CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“Can you believe that shit about Lance?” Adam asked from the passenger seat of Maggie’s grandparents’ Toyota. It had been a couple of days since the shooting, and they were driving back to pick up their cars.
“No, man, that’s seriously fucked up. What was he thinking?” Mitch responded.
“Apparently, his gambling problem left him with some serious debt. There were several people after him trying to collect money. Add to that, he knew it would come out that he was giving inside information to Manuel. Probably figured he’d lose all credibility and most likely his job. He didn’t see any way out.”
When the man who’d been shot by the sniper was finally identified as Mitch’s old partner, Lance, shockwaves rippled through the department. Lance had gone to the precinct to turn in his badge, but after talking with a friend on the SWAT team, had decided to go a different direction.
“Did the LT mention anything about how long the shooting investigation will take? Or when we can return to work?” Adam asked.
“Not specifically. I’d guess we’ll be on admin leave for at least a month. I still have to get Dr. Patrick and Internal Affairs to sign off, too, but I don’t think that will be a problem.”
“I feel like I just got here and I’m already on leave for a month.” Adam chuckled. “You eager to go back? I only ask because it doesn’t seem like it.”
Mitch had begun to wonder himself whether he wanted to go back to work. The passion for his job had waned since Jimmy’s death and never really come back.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. That’s something I’ll need to think about. I’ve been after Manuel for so long, I’m not sure what to do now that he’s dead.”
“What would you do if you weren’t a police officer?”
“I did have a crazy idea the other day. Oh, never mind, you’ll think I’m an idiot.”
He was watching the road but could feel Adam’s stare. He glanced over to see a give me a break, haven’t I earned your trust by now? look.
“Fine. I was at the hospital the other night, and after talking with Mr. B., I realized there are not many affordable places for old folks who live alone to get good care and still have some independence. There’s in-home care, but that gets expensive fast. He’s talking about hiring a nurse to come over once a day, but that still leaves him a lot of time alone.
He doesn’t want to move into a retirement home to get fussed over day and night, either. ”
“I’ve heard this before. It’s a real problem for lots of elderly folks.” Being a good, nonjudgmental listener was one of Adam’s best qualities. “You gonna try to help Mr. B. then?”
“Well, I was actually thinking longer term and not just Mr. B. My idea is to invest in a sort of apartment-living-meets-retirement-home kind of place. Tenants would live on their own but have easy access to a cafeteria and medical services. One of the floors could even be some sort of clinic.”
“That’s a great idea. You’ve got the money. Would you be involved in day-to-day operations?”
“Nah, that’s not really my thing. I’d just be the money in the background, help get investors and possibly help with the hiring. It wouldn’t take much time. I could do it on the side and keep my day job.”
Wanting to change the subject, Mitch asked him about Jenny.
“The engagement party is in a couple of weeks. We’re planning the wedding for August. I know it seems quick, but the boys were cool with it, so we figured why wait?”
“That’s great, man. I mean it.”
“Hey, you know how you owe me for saving your life? Twice?”
“What do you want?” he asked, resigned, knowing full well he couldn’t say no to whatever it was. The man had saved his life after all. Twice.
“I was hoping you’d be my best man.”
Mitch took a second to answer but was sincere when he did. “I’d be honored.”
“Cool. So, Maggie’s going to be Jenny’s maid of honor. What’s up with you two?”
“Oh, here we go. How did I know we wouldn’t get through the car ride without having this conversation?”
Adam shrugged but didn’t apologize or change the subject. “You haven’t called her.”
“Did Maggie tell you that? Or Jenny? What? Are we in high school again?” Even though it was true, how would he know?
“None of the above. I could just tell by your sunny demeanor that you hadn’t spoken with her,” he said sarcastically. “You feel guilty for not calling but don’t know where to go from here because you’re in uncharted territory, and it scares you.”
“What the fuck? You sound like a shrink!”
“Yeah, I may as well come clean on that.” Adam shrugged. “I am a shrink.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Remember when I told you I wanted to go to medical school? Well, I did. I’m a board-certified psychologist.”
“I thought you were a cop.” Mitch was confused.
“I am a cop. And a psychologist. I wanted to go into police psychology and decided that to have any credibility, I needed to experience being an officer first. Turns out I really like it. I’m only licensed in Massachusetts right now, but I’m working on getting licensed here, too.”
