Jayme & Tripp (Game Wardens 1)
Jayme sent a nod to his best friend and partner, Brendan Long. “Hey, man.”
Despite his name, Brendan was anything but long. He was the shortest guy on the force, topping out at five foot six. Jayme’s six-foot three frame towered over him.
“Hey, Flanagan. What’s with the frowny face?” Brendan asked with a wide grin. “Wife bitchin' again?”
He dropped down into the seat next to Brendan. “Oh my God, yes. It’s never-ending now.”
Brendan patted his forearm where it rested on the table in front of them. “I’m sorry, man. That sucks,” he said seriously.
“My wife and your wife talk shit on you all the time, just so you know.” Matt O’Reilly chimed in from his seat at the table behind them. When Jayme turned to glare at him, Matt was barely fighting off a smile.
“Thanks, O’Reilly, that’s exactly what I needed to hear,” he said dryly.
“You’re welcome,” Matt chirped.
“Douchebag.” He huffed.
He turned because he felt like he was being watched. He locked eyes with one of the rookies. They were the most stunning pair of honey colored eyes he’d ever seen. They were framed with long dark lashes and eyebrows that were a couple shades lighter. His gaze drifted over the rest of the man’s handsome face. His square jaw was cleanly shaven. He had a dimple on each cheek and little lines at the corners of his eyes that showed his amusement. He also had a wide mouth with full lips and straight, white teeth. Why the hell was he even noticing so much about this guy?
“Got a problem, rookie?” he barked.
The rookie’s grin broadened, his dimples deepening, and he shook his head. “No, sir,” he drawled in a thick Texan accent that they all carried.
“Mind your fuckin’ business then. Ain’t no one talkin’ to you.” He snarled. This kid was rubbing him wrong already.
“Yes, sir,” the kid replied, still smiling.
Fucking asshole. Who did this guy think he was?
More officers filed into the room, as did their sergeant. The meeting got started and the room sat in relative silence as their sergeant brought them up to speed on things that had been happening overnight. Then the meeting turned toward the two rookies.
“We have two new officers with us today. They are fresh from the academy, and I expect y’all to be nice. You were all rookies once, and I’m sure you remember what it’s like...” Sergeant Steve Bernard said. “That being said, I’m going to change around some partnerships in order to fit these guys in.”
Groans and complaints filled the room. Sgt. Bernard held up his hand. “I know, I know. You hate giving up your partner, but I can’t put two rookies together. Y’all know this. So, I’m splitting up one pair of you.”
Jayme waited. He prayed that it wasn’t him and Brendan. They’ve been partners for close to four years now, and he didn’t want a fucking rookie as a partner. Sgt. Bernard’s gaze landed on him, and his stomach bottomed out. He started shaking his head.
“Nope. Don’t do it, Sarge,” he said, pointing at his superior.
“I’m sorry, Flanagan. You and Long are the best I have, and I need these two trained right.”
“Come on, man! O’Reilly and Peters are just as good as we are!” he complained.
“Don’t drag us into this,” Matt argued. “We don’t want to be split up either.”
“This is higher than me, Flanagan, this comes from the Captain. You can take it up with him if you have a problem with it.”
Jayme pressed his lips into a tight line. He wasn’t going to argue with Captain Tony Reeves. Especially when he knew he wasn’t going to win. The man could argue like no one’s business. It would be pointless to even bring this up to him. He’d obviously already made up his mind.
“Flanagan, I want you with Tripp Littrell. And Long, you’re with William Darcy.”
“Which one is Littrell?” Jayme huffed and raked a hand over his short hair.
Dimples gave him a cheeky smile and a little wave.
“Oh, fuck me.” He groaned. “Of course, I get stuck with Ken.”
The room burst out laughing because yeah, Tripp Littrell did kinda look like a Ken doll. He had blond hair and boyishly good looks. Tripp smiled brightly, obviously not caring that everyone was laughing at him. Jayme wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn't the first time he’d been called a Ken doll either.
~~~
Tripp
Tripp’s stomach fluttered. He was excited and nervous. This would be his second go around as a rookie. The first being with the Austin Police Department. He was a street cop for five years, before deciding that he wanted something different. The Texas Game Warden Service was the only thing that piqued his interest. Not only did they deal with people, but animals too. He loved animals.
“Let’s go, Rookie. We’ve got shit to do,” said his new partner, Officer Flanagan. The man shoved out of his chair and headed for the door without waiting for him. Tripp lunged to his feet and hurried after him.