and stop him if he tries to go near her. She’s terrorized to the point where she’s thinking it would be better to just sleep with him than to let him continue harassing her.” Max clutched one hand tight to his stomach and he glared at Calvin. “No one should have to deal with that. If Jimmy’s the killer, I think Jules might just be his next victim.”
Jules? Only Sage had ever called her that. Just how close was Max to Julie? Rose mentally shook herself. It wasn’t like the younger girl was after her man. She needed to focus on the important issues, which was that Julie’s life could be in danger.
She turned to Calvin. “You can protect her, right?”
“I’ll have an officer drive by her place a few times tonight, and I’ll be personally keeping an eye on Jimmy.” Calvin jerked his head toward the front counter and picked up his coffee. “Let me pay for this and get out of here.”
Rose glanced at Max. “Are you sticking around a few minutes?”
He nodded, though made no move to follow them. “I’ll be right here.”
Hurrying after Calvin, Rose stopped him as he pulled his wallet out. “No. It’s on the house, Cal.”
He glanced down the aisle and then stepped sideways, out of Max’s line of vision. “You really love him, don’t you?”
Rose bit her lip and nodded. “I can’t change how I feel.”
“I wish you could.” He stared deep into her eyes, reaching his hand out, but dropping it before touching her face. “Somehow, I just always figured we’d end up married one day.”
She forced a smile on her face. “I heard Veronica broke up with her boyfriend a few days ago. She tells everyone who’ll listen how you’re the cutest officer around and she wishes you’d go out with her.”
“Hmmm... Are you telling me to ask her out? That’ll be kind of weird since she works in dispatch. I have to see her every day. What if it doesn’t work out?”
Rose sighed. He had a point, but she didn’t like the idea of him being lonely, now that she understood why he’d acted the way he had over the years. “She’s a lot prettier than me and has a lot to offer a guy like you.” Rose smiled wider. “Plus, she’s into all that crime stuff. You’d probably have a lot in common.”
Cal snorted out a laugh. “I guess that’s something. I’ll think about it.”
“Good.”
Cal glanced to the back of the store briefly. “This will cause a scandal, you know? Especially for your poor mother.”
‘This’ must be her relationship with Max.
“I know.” She shrugged. “I don’t get to have any happiness until the real killer is caught. I can’t go public with my feelings for Max and risk upsetting my mom.”
“You wouldn’t have that issue with me, if you ever decide to take the easier path.” He winked, letting Rose know he was at least partially joking. Then his face turned sober. “Stay away from Jimmy. At least until I know whether or not he was in Serenity for the other murder, and be careful around...”
Even though he didn’t finish his sentence, he didn’t have to. “Max is innocent,” she said, struggling to keep any trace of impatience from her voice. She was starting to feel like a broken record. “But I promise to be careful.”
With a single nod of his head, Calvin turned and walked out the door.
Chapter Eleven
M ax made his way to the front of the store. He hated Calvin nosing around. True, Rose was consistent and stood up for him, telling Calvin he was innocent, but it was not a good feeling knowing Super Cop wanted his girl. Max needed to play it cool, though. Rose already made it clear she didn’t appreciate him picking fights with Calvin.
“So, that’s good news about the lead on Jimmy.” He leaned against the front counter and set his soda down. “I never thought Super Cop would look at another suspect. It’s surprising.”
Rose’s lips pressed together and she looked up to the ceiling briefly. “Please don’t start in on Cal. He really is
Jules? Only Sage had ever called her that. Just how close was Max to Julie? Rose mentally shook herself. It wasn’t like the younger girl was after her man. She needed to focus on the important issues, which was that Julie’s life could be in danger.
She turned to Calvin. “You can protect her, right?”
“I’ll have an officer drive by her place a few times tonight, and I’ll be personally keeping an eye on Jimmy.” Calvin jerked his head toward the front counter and picked up his coffee. “Let me pay for this and get out of here.”
Rose glanced at Max. “Are you sticking around a few minutes?”
He nodded, though made no move to follow them. “I’ll be right here.”
Hurrying after Calvin, Rose stopped him as he pulled his wallet out. “No. It’s on the house, Cal.”
He glanced down the aisle and then stepped sideways, out of Max’s line of vision. “You really love him, don’t you?”
Rose bit her lip and nodded. “I can’t change how I feel.”
“I wish you could.” He stared deep into her eyes, reaching his hand out, but dropping it before touching her face. “Somehow, I just always figured we’d end up married one day.”
She forced a smile on her face. “I heard Veronica broke up with her boyfriend a few days ago. She tells everyone who’ll listen how you’re the cutest officer around and she wishes you’d go out with her.”
“Hmmm... Are you telling me to ask her out? That’ll be kind of weird since she works in dispatch. I have to see her every day. What if it doesn’t work out?”
Rose sighed. He had a point, but she didn’t like the idea of him being lonely, now that she understood why he’d acted the way he had over the years. “She’s a lot prettier than me and has a lot to offer a guy like you.” Rose smiled wider. “Plus, she’s into all that crime stuff. You’d probably have a lot in common.”
Cal snorted out a laugh. “I guess that’s something. I’ll think about it.”
“Good.”
Cal glanced to the back of the store briefly. “This will cause a scandal, you know? Especially for your poor mother.”
‘This’ must be her relationship with Max.
“I know.” She shrugged. “I don’t get to have any happiness until the real killer is caught. I can’t go public with my feelings for Max and risk upsetting my mom.”
“You wouldn’t have that issue with me, if you ever decide to take the easier path.” He winked, letting Rose know he was at least partially joking. Then his face turned sober. “Stay away from Jimmy. At least until I know whether or not he was in Serenity for the other murder, and be careful around...”
Even though he didn’t finish his sentence, he didn’t have to. “Max is innocent,” she said, struggling to keep any trace of impatience from her voice. She was starting to feel like a broken record. “But I promise to be careful.”
With a single nod of his head, Calvin turned and walked out the door.
Chapter Eleven
M ax made his way to the front of the store. He hated Calvin nosing around. True, Rose was consistent and stood up for him, telling Calvin he was innocent, but it was not a good feeling knowing Super Cop wanted his girl. Max needed to play it cool, though. Rose already made it clear she didn’t appreciate him picking fights with Calvin.
“So, that’s good news about the lead on Jimmy.” He leaned against the front counter and set his soda down. “I never thought Super Cop would look at another suspect. It’s surprising.”
Rose’s lips pressed together and she looked up to the ceiling briefly. “Please don’t start in on Cal. He really is
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