“Mateo? Selena?” The policeman leaned down and grinned, his white teeth a brilliant contrast to his golden-brown complexion. “I didn’t know you were in town, man. Or that you two were back together. How the hell are you?”
“Quinn?” The last time Mateo had seen his old friend was the last time he’d seen Selena. Quinn and his girlfriend had jumped out of the back seat of his car and ran, horrified at what they had witnessed and what Mateo had become. His father’s memory wipe had clearly been effective, he thought, as the two men shook hands.
“Sorry,” Quinn said sheepishly. “We’ve had a lot of car prowls in the area, so I just assumed… How long are you in town for? We should get the squad together. Grab a pint or two.”
He felt Selena’s light touch as she threaded her fingers through his, just like she used to. He resisted the urge to absorb any of her energy. Without thinking, he brought the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it. He hadn’t planned to stay in the area for long, but he had to admit, the thought of prolonging his time with Selena was really appealing. “You still seeing Holly?” he asked Quinn.
“Nah. We broke up a long time ago. Last I heard, she was a grad student at UBC, but I’m sure she’s done by now.”
“And you stuck around Agate’s Cove,” Mateo said.
Quinn ran a hand over his close-cropped hair. “I did move away for a while. Thought I wanted to be a big-city cop, but I came back. What can I say? I love it here.”
Mateo nodded as a gust of fragrant, fresh air blew in through the open window. “I know what you mean.” This place did get under your skin.
“How’s your dad doing?” Quinn asked Selena. “Haven’t seen him at the park lately.”
She rolled her eyes. “He’s got this new girlfriend who’s taking up all his time. A woman down the street. Ever since she moved in, he’s been over there all the time, helping her with odd jobs.”
Mateo raised a brow. “You don’t like her?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s nice enough, I guess, but I can’t shake the feeling that she’s using him for his handyman skills. He can fix anything, build anything. She’s probably twenty years younger than him and very flashy. I mean, I love my dad, but she’s totally not his type.”
Quinn nodded knowingly. “Loneliness can be a real issue for older people. It can cause them to make decisions they wouldn’t have made when they were younger.”
Selena sighed. “I want him to be happy, but I worry about him getting hurt.”
As they chatted, Mateo kept a wary eye on the ever-lightening sky. If he didn’t get out of the sunlight soon, he was going to be in bad shape and would need huge amounts of both human energy and blood. Neither of which he could get from Selena.
Selena must’ve picked up on his growing discomfort, because she leaned over the console. “I’m going to be late. Can I text you, Quinn, to set something up?”
“Sounds great.” Quinn grinned.
“Catch you later,” Mateo said. “Good seeing you.”
“Likewise.” His friend gave a goodbye tap on the roof of the car, and Mateo drove away.
