Page 3 of Dad's Cop Buddy

“No, go home. I don’t want you to get in hot water over me.”

“You’re my daughter,” he argues.

“And she’s your wife. Just go. If anything happens, I’ll call Chief Kendrickson.”

My father leaves. As I lock the door behind him, I wonder how such a good man could end up with such a shit woman. I know that making him miserable is her favorite pastime, yet he sees to her every whim. It’s very sad and heartbreaking.

I double-check all the doors and windows and head off to bed. As I lie here, I pick up my phone and add Kent Kendrickson to my contacts. I hesitate for a moment. Should I send him an all-clear text just so he has my number, too? No, that’s silly. He’s probably just getting home and doesn’t want to hear from me again tonight.

Instead, I’ll just lie here and ponder the lustful feeling that overtook me when he touched my hand. He’s much older than me, but he doesn’t look anything like my father. He’s clearly spent a lot of time in the gym and it shows. Standing beside my father, I’d say he looked five to ten years younger. Still older than me but not outside the realm of possibilities.

The realm of possibilities.Oh my god, Kendal. You should be thinking about your stalker, not the man who probably won’t look at you in THAT way.

God. What am I doing? Why am I fantasizing about someone old enough to be my father? I don’t know, but trying to rationalize it isn’t helping. I’m hopelessly lost in this obsession and hope I don’t make a fool out of myself because of it.

3

THE NEXT MORNING

KENT

Ispent the night tossing and turning, thinking about Kendal. I picked up my phone several times to make sure I hadn’t missed any calls or messages from her. Damn, this little girl is making me crazy. Worse, the need to see her is starting to override whatever sense I have left. I think I’m gonna lose my head if I don’t see her or touch her soon.

I call headquarters and advise the desk officer that I won’t be in the office today, and then pour my coffee into my travel mug and head out the door. My first stop will be the hardware store for paint and other supplies, then it’s off to Kendal’s cabin to remove the graffiti tag from the wall.

I pull into the driveway and get out of my SUV, scanning the area for anything unusual, but it seems quiet. Either this jerk finished his business last night or my presence sent him running scared. I open the back door and begin hauling my supplies up the house. I’d like this red paint gone by the time Kendal wakes up, so I jump right on it.

With each swipe of the paint roller, I get more hopped up. Why does this asshole get off doing something like this? Singling out and picking on any woman is never okay. But Kendal? He’s gonna have to get through me to get to her. And nobody…nobody ever gets through me.

He’s out of his mind, and I’m gonna put a stop to him quickly. If he thinks I’m gonna stand by and watch as he terrorizes her, then he’s an even bigger idiot than I initially thought.

I finish a second coat of paint and step back to check the coverage. It’s like the message was never there. The screen door opens and Kendal steps outside wearing a pair of cut-off shorts and a halter top.

Jesus.

At the bottom of her slim, tanned legs, she wears a pair of pink, fuzzy slippers. The transition from sexy to innocent brings a smile to my face. But deep down, it also turns me feral.

“I didn’t expect you this early. What are you doing?” she asks.

“Come down here and see,” I answer as I close up the paint can and gather up the mess.

“Wow, I can’t believe this. You didn’t need to do that for me. My dad said he’d take care of it, but thank you.”

“I have some other things in the truck, too. I think we can make this area a bit more secure for you.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Spot lights, a proximity alarm, and some trail cameras. We’re going to light this baby up like a runway and make sure that you know whenever anyone or anything is out here.”

“That’s amazing. I don’t know what to say. Can I make you some lunch or breakfast? I have fresh coffee.”

“I’ll tell you what. By the time I’m done installing these, it’ll be lunchtime. If you’ll let me clean up when I’m done, I’d love to have lunch with you.”

“Great. I’ll put something together for us,” she smiles and practically skips back onto the porch. Her sweet ass wiggling all the way. I try to resist the urge to stare, but I can’t seem to summon the willpower to do so. I can only imagine how those globes will feel with my hands squeezing them.

Satisfied that the perimeter of the yard is covered with security and surveillance equipment, I hand the spotlights facing the house. I may have overdone it but I want her to blind the fucker if he steps foot on her property.

I step onto the porch and tap on the screen door.

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