I woke up to the dreary light of dawn and the sound that haunted me, the persistent brittle crunch that drove me to madness in my sleep. This morning, it was accompanied by the soft click of Lina’s front door closing.
The sheets next to me were still warm, a ghost of the woman who’d been there all night, curled into my side, anchoring me with the rise and fall of her chest.
She’d been there for me when I needed her most. And then she’d made a point to leave her own damn bed so I’d wake up alone.
I dragged my hands over my face. Something had to give between us and I had the sinking suspicion that “something” was gonna be me.
A weight hit the mattress, and a second later, Piper pounced on my chest. I grunted. Kibble dust stained her white muzzle, which meant Lina had fed her breakfast.
“Mornin’, bud,” I rasped, wiping the sleep from my eyes.
She nudged at me until I gave her a half-hearted scruffing.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m fine,” I said.
Piper didn’t look like she believed me.
But it felt true. Sure, I had a lingering headache at the base of my neck and every muscle in my body felt like it had gone a few rounds in the ring. But I’d slept deep and woken with a clear head.
I picked her up and held her aloft over my head. “See? Everything’s fine.” Her little tail blurred with enthusiasm as she pawed playfully at the air. “All right. Let’s start the damn day.”
The dog tip-tapped after me into the bathroom where I found a note taped to the mirror.
N,
Fed and walked Piper. Be gone by the time I get back.
L
I remained amused by Lina’s terse note until I returned to the bedroom and spotted her suitcase sitting open on the floor. It was empty, thankfully. But I had a feeling the fact that she’d left it out meant she was still considering leaving. If she thought she was going anywhere, Lina Solavita had a rude awakening coming. We had business to settle. Scales to balance. Deals to make.
Any doubt I’d had about my feelings for her had been erased last night. She didn’t have to open her door. She didn’t have to let me in. And she sure as hell didn’t have to fall asleep in my arms. But she did, because despite the fact that I’d pissed her off, she cared about me.
And I was gonna use that to my advantage.
“Come on, Pipes. Let’s go home. We’ve got some thinkin’ to do,” I said on a yawn.
I was still yawning when we let ourselves out of Lina’s place only to find Nolan raising a fist to knock on my door.
“Brought you a coffee,” he said, eyeing my appearance. I was wearing nothing but sweatpants and was in desperate need of a shower. “Shoulda got the bucket size,” he observed.
I took the coffee and opened my door.
“Long night?” he asked, following me inside as I guzzled caffeine.
I grunted. “Why are you here? Besides to play coffee fairy.”
“Ran into your soon-to-be sister-in-law at the café, who did order the bucket size. She said Knox is pullin’ out all the stops for Career Day.”
“Fuck me. That’s today?”
“Today in”—he paused and checked his watch—“two hours and twenty-seven minutes. Figured since I had to tag along anyway, we could strategize. Can’t have law enforcement takin’ a back seat to some lottery-winning, bar-owning barber. No offense.”
“He’s my brother,” I said dryly. “None taken. How’s he gonna make paperwork interesting?”
“Naomi doesn’t realize how deep male competition runs. She told me the whole plan. He’s gonna let the kids mix virgin drinks and then shave the vice principal’s head.”
“Damn. That’s good.”
“We can be better,” Nolan said with confidence.
“Hit the siren, Way,” I instructed, gripping the wheel tight.
Waylay grinned wickedly and punched the button. The siren wailed to life.
“Anybody back there get car sick?” I asked the passengers in the back seat.
“No!” came the giddy chorus.
“Then hang on tight.”
I turned the wheel hard, sending the back of the cruiser into a gentle slide around the last traffic cone. Then I stomped on the gas.
“Go! Go! Go!” Waylay screeched.
I crossed the makeshift finish line inches ahead of Nolan and his cruiser full of kids.
The back seat erupted in wild cheers.
I brought the car to a stop and that thing hurting my face, stretching muscles that hadn’t been used lately was a God’s honest grin.
It was safe to say we’d blown Knox’s stupid presentation out of the water.
“OMG! That was the best!” Waylay’s friend Chloe said as I opened the back door for her. She and two other sixth graders piled out, all talking at once.
