Cuffing The Law Book 2 in The Willowbrook Series

Chapter 41

Deacon

The rest of the couple of days up in the cabin passed in a blur, hiking, dinner with the band again and charades out back on the deck with some beers, guitars strumming away, Logan and Sage singing a couple of tracks and Daisy and I snuggled up together, mindful not to be too in her brother's face. Not going to lie, being close with Daisy with her watchful brother, even though I have his blessing being around did make me feel a bit uncomfortable.

Alas, it is a Monday again already and duty calls. We've got a couple of hooligans in from Copper Town who decided over the weekend to graffiti up the wall of the nursery school, one of my guys is with them and their folks now. Needless to say they will only be reprimanded and hopefully they won't do it again. If it wasn't so serious I would have to say I admired their work, they are a group of talented young lads. I shake my head such a waste, it's a shame they are the kind of kids who won't go far in school and miss all the opportunities that are presented to them and to go to an art school.

"Good weekend?" One of my guys asks as he hands me a coffee.

"Very good, we had a great time. Not been up the mountain for some time, good hiking, great weather with sunshine but cool breeze, beer, wine, the band. Sage and Logan chose well to have their stag and hen do jointly."

He nods. "What do you want to do about old man, Jenkins?" He asks me. Indeed what do I want to do with the town's drunk? He's harmless enough but we have to keep pulling him in off the street and with no place much else to go, he spends a night in our cell. We bring him food, coffee, plenty of water and headache pills. What thanks do we get for our troubles? None. Diddly-squat. He always cusses at us and marches right on out to the nearest watering hole, Abe's bar, Lazy Duke. Where we have asked Abe not to sell the old fella any more liquor. Story has it that his wife died when they were a young couple, way before my time and that he took to the bottle. The only saving grace is that they never had kids. Seeing kids brought up with parents that drink is never a pretty sight to see.

"The usual I guess. We'll let him back out on the street but can you make a call to the shelter for me and see if they will take him in and give him a bed for a couple of nights at least?"

"Sir, you know he won't go there or stay, wasting our time."

"We have to give it a try, who knows one of these days he may just decide that a warm place and a proper bed is the best option for him." My guy shrugs but picks up the phone and starts making the call.

"We've got a petty theft at the grocery store, Sir." One of my new officers, fresh out of the academy, Lisa says. I am feeling a headache coming on, since when did Willowbrook have a theft going on at the grocery store? What is the world coming to and all of this on a Monday morning?

"Can you handle it Lisa please, take Clint with you?"

"Sure, no problem, Sir." Paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork is what is coming my way. My phone buzzes on my desk, I take a look and a boyish grin spreads across my face, it's Daisy. We swapped mobile numbers over the weekend and it struck me how strange it was, that after all these years knowing each other and being around one another, we didn't know each other's mobile phone numbers.

"Hi, how are you this morning?" I ask her and place my feet up on the desk.

"All the better for hearing your voice. I miss you."

"Really? It's only been a night, Buttercup."

"What can I say? The morning is okay, I've finished the prom dress I was working on, it looks beautiful on and the bridesmaid dresses for Sage are all finished. Business is quiet today so thinking of taking early lunch over at Bluebell's. You want to join me?"

"Sounds like a plan. Say half an hour, I can get away then?" We hang up once we've made the arrangements and my stomach flutters, whoa do I have butterflies? A grown man like me, well I never. Thirty minutes later I am in my truck not that it's that far to Bluebell's, our station is at the end of Main Street and the diner, café is plop in the middle but I have a house call to make straight after lunch so the truck it is.

The door chimes as I walk in and see Daisy sitting as pretty as a picture at one of the tables in the corner by the far window. Her long, blonde hair is tied in a braid and hangs down her back. Her narrow shoulders taper down to her slender waist and I feel a stirring in my pants. From the back she looks like a kid of about eighteen, but I've worked on the whole age gap thing over the weekend and having spent time with her, I have come to realize that like Daisy says, it is just a number and that millions of people around the world together are in age gap relationships. Apparently, it is only an issue if the couple make it an issue. She told me I need to focus on what makes me happy and she sure does make me happy.

Daisy is like the color on a grey day, the sunshine on your face after a long, hard winter. She turns and smiles, her entire face lighting up like a picture. She waves as Bab's greets me and asks what my order will be today.

"I'll have a tuna and cheese melt please, Barbara. Has Daisy already ordered?"

"Indeed, funnily enough she is having the same thing."

"Good choice. Thanks, Barbara. And a strong coffee too please."

"I'll bring it over."

"Hey, so good to see you Deacon." Daisy grabs my hand as I sit down, the warmth transcends to my own, our fingers curl around each others. Just being with her makes me feel like a teenage kid again. My mouth is dry and her beauty takes my breath away.

"It's always lovely to see you, Daisy. I thought we were going to you know, see how things went before we you know," shit I am stumbling for the right words here, see, I told you I am acting like a damn teenager. "You know go public."

She throws her head back and laughs. "Oh, Deacon who cares about everyone else. I'm not letting go now we've decided to see where this goes. Why wait? I want you and you want me, we've already had amazing sex so now it's time to you know, just be." She leans over and kisses my cheek. I blush, not being used to any kind of public display of affection.

"Okay, Buttercup. Whatever you say."

"Hey kids, good to see you two finally together. Took you both long enough. Can't wait for the wedding." Barbara chuckles as she places our food down in front of us. I almost choke.

"We're nowhere near the wedding stage yet, Barbara, give us a chance. We've only just begun."

She gives me a wink. "You know how it goes here in Willowbrook Deacon. Once you're with the girl, a ring goes on the finger and then there are the wedding bells, oo and some babies."

"Romantic." Daisy breathes, holy smoking cow, these ladies are working a bit too quick. I need to get used to the whole idea of having a girlfriend. It's a first for me. Girlfriend, hey I like the sound of it. Barbara pinches my cheek and wanders back to behind the counter.

Daisy is grinning from ear to ear and I swear to God, this woman has already picked out her church music. She is definitely the kind of girl who has dreamt about and planned her wedding from a young age.

We have got some miles to go first but you know what I am thinking, who better than a beautiful, sweet girl like Daisy to spend forever with?