Chapter 1
What the hell? This can’t be happening.
“ Ma’am, I need to see your license and
registration.” The officer pointed his flashlight at her
breasts.
“ You’ve got to be joking.” Amy
Bradshaw laughed.
“ This is no laughing matter. Speeding
is a crime, and I’m going to have to write you a ticket.” The
officer opened his book, but left the light turned on the same
spot.
She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable about
his gaze on her breasts. “A ticket? For three miles over the speed
limit?” She had been working double shifts three days a week, for
the last month, saving to move from that roach infested hole the
landlord called an apartment. With the speeding ticket last week,
her car needing tires and now this impending ticket, all her hard
earned money would be gone. “Gabe, does this have anything to do
with the fact you asked me out not ten minutes ago, and I turned
you down?” She rolled her eyes and hoped it was too dark for him to
see.
“ Again,” he muttered.
“ What?” What was he talking about and
did he have to pull her over on Main Street? Even at night, the
whole town would recognize her car.
“ You turned me down again. License and
registration.”
If her luck didn’t change, she’d never be
able to move out of that hell hole. She gripped the steering wheel,
willing herself to maintain her poise. “Please don’t do this. My
insurance will go through the roof, and it’s hard enough to put
food on the table for Angel and me.”
The six foot, solid steel man flinched at
the mention of the three foot, pudgy-cheeked girl. Oh, why did I
bring up Angel? She should have just given him the documents he
wanted and kept her mouth shut. But then her cash would be gone,
and she’d have nothing as a deposit for that apartment on the nicer
side of Seawell. The small Indiana town had grown fast over the
last few years, making good affordable apartments a rare
commodity.
Gabe wandered around her car, checked the
lights, and then came back. “I’m going to have to ask you to step
out of the car.” His voice stayed calm and in control even though
she could see the pain on his face.
She wanted to argue her case more, but
instead she shoved open the car door and stepped out. Her baby
waited with the sitter and needed to be tucked in bed. She didn’t
have time or the strength to go through this again. Going on a date
with Gabriel Hawkins, a.k.a. Hawk, was out of the question. It hurt
having to say no to him over and over, but she didn’t have a
choice. Too much was at stake to risk it.
The night breeze blew across her exposed
skin and cooled her. She’d only been in her car a few minutes but
without air-conditioning it was stifling.
He flashed the light inside her beat-up old
Pinto and cleared his throat when the beam landed on the stained
car seat. She despised what her past mistake had done to him.
As he riffled around, she couldn’t help but
stare at his muscular arms and tight butt in his uniform. Nor could
she stop the thought of running her fingers through the short brown
curls growing at the nape of his neck. The curls were sexy when he
let his hair grow out.
“ If you need some cash to get you
through—”
“ No, no. I did okay with tips tonight,
and I couldn’t ask you for money. Lou’s the one who’s behind on
child support.” Behind? Hell, that man had never paid one dime.
Plus, she didn’t have a court order to make him pay. She’d been
stupid and naïve to leave his name off the birth certificate. But
she’d been in denial, praying to God Gabe was the father, even
though it was impossible.
He stopped looking through her car, slid his
flashlight into a loop on his pants and took her by the arms. “He
doesn’t pay? Wait till I find that no good…I can’t believe we have
the same blood in our veins.”
“ Gabe, don’t start a fight with your
brother. Promise me?” She looked into his eyes shadowed by the brim
of his hat, but she knew the color
What the hell? This can’t be happening.
“ Ma’am, I need to see your license and
registration.” The officer pointed his flashlight at her
breasts.
“ You’ve got to be joking.” Amy
Bradshaw laughed.
“ This is no laughing matter. Speeding
is a crime, and I’m going to have to write you a ticket.” The
officer opened his book, but left the light turned on the same
spot.
She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable about
his gaze on her breasts. “A ticket? For three miles over the speed
limit?” She had been working double shifts three days a week, for
the last month, saving to move from that roach infested hole the
landlord called an apartment. With the speeding ticket last week,
her car needing tires and now this impending ticket, all her hard
earned money would be gone. “Gabe, does this have anything to do
with the fact you asked me out not ten minutes ago, and I turned
you down?” She rolled her eyes and hoped it was too dark for him to
see.
“ Again,” he muttered.
“ What?” What was he talking about and
did he have to pull her over on Main Street? Even at night, the
whole town would recognize her car.
“ You turned me down again. License and
registration.”
If her luck didn’t change, she’d never be
able to move out of that hell hole. She gripped the steering wheel,
willing herself to maintain her poise. “Please don’t do this. My
insurance will go through the roof, and it’s hard enough to put
food on the table for Angel and me.”
The six foot, solid steel man flinched at
the mention of the three foot, pudgy-cheeked girl. Oh, why did I
bring up Angel? She should have just given him the documents he
wanted and kept her mouth shut. But then her cash would be gone,
and she’d have nothing as a deposit for that apartment on the nicer
side of Seawell. The small Indiana town had grown fast over the
last few years, making good affordable apartments a rare
commodity.
Gabe wandered around her car, checked the
lights, and then came back. “I’m going to have to ask you to step
out of the car.” His voice stayed calm and in control even though
she could see the pain on his face.
She wanted to argue her case more, but
instead she shoved open the car door and stepped out. Her baby
waited with the sitter and needed to be tucked in bed. She didn’t
have time or the strength to go through this again. Going on a date
with Gabriel Hawkins, a.k.a. Hawk, was out of the question. It hurt
having to say no to him over and over, but she didn’t have a
choice. Too much was at stake to risk it.
The night breeze blew across her exposed
skin and cooled her. She’d only been in her car a few minutes but
without air-conditioning it was stifling.
He flashed the light inside her beat-up old
Pinto and cleared his throat when the beam landed on the stained
car seat. She despised what her past mistake had done to him.
As he riffled around, she couldn’t help but
stare at his muscular arms and tight butt in his uniform. Nor could
she stop the thought of running her fingers through the short brown
curls growing at the nape of his neck. The curls were sexy when he
let his hair grow out.
“ If you need some cash to get you
through—”
“ No, no. I did okay with tips tonight,
and I couldn’t ask you for money. Lou’s the one who’s behind on
child support.” Behind? Hell, that man had never paid one dime.
Plus, she didn’t have a court order to make him pay. She’d been
stupid and naïve to leave his name off the birth certificate. But
she’d been in denial, praying to God Gabe was the father, even
though it was impossible.
He stopped looking through her car, slid his
flashlight into a loop on his pants and took her by the arms. “He
doesn’t pay? Wait till I find that no good…I can’t believe we have
the same blood in our veins.”
“ Gabe, don’t start a fight with your
brother. Promise me?” She looked into his eyes shadowed by the brim
of his hat, but she knew the color
Similar Books
