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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Blindsided
Fandom: White Pine original fiction
Pairing: Ethan McDowell/Travis Murphy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,877
Summary: Ethan’s been loaned out by the White Pine Sheriff yet again. Although it bugs him, he doesn’t mind as much as he lets on. That is, until he gets the surprise of his life in the Garret Police Department.
Author’s Note: Written for the A to Z challenge at 1_million_words – B is for Blindsided, which is pretty much what happens to our poor Ethan in this chapter.
Continued from here.
Pulling into the first empty parking spot he found, Ethan looked around at the Garret, Utah police substation and sighed. He was getting really tired of being loaned out to other municipalities, but he did what was asked of him because Sheriff McCallum had overlooked his supposedly smudged record in Minden Lake and gave him a job despite what had been said about him. That he’d eventually been cleared hadn’t mattered a whit to the sheriff, he’d sworn all along that the proof was in the pudding – meaning Ethan had been a good officer from day one and his past didn’t mean a damn when he proved himself every minute he was on the job.
So, he’d convinced one person anyway.
Garret wasn’t a large community, but it was much bigger than Minden Lake and, in comparison, dwarfed White Pine. But then, the grocery store across the street probably had a larger population than White Pine currently did. Ethan shut off the car and climbed out, steeling himself for whoever he was about to meet inside.
The receptionist waiting at the substation’s front desk tilted her blonde head upwards at his approach. Pasting on a friendly smile, she greeted him happily. “Good morning, what can I do for you?”
He looked around the area behind her, a handful of uniformed officers milling about and chatting before the start of their next shift. It was one of the few things he missed about working in Minden Lake. When he arrived for work in White Pine, the sheriff was usually one foot out the door by the time he appeared. Not that Ethan could blame him, but even so, a little chit chat before being abandoned to the station’s emptiness might be nice on occasion.
“Ethan McDowell,” he said, holding out his hand. “Sheriff McCallum in White Pine sent me.”
“Oh, right,” she said, taking his hand and giving it a hearty shake. “Detective Jordan is waiting for you. Let me take you back to him.”
Following her back past the milling officers, he studied every inch of the station as they maneuvered their way through it. The station he’d been assigned to in Minden Lake wasn’t half as large as this, although it was twice the size of the shoebox he called his office back home. Ethan figured he could easily get used to a place like Garret. The only disadvantage was the fact that Travis steadfastly refused to leave White Pine. Where he was, on the outskirts of the town, was as far as he’d ever go from his parents’ side. Which, Ethan could understand. Not everyone was as anxious to put as much space between themselves and their family as he was.
“Detective Jordan,” the happy blonde called into what had to be the room housing the detective’s department. “The loaner from White Pine is here.” She tossed Ethan a flirty wink letting him know she didn’t mean anything by the term.
Jordan looked up and smiled. “Come on in then,” he said, waving Ethan inside. “Alex Jordan,” he said, holding out his hand.
Ethan gave it a shake. “Ethan McDowell.”
Nodding, Jordan returned to his seat. “Nice to meet you. Gotta admit, I was shocked McCallum even had a detective in that hole in the wall he calls a town. No offense, but ya gotta admit, it’s tiny.”
“A stop sign on a black top as my partner calls it,” he agreed, smiling at Travis’ odd way of looking at things. Taking the seat Jordan indicated, Ethan settled in. “I worked in Minden Lake for several years before uh, relocating.”
“So I’ve heard,” Jordan said. “McCallum and my father go way back, so if the sheriff trusts you, so do I.”
“It’s appreciated,” Ethan said, thankful that McCallum had laid it all out and not held back where his history was concerned. Sometimes, it was better to have it out in the open than to have someone stumble across it later, no matter how embarrassed he might be by the entire fiasco that was his firing. “So, why am I here?”
Before Jordan could respond, a shadow fell across the door causing both men to look up. “I heard there was fresh meat in your office, Jordan. You plan on introducing us?”
