1

Baby For The Officer

Tears streamed from Chloe’s eyes, and she fumbled for a tissue. A minute later, the sight of flashing lights in her rearview mirror had her cursing and slamming her fist on the steering wheel. Just what she needed on top of what she’d already endured. Sniffing and swiping her face with the tissue, she reached above the visor for the registration and insurance card.

The blazing orange sky as sunset approached was enough to obscure the officer’s features when he reached her window, giving him an angelic halo. She only hoped he was feeling beneficent enough to skip giving her a citation. “Hello,” she said with a sniffle, dabbing at her face.

“Do you know why I pulled you over, ma’am?”

She shivered just a touch at his voice, thinking it was combination of soothing and rough…and strangely familiar. She shook her head and brushed impatiently at the strands clinging to her wet cheeks.

“You ran right through a four-way stop back there.”

“Oh.” She sniffed again. “I’m sorry. I guess I just didn’t see it.”

The officer leaned closer, the scent of sandalwood wafting to her nose as the breeze rifled his hair. Since pregnancy, she’d had the scent detection of a bloodhound, and the aroma made her mouth water a bit. He seemed to be focusing on her belly. “Step out of the car please.”

“But…” Chloe trailed off, deciding it was futile to argue. She clutched her license and registration as she slowly eased out her bulk. When she was leaning against the car, she frowned at the cop.

He was looking at her with a slow, sexy smile—a very familiar smile, matched by disturbingly familiar blue eyes when he whipped off the mirrored aviator glasses he’d worn. “Chloe Higgs.”

Her mouth dropped open with shock at the sight of him. “Sean Nolan.” Crossing her arms above her rounded stomach, she tried to decide if she was glad to see him or not. He’d been her neighbor as she’d grown up, and he’d been her first kiss. He’d also been the first man to break her heart and leave her devastated. But not the last, she thought with a long sigh, unconsciously rubbing her belly.

His gaze followed her hand, and his expression was peculiar. “My mom didn’t mention you’d gotten married.”

Her frown deepened, and she decided she wasn’t pleased to see the handsome older man. “I didn’t.” She left no room for questions in her tone.

Apparently, he didn’t pick up on that. “Getting married?” He waved his glasses vaguely in the direction of her stomach.

“No. No man in the picture, okay?” Scowling, she shoved her papers at him. “Don’t you have a ticket to write?”

Sean shook his head, though he took the papers and wrote something on his pad before handing the packet back to her. “I’m not going to give you a ticket, Chloe.” His lips turned downward in a frown. “Especially when you’re clearly upset. What’s wrong?”

Despite not having seen him for five years, she was insanely tempted to pour out the whole mess. Instead, she swallowed the lump of moisture in her throat, shook her head, and tossed her registration packet back into the car. “Just a bad day.”

He seemed poised to push for an explanation, and she was mildly disappointed that he didn’t persist. Not surprising though, since she hadn’t seen him at all after the night he’d kissed her. She’d talked to his parents many times since, because they still lived next door to her folks, but she had never asked about Sean, and they had never volunteered information about either of their twin sons.

“Are you headed straight home now?”

She shook her head. “I have to go by the store, but I promise I’ll pay more attention to driving.”

After a hesitation, he nodded. “Okay, but be safe.”

As she folded her stomach behind the wheel, she said, “Sure.”

Sean knelt down to look in through the window, his fingers brushing her forearm on the window frame. “It was good to see you again, Chloe.”

She couldn’t hold back a snort of disbelief while fastening her seat belt. “Yeah, okay. Goodbye, Sean.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

Chloe didn’t bother to hide her skepticism. After his disappearing act five years ago, she knew better than to believe him. “Thanks for not giving me a ticket.” Without awaiting further response, she turned the ignition and pulled onto the street with a cursory glance in her mirror.

She tried to banish Sean from her thoughts as she drove to the market. Her mind should be firmly focused on that ugly scene with Timothy, not flitting to a man she hadn’t seen for years and hadn’t thought of—much—for about as long. What she really wanted was to forget all thoughts of men, enjoy some peach ice cream, a hot shower, and an early night. It wouldn’t take much to shove either man from her thoughts. She hoped.