Love in the Shadows

Chapter Twenty-Eight

(Lucy's POV)

"How is it before eight in the morning and I'm so god damned exhausted?"

Sam, who had been hovering over me all morning, held my elbow as I climbed into his truck. I sent him a smile full of gratitude. My body ached, reminding me with each movement that I had fought a man twice my size this morning.

He leaned across me, pulling on the seatbelt and as it snapped he brushed his lips across mine, laughing. "The day hasn't even started yet."

At my groan, his chuckle deepened. I sighed as he closed the door and made his way around to the driver's side.

"I know what will help." I turned my body to watch him, he was scrolling through his phone and nodded as he clicked a button and the lyrics to, wake me up before you go go, blared through the car.

I snickered. "Fitting." His answering grin did strange things to my heart, as he turned it up and then pulled out of the driveway.

Somehow by the time we got to the station, he had managed to lift my mood. However as we exited the truck, I noticed his cheer seemed to deflate. "What are the chances that my dad has come to his senses between yesterday and today?" His whispered voice filled my ear.

I let my raised eyebrows say it all. As we walked in, I was impressed. The station setup was better than many small towns I'd been in. It had multiple work spaces, all overseen by the Chiefs office in the very back, which was next to a large conference room.

All of the offices were surrounded entirely by glass, allowing for a full view of all the work taking place, or not taking place around us. As we made our way to the secretary in front of Chief Taylor's office, I mentally rolled my eyes at the tableau that I could see inside.

The secretary had the decency to blush. "Hello, Ms. Baylor, Sam. The Chief asked me to let you know he's in an important meeting but will be with you as soon as he's able."

Meanwhile, we could clearly see through the glass of his office that he was having a morning coffee break with a couple of other gentlemen. One in uniform, one in plain clothes.

"It's the local Minister, Mel and my dad's best golf buddy, Lieutenant Hank Naymond." Sam mumbled the facts, no doubt as annoyed as I was.

What a douche.

Maybe, if I hadn't already been attacked this morning, my mood would have been calmer. I could have been more understanding about the fact that I was setting his world topsy-turvy.

But right now, I was just pissed at the blatant disrespect for our time and energy.

Sam's thinking must have aligned with my own. "See, sometimes I wonder if he's actually my father. If it was me. I would be doing everything in my power to prove myself. To show you and everyone else that I was giving my all for this case. Probably because I'm a keener, who refuses to accept defeat."

I nodded my agreement, shifting my butt and trying to ease my sore muscles in this sorry excuse of a waiting chair. Each moment in the hard plastic, served to push my fury closer and closer to the surface. Only to be aggravated further by the boisterous laughter happening on the other side of the Chief's transparent wall.

Degrading piece of shit.

I glanced at my watch for the fifth time. Acknowledging the fact that although we hadn't actually been sitting long, each wasted moment felt like an eternity.

I wasn't willing to wait any longer. "I think I've seen enough, you?"

Sam's face lit up with delight and the tap, tap, tap of his leg eased as he stood and reached out a hand to help me up. Pulling me just a shade closer than what would be deemed professional.