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“He said for me to call him when he was off duty,” I repeat. “And he’d bring over his handcuffs.”

Bobbie Jo lifts the most unimpressed brow that ever lifted. “To do what?”

Alright, so she’s always the wrong person to run to when it comes to men.

My bestie has trust issues, daddy issues, polite issues, and we’re so polar opposite it’s insane.

I have curly dark brown hair. She has straight light brown hair.

I have green eyes. She has blue.

I love pink. She loves blue.

I love my dresses and girlie accessories. She loves her band t-shirts, ripped jeans, and baseball hats.

Two different sides of the spectrum, but we work and mesh well. Even though she’s not the most giddy about the prospect of relationships, I go to her anyway.

“Bobbie,” I lightly upbraid. “Can ya please listen and stop allowin’ your prejudice against the male race to get in the way here for one second? I need help.”

“I don’t know what ya see in Dodger anyway.” She brings her sandwich to her lips as we sit out back in the grass behind the craft tent she’s volunteering for today. “He’s never gonna be around.”

I frown. “What do you mean? He’s always around.”

“Because ya call him to be,” she snarks with a roll of her eyes as she chews without covering her mouth. However, I’m used to her flying by the seat of her pants with her mannerisms, and I couldn’t do it. “He’s on duty like eighty percent of the time.”

“No, he’s not.” I roll my eyes because I forgot to mention that she sometimes exaggerates. “He has Bowen and Paxton.”

“Bowen is dealin’ with some family things, so he’s been off quite a bit. And Paxton…he’s Paxton. He likes six days off and likes to work one.”

“What are you sayin’? Just ignore him?”

“I’ve already told ya to do that, but ya keep gravitatin’ his way.” She shrugs her shoulders and plucks up another potato chip. “So just put yourself out of your misery already.”

I cock my head to the side curiously and slit my eyes. “How?”

“Sleep with him.”

I rear back. “I can’t.”

Bobbie Jo sends me a withering look. “Then why are we still talkin’ about it if ya can’t make up your mind?”

My lips push out in a pout. “Be nice to me. Ya know how I’ve always felt about Dodger.”

“Yes. Hence why I said put yourself out of your misery. If Dodger finally wants to make a move, let him. But he ain’t gonna do it while he’s unsure or with his job on the line.”

I make a face. “I’m not going to press charges on him.”

“He doesn’t want a public breakup or drama.” She rolls her eyes. “I will say, though, Dodger has worked hard for where he is in life. Especially since his daddy walked out on him and his mom. He has a good head on his shoulders.”

“But ya don’t like him.”

“I never said that.”

“But ya act like it. You glare at half the men here, and they’re scared of you.”

“Because they’re idiots.”

“Bobbie,” I drawl. “Just because some of these boys didn’t treat you right, don’t mean they’re all like that.”