Frowning, Jordan rolled his eyes. “No, asshole, I wasn’t. I have more important work to do than finding you your next hookup. Besides, he’s married. There’s a ring on his finger to prove it, so don’t ask.” Jordan pointed a finger in the direction of Ethan’s left hand, resting on the desktop.
Ethan’s heart sank. He hadn’t heard that voice in years and yet, it was as familiar today as it was the last time he’d seen the jackass. Glancing away quickly, he prayed that the other man hadn’t recognized him while silently wondering how his ex-husband had wound up in Garret. Not to mention how they’d both managed to be here, right now.
“Farrow, get the hell out of here,” Jordan insisted, waving a hand angrily at the door. “And before you even try it, no I do not give a damn that you’re the D. A.”
“You’re no fun,” Reid taunted. “He’s just my type too. Wiry and lean and – hold up. I know you.”
Cringing, Ethan brought his face around to meet the coffee colored eyes of the man who’d stolen his heart. “Yes, Reid, you sure do.”
“I’ll be goddamned, it’s Ethan McDowell,” Reid Farrow exclaimed. “What the hell are you doing in Garret? Last I heard, you’d turned tail and ran the hell out of Minden Lake. Someone even told me you’d landed in Vegas.”
Ethan tried his best not to flinch at the accusation, but the loss of his job still hurt. “That’s not exactly what happened,” he denied, although it was damn close enough to be true. “It’s more like I found out my husband was cheating on me, my partner was a lying sack of shit, my captain was dealing drugs on the side, and my family hated me more after the fact than they ever had previously. What was the point in staying?” But no, he wasn’t bitter in the least.
“Some things never change,” Farrow muttered, giving Ethan a look. “Still as gorgeous and angry as ever.”
“Don’t even start with me,” Ethan growled, knowing Reid had tossed in the ‘gorgeous’ as a way of baiting him. It had worked, too, for a second. Checking himself, Ethan gave his head a shake and returned his focus to Jordan, ignoring the idiot in the doorway. “You were saying? About why I was called down here?”
Jordan looked from the D. A. to his temporary partner and sighed. “Of course. Due to an incident last week –” Farrow interrupted with a sarcastic snort which Detective Jordan ignored and continued on. “We’re down a couple detectives. Under normal circumstances, we’d make do, but since we lost half of what passes for a homicide department in this town, we needed help. My father reached out to your boss and here you are.”
Ethan felt a little thrill rise in his chest. He hadn’t worked a real case since he’d left Minden Lake three years ago. The chance to even help out on solving a case wasn’t something he was willing to let pass him by. He’d scrub video footage or knock on doors, anything to get back into the action. “I’m all yours,” he said, eager to get started. “Just point me in the direction you want me to go, and I’m gone.”
“Gee, that sounds familiar,” Farrow said, still standing in the doorway.
“Don’t you have court this morning, Reid? And even if you don’t, get the hell out of my office anyway.”
“Whatever,” Farrow said, waving a hand at the two of them. “And Ethan? I’ll be seeing you around. Jordan said you were married, which is shocking to be quite honest, but we’ll discuss that later.”
With his sparse breakfast threatening to make a return appearance, Ethan held his breath until Reid had deigned to leave them alone. Lost in his hazy thoughts, he was startled when Jordan called his name. “I’m sorry? I think I missed what you just said.”
“It appears you and our lovely district attorney are familiar with one another,” Jordan repeated. “Is it a tale you wish to tell or is it too personal?” The detective rested his chin in his hand and waited.
“I guess that depends on how long I’m going to be on loan with you,” Ethan said after several moments of careful thought. “I’d rather keep my mouth shut if I’m only going to be here for a couple days.”
“Well,” Jordan drawled, “several of our detectives are sidelined for at least four weeks. McCallum assured me that he’d make do until we were able to give you up, so it’s up to you.”
Four weeks? Travis would divorce him in a hot second if he was expected to stay here for a month. “You don’t honestly think I’m going to be here that long, do you?”
