AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Just like Christian and me? I could only hope.
“Reagan for the cup,” the girl called to Vee behind the counter.
Pretty name but that wasn’t why I did a doubletake. It was because of how my brother reacted. He turned to stare at her as if he knew her, opening his mouth then falling silent more than once.
She was super young. A teenager. How could he possibly know her? She’d said she was new in town.
I started to rise, even though I wasn’t sure why. Then another text came through and I forgot all about the cherry mochaccino chick.
Christian
I’m staking out a Super 8 off the highway. Wishing I was here with you for a different reason.
A tawdry motel? What kind of woman do you take me for, Officer?
Christian
The kind of woman I can’t get enough of.
I miss you too. A stakeout? That sounds dangerous. What happened?
I was still staring at my phone, willing him to reply when Mav returned with our tray of food and drinks. “Macy said Darjeeling was today’s special tea so she foisted that on me. I mean, on you. I hope you like it. If not, I might be convinced to let you have a sip of my—hey, earth to Honey.”
“Christian’s on a stakeout? For what? If I’d been on the Dispatch desk already, I would’ve known.”
“Miranda’s got it covered until we get back. Stakeouts are a routine part of police work.”
“In the Cove? What could he possibly be looking for? Someone who stole a pack of gum from the Qwik Mart?” Annoyed and not sure why, I snagged several fries off his plate. “Also, newsflash, that girl is way too young for you. Plus, hi, married?”
“What girl?”
I gestured vaguely as she spun around victoriously with her mochaccino in hand. Her smile was blinding—and familiar.
What was it about that girl?
She rushed out into the snow, careening around customers, disappearing in the endless flurries. And then I was back to worrying about Christian again.
Stakeout. What the hell?
“It’s routine, kid,” Mav said patiently, stoking my ire more. “Something you’ll have to get used to if you decide to shack up with Officer No-Nonsense on a more permanent basis.”
“I’d already be shacked up with him on a permanent basis if he wanted to.” I shoved more fries in my face and nearly let out a moan.
Were these always so delicious? Guess I was hungrier than I thought.
Mav took a bite out of his sandwich, then another before putting it back down again. I nodded at his plate and the fries I’d already decimated though I had my own with the pita pocket ham and swiss sandwich I’d hoovered half of already. “Steak sandwich not doing it for you today?”
“Van didn’t tell me she saw you and Christian making out on our wedding day.”
“Uh, yeah, I know.”
“She didn’t know if she owed allegiance to me or to you. She knew it would cause issues.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, still eating but at a much reduced rate. His tone was about to give me indigestion. “What’s your point?”
“I don’t know what the protocol is for this crap. Do I tell you what I know or do I let Christian tell you? He claims he’s going to. But it feels wrong for me to know something about his personal life that you don’t. Something huge and important that could change everything.”
I dropped my sandwich onto my plate as my phone sounded with a text. Probably Christian.
