The car pulled over to the side of the road, and Pastor Jeff's hands were still trembling a little on the steering wheel.
That wild dash through the intersection had his adrenaline pumping like crazy—he hadn't fully calmed down yet.
"Did I... did I just run a red light back there?" Pastor Jeff asked uncertainly, snapping out of it.
"Who knows," Grandma Connie said with a shrug. "At this hour? You think anyone's out there ticketing us?"
Pastor Jeff let out a sigh of relief and quietly prayed to God, asking for forgiveness just in case.
Truth was, he'd been so nervous while crossing that intersection that he hadn't even noticed if the light changed. Statistically speaking, there was a fifty-fifty chance he'd blown through a red.
For a devout Christian like him, even the tiniest slip-up felt like a big deal.
Just as Grandma Connie was getting fed up with his dithering and about to demand they switch drivers, a cop pushing a motorcycle at the nearby crossroads hit the siren.
"Oh Lord..." Pastor Jeff muttered mid-prayer as someone knocked on the window.
In the heavy silence, he finished his prayer, then nervously rolled down the glass.
Under the glow of the streetlight, his eyes met those of the officer leaning in—a woman with long, golden-blonde hair.
Time seemed to freeze right then and there.
Ahem. Grandma Connie cleared her throat, breaking the moment, and leaned over to ask, "Officer, did we break any traffic laws?"
"Not at all," the officer said, shaking her head and easing the tension. Then she explained, "I just noticed your car was going kinda... weirdly slow earlier, so I came over to check if everything was okay."
Turns out it was just routine. That realization finally let Pastor Jeff's nerves unwind completely.
"Could I see your license, please?" she asked, all business.
"Oh, sure, of course..." Pastor Jeff fumbled for his wallet and handed it over, adding, "I'm Jeff. I'm actually the pastor at the local church."
"I know who you are, Pastor," she said with a small smile, checking the license before handing it back. "I attend service there every Sunday. So, what's going on? Car trouble? Need any help?"
Pastor Jeff looked a little embarrassed. "Nah, the car's fine. I just pulled over to catch my breath for a minute."
"Alright then. Just don't hang around the intersection too long. Drive safe!"
"Yes, ma'am," he nodded, starting the engine.
The car wobbled forward a few yards... then stopped again.
Under the officer's curious gaze, Pastor Jeff stuck his head out the window and, gathering his courage, called out, "Hey, uh... I was just wondering—it's pretty late. How come you're still on duty?"
Cops usually worked in pairs, especially this late at night. A woman out here alone pushing her bike? Something felt off.
"Actually, today's my first shift," she explained cheerfully. "And my motorcycle got a flat tire, so I'm running behind. But it's no big deal."
Pastor Jeff glanced at the bike and sure enough, the front tire was sunk in. "Need a hand with that?"
"Nope, I got it. Thanks, though!" she said with a bright laugh.
"Alright then. Good luck!" He started the car again, a little disappointed.
From the passenger seat, Grandma Connie watched Pastor Jeff zone out after they drove off and finally spoke up. "If I were you, I'd turn this car around right now and go talk to her."
The guy was clearly smitten.
"No, I can't do that," he protested weakly.
"Why not?" Grandma Connie pressed. "Because you're a pastor, God took away your right to chase happiness?"
"It's not that," Pastor Jeff said, all tangled up. "I don't even know her name. Or if she's single. I mean... she's just so perfect."
Perfect. Yeah, that's the word.
When their eyes met earlier, it felt like he'd seen an angel. He'd never felt anything like that with Selena—not once.
"Trust me, she's definitely single," Grandma Connie said confidently. "You've got a real shot here."
She was mostly guessing based on experience. The way that officer had looked at Jeff? There was something there.
Of course, Grandma Connie loved stirring the pot. If she was wrong, the only one who'd end up embarrassed was Jeff anyway.
Plus, a little romantic adventure might help him finally get over Selena.
"You sure?" Pastor Jeff asked, clearly tempted.
"Absolutely. When it comes to love, Grandma's got years of wisdom," she said, egging him on. "Go for it. You'll regret it forever if you don't."
Pastor Jeff might look older than his years, but he wasn't even thirty yet. Right now, with Grandma Connie hyping him up, he was feeling that rush.
"Okay... I'm going. God bless me," he said, like he was steeling himself for battle. He parked properly, hopped out, straightened his clothes, and took a deep breath. "What should I do?"
"Offer to give her a ride home first. Then ask her out for coffee," Grandma Connie suggested with a grin and a wave. "Good luck, kid!"
With that pep talk, Pastor Jeff squared his shoulders and headed back toward the intersection.
The officer was still there, pushing her bike—not too far off yet.
Feeling pretty pleased with herself for playing matchmaker, Grandma Connie slid over to the driver's seat, eager to watch how this played out.
Then she turned—and nearly jumped out of her skin. There was a face pressed right up against the window.
"Jeff! Why the heck are you back already?" she snapped, heart racing.
Come on, late at night? A random face at the car window? Scary as hell.
"I, uh... I came back to ask if you could tell Mary for me that I won't be coming over tonight," he said with an awkward smile.
He knew he'd chickened out kinda suddenly.
"Yeah, yeah, got it. Now go!" Grandma Connie shooed him away.
After that scare, her heart was still pounding. Even Jeff's smile looked creepy now.
He gave another embarrassed chuckle and finally left—for real this time.
Once he was gone, Grandma Connie lost all interest in spying on his love life. She floored it home like the wind.
"Mike... Mike!" she yelled the second she walked through the door.
"What's wrong?" Mike came out of his room, noticing she looked pale as a ghost after her little outing.
"Nothing," she said, catching her breath. "It's fine. Go back to bed!"
"Weird..." Mike muttered and headed back to his room.
He had no idea she was just trying to "wash her eyes" and erase that jump-scare from her mind.