Hot Cop Next Door: A Second Chance Romance Read online

  I got to work a few minutes before my shift. Adam was already there, checking the bulletin board.

  “Damn, I thought you were going to miss the briefing. Chief has something big going down. We all have to be in there,” he said, adjusting his belt.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, heading toward the briefing room.

  Adam shrugged. “Something about a meth lab operation.”

  I groaned. “There are too many of those things. We’re not on that detail, are we?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  We took seats in the back of the room and waited for the chief to give the update. It was as Adam thought. Fortunately, he and I were on patrol duty and were not going to be a part of the task force going in to shut the place down. Five or six years ago, I would have begged to be a part of it. I couldn’t put my life at high risk these days, though. I was a single father to a little girl who needed me. Being a cop was risky enough.

  When the briefing was over, Adam and I walked out to the patrol car together.

  “I’ll drive,” I told him, preferring to be the one behind the wheel. It was a control thing. Adam never seemed to mind.

  “How’s Lily?” Adam asked.

  “Good. Too smart for her own good, though.”

  He laughed. “They all are. Or so I’ve heard.”

  “How’s the latest what’s-her-name?” I teased.

  He groaned. “She’s history. She wanted her own drawer at my place. What the hell is that about? We were seeing other a month and she thinks she’s moving in.”

  I chuckled and shook my head. “You’re thirty-one. Don’t you think you might want to settle down at some point?”

  He made a face. “No! You’re thirty-two and single.”

  “I wasn’t always single,” I said solemnly.

  Adam got serious. “She’s been gone three years, Cameron. It’s time you start living your life again. Becca wouldn’t want you to be single forever.”

  “I’ve been living just fine.”

  He laughed. “You’ve been having one-night stands. I don’t know how you can lecture me when you do the same thing.”

  “I have the occasional night off from work and fatherhood. I’m not a monk. I need to get laid, but I don’t need to be dragging a bunch of different women around my kid.”

  “You could try to get to know one of those women,” he pointed out.

  I didn’t answer him. It was a conversation we’d had many times before. Adam could never understand. I’d been married and thought I would grow old with Becca. She had been ripped out of my life too soon. I hated cancer, absolutely fucking hated it. It was a horrible disease.

  “Looks like we got a couple kids skipping school. Should we check it out?” I asked, changing the subject.

  Adam chuckled. “Why not? Let’s teach them a little lesson.”

  I pulled behind the car while Adam ran the plates. I could see the driver looking in his rear-view mirror, watching me. He was scared. That meant he was doing something wrong.

  I hit the lights and pulled the kid over. It didn’t take long to figure out the driver and his buddy were cutting class in favor of getting McDonald’s for breakfast. We couldn’t give them a ticket but warned them they better get back to school.

  Adam pouted when we got back in the car. “That was too easy.”

  I shrugged. “Easy is good. Easy is safe.”

  “Easy is boring,” Adam replied.

  “Boring means I go home to my little girl every night.”

  “Remember when we first joined the Corps?” he mused.

  I laughed. “Yes. We were young and stupid and couldn’t wait to get deployed.”

  “We had to get deployed or we would never get that respect.”

  I shook my head. “My poor mother. She was terrified when she found out we were headed to the Middle East.”

  “I brought you back in one piece.”

  I scoffed. “I think it was the other way around.”

  It was the same familiar jesting we always did. Adam had been my best friend since middle school. We joined the Marines together right out of high school and somehow managed to get stationed at the same base. After eight years of serving our country, we both agreed it was time to return to the civilian world. That had lasted a couple months before we decided we could still serve as police officers.

  I’d gotten married almost immediately after I’d gotten home. Becca and I had first gotten together in high school, then parted ways. On one of my leaves, we had started up our relationship again. I’d never thought she would die at the ripe age of twenty-nine. It was so unfair.

  “Woah!” Adam said at the same time I punched the gas to jump behind a car that had blown through a stop sign and was hauling ass.

  “Call it in,” I ordered.

  The culture in the city had changed. I never knew when it was going to be a simple traffic stop or when I was going to be the next cop being shot at.

  “They’re pulling over,” Adam said, stating the obvious.

  It ended up being a simple speeding ticket. The woman tried to flirt her way out of the ticket, but that wasn’t my style. If I pulled you over for breaking the law, it was going to be a ticket. I liked black and white. I didn’t like the gray in between. Adam called me a hard-ass. I probably was. I liked to think I was enforcing the rules that would prevent a family from going through the same loss I had experienced. It wasn’t personal. It was my job, and I was out there every day doing it. I wasn’t out there trying to make friends.

  “Let’s grab lunch,” Adam said halfway through our shift.

  “Fine, but no more greasy tacos. I can hear my arteries clogging when you make me eat those,” I complained.

  Adam laughed. “They may be greasy, but they’re so good.”

  “How about burgers and fries?” I suggested.

  He made a strangled noise. “How is that any better than greasy tacos?”

  I grinned. “Because I want a burger and I don’t want a taco.”

