Chapter 26 #2
“Was there a discount going around or something?”
“Huh?”
“You know, April too. She texted me from Fiji. Said she ran into some snags, but she’s on her way home.”
I frowned. “I didn’t even make the connection. That’s odd. What are the chances?”
“Well, it’s not like the South Pacific is tiny.”
“No, but that it was at the same time.”
“Do they know each other?”
“No, not that I know of. Bishop never visits me at work, and I’ve never run into April when we’re out together, rare as it is.”
“Typical PMS. All business.”
“Until I discovered the varied uses for conference tables and desk chairs, you mean.”
“Your education was lacking,” she agreed. “Hang on.” She muffled the phone, and someone called out to her before she came back on the line. “Gotta go. My mom can’t find her bag of adult booties.”
I chuckled. “Do I want to know?”
“Probably not.” She paused. “We can talk more later.”
“I should hope so.”
“I mean about the situation with your parents. That’s rough. A lot to swallow.”
“It hasn’t been the best. But it’s done one good thing.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s made me really firm on what I don’t want…and what I do. I won’t make a promise I can’t keep.” When she didn’t respond, I cleared my throat. “I just wanted you to know that.”
“I never thought otherwise. Don’t have too much fun at the bar.”
“Afraid I’m going to get tipsy?”
“Just wear baggy jeans or something.”
I choked out a laugh. “Excuse me?”
“Your ass is entirely too pinchable.”
“You think? I’ve never been pinched when out and about.”
“I know. Later, PMS.” She clicked off before I could do more than grin dopily at my irritated cat.
He leaned forward and very specifically bit my big toe in my open sandal. Then he sauntered off while I stared at his ungrateful back end.
I spent the rest of the disgustingly hot and humid afternoon doing paperwork in my chaise lounge on the balcony with some music playing and chilled iced tea. I wouldn’t be drinking much of the hot stuff anytime soon, but even the iced version made me think of her.
Hell, everything did.
Later, Ryan texted me a snapshot of a pair of bug-eyed llama potholders.
Miss Moon:
These screamed PMS.
Did you buy them?
Miss Moon:
Even better. I bartered a pair of booties for them. You’re welcome.
Smoky was sunning himself in a beam of sunshine on the railing. At my bark of laughter, he glanced over and sneered.
Elvis came on when I was just about to head inside and get ready to go. I grinned and cranked up the music, only to lower it again when my phone went off.
Bishop.
“Hey, what’s up? You on your way?”
“I’m still in Fiji. Shit went sideways. Needless to say, I’m not going to be at the bar tonight. Sorry.”
Only one word stuck in my brain.
“Fiji? You didn’t tell me you were there. And you said you met a woman?”
“Oh, I met a woman, all right.” His tone verged on furious.
“What happened? I thought you were in love and all that.”
“All that is correct. Until she ghosted me.” Static filled the line, and it sounded as if he dropped the phone. He came back on, sounding out of breath. “If I can’t find her, I’m catching a flight tonight.”
“You’re still looking? And um, just for curiosity’s sake, her name isn’t April, is it?”
That would be very, very bad if I wanted him to take my place in the law firm, and his new assistant had just fucked and ducked him.
I grasped the back of my neck. I did not want to think of my cool, competent assistant in that manner. I separated church and state so thoroughly that I’d barely even noticed she was a woman.
Didn’t work so well with Ryan though, huh?
That was an entirely different scenario. She’d only been a temp.
Even consumed with Bishop’s problem, I couldn’t help smiling like a fool. And now she was everything, assuming she ever stopped bartering adult booties and came back to me.
“No,” Bishop bit off.
My breath rushed out. “Thank God.”
More static. “Her name definitely wasn’t April. If what she told me was even her name. We only did first ones. Now I’m questioning everything.”
Momentary relief squelched.
“Okay, what did she look—”
A choppy voice on an intercom crackled across the line before Bishop swore. “Sorry, man, I have to go. We’ll reschedule that meeting in a few days. Whatever you need.”
“Sure, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry about this.”
Really sorry if my sneaking suspicion was right. But what were the odds?
Then again, I’d fallen in love in the course of a week with a complete stranger. A smart, funny, beautiful one who’d opened up the whole world to me—both the logical one and the mystical.
There were a hell of a lot more forces at work than I could comprehend. All I could do was be grateful for them.
“Me too, Shaw.” Suddenly, he sounded so weary—and broken. I knew too well what that felt like. And I hated my buddy losing someone he’d found a connection with after all he‘d endured in the past.
We hung up.
