Page 6 of Wanted: Forever (Murdock Brothers #3)

Parker

There was honestly no justice in this world.

I was back on duty Monday. Another night shift because I was a glutton for punishment, evidently.

However, what I didn’t need was Cash Murdock standing on a stepladder in the middle of the bullpen. The only other person on duty besides me and Leroy was the cleaning service.

Mondays were notoriously boring. Everyone was too busy recovering from the weekend to make much trouble. I figured it would be an easy way to catch up on paperwork in between a few patrols.

And that man was happily chatting with Leroy, his rich laughter filling the space.

I was about to back out of the room when Cash zeroed in on me. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite Chief of Police.”

“I’m the only Chief.”

“And yet, still my favorite.” He grinned and used some sort of tool to strip a wire.

“What are you doing here?”

“Didn’t you hear? I’m fortifying your electrical system as part of my community service.”

I folded my arms over my vest. “No. I was not informed,” I said tightly and stared at Leroy.

He cleared his throat. “The mayor spoke with the judge after you left and decided Cash’s community service could be used to help out our tight budget.”

Cash grinned. “Just call me your handyman at the ready. I hear the storage closet needs some help as well.”

I fisted my fingers under my arm. Now I was going to have him underfoot all the time? “Don’t you have a job?”

“Lucky for you guys I don’t need much sleep.

” He reached over his head and his T-shirt rode up to show a slice of skin.

Golden hair trailed up from his belt following the line of his abs.

Very well-toned abs with the vee that was my personal Kryptonite.

He tucked the recessed light back into its casing and snapped it in.

The annoying flicker now gone.

He grinned down at me. “You want to make me a honey do list,” then he swiveled to look at my admin, “Leroy?”

I stalked over to my office, Cash’s laughter in my wake.

I did not need this in my life. I sat at my desk and tried to focus on the screen, but the large window in my office showed me the bull pen. Leroy had gone back to his own station and Cash was monkeying around fixing all the lights.

Every single time I looked up, he was diligently working. Distantly, I heard the two male voices and light laughter as they spoke of sports and the upcoming season of football.

It should have been an easy hum of background noise, but I kept getting distracted by his large, muscular body as he worked his way through the grid of lights toward me.

I unlocked my service pistol from my desk and tucked it into my holster. I needed to get out of there and do a patrol. When I opened my door, he was right above me, his strong thighs and that stupid slice of skin making my skin hot.

He looked down at me. “Hiya, Chief.”

“Cash.” I shimmied around him.

“I was thinking we could probably get rid of that drop ceiling in your office.”

I paused. God, I hated that thing. It made me feel like I was in a cave. “That’s not on the list.”

“It could be. I do have two thousand hours to put in.”

I spun around, my eyebrows raised.

He grinned. “The judge wasn’t nearly as amused as he was when I was twenty-one.”

“Good.”

His grin widened creating a dimple in his right cheek. “Thought you might agree.” He dropped off the ladder and his scent wrapped around me. The spice and the hint of something sweet made my mouth water. “I’ll start in on your office tomorrow.”

“Fine. You can’t be disruptive though.”

“Would I ever be disruptive?”

I rolled my eyes and stalked toward the front of the station.

“See you tomorrow, Chief.”

I ignored him and the punch of the heavy night air didn’t do anything to improve my mood. I hopped in my patrol car and just as I was pulling out Leroy cut in to inform me about a disturbance near the high school.

So much for my boring night.

I pulled out onto the empty stretch of Hope Street and past the dark buildings that made up my town.

When I’d heard Chief Pope was ready to retire, I’d half-heartedly mentioned I might want to come home.

After I broke up with Todd there had been very little holding me to Kansas City.

I was one of dozens of mid-level cops in my department.

I’d taken the detective’s test and passed with high marks, but I kept getting passed over.

No matter how much I wished it were different, there was still a high level of boy’s club bullshit in my old police department.

