holding hands.
I saw Russ before she did. He was walking down the hall, holding some kind of police vest in one hand, talking to his brother with a smile on his face.
I stood up.
He stopped abruptly when he saw me, the smile fading from his face, his expression painfully uncertain.
My legs were shaking so bad I couldn’t run over to him and fling myself at him like I wanted to. I just said, “Russ.” He couldn’t have heard me from that distance, he must have read my lips. He handed his vest to his brother and came toward me. I met him halfway.
“You’re okay.”
“Gonna have a hell of a bruise,” he said.
“I heard you were shot.”
“Kevlar vest. Saved my life.”
“I could just hug you.”
“I only hug my boyfriend in public,” he said.
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Summer Fever | Catt Ford
“You’re one tough negotiator.” I stepped closer and threw my arms around him. “I was so afraid when I heard.” I was still afraid, until I felt him circle me with his arms. His lips were right by my ear, and I could feel his breath when he said, “I learned from a master.”
I felt a little shaky when I remembered we were in the middle of a public room, two men hugging. “Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to–”
“I did,” Russ said firmly. “Listen, I have to go to the debriefing. It’ll be hours. Why don’t you go home and get some rest. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” I said, running my hands over his arms and shoulders to reassure myself that he was all right. He felt solid and warm and alive.
“I wish I didn’t have to do this, but duty calls,” Russ said. “You all right to drive?”
“If I made here in one piece….” I laughed shakily. “Go ahead. I’ll be waiting.”
He nodded and gave me one last hug before going to meet up with three other officers. They didn’t seem a bit fazed to see him embrace a man.
Janice spoke, making me jump because she must have snuck up on us while we were talking. “Would you like to grab some dinner with me and George? We got a sitter, so we have a few hours to kill.” Russ’s brother came to join us, and I quailed under the searching look he gave me. “So, you’re J.D.” he said in a disapproving voice.
“Be nice, George,” Janice said.
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Summer Fever | Catt Ford
“You planning to hurt my brother again?” I tried to picture my older brother bringing out that protective voice and attitude for me, but no stretch of the imagination would serve for that.
“No?” I said a little timidly. I wondered if George was a cop too; he certainly had the swagger and menacing cop eyes down pat.
“Great. Then I don’t have to shoot you.” His clap on the shoulder nearly knocked me over.
“If this what you’re like when you’re happy….”
“Come on, J.D.,” Janice said. “I’ll protect you.”
“Hey, I protect and serve,” George protested, grinning.
Okay, he was definitely Russ’s brother and definitely a cop.
THE stars were brilliant in the sky that night, and I stared up at them until I lost my balance and had to take a step to catch myself. I’d been off balance since I met Russ, and I wouldn’t be able to regain my equilibrium until I saw him again.
I was pacing out on the dock waiting for him. I knew he’d find me, so I didn’t need to wait for him out front. I’d left all the doors unlocked.
So of course when I heard the slam of his truck door, I flew through the house as if I’d sprouted wings on my heels, out the front door and leaped at him, wrapping my arms and legs around him.
He staggered back under my assault, but he was a trouper and he caught himself. “That’s what I’m talking about. Now we’re in business,” he teased.
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Summer Fever | Catt Ford
“Sorry, sorry,” I gasped, squirming to get down. “I forgot about your chest.”
He let me down, but he didn’t let me go. “What’s a little pain when I can feel you pressed against me.”
“Seriously, how bad is
I saw Russ before she did. He was walking down the hall, holding some kind of police vest in one hand, talking to his brother with a smile on his face.
I stood up.
He stopped abruptly when he saw me, the smile fading from his face, his expression painfully uncertain.
My legs were shaking so bad I couldn’t run over to him and fling myself at him like I wanted to. I just said, “Russ.” He couldn’t have heard me from that distance, he must have read my lips. He handed his vest to his brother and came toward me. I met him halfway.
“You’re okay.”
“Gonna have a hell of a bruise,” he said.
“I heard you were shot.”
“Kevlar vest. Saved my life.”
“I could just hug you.”
“I only hug my boyfriend in public,” he said.
61
Summer Fever | Catt Ford
“You’re one tough negotiator.” I stepped closer and threw my arms around him. “I was so afraid when I heard.” I was still afraid, until I felt him circle me with his arms. His lips were right by my ear, and I could feel his breath when he said, “I learned from a master.”
I felt a little shaky when I remembered we were in the middle of a public room, two men hugging. “Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to–”
“I did,” Russ said firmly. “Listen, I have to go to the debriefing. It’ll be hours. Why don’t you go home and get some rest. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” I said, running my hands over his arms and shoulders to reassure myself that he was all right. He felt solid and warm and alive.
“I wish I didn’t have to do this, but duty calls,” Russ said. “You all right to drive?”
“If I made here in one piece….” I laughed shakily. “Go ahead. I’ll be waiting.”
He nodded and gave me one last hug before going to meet up with three other officers. They didn’t seem a bit fazed to see him embrace a man.
Janice spoke, making me jump because she must have snuck up on us while we were talking. “Would you like to grab some dinner with me and George? We got a sitter, so we have a few hours to kill.” Russ’s brother came to join us, and I quailed under the searching look he gave me. “So, you’re J.D.” he said in a disapproving voice.
“Be nice, George,” Janice said.
62
Summer Fever | Catt Ford
“You planning to hurt my brother again?” I tried to picture my older brother bringing out that protective voice and attitude for me, but no stretch of the imagination would serve for that.
“No?” I said a little timidly. I wondered if George was a cop too; he certainly had the swagger and menacing cop eyes down pat.
“Great. Then I don’t have to shoot you.” His clap on the shoulder nearly knocked me over.
“If this what you’re like when you’re happy….”
“Come on, J.D.,” Janice said. “I’ll protect you.”
“Hey, I protect and serve,” George protested, grinning.
Okay, he was definitely Russ’s brother and definitely a cop.
THE stars were brilliant in the sky that night, and I stared up at them until I lost my balance and had to take a step to catch myself. I’d been off balance since I met Russ, and I wouldn’t be able to regain my equilibrium until I saw him again.
I was pacing out on the dock waiting for him. I knew he’d find me, so I didn’t need to wait for him out front. I’d left all the doors unlocked.
So of course when I heard the slam of his truck door, I flew through the house as if I’d sprouted wings on my heels, out the front door and leaped at him, wrapping my arms and legs around him.
He staggered back under my assault, but he was a trouper and he caught himself. “That’s what I’m talking about. Now we’re in business,” he teased.
63
Summer Fever | Catt Ford
“Sorry, sorry,” I gasped, squirming to get down. “I forgot about your chest.”
He let me down, but he didn’t let me go. “What’s a little pain when I can feel you pressed against me.”
“Seriously, how bad is
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