“Yeah, visiting Mom and Aaron for a bit while I’m between assignments.” Gabe was leading him back to the entrance. Luke started to pull away, to find someone else who gave a shit, but Gabe held on and whispered fiercely.
“Not here.” He waved to the woman manning the door. “Dotty, looking beautiful as ever.”
“Gabriel, you dog.” But Dotty fluffed her gray curls, anyway.
“When are you going to run away with me?”
She snorted as she buzzed them back through the door. “What would I do with a young buck like you? Don’t you cause any trouble, now.”
“No, ma’am.” He flashed her that infamous Delgado grin that had all the girls in high school, and some of the guys, swooning.
Once they were free of the precinct, Luke thought Gabe would release him. Not so. “Listen, I’m starving. Why don’t we catch up over lunch?”
“As long as the diner’s okay. I have to relieve Shorty this afternoon.”
Gabe scoffed. “Is the diner okay? Does a bear shit in the woods?”
With their plan in place, Luke followed Gabe down the sidewalk. “When did you become Sherriff?”
“I’m just a deputy. Been working at the county sheriff’s office for…” His voice trailed off as he thought about it. “Ten years now. What have you been up to?”
“I work for the FBI.”
“No shit? What’s that like?”
Luke scrubbed a hand over his head and chuckled. “Classified.”
Gabe laughed. “Come on. We need privacy.”
“Well, that’s one perk of being the owner’s son. I have a key to the office since she’s out of commission.”
Maggie was behind the counter, entering a check into the cash register. “Hey, Maggie.”
“Luke! Hi.” Her face brightened when she saw him, and warmth suffused his chest. It snuffed out just as quickly, though, when she saw who he was with. He could almost see the walls go up as she spied Gabe’s uniform.
“Maggie, this is my friend Gabe Delgado. Gabe, this is Maggie, our newest hire.”
“Nice to meet you.” He noticed she didn’t offer to shake Gabe’s hand.
Gabe tipped his hat. “The pleasure is mine,” he purred. Luke would have glared at him for flirting with her, if it had any effect. In fact, it had the opposite effect it had on every other red-blooded woman. Maggie froze, turning instead to Luke.
“Just the two of you?”
He couldn’t help but puff his chest out at having all her attention on him. “Yes, but we have some catching up to do. Would you bring our food to the office?”
“Sure thing. What’ll it be?”
They rattled off their orders, and she poured their drinks and placed the glasses on the counter. “I’ll put this in for you, Luke.”
“Thanks, Mags.” She returned his grin with that shy little smile and hurried over to put the ticket in to Shorty. Her behavior made him curious, but he’d have to think about that later.
Gabe followed him to Mom’s office, carrying the beverages and some straws. Luke unlocked the door and flipped on the light. Thank goodness Mom was meticulous about her paperwork.With her work laptop at the house, they had plenty of space to eat at the desk. Luke took the office chair behind the desk, and Gabe took the chair in front.
“How much of that conversation did you overhear?”
Chapter 12
“Prettymuchthewholething,” Gabe took a sip of his Dr. Pepper and leaned back. “Those walls are stupid thin in there.”