I missed the community of Indigo Valley and my friends.

Between my schedule on the force and my odd hours, it was hard to make friends I didn’t work with.

And honestly, I’d never really clicked with anyone anyway.

I half expected to be starting over if I came home, but Pope said my record was exemplary and the job was mine.

It came with more politics than I was used to—namely Mayor Finley who lived to make my life difficult. All in all, it was a good life. I’d only been home for a few months, but I’d slipped neatly back into the rhythm of small-town life and reconnected with Nora and my family.

Watching Matty, my brother, get excited for impending fatherhood had filled in spaces I didn’t know were empty.

And still, I was still restless.

I flicked off my lights and rolled silently into the parking lot nearest the football field. According to Leroy a call from a passerby said there was loud music playing.

Hot summer nights and nothing to do was a recipe for trouble.

Usually, the kids were smarter about where they partied. I checked my vest for my flashlight, cuffs, and Taser in case there was actual trouble before quietly checking in with Leroy.

“I’m at the school. I’ll check back in ten.”

“Got it, boss.”

There were no cars, just a handful of bikes laying on the grass.

I leaned against my door, then flicked on my takedown light which illuminated the entire middle field.

“Cops!”

The shout had everyone scattering, bike chains clicking as they took off over the uneven pavement.

“Get on home,” I yelled out. It wasn’t worth hunting them down. They were out having some innocent fun.

Once they were gone, I checked the field for damages. In their haste they left a small speaker and battery-operated lantern behind. With a shake of my head, I collected them and hit my shoulder mic. “Just some kids hanging out. They scattered. I’m going to do a patrol then I’ll be back.”

“Understood.”

I strode back to my car and tossed my spoils in the passenger seat.

The rest of my night was uneventful. I was still itchy and restless when I clocked out for the night and returned to my house. I was so tired I almost missed the shadow in the driveway of the house across the street from me. I parked my car and hopped out, hurrying to the end of my driveway.

It was a man in a camping chair, music floated out from his phone. His long legs were kicked out, crossed at the ankles and the buzz started under my skin.

“Cash?”

He lifted a bottle. “Chief.”

“What the hell are you doing over there? Are you following me?”

“Pretty sure I bought my house first.” He took a sip and nudged a cooler at his feet. The only light came from a candle at his feet. “Beer?”

I looked at my house, then back across the street. Annoyed that I wanted to say yes.

“C’mon. We can call a truce, can’t we?”

I sighed. “A beer sounds nice actually.” I jogged over to my shed along the side of my house for one of my own camp chairs.

The air was heavy and still. The humidity left my uniform feeling like a wet blanket. I dropped my chair on my lawn then let myself in my house. I was tempted to toss myself in the shower and ignore the pull to go over and sit with him, but I was tired of the endless loneliness each night.

Nora was busy with Sully, and my parents were always working or involved with one another.

They were still insanely in love with one another.

One of the reasons I had yet to find a man who lived up to that kind of relationship.

Todd sure as hell hadn’t. And he was only one of a half dozen relationships I’d sleepwalked through.

Cash Murdock annoyed the hell out of me, but he sparked something in me too.

Something flashed outside my window. I hurried over and saw Cash sitting in his chair with a sparkler making trails in the deep darkness of the late hour.

Laughing, I flipped my blinds open and closed to let him know I saw him.

Then I closed them and peeled my uniform off, took two minutes to rinse the salt off my body.

I quickly dried off and took a minute to spritz myself with my rarely used perfume before I pulled on a tank, underwear, and cutoffs.

“Too much?” I asked myself in the mirror. “Yes, Parker. You’re doing way too much. He’s probably already back in the house for fuck’s sake.” Iclipped my curls at the top of my head in a messy bun and shoved my feet into a pair of flips.

If he wasn’t there, I’d just go back upstairs and go to bed.

Maybe I should go to bed.

But the buzz was still there.

What could it hurt to have a beer?