Fight Me(27)
“Avery. They’ve been talking a lot lately. Erin came over yesterday and helped with some of the wedding stuff.”
“Really?” I ask, not able to mask the shock in my voice.
“Yeah,” Maddox replies as he pulls into a parking space in front of the bakery. “You okay with that?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I ask as I get out of the squad car. “She doesn’t really have any friends here yet so it’s good that she’s hanging out with someone.”
“Someone as long as it’s a girl and not a guy, right?”
“Why? What have you heard?” I ask as I stand straight up, bracing myself for whatever blow Maddox is about to throw at me.
“Nothing. I can just tell that this girl gets under your skin.”
“I have no idea what is going on, dude. I can’t stop thinking about her. I want to drive by her house all the damn time just to see what she’s up to or maybe catch a glance of her through the window. I can’t even take a chick home from the pub anymore because I feel like it would be cheating on Erin. What the hell?”
I look over into the smug, smiling face of my best friend. “You’re falling for her,” he says matter of factly.
“Bullshit.”
“Save your breath, dude. The same thing happened to me with Avery. One minute your life is smooth sailing with tons of chicks, then the next thing you know you are only thinking of doing a certain one and you can’t imagine not seeing her or touching her. Happens to the best of us.”
“First off, don’t ever talk about doing only one chick when that one chick is my sister. Second, you’re wrong.”
“About what?” he asks with a laugh as he opens the door of the bakery.
I choose to ignore the question and head towards the back table. Surprisingly, Avery’s already there and setting sandwiches out on the table for all of us.
“Hey, sis,” I say as I press a kiss to her cheek.
“Hi.” Avery practically ignores me and stands up to greet her fiancé. She throws her arms around him, kissing him passionately.
“Knock that shit off. You’re in a public place,” I growl.
She laughs against Maddox’s lips and smiles widely at me.
“Oh, big brother. What am I going to do with you? Oh, that reminds me. You and Maddox need to go get fitted for your tuxes by the end of the week. I already picked them out. You just need to stop by the shop and have them measure you.”
“Can do. We’re off Friday.” To Maddox I ask, “Wanna head to St. Charles on Friday?”
“Sure. I’ll have Brooklyn on Friday since Rosemary is out this week visiting some family, but we can head over as soon as I grab her from preschool.”
“Cool. Just come by my place when you’re ready.” I dive into my sandwich and turn back towards Avery. “So, what’s this I hear about you hanging out with Erin?”
“Is that a problem?” she asks as she nibbles on a potato chip.
“No. I’m glad she has someone to hang out with, I guess.”
“She’s going with us this weekend for our dress fittings.”
The thought of Erin hanging out with my mom and sister and her friends should make me sweat. But, honestly, it doesn’t. Since when does it not bother me for my personal life and family life to collide? How about never. “That’s cool. I’m thinking of asking her to be my date for your wedding.”
Avery’s eyebrow shoots to the sky. “Really? I was going to invite her, too.”
“Well, don’t. Let me ask first.”
Avery smiles over at me as she answers, “Okay.”
As we’re wrapping up lunch, the radio on my shoulder comes to life. “Three-Ten-David, you copy?”
“Dispatch, go ahead,” I say into my radio.
“Reports of an attempted mugging at Twenty-four Main Street, in front of the library. Victim is a thirty-two year old female, condition unknown. Over.”
Erin. I’m up and out of my seat and heading towards the door before I even process what is going on. I hear Maddox’s heavy footfalls right behind me.
“Ten-four. Unit in route,” Maddox says into his radio after I don’t respond. I am usually cool and calm in most situations, but right now I realize I’m a hair away from totally losing my shit.
My feet are barely on the sidewalk before Maddox is running around to the driver’s side and throwing on the light. “Go!” I tell him before the door is even closed.
My heart is pounding, my palms are sweating, and I’m on the verge of panic as we speed towards the library. Fortunately, we don’t have too far to go and we’re pulling in a couple of minutes later. I’m out of the car before Maddox even has it in park, running towards the other squad car and ambulance on the edge of the parking lot.