Chapter 2
Chapter Two
“ S o, what’s happening with your detective exam?”
Ian didn’t look up from the side mirror and the group of people reflected there, laughing and shoving each other around. “Nothing is happening with my detective exam.”
“What do you mean? It’s in a few weeks, isn’t it?”
“After Christmas,” Ian replied, pausing to adjust his rearview mirror. “But it doesn’t matter because I’m not going to take the exam.”
“What did you just say?”
Ian twisted to face Marissa, who had a furrow between her brows, her mouth hanging open. “I’m not taking the exam. I’ve thought about it, and now just isn’t the right time.”
Marissa snapped her mouth shut and gave him an incredulous look. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
Ian lowered the rearview mirror and frowned at the group of men, who were growing increasingly loud and boisterous. “Why would I be joking about something like this?”
Marissa slapped his arm. “What’s the matter with you? You’ve been a patrol officer for…what is it, going on fifteen years now?”
Ian rubbed his arm. “Yeah, so?”
“ So , you’ve been talking about the detective exam for the past five years. That’s almost as long as I’ve known you. What made you change your mind?”
Ian blew out a breath. “I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”
Marissa’s expression softened. “Ian, you can’t let your mom’s case take over your life. I know it’s important to have answers, but this isn’t the way to handle things.”
Without giving her a response, Ian pushed his door open and stepped outside. He paused to adjust his belt and checked both sides of the empty street. Once he reached the other side, the group of men who had spilled outside of O’Malley’s Pub went silent. They all avoided his gaze and shifted from one foot to the other.
“Sorry to bother you, fellas, but it’s six in the evening, and there’s been a noise complaint.”
“Come on, Railings. Cut us some slack.”
“Sorry, man, can’t do it. Just because we went to school together doesn’t mean I can let you off the hook easily.”
Logan exchanged a quick look with his friends. “What if we bought you a beer?”
“Make it two, but when I’m off the clock. And you’re still getting a warning for the noise.”
A collective groan rose through the air.
One by one, they shuffled off, leaving Logan behind. He gave Ian a grateful smile and clapped him on the back. Ian waited till he left before twisting to face Marissa, who had her arms folded over her chest. She stood underneath the flickering streetlamp, brows furrowed, and her lips pursed together.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Marissa shot him a withering look. “You can’t just leave in the middle of a conversation.”
“What conversation?”
Marissa scowled. “You know we were talking about the detective’s exam. You can’t put it on hold forever.”
Ian set off at a brusque pace, with Marissa struggling to keep up. “It’s not forever. It’s just until I figure some things out.”
Starting with his mom’s case.
Now that he had a second chance to figure it out, he wasn’t going to give up till he had all of the answers. Come hell or high water, he wasn’t going to walk away this time—not again—even if it meant having to put some things in his life on pause.
It wasn’t as if he had anything better to do anyway.
Marissa frowned. “What does Lucy think about this?”
Ian hurried over to the patrol car and handed Marissa the keys. “We haven’t talked about it. She’s been really busy with work, so I don’t want to bother her with this.”
Not to mention the fact that the two of them hadn’t been on the same page in months.
“I ran into her the other day, and she looked exhausted. Her clients must be driving her crazy. I had no idea so many people could get married around Thanksgiving.”
Ian yanked the passenger door open and got in. “Yeah, me neither.”
Marissa slammed the door shut behind her and held her hands up to the heater. “Does this mean you guys aren’t free for dinner? We’ve been talking about it for ages, so we should get around to it.”
Ian took out his phone and pretended to check something. “I’ll check with Lucy and get back to you.”
He doubted Lucy would have any interest in anything that didn’t involve her mysterious new client, but he owed it to Marissa to try.
“By the way, I ran into Sophia and Darren the other day. They look really happy. I’m glad they’re giving each other a second chance.”
Ian’s lips lifted into a half smile. “Yeah, me too.”
Marissa shifted in her seat and sighed. “You know you can tell me if something is bothering you, right?”
Ian let his phone fall into his lap and glanced over at Marissa. “What are you talking about?”
“Whenever I bring up Lucy lately, you get all weird.”
“I do not.”
“You do too.”
Ian’s phone rang, interrupting what he was about to say. He picked it up so quickly that it nearly fell. “Soph, what’s up? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m feeling a little restless, so I thought I’d see if you were up.”
Ian shot Marissa an apologetic look and stepped out of the car. He leaned against the door and pulled up the collar of his jacket. “Does Darren have a shift tonight?”
“Yeah, and Teddy is fast asleep. He’s snoring, actually.”
“It’s a one-of-a-kind symphony, sis. You should enjoy it.”
“Let’s see how you enjoy it if it’s snoring and hot garbage breath next to your nose in the morning.”
Ian choked back a laugh. “No, thanks. This is why I prefer cats.”
