A slow grin spread across Rafferty’s face, and he nodded. “She’s the most confusing girl I’ve ever met. She started out hating me and now she’s warm and friendly. Then today, she’s holding my hand and looking into my eyes at the groomers, all for show mind you, but it felt so real.”
“Or you wanted it that way,”Rawlins said.
“Maybe.”
Rawlins chuckled.“Play it cool. Let it simmer and see where it goes. That is whatI’mdoing.Notsure if what is going on with Chaney will turn into anything either. It might just be her nature to flirt, or maybe she really is interested in me. Only time will tell. But Idon’twant to lose my head and jeopardize protecting her becauseI’mlovesick over her.”
“Ihear that,”Rafferty said, glancing down at his watch. Three minutes.“I justkeep rememberingwhat Kenneally warned us when we signed on about meeting‘the one’while working a case.”
“I know,” Rawlins said. “I’ve replayed that conversation several times in my head.”
“He was so smug about it too and how he’d never met ‘the one’ yet,” Rafferty said.
“It’s hard for him to when he isn’t out in the field working cases,” Rawlins said. “But one day he’ll fill in when we’re all booked up or come across someone when he least expects it.”
“You sound like a hopeless romantic there, bro,”Rafferty said.
Rawlins shrugged again.“Maybe I am. Nothing wrong with that.”
“You still doing your breathing treatments?”he asked him.
“Yeah. I am. Are you doing your PT exercises?”
“Daily before I start my day,”Rafferty assured him.
“Good,”Rawlins looked at his watch.“Where are they? How long can it take?”
Rafferty pointed behind Rawlins,andhe turned to see them coming toward the tablestillchatting.“I guess they have a lot of catching up to do.”
“They must,”Rawlins said, shaking his head.“Can you imagine if this is how it is after only one week of not talkingwhatit would be like for one year?”
Rafferty laughed.“I do not want to see that.”
After lunch, they said their goodbyes, but Justus and Chaney were reluctant to part. They hugged one anotherandneither seemed to want to let go, until Rawlins stepped up to pull Chaney away from Justus.
“Call me,” Chaney said.
“I will,” Justus promised.
“We’ll get together again,” Rafferty said. “If we can.”
“Yeah,” Rawlins agreed.
“I hope so,” Justus said.
“Me too,”Chaney called as Rawlins led her away.
Justus waved and watched them walk away until they got into their vehicle. Then she turned to Rafferty and hid her faceagainst his chest.“Ididn’tknow I could miss her so much,”she said.“My heart aches already seeing her go.”
“She’sonly across town,”he soothed, rubbing his hand on her back.“Itisn’tlike she is going out of state.”
“But if her parents have their way, she could be back with themandI’llnever get to see her again,”Justus complained.
“I’msure itwon’tcome to that,”Rafferty said.“Come on,let’sgo home and check on For All. He might feel abandoned after being taken to the groomers andthendropped off while we went out.”
Her head popped up.“You knowInever thought about that. He might,”she said, wiping moisture away from her cheeks.“I hope hedidn’tleave us a present to show his displeasure for us leaving him alone.”
“He doesn’t normally do that, does he?” Rafferty asked.
