Busted (Promise Harbor Wedding)(7)

“I’ll be fine.” She wasn’t exactly surprised to see Eric after last night, but she couldn’t imagine what was left to say. There hadn’t been anything to say since their breakup, and she didn’t see a reason for that to change.

Grabbing her keys, she stood just as her partner left and Eric reached her desk.

“Hi.”

She spared him no more than her polite, on-the-job half smile.

“We didn’t have much time to talk last night.”

“What was it you wanted to say?” With a wedding that could break her best friend’s heart, having to face Jackson after last night knowing he was undoubtedly pissed, and getting bad news about her gramps, she wasn’t exactly in the mood to indulge her ex the way she foolishly had for most of their relationship.

“Can we talk somewhere else? Maybe grab a coffee?”

“I have a lot to do today, Eric.”

“Oh yeah. The wedding. Maybe we could talk there. You don’t have a date, right?”

The sincere tone might have swayed her to extend their conversation for another minute or two—against her better judgment—until he got to the part where he assumed she was going alone.

Maybe he didn’t mean to imply she couldn’t possibly have someone to go with—as if that mattered—but she was operating on little sleep and didn’t feel like giving him the benefit of the doubt. She’d made that mistake too many times in the past not to learn from it.

“I do have a date, actually.” Or she had until a few minutes ago.

His disbelieving look grated on her last nerve. She tried hard to let it roll off her shoulders. Really, really hard.

“Let me take you, Hayley. Please? It’ll give us a chance to catch up.”

“You’re not trying to steal my date, are you, Thorton?”

Hayley couldn’t have been more stunned had the entire NHL All-Star team skated through the police station. She stared at Jackson, her brain scrambling to piece together what he’d just said about Eric stealing his date.

Eric, who was clearly struggling to make sense of it too, tried for that charming smile he could call up at a moment’s notice, but it fell wildly short. “Not at all. Hayley and I were just reminiscing about old times.”

Jackson glanced at Hayley like he didn’t believe a word and wanted her confirmation.

Eric didn’t give her a chance to respond. “I hadn’t heard you two were seeing each other.”

“It’s a pretty recent development.” Jackson shrugged as though admitting even that much was more than Eric was entitled to know.

Instantly suspicious, Hayley kept quiet. Awkward silences tended to make people ramble, and she was fine with the two of them oversharing until she could figure out what angle the both of them were working here.

“Most guys would move on after last night,” Eric pointed out.

“Hayley was just doing her job.” Jackson actually sounded like he meant it, and when he met Hayley’s eyes, those clear baby blues reflected only sincerity.

Jackson Knight was a far better actor than she would have given him credit for. She knew popular hockey players like Jackson routinely had microphones shoved in their faces after a game and were expected to say all the right things regardless of a win or a loss. She hadn’t remembered Jackson being quite that good though.

“Yeah, well, let’s hope everyone else forgives her as quickly as you have.”

Eyes narrowed, Jackson moved a little closer to Hayley. The sharp, clean scent of his skin filled her senses. “She doesn’t need anyone’s forgiveness. She didn’t do anything wrong.”

With a humoring smile firmly in place, Eric stepped back. “I guess I’ll see you two at the wedding.”

Jackson waited until Eric was out of earshot. “He’s going to Josh and Allie’s wedding?”

She shrugged. “He’s a Thorton.” Eric’s family owned numerous businesses in Promise Harbor, including the fish plant and the newspaper. And like much of the country, the Thortons hadn’t escaped hard economic times.

“You ready to go?” Jackson’s voice carried far enough for at least half the small police station to hear him.

Preferring not to give her fellow officers anything else to talk about, she led the way outside and down the sidewalk to where her truck was parked.

Jackson shoved his hands in his pockets and studied the street.

Crossing her arms, Hayley gave him a once-over. “What was that about?”

“Seemed like a good idea at the time.” He paused, watching two kids on bikes ride past. “I can’t believe you actually dated that *.”

“That makes two of us.”

“I forgot Matt had mentioned it until I saw you two talking. Given how red the tips of your ears were turning, it’s a wonder you didn’t arrest him instead of me last night.”

She started to raise her hands, then let them drop back to her sides. “They do not turn red.”

“Sure they do. Not nearly as noticeable now with the blonde hair though.” He leaned back against her truck, looking way too comfortable.

“No offence, but I don’t think I can trust your judgment about my ears or anything else from high school after you confused me with Helen-basement-blowjob-Anderson.”

Jackson laughed. “I thought that was just locker room talk.”

“So her supposed skills weren’t the reason you borrowed my parents’ truck and took her up to Sunset Bluff?”

“Those supposed skills were exactly why I took her. I just didn’t realize the whole school knew that about her.”

“It’s kind of a small town,” she confided.

“Yeah, it is.” The playfulness faded, replaced by something else. Regret?

When his attention dropped to the pavement, she decided to change the subject. “Thanks for stepping in with Eric, but—”

“You could have handled it yourself,” he finished for her.

A smile tugged at her lips. “Maybe.” Jackson had certainly saved her from having to endure Eric’s presence. If she’d told her ex how she really felt, then she’d be just giving her captain more grief, seeing as Eric’s father was one of the town’s most influential patriarchs.

God, why did it feel like Eric was still screwing her over?

Jackson returned her grin, and the slow curve of his lips was far more potent when unleashed in person. Ignoring the warming sensation in her stomach that made her think long and hard about taking a step closer to him, she rounded her truck to the driver’s side. Jackson followed.

“Guess that makes us even then.” She’d taken the blame for the truck incident years ago, and now he’d made up for it by diffusing an uncomfortable situation with Eric. She opened her door.

“Sure, if we don’t count the fact that you arrested me last night.”

Hayley blew out a breath. “Sorry that it was necessary.”

“I’m sorry you got caught in the middle.” His gaze fell to her cheek, and for a second he looked like he might reach out and touch the faded purple bruise from last night. He stuck his hands back in his pockets. “At least it got me out of there without anyone trying to talk their way into my bed.”

She nearly rolled her eyes. “Is that what started the fight with your burly pal last night? You pass on his offer?” It took a lot to keep her face straight.

“Jesus.” Jackson shuddered. “Do me a favor and don’t ask him that if you cross paths. Guy has one hell of a right hook.”

She tossed her bag on the seat. “Looking out for me again?”

“Maybe I want to stay on your good side. Can’t say I was a fan of Cal’s singing while you had me in holding.”

She started to slide into her truck, stopped. “How is it that you can remember Cal from high school but not me?”

“Cal is still the same ‘American Pie’-singing drunk he was in high school. You’re…” He trailed off, his expression almost confused before he offered a slow smile. “Something different.”

Hayley laughed. “You should really try to sound like you know whether or not that’s a good thing before saying it out loud.” She slid into her vehicle, immediately putting her window down to release the June heat trapped inside. “And get some more ice on your face before the wedding.”

“I was serious about the date thing.” Jackson leaned against the window, resting his hands on the edge of the doorframe above her.

“Pardon me?”

“You owe me, right?”

“I never said—”

Jackson pulled some papers out of his back pocket and handed them to her.

She unfolded the sheets, cringing when she saw a picture of her leading him away in handcuffs. The image and accompanying headline were from a prominent sports website. She didn’t want to, but made herself flip to the next page and then the next. More unflattering pictures of his fight and handcuffed exit, and more gossip-fueled headlines.