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“You feeling okay?” Tanner Rhodes asked, adjusting the cowboy hat he never left home without. Growing up on a working ranch, the thing had practically attached itself to him at birth. “You seem out of it.” Tanner continued, more of a voiced concern than an accusation. The rookie Luke trained was a natural at picking up on small details and nuances, which served him well since he’d become a homicide detective. Luke was both impressed and proud of the time they’d spent working together.
Luke shrugged. “I’m fine.”
“When are you seeing the shrink?” Martin asked.
“Next week.” Luke hated being forced to wait, but he hadn’t taken a vacation in a while, and he was well overdue for some time away from the job anyway.
“So, what are you going to do with your time off?” Garrett asked. “If it were me, I’d spend the days fishing on my dock.”
Luke smiled at his friend's subtlety. Garrett had lucked out when he snagged a rundown piece of property on the outskirts of Dallas that backed onto a lake where the fish were always biting. “Is that an invitation?” Luke asked with a grin.
“Heck yeah,” Garrett said. “You know you’re welcome anytime. I’ll even let you keep the fish.”
Everyone chuckled and Luke sighed. He knew he could turn to any one of these guys and they would always be there for him. “All right, how about Saturday? I’ll bring the beer.”
“You’re on,” Garrett said.
“Hey, I’m coming too,” Caden said.
“I’m working this weekend,” Tanner said.
“I'm out,” Martin said.
“Hot date?” Garrett teased. Martin was a fan of the ladies and they were more than eager to spend their nights with him. With his looks, the fact that he was a firefighter was just the cherry on top. Martin smiled, but didn’t respond. It wasn’t his style to kiss and tell, even if everyone in the room knew he was the ultimate playboy with a heart of gold.
“Blake?” Garrett asked. “You down for some fishing?”
Blake shook his head. “Got a family thing this weekend. Sorry.” Blake’s mom lived in town, and while one of his sisters had married young and moved away for her husband’s work, Luke wasn’t sure about the other one because Blake didn’t talk about her much.
“All right.” Caden reached for a second beer, then sat back on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. “I guess it’s the three of us against all of those fish.”
“They don’t stand a chance.” Luke smirked, thinking of the times they’d spent sitting out on Garrett’s dock, fishing, drinking beers, and talking about whatever was going on in their lives. Those were some of his favorite memories and it was exactly what he needed to help him shake this feeling of uneasiness that had settled deep in his gut. Whether it was because of his ordeal with the gang or the woman he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about, fishing with the guys was the best medicine he could think of to cure what ailed him.
The guys stayed past midnight, talking and joking, watching late night television, and sharing stories, all the while keeping an eye on him.
Even if they tried not to show it, Luke could tell his friends worried about him, but he wasn’t about to complain. He would feel the same way about any one of them if they’d just gone through what he had.
***
The next few days went by in a blur of mugshots. Luke was growing more frustrated with himself for not finding the guy he’d seen talking to Bones. Caden kept telling him to take his time, but Luke knew time wasn’t on their side. This guy could be anywhere in the world by now. Aside from waking up from nightmares every night, Luke was also setting his alarm earlier and going to bed later, hoping to edge out a few more hours each day to go through the endless number of mugshots. His head throbbed and his eyes ached from the constant strain, but he was determined to identify that guy.
“How about you take a break from those,” Caden said one afternoon. He’d come home for lunch and found Luke sitting in the same position he’d left him in that morning. “I told you, we’ve got thousands of mugshots. No one expects you to go through them in a day.”
“It’s been four days,” Luke ground out.
Caden shrugged. “Okay, in four days. Look, all of us want this guy identified and found, but not at the expense of your mental or physical health. And if you’re worried about your safety - don’t. This building is secure.”
Luke shook his head. “No, I just hate that we haven’t found him yet. I hate that I couldn’t help with his arrest or at least in detaining him until someone could cuff him.”
Caden plopped into the oversized recliner. “I mean, I’d hold it against you except you were kinda tied up there.”
That made Luke smile. It was true. Still, Luke hated being helpless then, and he hated it even more now. If he couldn’t identify the guy, it would forever feel like his hands were tied, even when he was out walking around and completely free of all restraints.
“I get it,” Caden said. “It’s eating at you. I know, because it would eat at me. But you’re not doing anyone any good, least of all yourself, by not sleeping and barely eating. I made you a breakfast sandwich this morning you haven’t touched yet and you’re going to wear a hole in my couch if you don’t get up soon. Maybe go for a walk. Stretch your legs. Take a nap.”
“Yes, Mom,” Luke answered as he stood from the couch. He went to the kitchen where he found a plate with an egg salad sandwich and a now cold cup of coffee sitting on the counter. “I’m thinking maybe it’s time I go home.” Luke brought the food with him back to the living room.
Caden shrugged. “You’re not a prisoner here. I’m just trying to look out for you.”
