seen him?”
“Almost three years.” she whispered. “And you?”
“Principessa, my situation is completely different.”
“Two years, right? Two years, and you seem….”
He winced.
“Like everything still hurts.” she finished.
“Yeah, I still hurt. But I’m learning that life is about not wasting any of the love we get.”
Grimacing, she held up the doughnut chunk. “Sorry for the depressing conversation. It’s what you get when you force me to wake up this early in the morning.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Luke smiled and reached out to cup her chin. “I’m glad you’re here.” He kissed her lightly.
Definitely better than a Life Saver.
“So, tell me why we had to wake up at this awful hour.”
“We’re meeting my old partner, Trevor, before his shift. I have an idea of who this necklace belongs to. I’ve been waiting to hear what he has to say.”
“You’ve been talking with your partner about other stuff besides supporting you?”
Luke licked his lips and spun his cup on the table. Raising his head, his eyes sought hers. “I have. My medical leave is nearly over. It’s been twelve months. Time for me to get back to work.”
“Are you serious? I mean, I’m happy for you, but… wow.”
“Yeah. I am. Tomorrow I’ll have a meeting with the Chief of Personnel. I have some hoops to jump through, and have to prove I’m of sound of mind and all of that. But I think it’s time for me to get my feet wet.” He grinned at her reaction. “Don’t look so shocked.”
Cassie felt her face heat. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be shocked. I just thought, with everything you’d been through, you’d never want to go back.”
“I had a job to do. I failed at it.”
“But now?”
He grabbed her hand, his thumb stroking the side of her palm. “Now I begin again.”
The bell over the coffee shop door rang as a police officer entered.
“Ah, there he is. Trevor! Over here!” Luke waved.
The police officer acknowledged them with a nod before heading for the cash register to order a coffee. Cassie took in his dark crew cut and clean-shaven face. Hard to guess how old he was, but he had the stocky dad-bod build of a man in his thirties. A few minutes later, he came over with a steaming cup.
“Luke.” Trevor smiled as he sat down. Looking at Cassie, he continued, “And?”
“This is Cassie, my girl.”
Cassie felt butterflies at the word. His girl? She shifted, mentally trying out the word. Weird? Nice? Yeah. Real nice.
“Pleased to meet you.” Trevor offered his hand, which Cassie shook. He pushed his chair to face Luke. “You’re looking good, buddy. You feeling okay?”
“I’ve never been better.”
Trevor nodded. “It’s been a long time coming. Now, let’s see this necklace.”
With a clatter, Luke dropped the rosary on the table. Trevor picked it up and held it close to examine it. “And what did Darrell say about this?”
“He knows the jeweler?” Cassie leaned to whisper to Luke.
“It’s a tight-knit community.” Luke winked at her before addressing Trevor. “He said it’s from the early 1800s. Very rare, and very valuable.”
“And very Catholic, I’m guessing?” Trevor added. “Only one person that I know of. The same mafia thug we tried to bust two years ago. Perfect.”
Luke looked at Trevor, his jaw tightening. “Nicholai.”
----
T he car ride back to the hotel was quiet. Luke had flipped the radio off earlier, and was staring out the windshield with apparent intense concentration. Cassie watched Luke for a moment from under lowered eyelashes. Absentmindedly, she twirled her pendant on its chain. “So, who’s Nicholai?”
“Bloody hell! You scared the crap out of me.” Luke scowled, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.
“Sorry to shake you up there, Detective. I thought you were supposed to have nerves of steel and all that.”
“Yeah, well, I was lost in thought. And I’m not ready to talk about Nicholai. I was
“Almost three years.” she whispered. “And you?”
“Principessa, my situation is completely different.”
“Two years, right? Two years, and you seem….”
He winced.
“Like everything still hurts.” she finished.
“Yeah, I still hurt. But I’m learning that life is about not wasting any of the love we get.”
Grimacing, she held up the doughnut chunk. “Sorry for the depressing conversation. It’s what you get when you force me to wake up this early in the morning.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Luke smiled and reached out to cup her chin. “I’m glad you’re here.” He kissed her lightly.
Definitely better than a Life Saver.
“So, tell me why we had to wake up at this awful hour.”
“We’re meeting my old partner, Trevor, before his shift. I have an idea of who this necklace belongs to. I’ve been waiting to hear what he has to say.”
“You’ve been talking with your partner about other stuff besides supporting you?”
Luke licked his lips and spun his cup on the table. Raising his head, his eyes sought hers. “I have. My medical leave is nearly over. It’s been twelve months. Time for me to get back to work.”
“Are you serious? I mean, I’m happy for you, but… wow.”
“Yeah. I am. Tomorrow I’ll have a meeting with the Chief of Personnel. I have some hoops to jump through, and have to prove I’m of sound of mind and all of that. But I think it’s time for me to get my feet wet.” He grinned at her reaction. “Don’t look so shocked.”
Cassie felt her face heat. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be shocked. I just thought, with everything you’d been through, you’d never want to go back.”
“I had a job to do. I failed at it.”
“But now?”
He grabbed her hand, his thumb stroking the side of her palm. “Now I begin again.”
The bell over the coffee shop door rang as a police officer entered.
“Ah, there he is. Trevor! Over here!” Luke waved.
The police officer acknowledged them with a nod before heading for the cash register to order a coffee. Cassie took in his dark crew cut and clean-shaven face. Hard to guess how old he was, but he had the stocky dad-bod build of a man in his thirties. A few minutes later, he came over with a steaming cup.
“Luke.” Trevor smiled as he sat down. Looking at Cassie, he continued, “And?”
“This is Cassie, my girl.”
Cassie felt butterflies at the word. His girl? She shifted, mentally trying out the word. Weird? Nice? Yeah. Real nice.
“Pleased to meet you.” Trevor offered his hand, which Cassie shook. He pushed his chair to face Luke. “You’re looking good, buddy. You feeling okay?”
“I’ve never been better.”
Trevor nodded. “It’s been a long time coming. Now, let’s see this necklace.”
With a clatter, Luke dropped the rosary on the table. Trevor picked it up and held it close to examine it. “And what did Darrell say about this?”
“He knows the jeweler?” Cassie leaned to whisper to Luke.
“It’s a tight-knit community.” Luke winked at her before addressing Trevor. “He said it’s from the early 1800s. Very rare, and very valuable.”
“And very Catholic, I’m guessing?” Trevor added. “Only one person that I know of. The same mafia thug we tried to bust two years ago. Perfect.”
Luke looked at Trevor, his jaw tightening. “Nicholai.”
----
T he car ride back to the hotel was quiet. Luke had flipped the radio off earlier, and was staring out the windshield with apparent intense concentration. Cassie watched Luke for a moment from under lowered eyelashes. Absentmindedly, she twirled her pendant on its chain. “So, who’s Nicholai?”
“Bloody hell! You scared the crap out of me.” Luke scowled, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.
“Sorry to shake you up there, Detective. I thought you were supposed to have nerves of steel and all that.”
“Yeah, well, I was lost in thought. And I’m not ready to talk about Nicholai. I was
Similar Books
