A First Love to Die For

Chapter Eight- She's My Sunshine

(Lincoln's POV)

As the Police Chief, I have to be on call most of the time but whenever its possible, I try to work 9-5. At exactly 5:01, Declan and Gabriel showed up. I was packing up to go home, hoping to escape them but my brothers know me well.

"You're such a god damned coward," Declan said, as he slapped a twenty into Gabriel's waiting hand. I laughed at their gambling and although he was right, I looked at him like I had no idea what he was talking about.

He smirked, not willing to let it go, and said "I texted you twice about meeting up tonight and you ignored me both times, you were so going to bail and go home. I believed in you and now you owe me twenty bucks!"

I laughed and then grunted as Gabriel, who wasn't as good with words, punched me in the shoulder, "Grow a set." He then turned to Declan and used his fingers to rhyme off his points. "Number one, he owes you shit. Number two, it was an easy win. Number three, stop blaming other people for your degenerate choices."

I laughed and sighed, I never quite knew how they managed to be both the absolute best and yet somehow the worst too.

Fenelon Falls wasn't very big and the station and the brewery were within walking distance. They continued to chirp at me the entire way there.

That was one of the things that was so great about my brothers, we constantly ribbed and poked at each other, but we all knew that no matter what we would have each other's backs.

I knew that although they were talking shit about me, what they were trying to do by dragging me out on the first night that Josie was in town, was to pull off the bandaid. Hopefully clear the air between us. They wouldn't realize yet that she was working with me and that we had already spent a good deal of time together this afternoon.

They also wouldn't understand that what I really needed was to go home and reharden my heart, maybe stare at the engagement ring that still sat in my drawer, gathering dust. Take some time to remember why Josie was bad news for me. When Josie left, my heart was shattered, my emotions in complete ruin and I've never wanted to be in a relationship again.

Josie Stevens destroyed me.

We were best friends throughout childhood and stayed friends as we hit our teenage years, although we hung out with vastly different crowds. I was the quarterback of our football team and thoroughly enjoyed all the pleasures, perks and cheerleaders that came with that title.

Josie on the other hand was a straight-A, soccer captain, and newspaper editor. We didn't run into each other often, really it was only when Hailey would manage to persuade her to come out to parties. For the most part, Josie avoided my crowd.

When Josie's mom passed away, my whole family had made a point to be there for Josie and her Dad more. It had reconnected us and the feelings that I had always had for her, bubbled to the surface.

I didn't catch her interest until a whole town Canada Day party the summer before her last year of high school. I was newly single. I had been semi-dating the head cheerleader Candy that year and had just officially ended it, knowing that I wanted something deeper. I had been looking for Josie.

It was a god damned heatwave and Josie showed up at the lakefront wearing a white bikini and I was a goner. I couldn't take my eyes off her all night. Which is why I noticed when she started to act funny. Josie wasn't a big drinker, she just always wanted to keep her head about her, plus Hailey partied enough for the two of them.

When they were out together, Josie usually stayed sober to help manage Hailey and all her exuberance.

I smiled a little thinking about how last month, I had to call my brother to pick up his wife and two of her colleagues from her staff party because she had decided they should streak through the town. My wonderful sister-in-law had somehow convinced her two teaching partners (two ladies nearing retirement) that it was the best idea ever to run through town in their birthday suits.

It had been quite enjoyable having to call each of their significant others to pick them up for running naked as jaybirds through our town centre.

On that summer night, all those years ago, I thought it seemed like maybe Josie had been drinking more than normal and guys were starting to pounce.

I went over to see if she was okay, took one look in her eyes and knew that she wasn't in a good place. I had quietly let Hailey know that I thought we should get her home and we had taken turns staying up to watch over her all night.

When she had sobered up, she had been emotional and lonely. It was the first time that her dad had gone anywhere since her mom had passed, and she didn't want to be alone.

So, I had stayed with her. It had been the start of everything. I was a year older and could have gone off to university that year but decided to wait, do a leap year. I wasn't ready to leave my new love. I thought she would be with me to the end, until she decided to end it all. Tossing me aside, as if I never mattered at all.

As we got to the brewery window and I caught sight of her, my breath caught. That was the thing about Josie, the way I felt about her knocked the air out of my lungs.

We walked over to say "hi" to her and Hailey but I couldn't handle much more than a quick hello and then made my way over to grab a table. I sat down and proceeded to scope out the crowd tonight.

Standing at the bar was Harold, who somehow managed to be one of our town drunks, as well as a prominent businessman. He was the owner of our local grocery store.

He was one of Jon's best friends and mostly harmless but an absolute pervert when it came to anyone with a vagina. Currently he was standing with an arm around Stephie and Candy and the two of them were wearing stiff smiles, letting me know he had said something offside.

Harold's wife had left him years ago and he had proceeded to put all kinds of money into trying to get his hair back and desperately trying to catch the attention of the women of Fenelon Falls. Currently, he had some kind of carpet on his head and was wearing the brightest Tommy Bahama shirt that I had ever seen. The way he peacocked around always pulled on my heart strings. I knew that his need for attention stemmed from his sadness at her desertion.

A feeling that I could easily sympathize with.

The waitress came over to take my order and as Declan and Gabriel walked over to join me, I ordered a pitcher of Canadian and some menus.

I watched as the new bartender walked over to chat up Hailey and Josie and as her blonde head tipped towards his I couldn't help the spike of jealousy that I felt.

Gabriel followed my gaze and said, "His name is Lee, I heard he's staying in the apartment upstairs across from her."

I broke my gaze to look at him, "You seem to hear quite a bit."

He laughed and changed the subject, but my eyes strayed back. I wasn't sure what it was, but Lee seemed awfully familiar with Hailey and Josie and I wondered if this was one of the team members.

Declan must have mistaken my look because he leaned over and whispered, "Don't worry he's gay." I looked over at the good-looking blonde man that was flirting with the girls and raised my eyebrow at my brother. I didn't doubt him though, Declan's gaydar was always spot on.

I sighed, not wanting to talk too much about what was going on. It was especially important to not talk about it out in the open but as I silently sipped, the worry ate at me.

Josie being home, the fact that she looked so much like the other victims... having to work with her again. It all mixed, creating an anxiety cocktail that stiffened my shoulders and clouded my brain.

We weren't together and let's face it we probably never would be, but it didn't change the fact that my world was a little sunnier when she was near or at least breathing.