Chapter 1
Nate
Some days, I really hated being a cop. Days like today when I'm working away from home and stuck on night shift.
A couple of weeks ago the police chief asked if anyone in our small town of Seaview, North Carolina wanted to pick up some extra hours and help out in Washington, NC. So I volunteered. I've been saving up to buy my own house on the small Hummingbird Island that I've called home for many years.
Now I'm living in a small apartment that the police force has provided while I'm here, and away from friends and family. Fortunately when I’m driving, the streets are vaguely familiar to me since I grew up on Hummingbird Island, and we visited this city area often.
When I pull up to a girl sitting on the sidewalk in the drizzling rain, I've decide to stop and see if I can help her out. Before I even bring my car to a stop, I can see her shivering. Something pulls at my heart and I know I can't leave her here.
She looks up as I exit my vehicle and her eyes go wide, making my heart race. Those wide eyes pull me in, and I'm overwhelmed with a sense of she’s mine.
I approached slowly, not wanting to scare her off.
"No please. Don’t send me back to him. I'd rather stay out here and freeze to death. Please don't make me go back," she pleads. Even with the water dripping down her face from the rain, I can tell there are tears mixed in with it.
Her pleading breaks my heart, but I will protect her from whoever is making her so frightened. This beautiful creature should never be scared of anything.
"I'm not going to send you back. Will you at least get in the car so that you can get warm and dry? We can talk about getting you someplace safe," I say.
She pauses at my words. It seems like forever before she nods, stands and grabs the bag beside her. Then, leading her over to the car, I put her into the passenger seat, which is against policy. Even though I should put her in the back for my safety, something tells me and my gut, not only is this girl mine, but she would never hurt me.
Going around to my trunk, I pull out a dry blanket before getting in on my side. I turn the heat up, so it blasted on her and wrapped her in the dry blanket.
"Do you have any ID?" I ask, wanting to know who she is and everything about her.
She nods, reaches into her bag and hands it to me. I don't run her into the system, as I don't want anyone to know that she's with me.
Since she's two days away from turning eighteen, if I call her in, I have no choice but to take her back to who she doesn't want to go to. That isn't an option.
"Harper, you'll be eighteen in just two days and then you don't have to go anywhere you don't want to. I'm guessing you don't have anywhere safe to wait until then?"
"N… No, I tried a shelter, but they were full. I've been sleeping in the park until today when the rain hit."
She's still shivering and I know she can't stay out in the rain. We've had some really warm days, but it's supposed to cool off and rain for the next few days. Plus, there's nothing saying another cop won't try to pick her up before she turned eighteen and then send her right back where she doesn't want to be.
Though I have a million questions, I don't want to scare her off I just want to make sure she's safe. My shift ends in less than an hour.
"Until you turn eighteen, you can stay with me in my guest room. You need a hot shower, some dry clothes and some food. Once you are legally an adult, we'll discuss the options that you have."
"Oh, I couldn't ask that of you." She starts to shake her head.
"You're not asking, I'm offering. The alternative is for you to try to battle it out the rain for the next few days and there are no promises that another cop won't stop you and send you back." I hate to scare her, but I've got to get her to agree to come home with me so I can make sure that she's safe.
She looks out the window and through the reflection I can tell she's biting her lip thinking over her options. I like that she seems levelheaded enough to think things through. That means whatever the situation she's running from, she likely didn't just leave on a whim.
"Okay, just for a few days. Though I insist on helping out. I can clean and cook to help earn my keep. But I don't want a free ride." She says, raising her chin in defiance.
"Fine, you can start that tomorrow. Tonight you will rest."
"I can agree to that." Then she holds her hand out like we're striking a deal and I hesitate to take it for only a moment.
Whatever I do, I have to keep space between us for the next two days. Feeling how soft her hand is in mine doesn't help with that. But it does seal her fate.
