Free The Promise of Home by Darcie Chan

waited as he drank it, watching impatiently as tiny wisps of steam rose from the cup. Finally, she tucked her hands inside the sleeves of her sweatshirt and crossed her arms.
    “You know, it’s getting pretty chilly with this breeze,” she said. “Do you mind if we go back to the Jeep?”
    “No, I’m about done, and we should get going, anyway. Ron’ll be expecting me back soon.”
    When they reached the vehicle, Claudia opened one of the rear doors and quickly climbed into the backseat. “C’mon,” she said to him in a low voice.
    “What? What are you— Oh no, we can’t, Claudia. Seriously, I could be fired, and—”
    “Shhh, I’ve got goosebumps. Just climb in and cuddle me for a few minutes. We won’t do anything more.”
    “I don’t believe you,” he said, but he got in and closed the door anyway. As soon as Kyle was seated, she swung her leg over him and pulled herself onto his lap. “Claudia, it’s broad daylight. Somebody else could show up any minute—” he started to say, but she took his face in her hands and kissed him.
    “The windows are tinted, and no one else is here. We’ll be quick. Just relax,” she whispered, and didn’t give him a chance to reply. Her hands moved to the buckle on his duty belt, trying to figure out how to undo it while she kept his mouth busy.
    “God, Claudia,” Kyle gasped. He grabbed her wrists. For a moment, he restrained her. She could tell by his breathing, though, that he was starting to feel the moment.
    “Please, baby, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” she murmured. After she kissed him again, a tortured expression passed over Kyle’s face. She smiled triumphantly when he cursed under his breath, released her arms, and dealt with the buckle himself.
    Afterward, they put on what clothes they had removed and lounged for a few minutes on the soft leather seat. Claudia reached up and gently touched Kyle’s face. “Thank you. That’s one off my bucket list.”
    “Seriously? Having sex in a car?”
    “Not just any car.
This
one.”
    He rolled his eyes and leaned his head back on the seat. “Well, I suppose there are worse things.”
    Claudia smiled. “
Waaaaay
worse,” she agreed as she rested her head against his shoulder.
    Suddenly, the radio in Kyle’s duty belt crackled, and Ron’s voice came through the speaker. “HQ to Hansen, come in, over.”
    They both started, and Kyle grabbed the radio from its holster. He put a finger to his lips and gave Claudia a stern look before he spoke. “Hey, Ron, what’s up?”
    “Hey, Kyle. We just got a call from the Village Market. One of their customers locked her keys in the car with the engine running. The car’s an older-model Chevy. Do you think you could jimmy the door for her?”
    “I can try,” Kyle said. “I’m heading back into town now, so I’ll stop over there before I come back to the station.”
    “Ten-four. I’ll let them know. Ron out.”
    “See? It’s fine. No one saw, and nobody will ever know,” Claudia said with a mischievous grin. “And don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy yourself.” She followed Kyle’s lead, though, when he quickly got out of the backseat and climbed into the front.
    Kyle shook his head. “You’re unbelievable,” he said as he started the engine. “Reckless, full of bad judgment, and, and—”
    “—and what?”
    He looked at her, and his expression softened. It seemed he was trying to suppress a grin. He reached out a hand and tucked a strand of her mussed-up hair behind her ear. “
Very
naughty.”
    Claudia smiled. “And?”
    “Drop-dead gorgeous.”
    Her smile grew wider. “And?”
    “
Mine
.” Kyle leaned across the seat and gave her a slow, lingering kiss.
    Claudia was happy down to her toes. And she knew she would never again think of Mill River’s new “recreation area” in quite the same way.
    —
    Father O’Brien was in the sacristy at St. John’s, removing his vestments after the morning’s Mass. The celebration