Page 18 of The Art of Falling in Love with Your Enemy
When we got to the station, protocol took over. I delegated the task of reading Etta her rights to someone else, but I was compelled to assist in processing her arrest—and every moment was painfully excruciating.
Those captivating teal-blue eyes, the ones usually ablaze with a mixture of sass and confidence, now burn with a different intensity: anger and humiliation intermingled. It’s a striking contrast to the formidable woman I’m accustomed to dealing with. Yet, deep down, I know her fiery spirit is ever present and waiting to pounce and assert its dominance at any given moment.
I’m not going to lie: it hurts me to see Etta sitting alone like this on the cold metal bench, her back turned to the room.
I approach the bars tentatively. “Hey, Etta, can I get you a glass of water?”
She doesn’t turn around. “Are you sure I’m allowed glass in my cell?”
“I’m not positive, but I’m willing to throw caution to the wind this once.” When she doesn’t bite, I try again. “How about a soda? It comes in its own can; we don’t have the fancy glass bottles here.”
Silence.
“Come on, Etta, it’s not like I arrested you on a felony.” I take a chance and step closer to the cell. It is a trepidatious step, but one nonetheless. “I mean, youcouldface up to one hundred and twenty days in jail—”
“Officer Wright, you’re not even funny right now.” Her shoulders rise and fall as she takes a long breath. “Do you even understand how humiliating this is?”
As much as I hate to admit it, no. I hadn’t thought about it that way, from her point of view. I’ve been too busy worrying about how she was going to react to the fact I was the one bringing her in to even consider how it’s making her feel.
I grab a desk chair and roll it over to the cell, sitting down. The Sweetkiss Creek jail isn’t big at all; we’re a small town. We have three cells in a block off the main office area. The room is a good size and also houses two desks for the two officers who are usually stationed here.
But it’s Friday night and everyone is out on patrol. The only person in the cells is…well, I don’t need to explain further, do I?
“Don’t look at this as embarrassing, Etta, look at it as pure luck.”
“Luck.” Score. Her body moves, just a smidge. She turns slightly to face me. “How do you see this as luck?”
“Well, it was me who pulled you over. That’s one positive thing.”
“Wait.” Ah ha. More of a turn, now a better angle. I can see her face now with its furrowed eyebrows, extreme irritation, and all the works. “How do you see that as positive?”
“Because it’s someone you know pulling you over, not a stranger.”
“I’d rather have someone I don’t know arresting me, Zac.” Annnnd, she turns back around, treating me to a full view of her back again as she returns to staring at the brick wall. “In another town would have been nice, too, so I don’t have to have my friend come bail me out while she’s at dinner with my other friend, after you, of all people, arrest me.”
“It’s not that bad,” I begin, only to be cut off as someone calls out from the main room. I peek out the door, surprised to see Lt. Brett Simpson from the Lake Lorelei Fire Department standing by my desk.
Glancing at Etta, and seeing her face go white, I can see what she means about being arrested in a different town—Brett works closely with her brother, and you can bet if Brett sees her in that cell, Jack will know she’s in here as soon as he leaves. I put my finger to my lips and shake my head, which Etta understands. She sits back in the shadows of the cell and feigns zipping her lips shut.
“Hey, Brett,” I say, a bit too jubilant as I walk out of the cell block, closing the door behind me. I course correct and drop my voice down a notch, leaning against a filing cabinet. “What are you doing in my neck of the woods?”
“Hey, Zac.” He holds his hand out to pump mine, saying hello. Never mind the confused look on his face as his eyes flick to the shut door behind me. “I just thought I’d stop in to let you guys know I just bought the property that was for sale on the other side of the Sweetkiss Creek Campground woods. I’ll be slowly moving things in over the next month as we get settled in.”
I’d met Brett when I moved here and know he’s a beloved member of the Lake Lorelei Fire Department. He’s a single dad; if he isn’t at work, he’s at home or with his girl, which makes some of the single ladies around here melt.
“Congrats on the move. I guess we’ll be seeing more of you?”
“You will. I’m taking on the captain position at the fire department, starting in two months.” He grins, exposing all of his teeth. “That’s why we’re making the house move happen now. I want to get my daughter settled in her new school and I’ve got alpacas I need to sort out first, so we’re gonna start putting up a fence. But, figured I’d let you guys know in case someone gets twitchy and calls in, trying to say someone’s out at the property. If they do, it’s me.”
“Noted. I’ll make sure the other guys know.” Chuckling, I shake his hand again as he backs away. “Thanks for stopping in.”
As soon as he clears the door and is out of sight, I walk back over to the cell block, opening the door wide. Before walking back inside, I redirect to the station kitchen. I swipe a can of soda from the fridge before heading back to the block and sitting down in my chair again across from Etta.
“So, you’re right. It can be that bad.” I lean forward, placing the soda on the floor on the other side of the bars. It’s like I’m scared of a wild animal.
“Told you.” Etta cuts her eyes my way, her gaze leveling on the soda. She gets up and walks over to pick it up. She holds the can aloft. “Thank you. And thank you for getting Brett out of here so fast. If he had seen me…”
“...your brother. I get it. Look, I’ll do what I can to keep the gossip at bay. It helps that I’m the only one here right now.” I sit back in my chair and pump my hands in the air. “Score one for the small town!”
