Southern Chance (Southern 1)

I don’t even know how long I’m at the stop sign, but a honking horn makes everyone look at my car, and the smile that was on his face a couple of seconds ago is gone, and in its place is a glare as he watches me drive away for a second time.

Chapter Three

Jacob

“How many days are you off now?” I look up from my desk and see Monica standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. She’s been with me since I took over the sheriff’s office after my father died suddenly four years ago. I was already the second in command at that point, so it was a no-brainer I would take over for him.

My eyes roam up and down as she stands there in a tight black skirt and white silk shirt. She is way overdressed for working in the office, and she doesn’t even hide the fact that she wants to be under me. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without seeing you.” She twirls her bleached blond hair around her finger.

I lean back in the chair, the squeak coming out of the wooden chair that once belonged to my father. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.” I smile at her. “Besides, I think that Grady is on all weekend.” Grady is my second in command. We graduated from the academy together and started on the same day. He’s had a hard-on for Monica since the day she sauntered in here.

“I have a couple of things to do before I head out,” she says, turning around and walking away. My eyes go straight to her ass. Fuck, I need to get laid. Looking down at my hands, the right and the left, I wonder which one is going to get lucky tonight.

The phone on my desk beeps, and I look down and see that it’s Casey.

Casey: We need to talk.

I toss my phone down, not even interested in what he has to say. My relationship with him ended the day he took Kallie away from me. My hands clench into fists just thinking about her. The woman who I used to love with everything I had, but now I hate more than anyone in the world. My phone beeps again, and it’s him again.

Casey: I’m not fucking around with you.

I shake my head and answer him back.

Jacob: I don’t want or need to hear what you have to say.

I press send while another text comes in from Beau.

Beau: What time is the game tonight?

I answer him right away.

Jacob: Six p.m. is kickoff.

Beau: See you there.

I run my hands over my face, my back protesting the movement. I have the next four days off, and I plan to sleep all day long. When my phone beeps again, I groan.

Savannah: Hey, I got called in to the bar. Can I drop Ethan off early?

Jacob: I’m at the station.

Savannah: Be right there.

I put my phone on the desk and look over at the picture of me and my son. His smile is everything. He is everything. My mind goes to a place I never let it go.

On prom night eight years ago, Kallie sat next to me, looking more beautiful than ever. With her face done up in light makeup and her long blond hair curled at the bottom, I couldn’t wait to take her back to the barn where I had a special surprise for her. The little black box in my suit jacket pocket suddenly felt heavy. From as far back as I could remember, there wasn’t a memory that I had—good or bad—that didn’t have Kallie in it. But when she finally admitted that she loved me, everything just came together. I loved her. She was everything to me.

We got to the school, and I wanted to leave, but I had promised her a dance. I didn’t even see Savannah when we pulled up, but she stepped out of the shadows, and I saw right away that she was crying.

Savannah, Beau, and I had always had a special bond. Beau as my best friend and Savannah as the pain in the butt who never left our side. She was always the kid picked on because her mother was the help. She would get hand-me-downs and be known as “a boy” since she always dressed in hand-me-downs that either Beau or Liam wore. Beau and I were always saving her one way or another.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her right away, looking around to see if someone was around her.

“I’m in trouble,” she said, her voice shaking. “So much trouble.”

“What do you mean?” I asked her while people walked around us all dressed up.

“I don’t know how it happened,” she said and then sobbed, and I took her in my arms.

“It’s going to be okay.” I rubbed her hair. “Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay.”