Chapter 1

I think I was about fifteen when I noticed the heated glances Shane would give my mom. It was always quick looks that no one seemed to notice, but I did, and I couldn't help but to feel jealous. That's when I realized my feelings for the womanizer.

I spent about a year in denial. No, I told myself, I couldn't have feelings for my father's best friend. It was wrong. Plus, Shane was twelve years older than me. Normally age wouldn't be a problem in my mind, but other people didn't see things the way I did.

After my year of denial was over, I decided to make a move. I wasn't going to sit idly. The month after my sixteenth birthday I was going to try and take his gaze from my mom. I probably wouldn't succeed, but I could sure try.

Shane was sitting in a cruiser by himself. I didn't know where my dad was. He was probably back at the station or dealing with something, which was lucky for me. I was able to catch Shane all alone.

I walked up to his window undetected. He really should have been more alert, but he was busy reading a magazine. I tapped on the window and he looked up startled. Quickly, he rolled it down and hid his magazine.

"Hey, stranger," I said and he smiled.

"What do you need, Claire?" he asked smoothly.

"I was wondering if you could help me with a problem. I need to know something about the law, but I can't ask my father." I watched his reaction carefully. He didn't seem surprised, but he didn't look thrilled at the idea of talking behind my father's back.

"Umm, sure," he finally said. "Why don't you jump on in the other side?"

I smiled and walked around the cruiser to get in. Shane rubbed the back of his head when I got in. He was nervous, which could be a really good thing, or it could be really bad.

"So, what did you need to know about?" Shane asked.

"Well, let's say that I wanted to try and win the favor of a guy that's older than me by a lot." Shane's eyes widened in shock and I chose my next words wisely. "Could I put that guy in a very bad position legally by trying to gain his affections?"

Shane let out a long breath. "I now understand why you couldn't talk to your dad about this. He'd probably kill you if he knew." Shane kept his eyes forward, looking anywhere except for me. "Well, legally you'd be ok, but other people wouldn't be so accepting."

"That's good to know," I said awkwardly. There wasn't anyone I could ask besides him. There was always the internet, but I wanted to be sure. If I asked any of the other officers, they would have just told my dad. "Umm… do you have any ideas for trying to win a grown man over?" I really should be more embarrassed than I am.

Shane let out a laugh. "It really depends what type of guy you're trying to win over. I like women that are mature, spontaneous, and have things together, but that's not always the case. Some older men would probably like you looking as young and foolish as you could be, that way they could take advantage of you." He had to be really nervous if he is rambling this bad.

"Umm, thanks for the advice." I gave him a small smile. He really didn't know how much I appreciated this advice.

"Ya, I guess. You're welcome." I leaned in right next to his head and he turned suddenly. "What," he managed to say before I made my move. In one swift movement my mouth was on his. His body went rigid, probably from shock.

"Thanks for the advice," I whispered in his ear after I was done stealing his kiss. As I got out of the car, he was still as could be.

Sooner than I was expecting, I heard the police car start. He headed in my direction, but I ducked inside of a store. As Shane drove by, he had his head stuck out the window, looking for me obviously. I just hoped that he wouldn't do anything stupid while looking for me.

Once I thought the coast was clear, I headed out of the shop and down the street. Home probably wouldn't be the safest place right now, so I headed in the opposite direction.

I know running is the cowardly thing to do, but I didn't know what else to do now. There was no real plan. I was going to just wing it, but now that I've made a move, I'm running scared. I don't know what to do. My hope was that everything would eventually turn out alright.

My feet carried me down to the park. It was my favorite spot and it helped me think while I was there. It was a common place for me to go whenever my parents started fighting, which was often nowadays.

The park was deserted as usual and I climbed up onto the playground equipment. There was a small enclosed area above the tallest slide that I sat down in. No one would see me up in here unless they came up the playground equipment, which no one usually came here.

I closed my eyes and relaxed. My plan was to just sit here a while, but I slowly came to realize just how tired I was. With no control over it, I fell asleep right there.

OoOoOoOoO

When I awoke, I was surprisingly warm. Cold air bit into my face, so I curled deeper into the blankets for warmth. There was a chuckle and my eyes snapped open.

"Finally awake," Shane said with a chuckle. "I really didn't think you'd fall asleep in a park like this."

