He chuckled at that thought. If he’d been back at his old precinct, he would have been worried about drugs, gang fights, guns, and looting. A little rowdy he could handle.
Some people shot him strange looks, but he was used to it. He knew he cut an imposing figure in his uniform. At six-foot-four, with broad shoulders and chest, large, muscular arms, a trim waist, and solid thighs, he was the epitome of strength. Years of hard work during the summers on his grandparent’s farm had helped him develop into a tower of strength.
He smiled at the crowd and didn’t take it personal when some people frowned. He knew there were a lot ofemotions bouncing around the country about cops, and he was determined to show people he was a good guy.He took a sip of his smoothie and smiled again. Goddamn, it was good. Like apple pie ice cream, with chunks of crust. He knew his straw wouldn’t be able to suck up the large chunks, so he pulled off the lid and used his straw as a makeshift spoon.
He quickly finished the treat and crumpled the cup before tossing it into the trash can at the corner. More people were arriving, looking for the perfect viewing spot.
Soon, both sides of the street were full of families, couples, teenagers, and elderly. It seemed the entire town, small though it was, had turned out for this event. From what he’d been told, visitors from surrounding towns also made a day of the parade. Band music could be heard in the distance, indicating the parade was getting ready to start. The Apple Grove High School marching band would be leading the parade.
He spied two men, probably in their mid-twenties, holding hands, and a pang of jealousy hit him. But he wasn’t a fool. He knew that love wasn’t in the cards for everyone. There were times he even wondered if love was real or something manufactured by humans to convince themselves they belonged with someone.Chad had never really given much thought to ever settling down, but he did like to date.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t had any luck with dating since arriving in Apple Grove—the one drawback of living in a small town. His former city had gay bars all over, and even if he hadn’t found his Mr. Rightin any of them, he had sure found his Mr. Right Now often enough.
When he’d moved to town, he’d been upfront with his boss about his sexuality, unwilling to hide who hewas. He’d been relieved to find out that the Apple Grove PD had no issue with that. As a matter of fact,his boss’s brother was gay, so the man had barely batted an eye when Chad had made his disclosure.
Now, the music grew louder and people crowded closer to the street, craning their heads to see if the parade was coming. Chad made his way around them so he could patrol the street, in front of the onlookers, rather than behind them. It was the best way to see everyone and ensure the crowd stayed backfrom the parade. A breeze whipped across his face and he shivered as he zipped up his jacket.
Music blasted around the corner as the high schoolers marched their way onto Main Street and kids began cheering. The band stepped in time, swinging their instruments from side to side as they moved as one, and Chad’s heart kicked up at the memories of high school…
To say Chad was the star receiver of his football team would have been an understatement. Scouts had watched him since he’d played varsity in his sophomore year. He’d broken multiple school records. Hell, he’d crushed records, with the most touchdowns and all-time leader in receiving yards. The future had been laid out in front of him as a bounty for his taking. He had lived and breathed football most of his life, and he’d lived for Friday nights on the field, listening to the coach pump up the teamas the band played through half-time. By the time he was a senior, he’d been offered multiple full scholarships from some great colleges and basically had his pick of what he wanted to do with his life. Which was football.
When the last game of the year came around, he was ready. More than ready. Which might have made him a little cocky. A little too sure of himself.
The sound of a crowd had always pushed him to do his best, so he was furious when a player from the other team rammed him. Purposefully. The guy was immediately pulled from the game, but not before he had whipped off his helmet, stalking over to stand only inches from Chad. The guy was massive. And hot as hell. He had emerald green eyes that sparkled under the field lights. Chad froze, his feet refusing to move. He gaped as the guy gave him a slow once-over and smirked before he whispered a sultry, “See you around.”
In that moment, Chad knew. Knew why he had never really cared about the girls in his school. Or why kissing a girl sucked for him. It had never occurred to him that he was gay. Well, at least that’s what he’d told himself through the years.