The Do-Over (The Rooftop Crew #5) - Piper Rayne Page 0,66

those damn insecurities from when I was younger and people assumed I was dumb resurface. Should I have known this?

“Woo her and make her swoon,” Patrice says. “Flowers. Dinners. Cards. Poetry.”

Poetry? She can’t be serious. I can’t write a poem. I don’t know what Kamea’s favorite flower is or whether she has a favorite vegetarian restaurant. Then it occurs to me that I probably should know those things. Damn, maybe I am messing up this boyfriend thing.

I pull the car into the parking lot of a drugstore.

“What are you doing?” Patrice asks.

“I’m getting a card.”

She blows out a breath and laughs. “You don’t waste any time.”

I put the car in park. “I might not know how to make a woman swoon, but I’m going to woo her so hard she’ll want to be Mrs. Knox Whelan.”

Patrice rolls her eyes and grabs the handle of the door.

“Nope, I can pick this one out on my own,” I say and exit the car.

How could I have been so stupid? I’ll show her exactly how much I think she’s the one for me. Watch out, Kamea. Your Prince Charming was a little late to the party, but he’s on his way now.

I call Kamea after my shift—since I know she’ll be up—and confirm that she’s still planning to come down to the courthouse. As the arresting officer I have to be present in case I’m asked to speak. I’m hoping the fact that we might run into Leilani won’t stir up bad feelings for her, but we have to find out if Leilani shows up at court because Kamea should get her money back. Not to move out or change anything happening in our lives, but because she deserves it.

I wait on the steps of the courthouse with the card I got for Kamea stuffed in the inside of my leather jacket. I’m still worried about the detective job being announced today. It would be great to be able to celebrate that with her.

I catch Kamea walking up the street in her jeans, boots, and heavy jacket. She’s got on a rainbow-colored hat and gloves that match. I smile as she retrieves some change from her pocket and puts it in a Salvation Army red bucket, and the Santa jingles his bell at her in thanks. That puts a smile on her face. I swear when she’s smiling, I’ve never seen someone more beautiful.

The short wait for Kamea to cross the street to meet me feels like forever. Her eyes catch mine when she’s midway into the pedestrian walkway, and that smile she gave Santa isn’t anything compared to her smile right now. It’s infectious, and I’m fairly sure I look like a goon smiling back at her.

“Hey, you,” she says, bouncing the last few steps before rising up on her tiptoes to kiss me. “Thanks for reminding me. Though I told you I don’t really care about the money anymore.”

I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her toward me, locking her to my chest. “I missed you last night.”

“I missed you too.”

“I have a surprise for you, but after.” I slide my hand in hers.

“Oh, a surprise.” She doesn’t beg me for more information which I thought for sure she would. “Can’t wait.”

Doesn’t every woman love a surprise so much she can barely contain herself until she finds out what it is?

“You don’t want to pry it out of me?” I open the door to the courthouse and we stand in the security line.

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

She takes off her hat and stuffs it, along with her gloves, inside her jacket. After pulling her purse over her head, she lays it on the conveyor belt and steps through the metal detector, going through without a problem. I show my badge and gun and they pull me aside. I’m wanded while Kamea gets herself organized. After we’re done, I entwine our hands again, and I lead her to the courtroom Leilani should be appearing in. We sit in the back, and I place my hand on her knee. She rests her head on my shoulder for a moment as though she’s tired.

“Why don’t you want to know the surprise?” I ask again.

She giggles. “Because I like surprises. I’m eager to find out, but if I dig it out of you, it’s not a surprise anymore.”

I place my finger under her chin and lift it toward me, kissing her on the lips.

“Come on. This is a courthouse. Don’t push me to arrest you for