"How'd you even find me?" I asked. "Not many people come to this park anymore."

"You don't think that no one's ever noticed you here? In all the times I've been patrolling, you're almost always sitting up here." Shane looked at me like he was trying to be angry.

I laughed and stretched out my limbs a little. "You really are an officer." Shane gave me a look that read 'no shit', but I ignored it. "If you've seen me up here, how come you've never sent me home?"

Shane rubbed the back of his head. "I guessed that you were running from your parents. Rick has told me some of the fights your mom has been starting. No one wants to see their parents say those types of things to each other. Plus, if I'd sent you away, you wouldn't have gone home. You'd just be wandering around somewhere else and no one would know where you are."

I nodded in acceptance of his answer. "So, what time is it?"

He gave me an odd look before answering, "It's 6:34."

I made a humming noise in the back of my throat. "My parents are probably looking for me then." Shane nodded. I pulled out my cell phone and called my mom. Shane watched me curiously as I did so.

"Where are you?" she answered the phone.

"I'm at a friend's house," I replied. Shane shook his head, but didn't say anything. "Is it alright if I spend the night?"

There was silence on the other end. Then I heard a door slam. "Oh, ya sure. I'll see you tomorrow."

I quickly hung up without answering my mother. It was best I didn't say anything. Another fight was about to start.

"Are you really planning on going to a friend's house?" I heard Shane ask.

"No," I replied. It wasn't like I could just drop in on a friend.

"Then, where do you plan on going?" he asked with concern.

"I more or less rent a house from a friend for free." It probably wasn't best to tell a police officer that I was doing illegal things or at least I was pretty sure might be illegal.

"Where?" Shane asked. Damn he was being nosey.

"I have a friend who owns a house on the edge of town. Since she moved out, she needs someone to watch over it, so I stay there every now and then."

There was an old lady that moved to Atlanta when she remarried, but she couldn't bear giving up the house. Since I was always close to her, she left me the house to take care of. She even told me that she'd be leaving it to me in her will, because I was the closest thing she had to a daughter. In all honesty, I thought of her a second mother. She was definitely there for me when my real mother couldn't be.

"Wait, are you talking about Old Lady Winter's house?" I nodded. It wasn't like one person knowing was going to hurt. "I'm assuming that you don't want me to tell your parents."

"I really don't care whether you tell them or not. It's not like I'll stop using the house. I owe it to Old Lady Winter to take care of the house." I stared at him defiantly.

"Alright, I won't tell your parents, but don't stay away from home too often." Shane rose and began to walk back towards his cruiser. He stopped almost all the way there and turned back to me. "Are you coming or not?" I stared at him in confusion and he chuckled at me. "I was offering you a ride."

Quickly, I scrambled up and ran to the cruiser. I wasn't about to turn down an offer to ride with Shane. I jumped in and Shane started the car right away. Warm air soon flooded in and I sighed in relief. Shane laughed at me and I stuck out my lip in a pout.

"I have a right to laugh at you," he declared. "You're too weird."

"Do I have the right to call you a pig because you're a cop?" I replied.

"Touché," Shane replied with a laugh.

The car fell into an awkward silence and I didn't know what to do. We arrived at the house and I moved to unbuckle. I heard Shane mumble something and then I was pinned to my seat. His mouth was on mine and barely restrained a moan as he deepened the kiss. Damn, he is a really good kisser. He pulled away sooner than I would have liked. Then, he handed me a piece of paper.

"I figured that you might want that," he said as he rubbed the back of his head. Holy shit! He just handed me his phone number. "Feel free to call me." He leaned over once more and kissed me again. It was rushed and hard, but damn did I like it.

He pulled away and I practically jumped out of the cruiser. I was in the house before I even looked back, and then I just stared at the door for a long time. Had that really just happened? Shane had kissed me! I practically felt like squealing in delight.

I felt like I was walking on air as I made up supper for myself. The events of the day replayed in my head, but I couldn't get the worries out of my head. Was Shane just messing with me? If he was, then he wouldn't have given me his number? Though it could be a fake number, but he probably wouldn't do that to someone he had to see so often. Plus, I can practically get ahold of him anytime I want already. It's not that hard to find a cop in this town. Also, he's always with my dad.

I came to the conclusion that Shane was probably just curious about what it would be like to mess with me. Satisfied with that answer, I went to bed.