“I hope not,” Jordan said, face sincere. “I’d do anything to get my guys back to work and you back home. But if that’s what it takes, I hope you can find a place here with us.”
“Which means I ought to tell you the truth,” Ethan said, wishing he could crawl into a hole and die. Leaning back in his chair, he took a moment to organize his thoughts, tamping down on the emotions raging within him. “Reid and I went to school together in Minden Lake. He was – he was my first love. I guess there’s no hiding it after what he said and we eventually got married, although it wasn’t even close to legal at the time.” Ethan paused and swallowed against the hurt and betrayal building at the back of his throat. It wasn’t something he’d ever told anyone before now, not Travis, not his family. Not that his family gave a damn, but that wasn’t quite the point.
“That little shit,” Jordan muttered. “I can’t picture a guy as nice as you seem to be with that jerk.”
Despite himself, Ethan laughed. “He was different back then, or he at least hid it better. We were kids and then we grew up, grew apart, I guess. Eventually, he cheated, got caught and –”
“And he blamed it all on you,” Jordan finished. “Didn’t he?”
“He did,” Ethan agreed, not quite understanding the knowing look in the other detective’s eyes.
“Figures.” Jordan tapped his fingers on the desk. “It’s how he operates, even now. I’ll do my best to keep him away from you while you’re on duty. When you’re off…”
“I’m on my own, got it.” Ethan nodded, understanding he was in foreign territory and couldn’t rely on local assistance if he needed any.
“No, you’re never on your own here,” Jordan clarified, taking Ethan by surprise. “It just takes longer to get help.”
To his amazement, Ethan found himself liking this guy. It was a shame they’d only be working together for a short time. He intended to get home to White Pine – and Travis Murphy – as soon as he possibly could.
Story continues here.
Fandom: White Pine original fiction
Pairing: Ethan McDowell/Travis Murphy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,877
Summary: Ethan’s been loaned out by the White Pine Sheriff yet again. Although it bugs him, he doesn’t mind as much as he lets on. That is, until he gets the surprise of his life in the Garret Police Department.
Author’s Note: Written for the A to Z challenge at 1_million_words – B is for Blindsided, which is pretty much what happens to our poor Ethan in this chapter.
Continued from here.
Pulling into the first empty parking spot he found, Ethan looked around at the Garret, Utah police substation and sighed. He was getting really tired of being loaned out to other municipalities, but he did what was asked of him because Sheriff McCallum had overlooked his supposedly smudged record in Minden Lake and gave him a job despite what had been said about him. That he’d eventually been cleared hadn’t mattered a whit to the sheriff, he’d sworn all along that the proof was in the pudding – meaning Ethan had been a good officer from day one and his past didn’t mean a damn when he proved himself every minute he was on the job.
So, he’d convinced one person anyway.
Garret wasn’t a large community, but it was much bigger than Minden Lake and, in comparison, dwarfed White Pine. But then, the grocery store across the street probably had a larger population than White Pine currently did. Ethan shut off the car and climbed out, steeling himself for whoever he was about to meet inside.
The receptionist waiting at the substation’s front desk tilted her blonde head upwards at his approach. Pasting on a friendly smile, she greeted him happily. “Good morning, what can I do for you?”
He looked around the area behind her, a handful of uniformed officers milling about and chatting before the start of their next shift. It was one of the few things he missed about working in Minden Lake. When he arrived for work in White Pine, the sheriff was usually one foot out the door by the time he appeared. Not that Ethan could blame him, but even so, a little chit chat before being abandoned to the station’s emptiness might be nice on occasion.
“Ethan McDowell,” he said, holding out his hand. “Sheriff McCallum in White Pine sent me.”
“Oh, right,” she said, taking his hand and giving it a hearty shake. “Detective Jordan is waiting for you. Let me take you back to him.”
