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“Yeah.” Cara smirked at him as they walked toward the house. “Fixing a faucet is much more complicated than fixing dinner. How could you have forgotten to replace the O-ring? And using the wrong-sized cartridge didn’t help, either.”
“I’m not a plumber.”
“Neither am I, but I do my homework on repairs.”
“That approach could work with cooking too, you know.”
“Jack.” Bri shot him her big-sister scowl, an intimidation technique that was often effective despite her mere six-month age advantage.
“Sorry.” He held up a hand, mirth dancing in his eyes—and not looking in the least contrite. “Truce, Cara?”
She folded her arms as she considered his peace offering. “At least until after dessert. I wouldn’t want to be deprived of the chocolate mint squares I saw in the fridge.”
Their typical bantering continued throughout the laughter-filled meal, each sibling contributing equally. But as Jack and Cara got into a debate over the Cardinals’ performance for the season, Bri’s thoughts wandered to her coffee date with Marc yesterday.
No. Not date. Business meeting.
Yet the undercurrents of attraction had been strong, and fighting them had been like swimming against a riptide.
Still, letting that revealing comment slip when he’d apologized for wasting her morning hadn’t been smart. It could encourage him. And after the fiasco in Idaho, it wouldn’t—
“... zoned out earlier too. Our dear sister seems to be distracted today.”
Bri tuned back into the conversation at the table and found both her siblings watching her with amusement.
What had she missed?
“Did you ask me a question?” She chased a green bean around her plate, keeping her tone nonchalant.
“Yes, but you were off in la-la land.” Cara tipped her head. “What gives?”
“She could have a case on her mind.” Jack shrugged and went back to eating.
A tailor-made out.
“I do have a troublesome case.” True, if not the subject of her daydreaming.
“I bet it’s the Les Kavanaugh fire.” Jack arched an eyebrow at her. “Right?”
“How did you know?”
“I’m an ace detective, remember?” His mouth quirked. “And in this situation, it’s elementary, my dear Brianne. The case is well known in the department, and people in the highest places will be tuned in to the progress. That would be nerve-wracking for anyone, and worse for someone new to County. To tell you the truth, I was kind of surprised they assigned it to you.”
“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Hey, no insult intended. But I would have expected a more seasoned investigator to take the lead on this one.”
“Maybe they wanted someone unbiased.” Cara went back to eating too. “Someone who didn’t know the victim well and could examine all the evidence without any of the filters that come from familiarity or organizational culture or department history.”
“Spoken like the historical anthropologist you are.” Jack acknowledged her comment with a jaunty salute. “You couldbe right. Or her boss may have been impressed by that warehouse case. I know I was.”
“I don’t think a case would have her gazing off into space with that daydreamy expression.” Cara pursed her lips. “Have you met someone?”
Bri shifted in her seat, warmth creeping across her cheeks. “I meet lots of people every day.”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”
Jack stopped eating to join the inquisition. “You mean met someone like ... a guy?”