“God, you’re full of surprises.”
“Am I right?”
Mitch looked away. “Maybe.”
Adam waited.
“It started as just sex. She was fully on board. It was basically her idea,” he blurted defensively before Adam could give him a hard time.
When he didn’t jump in to complain, Mitch continued.
“But in just those couple of days we were together, I had all sorts of thoughts and feelings I’ve never had for a woman.
When she was in the kitchen cooking, it was like I caught a glimpse into the future.
I could picture her standing there every day, forever, and the thought didn’t scare the shit out of me.
It was like a premonition, except that I don’t believe in premonitions, so I don’t know what it was.
“Then, the feeling I had when I found that note on the counter saying she’d gone to the store. It was like my heart weighed two hundred pounds. And the anger when I heard Manuel slap her? It’s like normal feelings but magnified a hundred times. Have you ever felt like that?”
When Adam didn’t answer, Mitch glanced over to look at him. He was grinning from ear to ear.
“What? I pour out my soul, and you’re going to laugh at me?”
“I’m not laughing at you. I’m happy for you.”
“Why? What does all that mean?”
“Well, from a medical standpoint, I’d say you’re incurable. It’s not life-threatening, but definitely life-changing. You have all the classic symptoms of a man in caritate. That’s the Latin term anyway.”
“Well, what the hell does it mean in English?”
“In layman’s terms? You’re in love, dumbass.”
“Shit. That’s exactly, word for word, what Mr. B. said. He also muttered something about youth being wasted on the young.”
“So, you’re in love. Now what?”
“Hell if I know. I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“What’d Mr. B. say?”
Mitch laughed. “He said I should woo her.”
Adam laughed, too. “He’s right. You should woo her. The world needs more wooing.”
***
Maggie was swamped catching up on work at the store, trying to see as many patients as possible, and wondering what went wrong with Mitch.
Keeping busy during the day was never a problem, but at night, her thoughts had time to run wild. No matter how many ways she looked at it or analyzed it, she always came to the same conclusion. She’d fallen in love.
At the start, all she’d wanted was an exciting affair and some fantastic sex, and that’s precisely what she’d gotten.
The problem was, somewhere in the middle of the mind-blowing sex and the death threats and bullets, her feelings had changed.
The few days they were together was all it took for her to see the real Mitch, and for better or worse, flaws and all, she’d fallen hard.
Yes, he was troubled and sometimes abrasive, but in their short time together, she’d caught several glimpses of his sensitive side. He felt deeply and was fiercely loyal. He was funny and sarcastic, tender and charming. And don’t get her started on his good looks and smoking hot body.
It’d been a week since the shooting, and he still hadn’t called.
She had replaced her cell phone the very next day and had the same phone number, which could only mean one thing.
He didn’t have to be around her anymore, so their friends-with-benefits relationship was over.
Apparently, that also included a friends-only relationship.
She wasn’t sure which she missed most, the benefits or being friends. At least she thought they’d become friends. Maybe it was all in her head, and she’d imagined the connection she felt they had.
At least there had been one last benefit—another sign of how sweet he could be.
The night of the shooting, after hours at the police station, she arrived home to discover her entire apartment set to rights.
He’d paid someone to come and take care of everything.
Anything broken was fixed or replaced, anything dirty was clean.
Oliver was sleeping peacefully on a brand-new couch.
It was a welcome surprise. She heard through the family grapevine that he’d also taken care of the cleanup and repairs at the beach house.
When she called to say thank you, she’d gotten voicemail. She texted a couple of days later only to receive a short, curt reply stating he’d gone to his cabin for a while and would call when he got back.
So, now here she was, in love with a man incapable of being in a real relationship.
He said so himself, he was a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy.
She thought she could handle a sexual relationship without letting emotions get involved.
Well, she’d been wrong, and now she’d have to pay the price of mending a broken heart.
Hopefully, she’d get over him as quickly as she’d fallen for him.
Lately, planning Adam and Jenny’s engagement party was taking up most of her downtime, which she appreciated. She’d spoken with them several times, but never about Mitch. Not wanting to dampen their happiness, she kept her trivial problems to herself.
She sensed Adam knew something but couldn’t bring herself to ask. Did she really want confirmation that Mitch wanted nothing to do with her? No, better to remain ignorant and hold out a little hope that maybe, someday, he would come to his senses.