Following her back past the milling officers, he studied every inch of the station as they maneuvered their way through it. The station he’d been assigned to in Minden Lake wasn’t half as large as this, although it was twice the size of the shoebox he called his office back home. Ethan figured he could easily get used to a place like Garret. The only disadvantage was the fact that Travis steadfastly refused to leave White Pine. Where he was, on the outskirts of the town, was as far as he’d ever go from his parents’ side. Which, Ethan could understand. Not everyone was as anxious to put as much space between themselves and their family as he was.
“Detective Jordan,” the happy blonde called into what had to be the room housing the detective’s department. “The loaner from White Pine is here.” She tossed Ethan a flirty wink letting him know she didn’t mean anything by the term.
Jordan looked up and smiled. “Come on in then,” he said, waving Ethan inside. “Alex Jordan,” he said, holding out his hand.
Ethan gave it a shake. “Ethan McDowell.”
Nodding, Jordan returned to his seat. “Nice to meet you. Gotta admit, I was shocked McCallum even had a detective in that hole in the wall he calls a town. No offense, but ya gotta admit, it’s tiny.”
“A stop sign on a black top as my partner calls it,” he agreed, smiling at Travis’ odd way of looking at things. Taking the seat Jordan indicated, Ethan settled in. “I worked in Minden Lake for several years before uh, relocating.”
“So I’ve heard,” Jordan said. “McCallum and my father go way back, so if the sheriff trusts you, so do I.”
“It’s appreciated,” Ethan said, thankful that McCallum had laid it all out and not held back where his history was concerned. Sometimes, it was better to have it out in the open than to have someone stumble across it later, no matter how embarrassed he might be by the entire fiasco that was his firing. “So, why am I here?”
Before Jordan could respond, a shadow fell across the door causing both men to look up. “I heard there was fresh meat in your office, Jordan. You plan on introducing us?”
Frowning, Jordan rolled his eyes. “No, asshole, I wasn’t. I have more important work to do than finding you your next hookup. Besides, he’s married. There’s a ring on his finger to prove it, so don’t ask.” Jordan pointed a finger in the direction of Ethan’s left hand, resting on the desktop.
Ethan’s heart sank. He hadn’t heard that voice in years and yet, it was as familiar today as it was the last time he’d seen the jackass. Glancing away quickly, he prayed that the other man hadn’t recognized him while silently wondering how his ex-husband had wound up in Garret. Not to mention how they’d both managed to be here, right now.
“Farrow, get the hell out of here,” Jordan insisted, waving a hand angrily at the door. “And before you even try it, no I do not give a damn that you’re the D. A.”
“You’re no fun,” Reid taunted. “He’s just my type too. Wiry and lean and – hold up. I know you.”
Cringing, Ethan brought his face around to meet the coffee colored eyes of the man who’d stolen his heart. “Yes, Reid, you sure do.”
“I’ll be goddamned, it’s Ethan McDowell,” Reid Farrow exclaimed. “What the hell are you doing in Garret? Last I heard, you’d turned tail and ran the hell out of Minden Lake. Someone even told me you’d landed in Vegas.”
Ethan tried his best not to flinch at the accusation, but the loss of his job still hurt. “That’s not exactly what happened,” he denied, although it was damn close enough to be true. “It’s more like I found out my husband was cheating on me, my partner was a lying sack of shit, my captain was dealing drugs on the side, and my family hated me more after the fact than they ever had previously. What was the point in staying?” But no, he wasn’t bitter in the least.
“Some things never change,” Farrow muttered, giving Ethan a look. “Still as gorgeous and angry as ever.”
“Don’t even start with me,” Ethan growled, knowing Reid had tossed in the ‘gorgeous’ as a way of baiting him. It had worked, too, for a second. Checking himself, Ethan gave his head a shake and returned his focus to Jordan, ignoring the idiot in the doorway. “You were saying? About why I was called down here?”
Jordan looked from the D. A. to his temporary partner and sighed. “Of course. Due to an incident last week –” Farrow interrupted with a sarcastic snort which Detective Jordan ignored and continued on. “We’re down a couple detectives. Under normal circumstances, we’d make do, but since we lost half of what passes for a homicide department in this town, we needed help. My father reached out to your boss and here you are.”
