
Bree watched in the side mirror as he got back in the police car, turned off the swirling red lights, and drove toward the building he’d pointed at. She followed.
There were two open spots, so she pulled in next to him. She looked around to make sure there weren’t any “no parking” signs she’d be in violation of. When she opened her door, he was standing next to it.
“Hope I didn’t startle you.” He held out his hand to help her out of the truck. “My name is Kaleb, by the way.”