all day and maybe tomorrow, but we settled before 10:00 a.m. Almost got everything we asked for, which was more than I expected. And I don’t have to write a brief, which my client doesn’t care about but is a huge time saver for me.”
“Sounds like you really enjoy your job.”
“Don’t you?”
“It has its moments.” Like this. “There are moments when I miss being on the force.”
“I’d think it has some of the same elements.”
“Not really. We rarely work with governmental agencies.”
The last time I had, Robert had volunteered my services for a witness gone underground, like I was some glorified Dog the Bounty Hunter . I can still picture one of Robby’s cop buddies giving me a slightly patronizing look. I’m glad you’ve found something to do , he’d said. As if when you hand in your badge, you’re supposed to do the world a favor, shrivel up and die.
“You must get some interesting work.”
“We do. Child custody. Alimony. Marital property disputes. Surveillance. Skip traces. It’s a lot less glamorous than people think.”
“No disguises? Funny hats and noses?”
“I actually do have disguises,” I admitted. “A bag of them in my truck. Just uniforms and props, really. Drew says I just have a flare for the dramatic, but I think they’re necessary.”
He laughed. “Maybe a little of both.”
“Maybe.”
“Here. This will help your headache.” His arm was propped up on the chair close to mine, and I almost had a girly swooning moment when his hand dropped down to my neck.
“How’d you know?” I managed.
“Your eyes were all squinty. And you had major attitude. Even for you,” he teased, and I growled.
I wasn’t sure if he was aware that his arm was pretty much across the back of my chair now. The guy sitting a few chairs down managed to shoot us a dirty look before going back to his magazine. I was unmoved. He could wave a rebel flag and threaten to burn my truck, but if he interrupted Jordan playing with my hair and digging strong thumbs into my neck, I’d pull out my Sig Sauer and neutralize him.
As if he’d realized what he was doing, suddenly the massage stopped. I growled. “Jordan, what’s your damage?”
His gaze dropped to the floor, and a blush crept across his cheeks. “I don’t know,” he managed.
“Ugh.” I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell. I wanted to make him admit he was feeling some of the same things I was. “Well, don’t come near me until you’ve figured it out. I’ve already been there, done that.”
“Mackenzie….” His phone went off, superloud in my sensitive ears, and suddenly my headache was back full force. I moved one chair over and snapped open a three-month-old National Geographic . I could feel the heat of his gaze on my neck, and it took all I had in me to remain still.
“Hello,” he finally snapped into the phone.
“Jordie!” I could hear Rachel even one chair over. “Where are you? We’ve been waiting an hour. We’re going to be late for the meeting. Greeves and Wales both want an explanation for the settlement this morning.”
“Rache, I’m kind of busy,” he murmured into the phone, trying to be discreet.
As she began going on about the traffic on the highway and why he had to leave right now , I moseyed on over to the soda machine. The neon Coke sign made my eyeballs shrink in my head a little more, and I hoped caffeine would help. It didn’t appear that I’d be getting any more of Jordan’s massages. I stuck in a dollar, and the thing ate it whole.
“Damn it,” I groused. I barely refrained from giving it a swift kick.
“Here.” An arm went by my nose and stuffed some quarters in the slot. “Which one?”
“Diet Coke,” I said. “But I can push the buttons all by myself, Pa.” Wow, you are feeling bitchy.
The smiling mechanic—Joey, according to his name patch—didn’t seem to mind as he tossed me the cola. “On me.”
“Least you can do,” I said archly. “Your tires cost
“Sounds like you really enjoy your job.”
“Don’t you?”
“It has its moments.” Like this. “There are moments when I miss being on the force.”
“I’d think it has some of the same elements.”
“Not really. We rarely work with governmental agencies.”
The last time I had, Robert had volunteered my services for a witness gone underground, like I was some glorified Dog the Bounty Hunter . I can still picture one of Robby’s cop buddies giving me a slightly patronizing look. I’m glad you’ve found something to do , he’d said. As if when you hand in your badge, you’re supposed to do the world a favor, shrivel up and die.
“You must get some interesting work.”
“We do. Child custody. Alimony. Marital property disputes. Surveillance. Skip traces. It’s a lot less glamorous than people think.”
“No disguises? Funny hats and noses?”
“I actually do have disguises,” I admitted. “A bag of them in my truck. Just uniforms and props, really. Drew says I just have a flare for the dramatic, but I think they’re necessary.”
He laughed. “Maybe a little of both.”
“Maybe.”
“Here. This will help your headache.” His arm was propped up on the chair close to mine, and I almost had a girly swooning moment when his hand dropped down to my neck.
“How’d you know?” I managed.
“Your eyes were all squinty. And you had major attitude. Even for you,” he teased, and I growled.
I wasn’t sure if he was aware that his arm was pretty much across the back of my chair now. The guy sitting a few chairs down managed to shoot us a dirty look before going back to his magazine. I was unmoved. He could wave a rebel flag and threaten to burn my truck, but if he interrupted Jordan playing with my hair and digging strong thumbs into my neck, I’d pull out my Sig Sauer and neutralize him.
As if he’d realized what he was doing, suddenly the massage stopped. I growled. “Jordan, what’s your damage?”
His gaze dropped to the floor, and a blush crept across his cheeks. “I don’t know,” he managed.
“Ugh.” I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell. I wanted to make him admit he was feeling some of the same things I was. “Well, don’t come near me until you’ve figured it out. I’ve already been there, done that.”
“Mackenzie….” His phone went off, superloud in my sensitive ears, and suddenly my headache was back full force. I moved one chair over and snapped open a three-month-old National Geographic . I could feel the heat of his gaze on my neck, and it took all I had in me to remain still.
“Hello,” he finally snapped into the phone.
“Jordie!” I could hear Rachel even one chair over. “Where are you? We’ve been waiting an hour. We’re going to be late for the meeting. Greeves and Wales both want an explanation for the settlement this morning.”
“Rache, I’m kind of busy,” he murmured into the phone, trying to be discreet.
As she began going on about the traffic on the highway and why he had to leave right now , I moseyed on over to the soda machine. The neon Coke sign made my eyeballs shrink in my head a little more, and I hoped caffeine would help. It didn’t appear that I’d be getting any more of Jordan’s massages. I stuck in a dollar, and the thing ate it whole.
“Damn it,” I groused. I barely refrained from giving it a swift kick.
“Here.” An arm went by my nose and stuffed some quarters in the slot. “Which one?”
“Diet Coke,” I said. “But I can push the buttons all by myself, Pa.” Wow, you are feeling bitchy.
The smiling mechanic—Joey, according to his name patch—didn’t seem to mind as he tossed me the cola. “On me.”
“Least you can do,” I said archly. “Your tires cost
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