Chapter 14
Rico
Jesse is late.
Klaus whines from where he’s sitting at my feet and looks up at me. I smile down at him. “It’s okay, boy,” I assure him. “He’ll be here.”
I’m not worried.
Okay, I’m a little worried.
It’s been a few days since I brought Jesse home and everything seems to be going so well. But I can’t quite fully trust it, and I hate myself for that. Just because I want to believe everything’s all right, doesn’t mean it is, though.
I exhale and shift on the sidewalk, looking to the left where I assume Jesse will be driving from. If I jump to conclusions at every little bump in the road, this isn’t going to work. After all, we got through my previous shift without any issues.
But now people know about him.
Sort of.
“Waiting for your boyfriend, Lieutenant?” Lili crows as she makes her way across the lot.
I grit my teeth, remembering that teasing is the One-Thirteen’s primary love language. If she had any idea how much her words struck a nerve, she’d never say them.
Why am I feeling so sensitive about this?
Yeah, the situation is delicate, but it’s not as if I’d be embarrassed to be involved with Jesse.
I know he doesn’t think he’s a catch just because of his past and how he’s picking himself up right now.
That stuff doesn’t matter in the long run, though.
Hopefully, once he has a job and his own place, he’ll start seeing what I do.
Husband material.
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” I call out to Lili as she reaches her car. It does kind of tickle me that I’m technically right.
“Not yet, anyway,” she fires back with a grin, her keys in hand. Then she pauses and looks around. “Oh, seriously. Is he supposed to be picking you up now?”
“Uh, yeah,” I say, hoping that’s true.
To my dismay, her grin returns, and she starts walking away from her car to come stand by me.
“What are you doing?” I ask with a sigh.
“Making sure you’re not left here stranded,” she says, folding her arms and flicking her eyebrows at me. “We can’t have you left here all alone.”
I glare at her and Klaus shifts by my feet. “The second watch are literally inside,” I remind her. “I’m hardly alone.”
“Yeah, but they’re not going to be able to give you a ride if your guy is a no show,” she says triumphantly. “They’re on call. Lucky for you, I’m feeling like a good Samaritan today.”
“Hmm, lucky me,” I agree with a hefty dose of sarcasm. I’m torn, because on the one hand, she’s right. If Jesse is MIA for whatever reason, I’d appreciate a lift.
On the other hand, if he does make it, I’d really rather none of my colleagues start poking into Jesse’s life. Just a simple question like ‘So what do you do for a living?’ would probably be enough to make him uncomfortable. Maybe even trigger him.
If he could just get some damn financial stability in his life, he’d almost certainly feel less insecure and therefore be less likely to freak out and—god forbid—relapse.
The job market is bleak, though. I naively thought there would be plenty of opportunities for him.
But apparently, a little town like Redwood Bay doesn’t have much to offer for recovering addicts who barely passed their GED with a spotty employment history in the entertainment industry.
All things considered, however, I’d prefer Jesse comes now and gets lightly grilled by Lili than if he doesn’t show at all. What if he’s in trouble? What if he’s fallen off the wagon? What if—?
“Hey!” Lili cries, pointing down the street. “Isn’t that your car?”
Relief floods my system as a silver Toyota comes into view. “Yeah, it is.” I rub my chin, reminding myself that Jesse hasn’t let me down yet, so I need to keep my anxiety in check. Even when he intended on stealing my car on that very first day, he didn’t, and we’ve come so far since then.
We’ve still got a way to go, though, so I turn to Lili and arch an eyebrow at her. “Not my boyfriend, okay? Please be nice.”
She snorts at me and waves her hand dismissively. “Relax, Lieutenant. You know me.”
That’s the problem.
Jesse swerves into the parking lot just fractionally too fast, but I manage not to wince outwardly at least. The engine barely stops before the driver’s door flies open and Jesse practically falls out.
“Rico!” he cries, stumbling to a halt in front of me. “I’m so sorry! I fell back asleep after my alarm! Have you been waiting long?”
I open my mouth to assure him it’s fine, but Lili beats me to it. “Naw, you’re good, kid. I’ve been keeping the lieutenant here company. You must be the new roommate we’ve heard about.”
Jesse blinks, like he didn’t quite see her standing there until now. “Uh, yeah.” He throws an uncertain glance my way. “I’m Jesse.”
“Lili, nice to meet you.” She shoves her hand his way and when he reciprocates, gives him a firm shake. “And this here is Klaus.”
Upon hearing his name, the dog’s ears perk up, and he looks between Lili and Jesse.
