Page 5 of Her True Blue
I wave them goodbye, continuing my progress around the square. As I make my way, greeting everyone as I do, I nearly stop short when my gaze lands on the Milltown Animal Rescue booth, where Stephanie Perkins titters excitedly in conversation with the woman whose scent still surrounds me.Jordana.
Jordana is bent over a circular pen, her back and very fine ass facing toward me, as she tries wrangling some puppies, her soft cooing voice drifting up through the crowds around her. That sound rises above the noise and hits me straight in the groin.
“Oh my gosh, look at this little guy. Aren’t you just the cutest thing ever?” I watch as she hoists the little brown furball into her arms, snuggling the pup to her full breasts as she turns around, her face buried in his soft fur.
“They’re adorable until they eat through every pair of shoes you own and even your leather service belt,” I chuckle, as her eyes pop open to find me standing at the in front of her.
Stephanie laughs, shielding her eyes against the sun that’s now high overhead, smiling up at me.
“Well, hello there, Officer Clawson. Perhaps you wouldn’t have experienced that problem with Homer had you given him the much-needed puppy training that I offered and suggested at the time.”
Jordana’s eyes light up with amusement over the head of the fluff ball she cradles against her. Her smile is crooked and the heat from her bright green eyes does something weird to my insides.
Reluctantly I turn my attention to Stephanie, a former classmate of my older brother, Jr., who runs the animal shelter on the outskirts of town.
“You do know I tried everything with Homer. He’s just too dumb to catch on to anything I taught him.”
She gives me an irritated flap of her hand. “Who’s the dumb one here? It’s never the dog’s fault, only the owners.”
I pull out the ticket book from my back pocket, flipping open the page and playfully pretend to write a citation. “That’s it. Here’s your warning for disrespecting a peace officer and calling him dumb.”
The sound of Jordana’s laughter fills me with something strong, as if I’ve had too many shots of whisky, my head and stomach floating with a free and easy feeling.
“Do I need to call the authorities to break this up?” She lifts her perfectly shaped eyebrows in jest as I raise my hands in surrender.
Stephanie stands, looking over my shoulder at her three rowdy kids playing at the park. “Speaking of breaking something up, I need to go see what has my hoodlum’s brawling over there. Can you handle things for a second, Jordy?”
Jordana nods affirmatively as Steph darts off, yelling her kids down. “Knock it off, right this minute, or I’ll come knock some sense into alls of you!”
We stare after her and then I return my attention to the beauty with the puppy. Jordana has since changed out of her work clothes into a pair of jean shorts and T-shirt branded Milltown Animal Rescue on the front, and the back “Adopt. Don’t Shop. The Best Things in Life are Rescued.”
“Hey, Jordana. I’m glad I got a chance to talk to you alone. I wanted to see how you’re doing after yesterday’s events?”
Her eyes cloud over a little, the shine dulling ever-so-slightly with something close to worry.
“I’m okay. As good as can be expected, I guess. Thanks for your concern.”
A big part of me wants to reach out and touch her. Enfold her in my arms so she knows she’s safe and protected. But I don’t. I keep my professional distance, instead telling her what I was thinking last night.
“I drove by your place last night and was going to check in on you, but the lights were off. And then I got my nightly dispatch call to the Stars & Stripes bar to handle an altercation.”
She nods, leaning over to place the pup back in the pen with the four other litter mates.
When she turns back to look up at me, there’s something different in her expression, but I can’t decipher what it is.
“Thank you. That was really thoughtful. I appreciate it more than you know. I don’t have a lot of people looking out for me. But I’m sure the disturbance at the bar was far more exciting than checking in on boring old me.”
This time, I don’t hesitate to touch her, allowing myself the simple gesture of placing my hand on her arm. It sizzles hot in the spot where our skin connects and her eyes pop wide, as if she can’t believe it, either.
“You’re far from boring. In fact, you’re the most interesting thing that’s happened to this town in years.” I catch myself then, my words sound foolish and lovestruck. Clearing my throat, I take a step back.
“Jordana, I’m always here for you. Just a phone call away. Speaking of which, let me give you my direct number. That way, you can call if you ever need me.”
A small curvature of a smile tips at the corners of her mouth. She pulls out her phone from her back pocket, handing it to me where I enter my number in her contacts.
I hand it back, changing the subject matter. “How long have you been working with Steph and the animal shelter?”
As if taken off guard by the question, her mouth drops open. “Oh, I guess the first week I got to town. I wanted a big dog for…well, I got that and more. I now have a little army of animals at home, including my dog, Bella, two cats, a hamster, and a lizard named Sneaky Pete.”
