in the lock and turned it. ‘I know it doesn’t look like I’m cutting back, but I really am. This weekend was the exception.’
He shoved back a lock of thick, blond hair with long fingers and laughed as he walked toward her with a large chocolate Lab. ‘Isn’t that what you said the better part of last year?’
Jo descended the two porch steps and scratched the Lab between the ears. ‘Hey, Greta. And I meant it. I planned to take this weekend off but work came looking for me.’
‘You could have said no.’
‘I could have.’ It had never occurred to her to say no to Brody. He’d asked, and as if she was a naïve eighteen-year-old she’d come a-running. Not good.
Concern darkened his gaze. ‘You look beat. Where the heck did you end up?’
The night air here smelled so sweet compared to the crime scene. ‘I can’t get into the details. But it was a crime scene.’
‘You at a crime scene? I can’t picture that.’
‘Why not?’
‘I remember the look on your face last fall when I buried that dead dog. I thought you were going to be sick.’
A wry smile twisted her lips. ‘Safe to say, I survived, and I’ve provided my professional opinion to the powers that be.’ She patted Greta one last time. ‘By the way, if you see a sparkly little blond hurricane knocking on my door again, pretend you don’t know any details of my life.’
He grimaced. ‘I spilled the beans to your mother, didn’t I? I should have known. Mention of Winchester’s name about sent her into orbit. That’s why Greta and I happened by. We came to apologize.’
‘We?’ Jo smiled at Greta as she wagged her tail. ‘I always took Greta for the silent type.’
Rucker shook his head as he scratched the dog between the ears. ‘She can be a real blabbermouth at times.’
Jo chuckled. ‘Did Greta say anything else to my mom?’
‘Only that you looked a little stressed.’ He grimaced. ‘She shouldn’t have said that either.’
‘No harm, no foul. You and Greta need not worry. My mom might have blown a gasket, but she’s likely forgotten all about it now.’
‘Why did the mention of Winchester tick her off? Old boyfriend?’
Boyfriend. She and Brody had gone straight from one strong sexual attraction to married. They’d never really dated. And she’d certainly never called him her boyfriend. ‘Yeah, sorta like that.’
He leaned close as if they were coconspirators. ‘No relationship between you two now?’
‘God, no.’
‘That mean you’re gonna finally stop breaking Greta’s heart and go on a date with me?’
‘Last time we talked it was coffee.’
‘Greta says I needed to man up and offer dinner. She says there’s got to be a night when you’re not working or chasing that group of teen girls.’
She’d been avoiding Rucker’s dates for months, using her busy life as an excuse. But now she wondered why she’d been putting him off. Her mother had attributed her monastic life to Brody. How many times had she heard, ‘He ruined you for all other men.’ That was, of course, not true. She had dated other men. But in the last couple of years she’d been so busy, she’d not made time for dating. Brody was a professional colleague, at best.
She studied Rucker’s smiling face, noting it was a nice change from Brody’s perpetual scowl, which she’d seen a lot of in the last twenty-four hours. ‘Rucker, I’m slammed this week and I’ve a wedding to attend on Saturday but I am open weekend after next. We can grab dinner downtown.’
He grinned. ‘It’s a date.’
Chapter Six
Monday, April 8, 5:00 A.M.
Brody woke early, the clock on the nightstand glaring in red back at him. He shoved a hand through his hair and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Around him he surveyed the unpacked boxes, dirty clothes piled on the floor and collection of pictures that leaned in a neat stack against the wall. He’d made the move to Austin from Houston three weeks ago after an unexpected
He shoved back a lock of thick, blond hair with long fingers and laughed as he walked toward her with a large chocolate Lab. ‘Isn’t that what you said the better part of last year?’
Jo descended the two porch steps and scratched the Lab between the ears. ‘Hey, Greta. And I meant it. I planned to take this weekend off but work came looking for me.’
‘You could have said no.’
‘I could have.’ It had never occurred to her to say no to Brody. He’d asked, and as if she was a naïve eighteen-year-old she’d come a-running. Not good.
Concern darkened his gaze. ‘You look beat. Where the heck did you end up?’
The night air here smelled so sweet compared to the crime scene. ‘I can’t get into the details. But it was a crime scene.’
‘You at a crime scene? I can’t picture that.’
‘Why not?’
‘I remember the look on your face last fall when I buried that dead dog. I thought you were going to be sick.’
A wry smile twisted her lips. ‘Safe to say, I survived, and I’ve provided my professional opinion to the powers that be.’ She patted Greta one last time. ‘By the way, if you see a sparkly little blond hurricane knocking on my door again, pretend you don’t know any details of my life.’
He grimaced. ‘I spilled the beans to your mother, didn’t I? I should have known. Mention of Winchester’s name about sent her into orbit. That’s why Greta and I happened by. We came to apologize.’
‘We?’ Jo smiled at Greta as she wagged her tail. ‘I always took Greta for the silent type.’
Rucker shook his head as he scratched the dog between the ears. ‘She can be a real blabbermouth at times.’
Jo chuckled. ‘Did Greta say anything else to my mom?’
‘Only that you looked a little stressed.’ He grimaced. ‘She shouldn’t have said that either.’
‘No harm, no foul. You and Greta need not worry. My mom might have blown a gasket, but she’s likely forgotten all about it now.’
‘Why did the mention of Winchester tick her off? Old boyfriend?’
Boyfriend. She and Brody had gone straight from one strong sexual attraction to married. They’d never really dated. And she’d certainly never called him her boyfriend. ‘Yeah, sorta like that.’
He leaned close as if they were coconspirators. ‘No relationship between you two now?’
‘God, no.’
‘That mean you’re gonna finally stop breaking Greta’s heart and go on a date with me?’
‘Last time we talked it was coffee.’
‘Greta says I needed to man up and offer dinner. She says there’s got to be a night when you’re not working or chasing that group of teen girls.’
She’d been avoiding Rucker’s dates for months, using her busy life as an excuse. But now she wondered why she’d been putting him off. Her mother had attributed her monastic life to Brody. How many times had she heard, ‘He ruined you for all other men.’ That was, of course, not true. She had dated other men. But in the last couple of years she’d been so busy, she’d not made time for dating. Brody was a professional colleague, at best.
She studied Rucker’s smiling face, noting it was a nice change from Brody’s perpetual scowl, which she’d seen a lot of in the last twenty-four hours. ‘Rucker, I’m slammed this week and I’ve a wedding to attend on Saturday but I am open weekend after next. We can grab dinner downtown.’
He grinned. ‘It’s a date.’
Chapter Six
Monday, April 8, 5:00 A.M.
Brody woke early, the clock on the nightstand glaring in red back at him. He shoved a hand through his hair and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Around him he surveyed the unpacked boxes, dirty clothes piled on the floor and collection of pictures that leaned in a neat stack against the wall. He’d made the move to Austin from Houston three weeks ago after an unexpected
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