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Luke shifted, clearly trying to keep a secret, but Eric just stared.
“Yeah,” he finally admitted. “I’m thinking about it.”
“Good. Don’t think too long.”
Luke cleared his throat. “Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I think Graham Kendall is coming back to the States. The D.A.’s working out a deal.”
“Really?”
“Yep. His dad cut him off, but he’s still paying for the lawyers. Graham will get some jail time and some hefty fines. And I’m sure he’s going to face quite a few civil cases.”
“Good. And Monica?” Eric pressed.
Luke just shook his head. “We had to give that up.”
Eric wanted to tell Luke about Roland Kendall and what he’d done, but Beth had been adamant. She didn’t want any more trouble.
“Thank you,” he said to Luke. “I know a lot of cops wouldn’t have pushed as hard as you did.”
“I had my reasons,” he said with a wink. He tapped his beer against Eric’s one more time, then headed back out to the front.
Beer in hand, Eric watched Faron work with her line cook for a few minutes, but his head was buzzing. Everything was so new. So happy. Needing peace for just a moment, he wandered toward the tank room, using the excuse that one of the bright tanks had been having cooling problems. It took only a moment to check the temperature and pressure gauges, but the faint hum of the machinery was as relaxing as ocean waves for him. Eric pulled up a stool, leaned against a tank and closed his eyes, feeling more at home than he ever had before.
“MOM! DAD!” BETH CALLED, rushing forward to give her parents a hug. “You made it!”
“We wouldn’t have missed it, sweetheart,” her mom said. Beth squeezed her hard, then let herself be folded into her father’s arms. He’d worn the same cologne for fifty years, and the smell of it tightened her throat with happy tears. “Querida, we’ve missed you.”
“I’m sorry, Dad. I’ve been so busy, trying to get Cairo fully trained as manager before the end of the year.”
“I’m happy, so happy you’re changing that place.”
Beth shook her head. “I’m not changing it that much. There will still
be plenty of things for you to be embarrassed about, Dad.”
“I’m sure,” he said, though he was clearly telling himself that she really was turning it into a bra store. If that made it easier for him, she was fine with it. He’d been surprisingly silent on the issue, and she could let him have that.
Financially, it wouldn’t be easy for Beth, but every single morning, Beth woke up excited. She was going to be helping women every day. She’d contracted a sex therapist to give classes and seminars every single week. Cairo was running the column and helping to narrow down the toy selection. They were turning half of the back room into a fitting and dressing area, complete with gorgeous pearl satin on the walls. The other half would still showcase toys, but only the best of the best. None of the novelty items that had always made Beth uncomfortable. No more blow-up dolls or two-foot-tall phalluses.
Hiding a smile, Beth turned away to look around the crowded room for Eric, but her dad touched her arm. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing to a sign that had just been hung the day before. Beth nearly groaned at the Devil’s Cock logo.
“A new beer,” she explained.
“Ah. I might have to try it.”
Beth cleared her throat. “Let me find you a—”
“Just a moment. I wanted to tell you something.” He drew her to the side.
“What?”
He glanced around. “I went to see Roland Kendall.”
“You what?”
“I’ve been trying to contact him for weeks, actually. I finally caught him on his way into work yesterday morning.”
“Dad… Why? Why would you do that?”
