Page 5 of Dad's Cop Buddy

“What’s the next step for Mr. Sanders?”

“Oh, well, I’m going to write up a restraining order for you. But in my experience, they don’t do much to deter people. They just make it easier for us to arrest them when they violate them. Then, I’m taking a ride out to the college so I can have a word with him about what happened here last night.”

“Good. I bet he’ll take one look at you and piss himself,” she chuckles.

I take a bite of my burger, wipe my mouth on a napkin, and stand up. Towering over her, I ask, “Did you take one look at me and piss your pants?”

She stares up at me and timidly replies, “Well, no, but I’m not a guy and you didn’t come here to interrogate me.”

“No, baby girl, you are definitely not a guy,” I say and watch as she blushes.

I’m about to back down, figuring I’ve embarrassed her enough. She’s already got one stalker. I don’t want her to think she has two. Then, she does something that surprises me. She flips her hair off of her shoulder and says, “Thanks for noticing.”

“I’d have to be blind to miss it. A girl like you who looks like that. I’m surprised you don’t have a whole gang of stalkers. They could form a club and have meetings.”

“God, I hope not.”

“Me too. That’d be a lot of pissed pants and skulls for me to have to crack.”

“I don’t care if you crack his skull or throw him in jail. I’m just grateful you’re looking out for me. I don’t know what I would do without you,” she gets on her tiptoes and leans in to kiss my cheek.

I turn my head and take her chin in my hand. She searches my eyes as I bring my lips in close to hers. I stop just before our mouths meet and wait for her to look down at my lips. When she does, I pull her in close and kiss her. Nothing has ever felt so right in my life. I’m gonna have to put this scene on repeat in my head as I jerk off to her tonight.

I hold her a full minute longer then slowly release my grip on her and wait for her reaction.

“Would you like some of this salad?” she asks as though nothing happened.

“Sure, I’ll have some. Thank you for making it.”

“It's my pleasure,” she smiles.

We finish our lunch, and as much as I would like to stay here with her, I have to go to the college to confront this guy. The faster I resolve this, the better. I don’t want her constantly looking over her shoulder.

“I’ll call you and let you know how it goes,” I tell her.

“Or maybe you could come back and tell me,” she bats her eyes at me, and hunger roars in my chest. A hunger that’s totally unfamiliar but definitely welcome. She’s already doing things to me and we’ve only just met.

“Alright, I can do that. Why don’t I take you to dinner?”

“Okay, that would be nice.”

“How’s seven then?”

“Perfect,” she walks out to the driveway and watches as I back out.

“Go back inside and lock the door, little girl,” I shout at her.

She nods and skips back to the house.

As the miles begin to add up under my wheels, I start to wonder if this is a good idea. She’s so young and the daughter of an old friend. What would Tom think of me kissing his young daughter? We’ve crossed a line we cannot uncross. But I have zero regrets. I’d do it again and again.

Then again, after what she’s told me about how he lets his new wife treat her, should I even care? One thing is for certain, she didn’t feel like a kid when I held her in my arms. She felt like a place where I belonged even though I’d never been there before.

“We’ll have dinner and see where it goes,” I say aloud to myself but I know where I want it to go. There’s only one place where this is headed. I want her to be my wife.

* * *

The college campusis pretty deserted on the weekend, but the security office is open so I pull into the lot. There are two officers behind the desk, and I flash my badge at them as I enter.

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