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He should have given Chief Baker a ‘Most Romantic’ T-shirt.
As the last notes on the guitar faded, Williams surreptitiously wiped one hand across his cheek, and Theo felt a pang of sympathy. Leo permanently held a spot in his heart, and only recently had he been able to start letting go. Williams had clearly been carrying a torch for his wife far longer and had suffered more intensely.
Whatever cocoon Erin and Noah were in had unraveled with Williams’s movement. They were both blushing furiously. It occurred to Theo that no one else had probably ever seen them do that before. No wonder no one else knew that the Chief could play the guitar. When he was with Erin, it was incredibly personal and emotional.
With those feelings heavy in the air, Theo didn’t want to be the one to break the spell.
However, he could count on Erin. “Yep, we’ve got Aerosmith and Kumbaya. Did you want some Kumbaya next?” She was deliberately serving as a buffer between her husband and Williams.
“No, that’s okay.” Williams’s voice was more hoarse than usual. “Thank you, Noah.”
“Even though she’s gone, I’ve never forgotten,” Noah said. “I never forget it.”
Williams closed his eyes briefly. “I know. I know. And I’m sorry about the tackle. I went too far. I have to learn when to stop pushing, and I shouldn’t have brought my Dre issues into this.”
“Apology accepted,” Erin said. “For both of us, right, Noah?”
“Right. I apologize too. I overreacted, and I’m sorry,” Noah said. “I guess it’s time we both move forward from here.”
The two men sat in silence. The tension decreased by several degrees.
Williams broke the impasse by checking his watch. “It’s getting late. I need to get going.”
“I should go too,” Theo said, getting up. The Bakers walked him to the door. He gave Erin a hug and, after a moment’s pause, gave Noah a solid one-armed hug. It rated more familiar than a handshake but not really a full hug.
The opposite problem occurred with Williams. He gripped Erin’s arm and then actually gave Noah a full man hug. Noah was caught off-guard by that, but he joined in.
“See you tomorrow,” Erin said. “Think Noah can stop by the firehouse tomorrow?”
Williams twisted his lips, letting his friend go. “I’ll have a visitor badge waiting.”
Theo caught the hopeful expression on Erin’s face. Whatever drama had occurred this evening, clearly the fistfight-sing-along was going to be worth it.
He and Williams walked out the door together, Williams slightly embarrassed. “Sorry about that, Jefferson. I usually don’t—"
“Don’t worry, Captain. You don’t need to say anything. I know what you mean. Grief is a hard thing. Moving on is a hard thing,” Theo said.
“They seem happy together. I’m glad they’re together, even if it broke every existing department policy,” Williams admitted grudgingly. “Don’t tell them that.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
Chapter 10
“Well, that was an exciting night,” Erin snuggled into Noah’s arms.
“You asked for it.”
“I did. And our house is sparkling.” With their guests gone for the night, Erin had insisted on cleaning the kitchen before getting into bed, including the flour footprints in their bedroom.
“Erin, are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
“You spent an hour cleaning the kitchen. Theo said—"
“What did Theo say?”
“That he’s never seen you like this before. Cupcake, we’ve been living together for seven months. The house has never been this clean. Your rowhouse wasn’t this clean.”