I tense, really regretting not messaging ahead of time. I thought this was a conversation best had in person. But in the moment, it’s feeling kind of like an ambush.
Except I don’t have time to panic. Because Jesse’s face breaks into a breathtaking smile as he and the dog look at one another.
“Oh. Hello, Klaus,” he says breathlessly, crouching down and offering his fingers to sniff.
“You can also say guten tag,” I tell him. “Klaus knows a lot of German.”
“Really?” Jesse says. “Wow. Guten tag, Klaus. Aren’t you beautiful?” the dog barks and lifts his paw to rest on Jesse’s outstretched hand, eliciting a startled laugh from him. “Smart and beautiful,” he murmurs as he shakes with Klaus before scratching between his ears. “Is he yours?” he asks Lili.
“Nope, he’s yours,” she says with a grin that shows she’s aware of exactly how meddlesome she’s being.
Jesse snaps his head to stare up at me, his eyebrows raised.
“Yeah,” I say slowly, only flicking a brief frown at my colleague before giving Jesse my full attention. “He’s a retired sniffer dog from the police department. He just needs fostering for a few weeks and I volunteered our place. But only if it’s okay with you?”
“Are you kidding? Of course!” Jesse cries. But then a look of concern flashes across his face as he glances back over at Klaus. “I’ve never owned a dog before. What if I mess it up?”
“Then we’ll figure it out together,” I tell him. “I’ve never had a pet in my life.”
Jesse still looks a little concerned, but Lili leans down to pat his shoulder. “Don’t overthink it, man. Klaus is a clever guy. He’ll help you out. So long as you walk him and feed him, I bet he’s going to be your new best friend.”
Something soft and vulnerable flits across Jesse’s face. He looks back at Klaus from where he’s still crouched in front of the dog, stroking his thick fur. “I’ve never had a best friend before,” he says quietly.
My heart aches. I’m not sure why life has seen fit to throw nothing but assholes Jesse’s way so far, but that’s over now.
Yes, it’s important to me that he gets financial support, a roof over his head, and a safe space to begin his recovery.
But if possible, I’d also very much like to restore some of his faith in humanity, too.
He deserves love and kindness, even if that’s just from me and a four-legged friend.
Obviously, I mean that Klaus looks like he already loves him. That’s the nature of dogs, right? Not that I…I mean, we’re friends now, sure. But any kind of love I feel for him would just be familiar.
Right?
I clear my throat and attempt to shake myself free from that thorny train of thought. “So that’s a yes to fostering?” I ask, already confident I know the answer.
“That’s a hell yeah!” Jesse cries, standing back up and beaming at me. “I’ll take good care of him, I promise. I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t,” I tell him warmly.
The moment stretches out as we just look at each other. Then Lili claps her hands.
“Okay, Flores! I think you and your roommate have this well in hand. I’ll see you in a couple of days, all right? Jesse, nice to meet you. Klaus is going to love being your new best buddy, I can tell. Catch you soon. Auf wiedersehen!”
“Bye,” Jesse says faintly as Lili salutes and heads back to her car. Then he looks back down at Klaus, who smiles up at him and wags his fluffy tail. “Did no one else want him?” Jesse asks me.
Holy crap. I was so caught up in worrying about why Jesse was running late and if the responsibility of pet ownership was going to be too much that I didn’t stop and consider how I’d feel watching Jesse fall in love with Klaus right in front of my eyes.
Of course he’d feel a connection with another creature in need of a home.
Klaus hasn’t been abandoned, though. Neither has Jesse.
Not anymore.
“It’s more like the department cares too much about finding him the perfect retirement home,” I tell Jesse truthfully.
“He was with a foster mom while they looked, but she broke her hip. She’s going to be fine,” I quickly assure him at his alarmed expression.
“She just can’t walk a big dog like this for a few months.
So if you think about it, we’re helping both her and Klaus out if he stays with us. ”
Jesse exhales and nods, leaning down to give Klaus some more fuss. “You might as well be running a halfway house for waifs and strays at this point,” he jokes to me.
I shrug. “I prefer to think of it that people know the One-Thirteen will always do everything they can to help those in need.”
Jesse’s big eyes meet mine again, filled with so many emotions. This time, Lili isn’t here to interrupt us, and something warm and tingly spreads over my skin, making me want to shiver.
It’s almost as if Jesse’s found a shortcut to something deep inside my chest where all my most delicate feelings hide. I’m not sure if I’m more terrified of what he might see there…or the fact that I want to let him in.
“Should we head home?” I ask, breaking the spell that was settling over us.