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“Perkins searched it, remember? It was empty.” She wished she hadn’t brought up how Ellis had brought it home for her. At the time, she’d been grateful for the little bit of compassion. A gift with no strings attached.
And wasn’t that pathetic? She’d made a mess of her life, that was for sure. Mistakes that were coming back to haunt her in a big way.
All the reason not to let her feelings for Steele cloud her judgment. Steele seemed nice and caring, but he could have a dark side. Or some other terrible habit that she wasn’t aware of yet.
No one was perfect.
“Yeah, okay. I just wish I could look at the vase again,” he murmured. “If not for the shooting incident, I’d go back and grab it.”
She stifled a sigh. “It’s just a vase. Trust me, there’s nothing special about it. During the summer months, I fill it with water for the wildflowers I pick on my early morning walks at Greenland Park before work. I can’t afford to buy flowers in the winter, so I use the plastic ones instead. Besides, if there was anything inside, the ATF guys would have found it.”
That finally seemed to convince him to let it go. “Okay, that makes sense.”
“We should probably eat.” She wasn’t hungry, but it was something to do. Anything to avoid thinking about that kiss.
“Count me in.” He rose to his feet and crossed the room. He unpacked the large to-go bag, frowning a bit. “You only ordered a salad.”
“That’s all I wanted.” She was gaining more than enough weight, at least according to her last doctor’s appointment. She joined him at the table. “Hey, we didn’t order another cinnamon roll.”
“Looks like Rosie packed extra.” He smiled. “She’s pretty awesome.”
“Yes, the menu was larger than I expected.” Her experience with restaurants was limited. Her parents never had much money, so they rarely went out. And living with Jake hadn’t exactly been a step up. “Sounds like the Finnegans are big fans too.”
“They are,” Steele agreed. “That’s how I learned about the place. Apparently, Colin is some sort of frustrated chef.”
“Funny,” she said with a smile.
He turned to look at her, and it took a moment for her to realize he was waiting for her to say grace.
She bowed her head, searching for God’s presence. Despite the hardships she faced, and the possible arrest looming on the horizon, she knew He was still watching out for her. “Lord Jesus, we are thankful for this food we are about to eat. Bless Rosie’s business, and please continue to keep all police officers safe in Your care. Amen.”
“Amen,” Steele said. “And, Lord, please keep Harper and her precious baby safe in Your care too. Amen.”
For a moment, she couldn’t speak. Tears that had nothing to do with hormones pricked her eyes. “Thank you, Steele.”
“I’m here for you,” he repeated.
She nodded and picked up her plastic fork. The Cobb salad was chock-full of protein, so she forced herself to eat. For the sake of her baby.
“Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?” Steele asked.
She shook her head. “No. I wanted it to be a surprise.” She toyed with the grilled chicken in her salad. “With everything going on, I wish I did know one way or the other.”
“Have you picked out names?”
She had toyed with a few but hadn’t settled on anything. “Not yet.” She glanced at him. “I know that must sound like I’m not excited about this pregnancy, but I am.” She flushed, and added, “I keep thinking that the perfect name will come to me once he or she is born.”
“I understand.”
She speared a cherry tomato. “You’ve never married? Had kids?” A little late to be asking after that sizzling kiss.
“Nope.” He shrugged. “Two years ago, my girlfriend Monique was killed by a drunk driver. I also lost my older sister when I was in high school. She was killed by her boyfriend.”
Her eyes widened in horror. “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry for your losses.”
“Yeah. I was single-minded in becoming a cop, taking bad guys off the street.”
“I can understand that,” she said. “I’m sorry about your sister. And your girlfriend.”
