Chapter 36

SETH

“Yes, boss…,” Seth muttered as he closed the report he was working on.

The worst thing about being on disciplinary with Burnsley was that he couldn’t say no to the shit jobs Burnsley handed him.

Mayor’s black-tie dinners, department rep for the community policing forum, the planning committee for the New Year’s Day parade.

And filling in for someone when they got the flu just as his shift ended.

Seth finally had a quiet shift and had been looking forward to his date with Indie and having a leisurely breakfast with her before she needed to go to work and he needed to go to sleep.

As it was, they were still on for breakfast, but it could be interrupted by a call at any moment.

Fortunately, he was allowed a break in his shift, and he’d saved it for Indie. A chocolate bar slipped onto his desk, and he turned to Felicity with a smile.

“Is this for good behavior?” Seth asked as he unwrapped the candy bar.

“Just making sure your energy is stable until you go for breakfast…in the next twenty minutes.”

“I love you, Felice…”

“I know, and no,” she turned to him with a stern stare, “I’m not going to do that last report for you, so you better get writing.”

He finished the report with a smile as he ate the candy bar, grabbed a quick shower and change of uniform, attended the second shift’s briefing session, and signed out of his patrol vehicle.

“Enjoy your date, Seth,” Burnsley called as he walked to his vehicle.

“How on earth did you know?” Seth asked in surprise.

“I’m the damn sheriff, son,” he said with a mischievous smile.

“And Felicity told you,” Seth grumbled as Burnsley started his car.

Seth was still shaking his head when he walked into the diner five minutes later, but his attention immediately zoned in on Indie as she sat at a table.

Her hands were folded around a mug as she watched the snow falling outside the large window.

There was color in her cheeks and a tiny smile on her full lips, and Seth hoped like hell it was thoughts of him that was putting it there.

He leaned onto the table and whispered into her ear, “I hope I satisfied the hell out of you in that daydream.”

She gasped, and he laughed when she blushed a deep red, and he couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction that his guess was spot-on.

And then he laughed even harder when she tried to play it cool. “I wouldn’t know, since you interrupted me before I could find out.”

“I guess I have some making up to do,” he murmured before kissing her as deeply as he could without making a scene.

“You better believe it.” She smiled at him over her cup as he sat down. “How come you have the vest thingy on? I thought you were off-duty.”

He shook his head, thanking their server as she put his coffee on the table. “It’s a Kevlar vest, and it has saved my life more times than I can count.

“And I need to fill in for someone who got sick.”

“Aw, that’s a shame. You’re still on the sheriff’s naughty list?”

He gave a dry chuckle. “At this rate I’ll never get off it.”

“That will teach you.” She tilted her head. “How was your date with Tereza?”

“It was crazy. And she proved that she was fucking with you.” He reached for her hand, and she twined her fingers through his. “I’m sorry, Indie.”

She lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of his. “I know. And it’s not your fault you have a crazy ex.”

He laughed. “At least I have a solid future.”

“You think so?” She raised an eyebrow with the challenge.

“At least I trust you, even with all the craziness you claim to have.”

“Mmm…,” she hummed. “All that craziness stems from you not finishing what you’ve started.”

“Oh?” He choked on his coffee, not expecting that brazen challenge from Indie. “Are you referring to your dreams…or…?”

“I’ll leave that up to you to decide,” she teased, her eyes glinting that pure gold, reminding him of the precise moment when she—

“Are you folks ready to order?” Seth blinked at their server, relieved at the intrusion. He glanced back at Indie, who had hidden behind the menu to hide her red face.

“Can you give us another minute?”

“Sure,” she said with a knowing smile.

He put his finger over the edge of the menu and tugged it down. “The All-American Special is the best item on the menu.”

“If you were so sure about what you wanted to order, why did you send her away?”

“Because what I want won’t be found on any menu anywhere in the world… In fact, price can’t cover that very special meal.”

“Seth,” she gasped, half-scolding, half-moaning.

His body immediately hardened at the sound, and he wondered if anyone would miss them if they disappeared into the ladies’ room for five minutes.

The loud crashing of plates drew his attention, and he looked over at a booth a few feet from their table where the server’s tray was knocked from her arms.

A familiar figure untangled herself from the commotion but exited the diner before he could be sure of the person’s identity.

Seth frowned as he turned to the windows to see if he could spot the person, but there was no sign of her.

“Seth?” Indie touched his hand and he turned to her, his smile taking more effort than it had a few minutes earlier.

“Let’s order. I’m hungry.”

INDIE

There was no teasing or double entendre in the statement, and Indie wondered what Seth had seen that changed his mood.

“Um, sure. But first, you’re going to tell me what happened just now.”

He looked at her and Indie was tempted to smooth the frown from between his brows.

He had sent her a text message to say he would be late, and Indie had been watching for him through the large windows while she waited.

Her eyes had been drawn to him getting out of his patrol car, the black jacket wrapping around his broad shoulders, his utility belt hugging the hips she loved to cradle between her thighs.

She had been wondering how she could tempt him into a private corner to have her wicked way with him when his voice had pulled her from those wicked thoughts.

“I thought I saw Terry for a moment, but it could just be the last few days playing tricks on my mind.”

“What do your instincts say?” she asked.

He glanced at her, and her breath hitched at the darkness of his eyes.

“There is a good possibility that it was her. But as long as she is not ~here~—” he wiggled his fingers between the two of them, “—I don’t want to think about her right now.”

“Okay,” Indie shrugged. “Then you better feed me, Deputy.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said as he ordered their meal.

They sat for a long while, enjoying the time they had together because the next few days would be busy.

The server was removing their plates when Seth checked his watch.

“I need to get back on patrol. Can I come by the shop after my shift?”

“You better bring hot chocolate. Grace is taking a few days off and the shop is closed, but the alley door will be open.”

“Ah, eventually you will put in better security measures.” He put some cash on the table and helped Indie put on her jacket.

She leaned into the brush of his fingers as they brushed the nape of her neck, and shivered when he pressed a kiss to the spot.

“Just because I’m alone today.” Her voice was breathy as her body responded to the gentle caress.

“Good,” he said as he put his jacket on, tugging it into position over his utility belt.

He took her hand as they walked to the door and stepped back as he opened it, allowing Indie to precede him.

He put his hand on her waist as he escorted her to her car, but something must have drawn his attention because he went very still, his eyes scanning the sidewalk.

There weren’t many people about at that hour, especially since it was the week between Christmas and New Year. But it wasn’t clear to Indie what had made him go on full alert.

Until he pulled her behind him and shielded her with his body, his gun drawn and aimed at someone running toward them, their own gun pointing toward her.

“Shit, Indie, get down!”

But she was frozen as the wind blew the hoodie’s cap off the person’s head, revealing the wide-eyed stare of Tereza as she fired at them. “~He’s mine, bitch~!!!”

Seth pushed Indie to the ground as the first bullet hit him in the chest, and a second round struck him beneath the waist, making him cry out.

“Seth!” Indie watched him fall, but at the same time, he fired his gun. Indie barely saw Terry fall. Her eyes were glued to Seth as he dropped to the ground.

In her panic, she knew she needed to put pressure on the wound, but there was so much blood. It quickly covered her hands as she tried to keep it inside his body.

“What happened?” A large woman ran from the diner and gasped when she took in the scene on the sidewalk.

“Call nine-one-one, please!” Indie begged as she watched Seth’s face lose color, the snow turning a bright red from his blood.