“You smell good.”
“Rain and you.” I lower my voice so only the two of us can hear.
Those green eyes of her soften. The mask she slides in front of everyone else as the strong woman she is drops for me. I’m lucky to see who she really is, and I’m beginning to understand how much she trusts me. It’s enough to bring me to my knees.
“Sullivan, what can I get for ya?” Leigh asks as she walks up to our table.
“Wish I could say the biggest burger you’ve got, but Ransom and I are cutting right now. Grilled chicken and a whole plate of vegetables. Big, huge glass of water.”
She laughs. “I’ve heard that same tone from my son.”
“Why are you and Ransom cutting?” Shelby asks after she leaves.
“SWAT games in two months.”
“You got something to prove?”
“We’re up against Calvert City and Paradise Lost. My brother is on the PL SWAT team. You could say that. I tried out three times and was never accepted. I’d like to wipe the floor with them.”
She puts her head on my shoulder. “You and your brother aren’t close, are you? You don’t talk about him much.”
For most women, I don’t ever want to talk about this, but with Shelby, I want her to know everything about me. “He and I were close until we both went for the police force. My dad, as good a dad as he is, pitted us against one another. Braylon was always his favorite.”
“I’m sorry.” She reaches over grabbing my chin. “I’d choose you.”
My chest tightens. “You wouldn’t be the first woman not to.”
I didn’t mean to say those words. This wasn’t the time I wanted to bring it up, but another part of me thinks maybe I needed to get it out.
“Sullivan, what do you mean?”
“The woman I was kind of seeing at home, Candice. I worked hard to get her trust. We went round and round with each other for almost a year.” I swallow, before I lick my lips. “She’d had a rough time, and I was okay with it, I was willing to work for her. We had a couple of dates, and I was ready to go all in. I took lunch one night and swung by her house. Only to find my brother there. It was obvious they were together. After that, I knew I had to make some changes. One of those changes was following Ro here.”
“Well, I’m glad.” She reaches up to caress my cheek. “If you hadn’t come with her, I don’t know that I would have met you.”
I give her a smile. “I think we would have, Counselor. Something tells me we would have met, no matter what.” Reaching over, I grab her hand, entwining my fingers with hers. “This is strong, and if it’s this strong, it would’ve happened. Maybe not right now, but I believe it would’ve come back around to the two of us.”
“Sully, you’re not second best for me.” She leans in, kissing me softly. “You’re like the one and only.”
“You’re my one and only too.”
“I hate to break this up.” Leigh comes over to the table. “But your food is hot, and I wanted to make sure you got it that way.”
“No problem.” Shelby pulls away from me. “He needs a good meal to keep his mind on his work.”
My stomach growls loudly as I smell the food in front of me. “How has your day gone?”
“Good,” she answers. “I got a few new cases to work on, which has been nice. For a while there, I was starting to worry I’d made the wrong decision to come practice law here.”
“As you said, we’re both here for reasons that go beyond our control.”
She giggles. “That’s true.” Reaching in, she grabs her burger, taking another bite. “I guess Mrs. Haley told her friends about me doing her will. I’ve got thirteen scheduled over the next few weeks.”
“Babe, that’s great!”
“I’ll be able to keep the lights on, and then some.” She winks.
Leaning in, I steal a kiss. “I have a question.”
“I might have an answer.”
“Menace is having everyone over for a dinner at his house as a get to know you type of thing for the LSERT. I’m not sure you heard about it.”
“I got the email today. I hope he’s got enough room.”
“Same,” I laugh. “I was wondering if you want to come with me?”
“Like a date?”
“Like a date, and it would be letting everyone know we’re together.”
She snorts. “I’m pretty sure everyone knows we’re together.”
“They may, but I’d love to have you there on my arm.”
“Then I’d love to be there on your arm.” She glances at her phone. “You can’t have much longer on your lunch, you better get busy.”
Looking at my watch, I see she’s right. “I do need to hurry.”
“Don’t let me stop you.”
Knowing I want to talk to her more than I want to eat, I settle with asking her a question. “What else do you have going on today?”
She takes one more fry before she pushes her plate away. “I’m going over a vendor contract for Eden, Mason’s got a few contracts for LSERT stuff he wants me to take a look at, and I’m doing my end-of-month accounting. It’s all very exciting stuff.”
“Sounds like it.” I play along with her.
“What do you plan on doing today?” she asks after I take my last bite of vegetables.
“Pray the rest of this shift goes by quickly. I’ve already worked a wreck and had to pull over a douchebag in a Porsche doing eighty in a thirty-five.”
“A Porsche? Awful nice car for around here.”
A shit-eating grin flashes across my face. “Some big shot attorney trying to get to Birmingham.
She laughs. “It would be an attorney.”
“Right? Exactly my thoughts.”
She pushes against my shoulder. “Stop being such an ass.”
“That’s not what you called me last night.”
She rolls her eyes. “Just because you were awesome last night doesn’t mean you’ll always be awesome.
“Hurt my pride, Counselor.”
“I don’t think anything can hurt your pride. You have plenty.”
Leigh walks by, and I put up my hand. “Bring us the check?”
“You know I don’t charge y’all.” She waves off.
“And you know we hate that.” I pull out cash from my wallet and walk over to drop it in the tip jar. “Have a good one, Leigh.” I wave at her as I go back to the table to get Shelby.
“You too.” She waves bye to us.
“Walk you back to your office?” I hold my arm out to Shelby.
She grins. “Look at you being a gentleman.”
“I’m always a gentleman.”
She waits until we get out of The Café. “You weren't last night.”
My arm goes around her waist, my mouth next to her ear. “And you wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Truth,” she giggles. “I gotta get back to work.” She turns to face me as we stop in front of her office.
“I do too, but I hope to see you tonight?”