And damn if his gaze didn’t go right to the purple-haired beauty walking down the street toward her hairsalon. For whatever reason, she turned and stared at him, a look of horror on her face as he passed by.
He stopped at the light and Cyn ran up to the car and knocked on the glass on the passenger side.
He rolled down the window, but didn’t get a chance to ask what she wanted when she blurted out, “You’re arresting old ladies now?”
He scowled at her.
“Mrs. Phelps, what’s happened?”
Mrs. Phelps patted Cyn’s hand. “Oh, dear, I’m okay. Just some trouble at the house.”
“What?”
Mrs. Phelps turned toward Cyn, and he saw the look of pain on Cyn’s face when she spotted Mrs. Phelps’s injury. “Oh my God.”
Mrs. Phelps frowned. “Officer Wilde is taking me to the emergency room to get it looked at.”
Cyn’s gaze met his again, but she didn’t look apologetic for accusing him of arresting little old ladies. “I see.”
Hunt wondered if she’d ever see him as more than just a cop. “Light’s green. Step back. We need to go.”
Cyn put her hand over Mrs. Phelps’s on the door. “Do you need me to drive you home after you see the doctor? I’d be happy to do it.”
Hunt shook his head. “I’ll stay with her at the hospital and make sure she gets home.”
Cyn eyed him again, like she couldn’t believe he’d do such a thing.
“Protect and serve,” he said, reminding her of the police motto. And in a small town like this, everyone helped everyone out. And he was a nice guy. He wanted to see Mrs. Phelps home safe and sound.
“You let me know if you need anything,” Cyn told Mrs. Phelps. “I’ll call and check on you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, dear. You’ve such a good heart.”
Cyn backed away from the car, then stepped close again. “If you get called away for something and can’t take her home, call me. I’ll do it.”
“Thank you. But my shift ends in half an hour, so it shouldn’t come to that.”
“But if it does...”
“Okay,” he assured her. He liked seeing this compassionate side of her.
He waited for Cyn to move back onto the sidewalk before he pulled away.
“She’s very pretty.” Mrs. Phelps pointed out the obvious.
He wasn’t blind. And he wasn’t stupid enough to open this can of worms.
“Did you know she picks up several of us who don’t drive anymore once a month and brings us down to the shop?”
That surprised him. “She does?”
“Yes. We all live alone. But she brings us together, so we can get our hair done up all nice and gossip together. It’s very kind of her to think of us.”
“Yes, it is.”
“She takes care of people.” Mrs. Phelps gave him a pointed look as he pulled into the emergency room parking area and shut off the car.
“I’ve issued her numerous speeding tickets, reprimanded her for jaywalking twice and pulled her out of two altercations at Cooper’s. She looks at me and sees a badge and the guy who ruins all her fun. She’s lookingfor a good time and I want . . .” Her. But he said, “More.” Because he didn’t want some casual fun. He’d done that enough. He wanted someone to spend his off time with, his nights, someone he looked forward to being with at the end of a long shift. Someone who understood his job took a lot out of him, and wanted to make him feel good again after a long day. Someone like Mrs. Phelps described, who didn’t sound like a description of Cyn. Though she was a beautiful, and apparently thoughtful and caring, woman.