“Take me instead, Cass.”
Jacob stood completely still, not daring to move even an inch. He knew he had meant what he just said, but a small tingling of fear was now starting to grow inside of him. The tension was so palpable that even the birds in the nearby tree had stopped singing, and a squirrel prancing across the yard paused with an acorn in his mouth, as if he thought Cassidy was going to arrest him too. Jacob kept his eyes steady and fixed on Cassidy Burns. He hated to admit it, but she had a really good poker face. It was as if they were in a Western standoff, except Jacob had no idea why they were no longer friends and not on the same side anymore. Jacob knew what he was risking—his impeccable reputation for his roofing company could be completely lost because of this, but that didn’t matter to him. Jacob cared more for his team than he did for himself. Besides, Carlos had told him it was only a few unpaid parking tickets. He reasoned that this should all really be taken care of rather quickly. Jacob considered the megaphone and possible arrest to be a bit dramatic for such a simple problem.
He watched as Cassidy glanced briefly down at her clipboard and then back to him. She pursed her lips together and furrowed her brow. Without saying a word, she turned on her heel and walked back to her cruiser, leaving Jacob standing there alone and confused. She turned around and put her hand on her hip, her expression turning to one of frustration. Jacob had to hold in a chuckle as he remembered how cute Cassidy always looked when she would make her mad face. Her tiny, scrunched-up nose would look like a rabbit’s when it’s about to chew a tasty blade of grass. The thought made him want to smile, but the strong clearing of her throat made that thought disappear quickly.
“Okay, Mr. Roberts. You talked the talk; now, let’s see you walk the walk. Get in.”
Jacob gulped, not knowing what he had fully gotten himself into, but he reassured himself that God was with him always and He would go with him even now. Jacob was grateful that his parents had raised him in the faith, and he knew that as long as he strived to stay close to God every day, then what evil could man do to him? Or, in this case, a woman. A very beautiful woman, one might add.
Jacob shook himself as he had no idea where that thought had come from. Cassidy was one of his close childhood friends, and he had never looked at her romantically before. Although, he had always secretly admired how brave she was to ask boys out and tell funny stories to the audience to open up their school assemblies. Was this God’s prompting, or was he now seeing his old friend in a new light? It didn’t really matter, though, given the current situation between them there was a slim to zero chance that it would be appropriate for him to ask Cassidy out on a date. Still, as Jacob was walking over to Cassidy, he was caught off guard when he got a brief whiff of her citrusy lemon shampoo. He liked being close to her and realized in that moment that maybe he had made a mistake volunteering to go with her—not because he wasn’t willing to put his career on the line for his crew, Jacob knew he was doing the right thing there, but because he suddenly couldn’t stop thinking about Cassidy.
“Well, are you going to get in?”
Cassidy tapped her foot impatiently. Jacob started forward and then stopped. He wasn’t sure if she wanted him to ride in the back and he definitely did not want to make the wrong assumption again, like he’d done earlier when he had tried to hug her. He winced slightly, remembering that fresh rejection.
“Officer Burns, do you want me to ride in the back? Or do you need to handcuff me first?”
To Jacob’s great surprise, Cassidy smirked and a tiny smile formed on her face. The tension in his body started to ease a little. She shook her head and walked around to the front passenger door and held it open for him. Jacob walked at a quick clip to get over to the car now. He waved to his crew as a signal that everything was going to be okay, at least he prayed it would be. After he got in, Cassidy shut the door but stayed standing in front of it. The window was down and she leaned in slightly.
“You really thought I was going to handcuff you? I’m sorry— I think I may have been a little too hard on you, Jacob. Let’s take a ride down to the station and see if we can get this all sorted out, okay?”
She touched his arm gently and flashed a quick smile, but as fast as it had appeared, it went away as she hurried around the front of the vehicle to resume her primary role. Jacob lightly rubbed the spot where Cassidy’s hand had just lingered. He could not understand why he was feeling so tender and connected to Cassidy. They hadn’t even seen each other in years, but he knew by her reaction just now that she felt something too, and that reassured Jacob that everything was going to work out somehow.
Jacob was fully invested now and was prepared to take the fall for his crew instead. His team was like his second family, and he wanted to be there for them 100 percent. It was his job to make sure that they had everything they needed to complete their jobs safely and efficiently. Jacob was quick and eager to always lend a hand, moving materials or running out to get something that may have been overlooked. He also insisted that his crew take mandatory breaks throughout the day. Jacob knew the harsh realities of working in this line of work as his first job out of college was working on a construction site. Unlike Jacob, his boss was largely driven by money and inflicted a harsh and punitive work environment. Jacob vowed never to create such an atmosphere for his company and would go above and beyond to ensure that his crews’ needs were met, not only physically but emotionally too.
Cassidy started up the vehicle and nodded at Jacob. Her demeanor had switched back to stoic and stern, creating a fresh new wave of tension in the air between them. Cassidy cleared her throat loudly, causing the hairs on Jacob’s arms to stand up a little. He wished that they could go back to the sweet moment they had just shared only minutes ago. Apparently, that was not going to happen now, as Cassidy had obviously put a wall back up between them and was all business.
“Ready, Mr. Roberts?”
Jacob’s mind began to race with a few what-if scenarios, but he stopped it by ruminating on a few of his favorite Bible verses, including the one about God directing the steps of His people. This instantly calmed him with the peace and reassurance that no person could give but only Jacob’s Lord and Savior. He relaxed back in his seat and closed his eyes. His response was confident but gentle.
“Yes, Ma’am. I’m ready, Officer Burns.”
To be continued…
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