Page 88 of Catch

“It’s not so bad these days,” she laughed. “Miles keeps everything under control.”

Ms. Anderson looked at me with a twinkle in her eye that told me she approved. She could see how safe Loxley felt around me.

“Well, tell me the whole story,” she said, pouring us all fresh coffee. “Every detail. Don’t leave anything out.”

Loxley started telling her a little bit, but I knew that she meant the whole book. From the prologue to the final chapter of how Loxley Adams became my greatest catch.

“Well,” I began, “I was just doing my job when that felon over there—” I pointed to Loxley, “—was wanted for grand theft auto.”

“I was not!” she laughed.

“Well, you should’ve been,” I grinned, then turned back to Ms. Anderson. “I had to pull her over and set her straight.”

“I thinkIshould tell the story,” Loxley groaned, still laughing.

“Oh no,” Ms. Anderson said. “I want to hear from both of you. Every last detail.”

Loxley picked up where I left off, telling her mom how we faced off on the side of the road, and how it wasn’t even worth it to pull her over for barely speeding. But that’s where she lost me, because itwasworth it. She was worth it. She came out of nowhere, and I think I knew right then and there that if I ever wrote a book, that’s where I’d start.

“Do you remember when I finally took Sam’s jacket off and threw his hat back in the car?” she asked. “Goodness, I looked like a mess.”

I laughed and nodded. I did remember. But she didn’t look like a mess. She looked like forever.