“Is that why you snuck Teddy those treats the other day?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ian shoved his free hand into his pocket. “How’s Zoe settling in with the habitat program?”
“She looks uncomfortable. Even having Zac there isn’t helping. Is it terrible that I’m relieved?”
Ian chuckled. “Not at all.”
“How are things with Lucy? Things seemed tense the last time I saw you guys. Is there still no improvement?” Sophia sighed. “I sent you the number of a couple’s therapist. Please don’t waste time like Darren and I did, okay?”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re nosy?”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re stubborn? Listen, I’ve got to go. I hear my takeout at the door. Call the therapist.”
With that, she hung up, and the line went dead.
As soon as he got back into the car, he got a call from his grandparents. In silence, Marissa drove him over there, where he found both his grandparents locked out. After exchanging a few quick words and some laughter, he managed to break the lock open and let them in. Then, his grandma insisted on bringing out a tray of tea and cookies while his grandfather regaled them with stories of his youth.
By the end of their visit, Marissa was grinning, and Ian felt much better than he had in weeks.
Until it was time for their shift to end, and he saw the time.
Ian raced home, dreading the thought of an angry Lucy in the doorway. Once he stepped in through the front door and was greeted with an empty house and silence, he relaxed. Then his phone vibrated, indicating an incoming text from Lucy, who was staying out late with her friends.
With a sigh, Ian heated up the lasagna and ate it over the sink.
He washed it down with a bottle of beer and made his way into the living room. After propping his feet up on the coffee table and finding the remote, Dean came upstairs, droplets of water sliding down his face and the smell of detergent wafting after him.
“Hey, Pop. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, my shift ran a little late because I had to stop by Grandma and Grandpa’s. They locked themselves out.”
Dean sat down opposite Ian and crossed one ankle over the other. “Again? We should start making spare keys for them.”
Ian took another sip of his beer and wrenched his gaze away from the TV. “I’m pretty sure they would lose those too. How was your day?”
Dean shrugged. “I like the peace and quiet here. It means I get a lot of schoolwork done.”
Ian removed his legs and sat up straighter. “You miss the dorms, huh?”
“I think I got a little too used to the noise,” Dean admitted, pausing to flick his blond hair out of his face. “Didn’t you live at home when you were in college?”
“Only the first couple of years. I spent junior and senior year on campus to get the full experience.”
“How did you handle it?”
Ian took a long sip of his drink and paused. “It’s kind of a blur, to be honest. I remember studying a lot, but I also went to a lot of parties.”
“So, you’re telling me I should go to more parties?”
“Work smart, not hard. But yeah, you should also have a life outside of academics.”
Dean’s expression turned thoughtful. “Thanks, Dad.”
“How’s the internship hunt going? You having any luck?”
“I’ve got a few things lined up, but we’ll see how it goes.” Dean stood up and wandered over to the kitchen. “Anyway, I’ve got to get back to my assignment before my professor reaches through the laptop and kills me.”
Ian gave him a sympathetic smile. “Don’t forget to bring up your plate when you’re done eating.”
Dean carried a container and a glass of iced tea down to the basement, and Ian heard the door click shut behind him. He was on the last sip of beer when the front door opened, and Lucy came in, her cheeks flush with color as she muttered to herself. She set a few bags down by the door and paused to kick off her shoes.
Ian brought his head to rest against the couch pillows. “I thought we were having dinner together today.”
“Yeah, I wanted to spend some time with the girls.”
“Okay.”
Lucy huffed and peeled off her jacket. “Stop saying it like that.”
Ian frowned and stood up. “I haven’t said anything.”
“Maybe that’s exactly the point. It’s what you’re not saying. I don’t have to be home every night, Ian. It’s not like I didn’t make dinner or clean the house, and you’re a grown-up. You can handle dinner alone.”
Ian approached her, both hands held up on either side of him. “Luce, calm down. I’m not trying to pick a fight. I was just concerned.”
“Don’t be,” Lucy snapped without meeting his gaze. “I’m not a child.”
Ian stopped a few feet away from her and frowned. “It sounds like you’re just trying to pick a fight.”
Lucy tossed her hair over her shoulders, and her hazel eyes were blazing when she looked up at him. “Fine, don’t talk to me, then.”
“Maybe I won’t.”
“Fine.”
Lucy stormed past him and hurried into their room. A moment later, he heard the shower running. He went to get another beer and was nursing it while he listened for her through the door. A few hours later, when he crept into the room, Lucy was fast asleep and curled up on her side.
Ian’s heart was thumping angrily as he lay in bed and looked up at the ceiling.
Lucy felt further and further away from him with each passing day, and he still had no idea how to make things better. Sleep eluded him as he tossed and turned, the hollow ache in his chest only growing as he wondered what to do.
Was Sophia wrong about them?
Was it too late for him and Lucy to salvage their marriage?