  He burst into laughter. “Then just say that. Don’t knock my tacos.”

  I drove us to a burger joint. We grabbed our lunch, scarfed it down, and got right back on the streets.

  “I haven’t heard any chatter about the meth house,” I commented.

  Adam shrugged. “I guess that’s a good thing. Means everyone is safe. It was probably a bust. They’re going to have to sit on the place. I just hope we don’t get stuck on the stakeout. I’ll happily go along for the takedown, but I will die from boredom if we have to watch people come and go for twelve hours.”

  It wasn’t exactly my idea of a good time either. We did what we were asked, though. I hadn’t made any attempts to move up the ranks yet, but I wanted to eventually. I couldn’t be a beat cop forever. Once I got Lily settled into a groove at school, that was my goal. Until then, I needed the flexibility of a set shift and not being on call.

  We got through our shift with nothing too exciting happening. That was always a good day.

  “See you tomorrow,” I said to Adam.

  “Want to go out and grab a drink?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “Nope. I promised Lily I would be home tonight to have dinner with her.”

  Adam smiled. “You have a dinner date.”

  “I do, with the prettiest girl in Tennessee.”

  Adam laughed. “I will give you that one. Later, Cameron.”

  We parted ways, and I drove to my mother’s to pick up Lily. Then we would have a nice quiet Friday night at home. I wondered if my neighbor had moved the truck. I hoped she wasn’t planning on celebrating her new house with a party. I would be putting an end to that in a hurry.

  Chapter Three

  Savannah

  I couldn’t believe how much stuff I had. By the time we had carried in all the furniture and boxes and then unpacked everything last night, we’d been exhausted. I was thrilled they’d all stayed the night. It had helped dispel the loneliness that came from being in a new h
ome in a new city. Once they all left, I knew it was going to hit me pretty hard. I wanted to put that off for as long as possible.

  “I’m so sore,” Emma complained as she stood next me in front of the large mirror in the master bathroom.

  I laughed. “Me too. Dancing is going to be interesting tonight. We’ll just tell everyone we’re stiff from a brutal round of yoga at the gym.”

  I finished my makeup with a slick of light pink gloss on my lips.

  “You look gorgeous! I’m so glad I already have a boyfriend. Your eyes look stunning with that green top. It really brings out the green,” she said.

  “Thank you. It feels weird to be going out. I haven’t been out in forever—at least without Asher or worrying he would show up at the club and make a scene.”

  I tried to fight back the nerves. I was excited to be going out. This was me celebrating my new life and the freedom that came with it.

  “Remember, don’t leave with anyone. Guys are going to be crawling all over your hot little ass. Tell them to get lost. You’re there to have fun, not snag another psychotic boyfriend. You need some time alone without a man,” she lectured.

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Mother.”

  “I’m serious. Me, Jake, and Cody are going to be watching you like a hawk,” she warned.

  “Thank you. I know you’re doing this for me,” I whispered. “I appreciate you guys hanging out for a few days.”

  She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I can’t tell you how afraid I was. I was so worried he was going to do something terrible.”

  I let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry. You all kept telling me for so long, and I just couldn’t see it.”

  “It’s okay. We all knew you were struggling.”

  I shook my head. “What a waste of four years.”

  Emma laughed. “Then we have some lost time to make up for. Now, let’s go out and party!”

  Jake drove my car, promising to be the designated driver for the night. The club scene in Nashville was different than what we were used to. It wasn’t all country music like I had expected. We found our way to a club that played a lot of old school as well as new Southern rock. We were all having a great time. It felt good to unwind and let loose.

  “Bathroom!” Emma shouted close to my ear.

  I nodded and walked off the dance floor, following close behind her.

  “This is awesome!” she exclaimed once we were in the bathroom and could actually hear each other.

  I smiled. “It is. I think I’m going to like Nashville.”

  She grinned. “Good. I’m going to be visiting you a lot.”

  “I’m going to miss you,” I said, suddenly feeling sad.

  “Don’t. I’m not going to let you miss me. I’m going to be here all the time. It will be just as it was, except I have to drive a little farther. This is for the best. Hell, maybe I’ll move here, and then we can really hang out all the time like we used to.”

  “Used to—when Asher allowed it, you mean,” I mumbled.

  “Exactly. I’ll probably get to see more of you now that you live forty-five minutes away!” she joked.

  I smiled. I knew she was trying to be upbeat for my sake. I appreciated her efforts.

  “Let’s get in one more dance before Jake drags us out of here,” I said.

  We danced for another thirty minutes before we called it a night. It was close to midnight, which wasn’t exactly late, but Jake was a little bored. We got home and were busting out some after-clubbing snacks and drinks when I heard my phone ringing.

  “Who’s calling you this late? I’m the only one who would and I’m right here,” Emma said, concern written on her face.

  I checked my phone and saw it was a blocked number. “Private,” I whispered, feeling that familiar knot of fear in my belly.

  “Don’t answer it.”

