Page 119 of Cautious Love

Luke nods.

“How are you holding up?” I ask him.

He nods and rubs his chin. “I’m ready for it to be over.”

“I think we all are,” I mumble.

“Yeah, so I’ll see if I can talk to Will. See if there’s a drop off day or something we can plan for.”

“Call me as soon as you do, then I can get my contacts moving.”

Luke leans back in his chair, kicking his feet out, crossing them at the ankles, as a knowing grin builds on his face. “So, boss, are you going to bring yourwifeto the Wooden Cowboy?” he asks sing-song.

I shoot him a glare and he wiggles his eyebrows.

“Get out before I put you on night shift patrol for a month, then suspend you,” I say, pointing at him.

Luke grins and shakes his shoulders. “Boss you know, you have seemed a little… happier lately. I wonder if it’s —”

I stand and start to round my desk. “Finish that sentence, I dare you.”

Luke’s eyes widen but his mischievous grin is still firmly in place. “Oh wow, she must be really —”

I throw my pencil cup at him and he runs out the door laughing, before it can hit him.

Daisy pops her head around the corner. “Uh, Ledger, I think there’s a problem.”

“What’s up?” I ask her stooping down to pick up my pens and pencils.

“We got a call. A man is at TJ’s and Buck thinks he’s high, and uh, he has a gun,” she whispers.

“Why didn’t you start with that?” I force myself not to yell at Daisy grab my side arm, and call for Luke.

I speed down the street to TJ’s Grocery and pull up behind Buck’s cruiser.

I radio in the situation and call for back up, and don’t wait for a response.

Luke and I hop out using the doors as a shield to see what we’re working with.

“Buck talk to me!” I yell.

He glances behind him and faces forward again. There’s a man swinging his arms wildly in the grocery store.

“Suspect is in the front there, he’s waving a gun. I didn’t have back up to enter,” he yells.

“Do we know who he is?” I holler back.

“No sir! I don’t think he’s from around here,” Buck says.

There is no SWAT in Paxton. We are the SWAT and we’re too deep into the situation to call from another larger county to respond with an actual team. We have to go at this on our own.

“Keep on him Buck!” I yell.

“Luke, grab a vest. We’re going to approach from either side.”

We both sneak around the back of my cruiser and grab the bulletproof vests.

I take off my hat and pull the vest over my chest, tightening it on the sides. Dropping my hat back on my head I look up at Luke. “Ready?”