Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57499 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57499 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
Some of them still saw me as a spoilt little rich boy, riding on daddy's coattails. Most of them were too ignorant to realize that had I wanted to do that, I would've gone into the family business, instead of pursuing a career in law enforcement. For damn sure I would be making more money and not putting my life on the line and, I'd put my poor mother out of her misery.
"Hey lieutenant, nice going on that Gonzalez case; you guys really did it huh."
"We sure did Scott, just goes to show what a little hard work and determination will do. Now we don't have to worry about human trafficking in these parts for at least another month."
"Nah, you're kidding me right? Those guys can't be that stupid; you really think they're gonna set up another ring?"
"Sure they will, smuggling Mexicans across the border is a lucrative business for these creeps. You didn't think they'd just give up because some of their guys got caught did you? Come on, you can't be on the force this long and still be that naive."
"It's not that, it's just..."
Scott scratched his ear beneath his cropped regulation cut. At twenty-three he was green as a newborn foal out to pasture. But he had heart and a deep biding love for the job that had been fed to him in mother's milk.
Four generations of his family had served on the force right here on the Cove. Two had gone down in the line and two had retired with honors, sadly Scott's dad had been one of the unlucky ones.
I made it a point to look out for the younger Scott, much as the father had looked out for me when I'd first signed up.
"How's your mom doing these days Scott?"
"Mom...I guess she's alright, you know...she has her good days and her bad days. Today's a good day. She went down to the market to pick up some berries to make one of her famous pies." Scott had a little boy grin on his still boyish face.
"Yeah? I haven't had one of your mom's pies in a while."
"You're not likely to get any of this one either, unless you plan on paying a visit to the Spalding residence. She's baking it for Shania's homecoming."
"Oh yeah, our local celebrity's back, I forgot all about that." Liar, you haven't forgotten a damn thing. I'd known to the second when she'd crossed county lines, but no one else needed to know about my obsession but me.
I've had the hots for my best friend's little sister ever since the year she'd turned sixteen. I'd felt like such a bastard back then, a grown man of twenty three lusting after a high-school girl, but damn she was hot back then, and I can only imagine how much better she’d gotten with time. In my dreams, she was always magnificent.
She isn't sixteen anymore, and apparently she's coming home for good this time. I planned on making sure she stayed, no matter what, by any means necessary.
I had waited long enough, had been so stupid that I almost lost her, fuck if I was going to risk that shit again.
I have great respect for her brothers and her parents, there was no doubt about that, but if they objected to my having her, then we’d become bitter enemies. I was hoping it didn’t come to that, that they had enough respect for me after all these years of being close, that they would let me have her in peace.
Either way, I had made up my mind that this time, I was willing to go the distance to get what I wanted, and nothing was going to stand in my way, not even the greatest friendship.
Chapter 3
I felt the excitement growing beneath my skin. She’s always had this affect on me, always been the only woman alive who could make me hunger the way she did, without even trying. I couldn’t wait to lay eyes on her again, to touch her, take in her sweet scent, that I remembered so well.
Somehow I've always managed to miss her on her return visits. I wonder now if that had been deliberate on my part, a kind of defense mechanism. All I know is that for the last few years, I haven't laid eyes on her, not even in a photograph.
There was a time when I couldn’t bear to see her image or even hear her name mentioned. Knowing that she was gone from me had almost driven me mad. And then there were the times when I would’ve given anything just for a glimpse of her, the sound of her voice, or the touch of her hand.
Her older brother Justin, who happens to be my best friend, was always singing her praises. In fact, you couldn't get him to shut up about her once he got started. And since we've been best friends since kindergarten, I always played the devoted listener.