Ask Me If I Care (SWAT Generation 2.0 4)

“You’re good for him,” Kincaid said.

My brows must’ve met my hairline because he immediately started to explain.

“I’ve never seen him talk to another human being before like he talks to you,” he said. “He’s very quiet and withdrawn. He participates, but he’s always on the outskirts. The outside looking in.”

That made me feel kind of awful.

More so, I didn’t want Hayes to feel like the outsider. I wanted him to think that he belonged.

At least with me, I hoped he knew he would always be on the inside.

Somewhere in the vicinity of my quickly-falling-for-him heart.

“How’d y’all meet?” Kincaid asked, his eyes going behind me.

“We met at a police banquet. He glared at me the whole time,” I admitted.

I felt warm palms on my cold arms just as Hayes said, “I didn’t glare at you the whole time.”

I snorted indelicately. “Really? What would you call it?”

“I’d call it me liking you, but not knowing what to do when it came to your attitude.” He paused. “Also, you dated my brother. I wasn’t sure how many brain cells you had in your head, and I was worried I was liking someone that was full of herself. You know, his normal type.”

I swatted him across the chest, but my smack was rebounded when it came into contact with something soft.

I pressed my hand to it and he smiled before pushing the softness into my hand. “Here. It’s for you.”

My mouth opened and then closed as my hand refused to take the jacket.

“Here,” he said, forcing me to take an almost identical jacket to the one I’d admired at the Mexican restaurant a few days ago that Rowen had worn.

I gasped and pulled it into my arms.

“I even washed it for you,” he said, eyes skittering around the parking lot as if he was trying to look anywhere but at me.

I couldn’t stop myself.

I had to do it.

Throwing myself forward, I curved my arms around Hayes’ neck and hugged him tight.

I must’ve surprised him because at first he didn’t reciprocate at all.

But then, once he got over the initial shock, he curved his arms around my lower back and pulled me into him tightly.

“I love it, thank you,” I said. “I really did want it.”

Kincaid snorted and caught my attention as he gestured to the front gate. “Now that Sleeping Beauty is awake, let’s go inside.”

Hayes looked reluctant, and I almost felt kind of bad for him.

But I was thinking that getting out amongst the regulars would be good for him.

Except, it wasn’t.

It was terrible, and it started when we first entered the building, and the crush of people trying to get to their seat started to close in on him.

“Wow,” I said when my body got jostled. “There are quite a few people here. Why?”

“It’s the homecoming game,” Kincaid answered. “More people. Bigger game. And they’re playing the number one ranked team, their rivals.”

“Ahh,” I said in understanding. “I don’t know much about Longview other than they won the state championship last year.”

“You live in Texas,” he said as if it was obvious that I should know football based solely on my geographic location.

“And?” I said, allowing my Texas twang to come into my voice.

Kincaid laughed and Hayes drew me closer into his body before letting me go. “Get that on and let’s go.”

I did, pulling it on and moaning at the feel of the warm fabric hugging my skin.

“It’s like I’m in a cloud,” I purred.

I caught Hayes’ hand as I walked with him into the game.

When we got to where they were taking our tickets, I got to go inside for free based solely on who I was with.

“Y’all are famous,” I teased as we walked past the long line of the concession stand.

“Famous?” Hayes scoffed. “More like cursed.”

“Amen,” Kincaid said. “Too many people here.”

“At least they’re doing clear bags.”

That was from Alec, who I hadn’t realized had joined us until just then.

I looked at all the clear bags.

“What do all the clear bags have to do with anything?” I asked.

“No weapons can be concealed in a clear bag,” Alec said.

I snorted. “They could just stash it in their foam finger. At least, a handgun anyway.”

Hayes’ hand tightened on mine.

“I wonder if they’ve thought of that,” Hayes rumbled, looking at all the foam fingers.

“They do a bag check now,” Kincaid said. “We went in through the express lane, where the people with no bags can zip through.”

“Ahhh,” I said. “Well, then they’d just have to conceal it on their person. Unless they’re getting patted down.”

Hayes’ hand covered my mouth. “Careful, your police dad is showing.”

I licked his hand, causing him to chuckle and pull it away.

“I’m just sayin’,” I said. “Unless they start using a metal detector, it isn’t going to matter if they check bags.”

Alec sighed. “All the sense of security I felt as I came in is long gone. Thanks, Negative Nancy.”