about how cops like them.”
His eyebrows slowly raised, and he frowned at her. Uh-oh. Have I gone too far with my teasing? “Fine.” She held her hands up. “I’m just saying, I’ve watched Wreck-It Ralph. I know how it works.”
“Wreck it what?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t watch cartoons. You had a box of Cap’n Crunch sitting on your counter.”
“I’m not following the logic,” he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.
Dave loudly read from a bulletin.
“Everyone knows a big bowl of Cap’n Crunch can only be eaten in front of cartoons.”
Luke rolled his eyes and moved his hand, but not without giving her leg a little pinch first.
Cassie chanced a glance around the meeting. Several people held books. One woman sipped from a Starbucks cup, her slim form clad in a cream-colored tailored suit. She caught Cassie’s eye and smiled, crossing her leg and showcasing an expensive leather high heel.
Most of the people looked like soccer parents, including one fit man who could have been a clone of her old soccer team coach.
None of them looked like alcoholics.
Luke leaned back in his metal chair and entwined his fingers behind his head. He looked more relaxed already.
“All right, let’s call this meeting to order,” Dave said, as he crossed his legs. “I’ll go first.” His voice deepened. “Ready to pray?”
Dave took in the nods around the room before nodding back.
Cassie gulped and bowed her head, closing her eyes.
“Oh God, give us the serenity to accept what cannot be changed, the courage to change what can be changed, and the wisdom to know the one from the other.”
----
A t the end of the meeting, Luke stood and stretched. He reached out a hand to help Cassie up, giving a fake grunt as he pulled her to her feet. She rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease. If you think I’m that heavy, the next stop is the gym.”
“I better do something, after the doughnut addiction you accused me of having.”
She smiled and ran her hand down his arm. “What did you think of the meeting?”
“It, uh.…”Across the room, one of the men caught Luke’s eye and waved. “Be right back,” Luke said as he walked over to him.
Cassie tried to be inconspicuous as she watched, smiling to herself when she saw a grin spread across Luke’s face. At the end of the men’s conversation, Luke shook the man’s hand warmly. When he returned, his eyes had lost their wariness.
“Who was that?” Cassie asked.
He grabbed her hand. “Let’s get out of here.” On the way out, he hooked one of the doughnuts off the tray.
“Bite?” He offered.
Cassie shook her head. “Did you know that guy?”
“How could you tell?” He crammed half the doughnut into his mouth.
“Usually you have your guard way up when you talk to people. You looked comfortable.”
He swallowed, their footsteps echoing in the hall. “Geez, I’m that easy of a read, huh? So much for my detective skills. Yeah, he’s a colleague. An old colleague. He offered to be my sponsor.” His face flickered with bemusement. “I never knew he used to drink. He was really glad to see me.”
“Luke, you’re a great guy. I have a feeling you’re going to be getting more of that reaction. I know people have missed you since you decided to become a cave-dweller.”
He opened the door that led outside, his hand resting on her back. The moon was brilliant in the clear night sky. “I’ve been checked out for a while, that’s for sure. Lost a few battles.”
Pulling her close, he kissed her. She ran her fingers through his hair as he deepened the kiss. Let me have this. I don’t want to think any more.
“And you,” he murmured against her lips, the pad of his finger tracing along her cheek, “have reminded me that sometimes life isn’t about the battle we face. It’s how we win the war.”
Chapter 15
- C offee 7am no excuses
-ps I’ll bring the doughnuts.
Cassie read the texts from Luke one more time before falling back onto
His eyebrows slowly raised, and he frowned at her. Uh-oh. Have I gone too far with my teasing? “Fine.” She held her hands up. “I’m just saying, I’ve watched Wreck-It Ralph. I know how it works.”
“Wreck it what?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t watch cartoons. You had a box of Cap’n Crunch sitting on your counter.”
“I’m not following the logic,” he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.
Dave loudly read from a bulletin.
“Everyone knows a big bowl of Cap’n Crunch can only be eaten in front of cartoons.”
Luke rolled his eyes and moved his hand, but not without giving her leg a little pinch first.
Cassie chanced a glance around the meeting. Several people held books. One woman sipped from a Starbucks cup, her slim form clad in a cream-colored tailored suit. She caught Cassie’s eye and smiled, crossing her leg and showcasing an expensive leather high heel.
Most of the people looked like soccer parents, including one fit man who could have been a clone of her old soccer team coach.
None of them looked like alcoholics.
Luke leaned back in his metal chair and entwined his fingers behind his head. He looked more relaxed already.
“All right, let’s call this meeting to order,” Dave said, as he crossed his legs. “I’ll go first.” His voice deepened. “Ready to pray?”
Dave took in the nods around the room before nodding back.
Cassie gulped and bowed her head, closing her eyes.
“Oh God, give us the serenity to accept what cannot be changed, the courage to change what can be changed, and the wisdom to know the one from the other.”
----
A t the end of the meeting, Luke stood and stretched. He reached out a hand to help Cassie up, giving a fake grunt as he pulled her to her feet. She rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease. If you think I’m that heavy, the next stop is the gym.”
“I better do something, after the doughnut addiction you accused me of having.”
She smiled and ran her hand down his arm. “What did you think of the meeting?”
“It, uh.…”Across the room, one of the men caught Luke’s eye and waved. “Be right back,” Luke said as he walked over to him.
Cassie tried to be inconspicuous as she watched, smiling to herself when she saw a grin spread across Luke’s face. At the end of the men’s conversation, Luke shook the man’s hand warmly. When he returned, his eyes had lost their wariness.
“Who was that?” Cassie asked.
He grabbed her hand. “Let’s get out of here.” On the way out, he hooked one of the doughnuts off the tray.
“Bite?” He offered.
Cassie shook her head. “Did you know that guy?”
“How could you tell?” He crammed half the doughnut into his mouth.
“Usually you have your guard way up when you talk to people. You looked comfortable.”
He swallowed, their footsteps echoing in the hall. “Geez, I’m that easy of a read, huh? So much for my detective skills. Yeah, he’s a colleague. An old colleague. He offered to be my sponsor.” His face flickered with bemusement. “I never knew he used to drink. He was really glad to see me.”
“Luke, you’re a great guy. I have a feeling you’re going to be getting more of that reaction. I know people have missed you since you decided to become a cave-dweller.”
He opened the door that led outside, his hand resting on her back. The moon was brilliant in the clear night sky. “I’ve been checked out for a while, that’s for sure. Lost a few battles.”
Pulling her close, he kissed her. She ran her fingers through his hair as he deepened the kiss. Let me have this. I don’t want to think any more.
“And you,” he murmured against her lips, the pad of his finger tracing along her cheek, “have reminded me that sometimes life isn’t about the battle we face. It’s how we win the war.”
Chapter 15
- C offee 7am no excuses
-ps I’ll bring the doughnuts.
Cassie read the texts from Luke one more time before falling back onto
Similar Books
