Gabby huffed. “Just trying to help. I did the hard part, getting you to the play so Tess could buy the winning ticket.”
“Gabby.” There was a warning in Bree’s tone.
“Got it. Forgive me?”
“Thank you, Gabby. Your aunt and I have a few things to figure out.” That was not a conversation that would include a committed teenage cupid.
They pulled into Gabby’s driveway, and she jumped out, slammed the door, and beelined for her front door.
“Let me see that she gets in okay.” Bree hopped out with ahuff of her own.
Tess watched Bree talk to her niece in the amber glow of the porch light, watched her offer Gabby a smile and Gabby finally smile back. Then she pulled Gabby close and gave her a hug before she made sure Gabby was safe inside. Alas, it only endeared Bree more to her.
Tess drove her Mercedes into Bree’s driveway behind the parked Mazda and didn’t turn off her engine.
“Would you like to come in for a drink?” Bree asked. “I owe you for the lift.”
“I’ve had the best night, but I think it’s best if I go home and have my drink with Thelma and Louise.” Tess didn’t mean to make it sound like she preferred her two cats, but she knew they needed to settle back into a cordial, or amiable, or friendly level of interaction—or more accurately,sheneeded to. They’d spent such a good evening together, not as simply coworkers, and she didn’t want to do something to ruin it when they hadn’t figured things out. She couldn’t promise herself what she’d do if she went inside with Bree after such an excellent evening. She was forty-seven years old and felt about as immature as Gabby. Or maybe that wasn’t the case, because tonight she was willing to wait to see if her future could possibly hold more than just tonight.
“Thanks, Tess.” Bree’s tone was restrained, and Tess wanted to read it as disappointment. She waited to make sure that Bree made it in her front door. As Tess watched Bree in her headlight beams, Bree stopped at the side of her Mazda parked in the driveway and threw the back of her hand to her mouth. She walked all the way around the vehicle before she just stood thereshaking her head.
Tess turned off her engine and hopped out. “What’s wrong?” she asked as she peered at the car and then noticed two flat tires on this side. There were likely two more on the other side if she was reading Bree’s disconcertion correctly.
Tess pulled out her phone. “I’m going to see if I can reach the police chief. This didn’t happen at the courthouse, but Chief Myers wants to be notified right away if anything else suspicious happens.”
Tess and Bree sat on the front step of Bree’s porch and waited for the chief to show up after a series of phone transfers and explanations finally had her returning Tess’s call. The chief informed Tess that she wanted to personally come and check out the scene and would be there shortly.
They sat side by side, and Tess realized she was glad she was here for Bree. The evening air was a bit chilly, so Bree went inside and brought out two warm jackets. She handed Tess a bright pink one that worked with her pale pink sweater, and Bree donned a blue one.
“God, Tess, I apologize. You just wanted to go home and have a drink with your cats.”
“I’m fine and my cats aren’t fond of vodka and tonic, so they’ll forgive you.”
Tess could hear a moist chuckle before Bree sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I could use one of those about now too.”
“I’m assuming you weren’t out driving over spike strips earlier today.” Tess gently shoulder bumped her.
Bree shook her head. “First it was my engine light—they said someone messed with my catalytic converter. Must have happened at work because it lit up on my way home from there. Now this.” She started sniffling harder. “Along with everything else.”
Tess wasn’t sure whateverything elsemeant—probably the move up from LA, starting a new job, the encounter with the guy in the café parking lot. She put her arm around Bree’s shoulder and pulled her close as she looked at the almost full moon. Forget trying to figure out the cordial-amiable-friendly boundaries for the moment.
“I’m sorry this is happening to you. As upsetting as it is, those tires can be fixed or replaced. And between your brother and me, you aren’t going to have to walk to work. I promise.” Tess bent in closer and brushed her lips on Bree’s cheek, taking in the familiar scent of her fragrance, one of those Tahoe recollections that she couldn’t seem to forget.
Bree turned her head sideways, and her lips found Tess’s. They were warm and soft and tasted of Bree. Tess closed her eyes and sank into the connection. Maybe it was an imbalanced equation, something with so much more on her side than Bree’s, but she wanted it, she’d take it, if just for this moment.
Headlights came down the street and swerved to a stop at the curb. Tess pulled back as the police chief’s car door slammed. Both Tess and Bree stood up as she approached them.
“Judge Fairchild. Once again.” The middle-aged, auburn-haired police chief reached out and took Tess’s hand. She didn’t even try to suppress the bemused smile as she tilted her head toward Tess. “Nice jacket.”
“Thanks to Judge O’Brian here.” Tess looked down at the borrowed attire—neon pink certainly wasn’t her normal fare. “I appreciate you coming, Chief Myers.”
The chief turned to Bree. “I’m happy to finally meet you, Judge O’Brian, but sorry for the circumstances. I’m Stella Myers.” The chief shook Bree’s hand, and they discussed the events of the evening. Then the chief took her flashlight and quickly walked around the Mazda, surveying the deflated tires spotlighted in the beam. She made another, much slower circleof the car, this time closely examining each tire and the body of the vehicle. “The car body looks okay, and I don’t see any superficial damage to the tires or the valve stems.”
Chief Myers unscrewed the valve cap on the front left tire, and after a quick examination she plucked out a small dried bean. “Here’s the culprit—it pressed on the valve when the cap was screwed down and slowly let out the air while you were gone for several hours. It had to be done on purpose.” She walked around the car and removed a similar bean from each of the other three tire caps. “What if I grab the portable pump from my car and we reinflate them? I suspect they’ll still be good in the morning.”
“And tomorrow is Sunday, so if the chief didn’t fix it, I can help you tomorrow,” Tess told Bree.
The chief collected her pump from her car, and while they waited for her to finish, Bree informed Tess that Hank had just texted and he was home, so Gabby wasn’t alone this late at night. Bree was obviously relieved that she didn’t need to worry about Gabby too.