I sat there for a while, just thinking. Wondering if there was some divine plan that made sense to someone at the controls, if such a being existed. I was more inclined to believe that now than I had in the recent past, that was for damn sure.
My phone buzzed a bit later.
Dex:
Hey, assclown, did you forget me? I’m sitting here at the bar with two women who would be more than happy to soothe my sorrows at being stood up. And they can tie cherry stems with their nipples.
Is that even English?
Dex:
Who cares? They’re hot and they have nipples and a willingness to let me enjoy them. So you have twenty minutes to get here or I’m going to let them take advantage of me.
I’m on my way. Don’t drink all the beer.
Dex:
Not what I intended on sampling first, but fine.
I shook my head as I stuffed papers from the Donnelly case into my file folder. My brother was a horndog to the nth degree.
Hmm, maybe I should hand him Mary Donnelly to deal with.
He’d said he could help out more. This divorce was only in the early stages, and Mary had warned me she had new “bombshell” allegations that were going to “fry that sucker.” Not exactly my preference, and Dex enjoyed the game of all of it far more than I did.
Because it wasn’t a game. These were real people and real lives being shattered.
But if Dex was willing to take on additional cases, why not ask him if he wanted to wade into the fray?
I’d just have to get him drunk enough to feel amenable.
It shouldn’t be too hard. Mary and Harvey’s estate was valued in the high seven figures, and she claimed the fucker—her term not mine—was hiding even more funds offshore.
Dex would be more than handsomely paid for his trouble. I just didn’t want the hassle.
I fed Smoky and gave him fresh water and futilely tried to get him to sit on my shoulder like he did with Ryan.
The only thing that made him warm marginally toward me was an extra helping of Chunky Beef Tips—and my lie that Ryan would be home soon.
At that, he gave me a head bonk and an actual rumbling purr.
It lasted approximately thirty-eight seconds, but I wasn’t choosy.
On my way to the bar, a text came in.
Miss Moon:
My mom found my dildo.
I almost drove off the road. Since I was in the dealership’s SUV for a weekend test drive, that would not have been good.
I waited to respond until I pulled up next to Dexter’s sleek vintage Mustang at Lonegan’s.
PMS: Did you tell her it was ornamental?
Miss Moon:
Like ur fountain?
Sure. Both utilize moisture.
Miss Moon:
U r an actual pig. A cute one, but a pig.
You should see if she could knit you a sock for your moon.
Miss Moon:
Actually, that’s a good idea. She does sleeves 4 the rl thing. They r a hot ticket item.
WHAT?
A picture came through of a knitted cylindrical-ish pouch in hot pink with a bulbous bottom…head in lime green.
That’s worse than a Pussy Papa. Also, who the hell buys that?
Miss Moon:
You’re sure you don’t want one? Pretty please?
No.
I pocketed my phone as I walked into Lonegan’s and bumped fists with my brother.
No women were in sight. At least anywhere near Dexter.
“Well, well, look who has a big-ass grin on his face. Is all fixed on the path to insanely fast true love? Did I mention insanely?”
I slid onto a stool beside him at the bar and motioned to the bartender, our old friend Callahan Brinkley. Tossing a towel over his shoulder, he smiled and held up a finger before gesturing to the customers he was serving.
“We’re making progress.”
Dex put a hand next to his ear. “Is that bells I hear?”
“Jealous?”
“I’m happy for you. You deserve a good woman, Pres. I mean that.”
I clapped his back. “Thanks, man.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Plus, she’s imminently fuck—”
At my arched eyebrow, he smiled smoothly. “Fucking fantastic.”
“Mind yourself.”
“Minded. Sorry, not used to you settled down, since it’s only been a week and all.”
Callahan chose that moment to slide up to us and start pulling my usual Harp. “Did someone say settled, Pres? In a week?”
“We are getting to know each other.” I thanked Callahan for the beer I intended to nurse all night, unlike my brother who already had two empties being taken away and it was just past seven.
“In a settled way,” Dex added. “Can I get another, my man?”
“Of course, if you intend to hang out here tonight.” Callahan tossed back his shock of dark hair, and the studs along the curve of his ear caught the light. “Otherwise, you know you’re reaching your limit.”
“Why am I surrounded by boring bozos?”
Callahan just crossed his beefy arms and waited. Dex knew the rules when it came to the tight ship that Cal ran at Lonegan’s. Dex just liked to bitch about them.
Added to that, Cal was a friend, so he was even more strict with Dex for his own good. Not that he usually crossed the line, but that was the thing with my brother. Occasionally, he tried to shimmy under them as if life was one big hokey-pokey.
“Yeah, I’ll be hanging out with Preston for a while. His woman’s on safari.”