Page 76 of Sergeant O'
“You’re catching on. You’re with me while we’re here. That means I take care of you. End of discussion.”
She rolled her eyes, but the twitch at the corner of her mouth gave her away. She liked the idea of being taken care of.
And I liked being the one doing it.
She came out of the fitting room with the sundress, two vintage t-shirts, and a pair of shorts draped over her arm. She held them like she wasn’t sure she should even be buying that much.
“That’s it?” I asked.
She lifted a shoulder. “I don’t want to overdo it. You’ve already—”
“Jade.” I shook my head. “You packedtwooutfits and we’re here for another nine days. Grab another couple pairs of shorts and some shirts. And some jeans and a sweatshirt or sweater for any cool nights. Get a pair of sandals, too.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Brian—”
“Don’t argue with me.” I jerked my chin toward the racks. “Go.”
Mona smothered a smile, and Jade gave me a look that suggested she was resigned to not arguing in front of the woman, but this wasn’t over. A little huff escaped her lips, followed by something muttered under her breath, and then she turned back into the aisles to go through more racks.
When everything was stacked on the counter and Mona was ringing it up, she glanced over at me and asked, “Are you sure about this? This is way more than I need, Bri.”
“I’m positive. You need clothes while we’re here, so I’m buying you clothes.” I gave her a wink. “I take care of what’s mine, Sunshine.”
She needed to get used to being included in that.
At least while we were at the Cape.
Mona finished ringing up the clothes and gave the grand total, which honestly, was less than I expected.
Jade, on the other hand, blurted out, “Oh my gosh,” and dug into her bag for her wallet. “I can’t let you spend that much!”
I slid my cash across the counter before she could even open her wallet. “Too late.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Brian—”
“Don’t waste your breath, Sunshine.” I kept my gaze on Mona, who smirked like she’d seen this scene play out before. She took my money without hesitation and counted out change.
Jade shoved her wallet back into her bag with a grumbled, “You’re impossible.” Then she added a quieter, “Thank you.”
I almost chuckled as I pocketed the change, but bit it back and kept my expression even. She had no idea how much I enjoyed buying things for her.
Picking up the bags, I told her. “Now you’re set until we go home”
As we stepped outside, she slipped her hand into mine, a silent thank you all its own.
****
Jade
Grocery shopping felt weirdly domestic, especially after Brian went clothes shopping with me—without complaint. One minute he was helping me pick out a dress, the next he was steering a cart down the produce aisle beside me while we debated the merits of Granny Smith apples versus MacIntosh.
It shouldn’t have felt like anything, but there was something about the ordinary rhythm of it—picking out cereal, comparing coffee, him tossing things into the cart that I’d never choose—that made it hard to remember this was only supposed to be temporary, just until we were back in Haven Springs.
It was obvious by our selections that we ate very differently. Brian dropped in things like steak, bacon, eggs, and a loaf of wheat bread. I added salmon, a bag of spinach, peppers, a carton of blueberries, and the skim milk I usually kept in my fridge.
“Snacks,” he said, grabbing a family-size bag of chips and tossing it in.
I smiled. “I figured you’d say that.”