  I hit the reject button, silencing the call and letting it go to voice mail. We all waited in silence to see if the caller would leave a message. Instead of the voice mail alert, the phone started ringing again.

  “It’s him,” I said, trying to hide the panic in my voice. “How did he get my new number?”

  Emma shook her head. “I have no idea. I didn’t give it to him. Your parents certainly wouldn’t have.”

  I put the phone down on one of my small end tables. It immediately started ringing again. We waited, and this time, Asher did leave a voice mail.

  “Put it on speaker,” Emma ordered.

  I did as she asked. All four of us waited to hear what he would say. While the voice mail system went through its paces, the phone rang again.

  “He’s crazy,” Jake murmured.

  Emma nodded. “Yes, he is.”

  Asher’s message cued up. “Savannah, are you there? What are you doing? You changed your number? Why’d you leave? Answer me, Savannah. I want to talk to you. We can work this out. I’m going to keep calling until you pick up.”

  My heart was pounding in my chest. “He found me,” I breathed out.

  Emma jumped up and came to sit beside me on the couch. “No. He got your phone number. He doesn’t know where you are.”

  “He’s going to find me. It’s only a matter of time. Now he’s really going to be mad. I screwed up.”

  “No, you didn’t,” she assured me. “He’s not going to find you. You need to change your number again, and this time we’re not going to let him get it.”

  I shook my head. I felt like I was going to be constantly running. I couldn’t live like that. I had given up everything to move away from him. It wasn’t fair.

  The phone rang again.

  “Block the number,” Jake ordered.

  “It’s a private number.”

  “Download an app that blocks private numbers,” he replied.

  I sighed. “This sucks.”

  I put the phone on silent when the calls kept coming.

  “We need to call and report this to the police.”

  I scoffed. “I’ve reported him to the police. They won’t do anything.”

  Emma shook her head. “We’re calling and filing a report. Eventually, they’re going to see this guy is a menace.”

  “I feel so dumb. What am I supposed to say? He keeps calling me? That isn’t exactly a threat.”

  I saw my phone light up and knew he was calling again. He wasn’t going to give up.

  Emma picked up her phone and called the nonemergency number for the police, which went to the 911 operator. I felt like such a ridiculous, silly girl. I paced while Emma explained the situation to the dispatcher. She filled her in on the backstory.

  “They’re going to send an officer over to take a report,” Emma said, hanging up the phone.

  “What am I supposed to say?”

  “You tell them exactly what happened,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and that lunatic will call when the cop is here.”

  My phone lit up again, indicating another call was coming in. Asher wasn’t going to give up. Emma had done the right thing.

  It was about thirty minutes later that we heard a knock on the door.

  “I’ll answer it,” Jake said. “Just in case.”

  “You don’t think he found me, do you?” I asked in horror.

  “I don’t think so,” Emma said. “Better to be safe.”

  Jake opened the door, and Emma’s mouth dropped open.

  “What is it?” I asked, spinning around to see what had her jaw on the floor.

  It was my cranky neighbor—in a police uniform.

  “You’re a cop?” I asked, standing and walking to the door.

  He nodded. “I am.”

  Jake held the door open and gestured for him to come inside.

  I giggled. “That explains why you were such a hard-ass about the moving truck.”

  He didn’t smile. Clearly, he didn’t like my terminology.

  “Dispatch recognized the address and asked me to stop by before I went ho
me. What’s the problem?” he asked in a gruff voice.

  “Her ex is harassing her,” Emma blurted out.

  “How?”

  “Officer”—I paused to read his name tag—“ Jackson. He keeps calling.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Calling? You called 911 because your ex-boyfriend is calling you?”

  I shook my head. “No. You don’t understand. He’s, uh, well, kind of crazy. I moved here to get away from him, and he somehow got my new phone number.”

  Emma stood up and went to stand in front of Officer Jackson. “You don’t get it. The guy is abusive. Very violent and certainly crazy. She’s running away from him, and he got her number. This is bad. This is most definitely worthy of a call to the police.”

  The cop relaxed a bit. “Do you have his phone number?” he asked me.

  “Yes, but he’s blocking the number when he calls.”

  I quickly grabbed my phone and showed him the call log of missed calls before I pulled up my voice mail and let him listen to the numerous messages Asher had left.

  He took a deep breath. “I know these situations are hard. Unfortunately, as far as the law is concerned, he isn’t breaking the law.”

  Emma cursed under breath. “Bullshit. He’s going to kill her!”

  “I understand you’re upset. I get it. I don’t like these situations either. Unfortunately, the law is behind the times. Give me his number. I’ll give him a call and let him know he’s harassing you. If he continues the harassment, we can issue a ticket. Other than that, there isn’t a lot I can do until he actually makes a threat. Then, you would be advised to file a restraining order. That I can enforce,” he explained.

  “I’ll change my number,” I said.

  He nodded. “That’s a good start.”

  “That’s it?” Emma asked. “That’s all you’re going to do?”