“Would you mind helping me carry things out, dear?” Margie said from the back door.
“Not at all.” Grateful for something to do other than think and worry, she followed her inside.
The kitchen table was covered with bowls and platters: burger fixings, chips, and three kinds of salads. Nothing fancy, and it made her stomach growl.
“This looks wonderful, Mrs. Cooper.”
“Margie, dear,” she reminded her gently, glancing out the window at the sound of a car engine and country music blaring. “That’ll be Tasha.”
Together, they carried everything outside right as the grown-up little girl from the picture on Vince’s dresser came around the corner. Tall, confident, and athletic, she had her father’s sandy-blonde hair and easy grin.
Caleb followed. Polished. Clean-cut. Slightly tense, and in a shirt and tie, way overdressed.
They approached the patio.
“Dad!” Tasha said, hugging him like she hadn’t seen him in a while.
He smiled in a way Erica hadn’t seen before, like the sun rose and set on his daughter.
Caleb extended his hand. “Mr. Cooper. Good to see you again.”
Vince took it and shook it once. “Caleb. Is that your Porsche?”
All eyes shifted to the bright red convertible in the drive.
“Yes, sir,” he said with a mix of pride and hesitance.
“And you’re driving her home?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Keep it under seventy,” he said firmly, not in Ranger mode but a father setting boundaries.
“Dad,” Tasha groaned.
“Always, sir,” Caleb replied, a little too quickly.
Erica sensed something off, but nothing was setting off alarms just yet.
She watched him when he thought no one was looking. His smile slipped a second too soon, taking inventory of the house, the pool, and the view with purpose. Not appreciating so much as calculating what it would take to be there.
His daughter turned to her. “I’m Natasha, but everyone calls me Tash, or Tasha. You’re Erica. I’ve heard about you.” She caught her dad’s warning look and grinned. “Only good things.”
“Supper is ready. Everyone, sit,” the judge called.
Dinner flowed easily. Margie poured wine. The burgers were perfectly seasoned and juicy, and everyone praised them. Ray smiled, unsurprised. The man clearly took pride in his grill mastery.
The interplay between father and daughter mesmerized her. Vince’s entire face brightened. The way a man looks at the one person who has owned his heart since birth. Tasha leaned into him with the unshakable certainty of someone who was loved.
Caleb, on the other hand, grated on her nerves. It wasn’t a vision or a feeling. She found him annoying. He interrupted with random factoids about himself and asked too many questions about Vince’s job.
“How often do you travel?”
“Do you ever get pulled into federal cases?”
Many were directed at Judge Cooper. “Do any of Lieutenant Cooper’s cases make it to your bench?”
If he was aiming for subtlety, he completely overshot the mark.
