The Ex File (Behind the Blue Line Series Book 1) by Alexis D. Craig

answered playfully, thinking he’d called back.
    “Dane has a plan,” Josh replied in lieu of a greeting. “Come to the house after you go home and change clothes and we’ll show you.”
    Whoa. Wait. “A plan? What kind of plan?” She clutched the phone tightly to her ear as she unlocked her car and got inside.
    “I told Dane about your situation, and he’s got an idea he wanted to run past you.” Josh was talking like he was three lattes into a sixer with no end in sight.
    She started the engine and rolled her eyes. This could only end in tears. “I have a ‘situation’ now? What the hell did you tell him? And when the hell did you two get so chummy? You holding out on me?”
    He hummed in impatience. “Your feeble attempts at distraction notwithstanding, I told him you needed help. We’re gonna help. Quit bitching and come over.”
    Ellie shuddered to think what kind of help she needed that the dynamic duo would be providing, but she was headed home and feeling kind of lonely, so this would be a good change. “Okay, give me about thirty and I’ll be there.”
    “Awesome, we’ll save a plate for you.” Josh hung up just as she was pulling up in front of her house. It only took a few minutes to change out of her drab khaki pants and department-issue navy polo and into her normal attire of a random pithy t-shirt and a pair of cutoff shorts.
    The drive down to Josh’s house was tense, lots of high-speed, poorly driven cars on the road around her, and even her normal escape—loud Dave Matthews Band on the radio—was doing nothing for her nerves. In her mind, she imagined what strange and fanciful plans the boys had dreamed up. It wasn’t pretty, and there were usually explosions involved. Not a good scene.
    He was in his garage with the door up getting more beer out of the extra fridge he kept out there when she pulled up. In his orange Texas Longhorns t-shirt and khaki shorts, he looked like a frat boy. She was tempted to tell him so when he held up two bottles of wine. “White, red, or vodka?”
    “Vodka, definitely vodka.” She knew whatever he and his boy toy had planned was going to require something stronger than wine, but just shy of paint thinner.
    After grabbing a bottle of Absolut from the freezer, he held the door into the house for her. “After you. I made stuffed chicken breasts and mushroom and asparagus risotto, just have to heat them up.”
    Her favorite foods. He was really buttering her up. “I’m afraid.”
    Josh waved off her concern and showed her to the place he’d set for her at the kitchen table. “Don’t be. Dane came up with a brilliant plan.”
    “That’s not comforting. So are you two a thing now?” It hadn’t escaped her notice that her best friend had failed to answer this vital question on the phone earlier.
    “Maybe.” His smile said something else entirely as he turned on the microwave. “Let’s just say I more than made up for your appalling lack of manners.”
    “Nice.” She snorted in amusement as the timer went off. “So where is he? I thought you said he was going to be joining us.”
    “Right here.”
    Ellie looked behind her to see Dane round the corner, carrying a large box with coaxial cables and other things sticking out of the top. It seemed her fears were well-founded. Josh slid her steaming plate of gustatory goodness in front of her along with a vodka and sweet tea. “Dare I ask?”
    The big man set the box on the table and dropped into the nearest chair. “Eat, it’s good for you.”
    She looked him over from green Emerald Society shirt down to his surprisingly well-manicured toenails and back up before pounding her beverage. Holding it up for Josh, she said, “I’m thinking I’m gonna need more of these.”
    He plucked the glass from her fingers and nodded. “Coming right up.”
    She primly unfolded her napkin and took up her silverware, laying siege to her stuffed chicken breast with gusto. “So what all did he tell you?” She