Ethan felt a little thrill rise in his chest. He hadn’t worked a real case since he’d left Minden Lake three years ago. The chance to even help out on solving a case wasn’t something he was willing to let pass him by. He’d scrub video footage or knock on doors, anything to get back into the action. “I’m all yours,” he said, eager to get started. “Just point me in the direction you want me to go, and I’m gone.”
“Gee, that sounds familiar,” Farrow said, still standing in the doorway.
“Don’t you have court this morning, Reid? And even if you don’t, get the hell out of my office anyway.”
“Whatever,” Farrow said, waving a hand at the two of them. “And Ethan? I’ll be seeing you around. Jordan said you were married, which is shocking to be quite honest, but we’ll discuss that later.”
With his sparse breakfast threatening to make a return appearance, Ethan held his breath until Reid had deigned to leave them alone. Lost in his hazy thoughts, he was startled when Jordan called his name. “I’m sorry? I think I missed what you just said.”
“It appears you and our lovely district attorney are familiar with one another,” Jordan repeated. “Is it a tale you wish to tell or is it too personal?” The detective rested his chin in his hand and waited.
“I guess that depends on how long I’m going to be on loan with you,” Ethan said after several moments of careful thought. “I’d rather keep my mouth shut if I’m only going to be here for a couple days.”
“Well,” Jordan drawled, “several of our detectives are sidelined for at least four weeks. McCallum assured me that he’d make do until we were able to give you up, so it’s up to you.”
Four weeks? Travis would divorce him in a hot second if he was expected to stay here for a month. “You don’t honestly think I’m going to be here that long, do you?”
“I hope not,” Jordan said, face sincere. “I’d do anything to get my guys back to work and you back home. But if that’s what it takes, I hope you can find a place here with us.”
“Which means I ought to tell you the truth,” Ethan said, wishing he could crawl into a hole and die. Leaning back in his chair, he took a moment to organize his thoughts, tamping down on the emotions raging within him. “Reid and I went to school together in Minden Lake. He was – he was my first love. I guess there’s no hiding it after what he said and we eventually got married, although it wasn’t even close to legal at the time.” Ethan paused and swallowed against the hurt and betrayal building at the back of his throat. It wasn’t something he’d ever told anyone before now, not Travis, not his family. Not that his family gave a damn, but that wasn’t quite the point.
“That little shit,” Jordan muttered. “I can’t picture a guy as nice as you seem to be with that jerk.”
Despite himself, Ethan laughed. “He was different back then, or he at least hid it better. We were kids and then we grew up, grew apart, I guess. Eventually, he cheated, got caught and –”
“And he blamed it all on you,” Jordan finished. “Didn’t he?”
“He did,” Ethan agreed, not quite understanding the knowing look in the other detective’s eyes.
“Figures.” Jordan tapped his fingers on the desk. “It’s how he operates, even now. I’ll do my best to keep him away from you while you’re on duty. When you’re off…”
“I’m on my own, got it.” Ethan nodded, understanding he was in foreign territory and couldn’t rely on local assistance if he needed any.
“No, you’re never on your own here,” Jordan clarified, taking Ethan by surprise. “It just takes longer to get help.”
To his amazement, Ethan found himself liking this guy. It was a shame they’d only be working together for a short time. He intended to get home to White Pine – and Travis Murphy – as soon as he possibly could.
Story continues here.
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no subject
Date: 2016-01-21 10:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-21 10:46 pm (UTC)Thank you! :)
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Date: 2016-01-22 12:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-22 02:32 am (UTC)I'd rather see Reid and Aracely meet up. Twenty bucks on the Hispanic lady in the apron. :) But yes - that is my favorite visual of Travis by far.
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Date: 2016-01-24 08:44 am (UTC)Looking forward to seeing what comes next! ;-)
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Date: 2016-01-24 09:21 pm (UTC)Thanks! Can't wait to get back to this one.