“I’d have had you on that last cone if Barfy McGee hadn’t asked me to roll down the windows,” Nolan said, hooking his thumb in the direction of a freckled redheaded boy as he headed my way.
“Don’t be a sore loser and blame Kaden. The kid drives go-karts on the weekends.”
“Think we won?” he asked.
We surveyed the elementary school parking lot.
The kids were in an uproar, begging my officers for the next ride. The teachers were grinning ear to ear. And Knox was flipping me the bird.
“Hell yeah, we did. Gotta say, the driving obstacle course was not a terrible idea.”
“Your murder mystery game wasn’t half bad either,” he said.
“I didn’t expect Way to be quite so dramatic with her death scene.”
“Speaking of the recently deceased,” Nolan said, nodding as my niece skipped our way.
She stopped in front of me and looked up. “Uncle Nash?”
“Yeah, Way?”
“Thanks.” She didn’t say anything else, just hugged me around the waist and then ran off with her giggling friends.
I cleared my throat, surprised by the emotion I felt. A hug from Waylay Witt was like one from Lina. Unexpected, hard won, and damn meaningful.
“You still love what you do,” Nolan observed.
“Yeah. I guess I do,” I admitted.
“Hang on to that,” he advised.
“What? You don’t love spending your days babysitting my ass?”
“Not even a little bit.”
“Maybe you should do something about it.”
“That’s what Lina and I were talking about last night.”
“You were with Lina last night?” But that was as far as I got with the questioning before we were interrupted by Waylay’s teacher.
“Congratulations, gentlemen. I have it on good authority that this was by far our most memorable Career Day, Chief,” Mr. Michaels said, handing me Piper’s leash.
It turned out that while Piper was shy around adults, she loved kids, the louder and crazier the better. I’d never seen the damn dog so happy before.
“Happy to help out,” I said.
“I have a feeling you just inspired the next generation of Knockemout police officers,” he said, stretching an arm out to encompass the sixth-grade frenzy.
Mr. Michaels headed off to talk to some of the other Career Day losers and Knox took his place. “Way to show me up in front of my own kid, jackass.”
I smirked. “Can’t help it if my job is cooler than yours.”
“Your job is ninety percent paperwork.”
“Look who’s talking, Mr. Inventory and Payroll Hell.”
My brother snorted and turned to Nolan. “Appreciate the help with Dilton and his crew last night. Maybe you don’t totally suck.”
“Lina did most of the dirty work. I came along just in time to help with the cleanup.”
“What the hell are you two talking about?” I demanded.
Nolan looked at me. “You come walkin’ out of her apartment this morning half naked with bedhead and you don’t know?”
“Talk. Now,” I snapped.
“Did you unfuck things with her?” Knox asked.
“What happened with Dilton?” I repeated, ignoring my brother.
“He and his buddies were gettin’ a little rowdy at Honky Tonk. They pissed off Max the server, which given the timing of the month was pretty fucking stupid. Then Lina caught his eye,” Nolan explained.
Of course she did. She’d catch any man’s eye.
“What happened?” I reached for my phone. I was going to track Dilton down and kick his ass. Then I’d track Lina down and yell at her for an hour or so for not telling me she’d tangled with my problem.
“Slow your roll, Romeo. Fi said Lina eviscerated the moron with words. Now, back to what you were doin’ sneakin’ out of her place. She didn’t say jack about you this morning when she borrowed my truck,” Knox said.
“Goddammit. Why did she need your truck?”
“Lina was holdin’ her own,” Nolan continued. “But another customer—big guy—stepped in when it looked like Dilton might be too drunk to make good choices. Your manager threatened to call the cops just as I walked in. So I got to escort the assface outside.”
“What did he say to her?”
“Dunno. She just said he was being a dick,” Nolan said. “After my chat with him, I assumed it was drunken misogyny. Hey, do you guys think I should lose the ’stache?”
“Yes,” Knox said. “It makes me want to punch you in the face.”
“Damn it. It was supposed to be my freedom facial hair. You know, get divorced, grow some hair, magically turn into a new person.”
“I’ve got a barbershop and a straight razor. Just say the word.”
I left the two of them to their facial hair and walked away already dialing.
