stretching. “I just made the bed, Kate, and
I can assure you it was no small feat. Your sister sure knows how to tangle the
sheets.”
Kate laughed and lightly punched him on the arm. “You better
be glad she didn’t hear you say that. She’d kick your ass.”
“She probably would. What brings you to town so early?”
“I’m working the breakfast and lunch shift with Jill. Cheryl
drove Lottie into Harrisburg last night for a girls’ night out. They aren’t due
back until this afternoon.”
“That’s right,” he said, “I forgot that was today. Jill must
have been desperate for help.”
“Ha ha,” Kate said. He and Rick often teased her about her
inability to boil water. She was a disaster in the kitchen, a detail he and his
partner had learned early on. Rick had taken on the duty of keeping them all
fed. Until he’d moved in with Jill, Wes struggled with the realization that he
was becoming a third wheel in their household, and he was grateful to be able
to give the new couple some time alone.
“Stop harassing the hired help. Besides, I’m doing the
cooking. She’s going to be my waitress.” Jill walked down the hallway.
He turned to look at her. Regardless of what she wore, she
took his breath away. Today she was sporting a short jeans skirt with tight
black leggings beneath, a red cotton blouse and her black Converse tennis
shoes. He’d laughed the first time he looked into her closet and discovered she
owned the high-top sneakers in nearly every color. She claimed they were the
most comfortable shoes around and considering she was on her feet all day, that
made the indulgence of owning so many pairs worth it.
“Hey, Jill, I gotta tell you, you may have to pay me
overtime for dragging me out of bed so early on a Saturday,” Kate said.
“Shit,” Jill deadpanned. “I’m paying you?”
“Very funny.”
Jill put her hands on her hips. “Besides, you aren’t fooling
anyone, Miss Mary Sunshine. You live for dawn. Only reason you’re pissed off is
because I dragged you away from Rick.”
Kate gave her a wicked grin. “It’s his day off. We usually
put Saturday mornings to very good use.”
“Ick. I’ll give you a thousand bucks not to give me any of
those details.”
Wes smiled at the two sisters. “I’ll leave you two to fight
out the issue of compensation. I’ve got to go out and keep these mean streets
of Madison safe for you law-abiding folk,” he said in a perfect imitation of
John Wayne. He bent down to brush a light kiss against Jill’s lips in farewell
and was surprised when she reached up and deepened the gesture. When he pulled
back, she smiled at him.
“Be careful, hotshot.”
She said the exact same thing to him every morning.
“I’m always careful. Besides, pixie, with Drake at my back,
what could go wrong?”
Jill rolled her eyes. “Drake can’t distinguish between his
ass and a hole in the ground. You might not want to lose sight of that.”
“Sad, but true. I’m starting to suspect the mayor hired me
to protect Drake while he attempts to protect Madison. I’ll check in during the
day. You girls behave.”
As Jill watched her handsome policeman close the door behind
him, she felt her sister’s accusatory glare land on her.
“You haven’t told him, have you?” Kate asked.
“No. The opportunity hasn’t presented itself yet. We’d
better get downstairs and start firing things up.”
Never one to let things lie, Kate didn’t budge. “Jill, you
need to tell him. Now.”
“I know, Kate. Jesus. Do you think you’re telling me
something I don’t know?”
“It’s not going to get easier with time.”
Jill turned her back on her sister, fighting down the
combination of fear and fury Kate’s words provoked. “I don’t need this right
now.”
Kate put her hand on her shoulder, and Jill fought the urge
to shrug it off. It wasn’t Kate’s fault she was fucking up her life.
“I’m sorry,” Kate said. “I’m nagging. Starting to
I can assure you it was no small feat. Your sister sure knows how to tangle the
sheets.”
Kate laughed and lightly punched him on the arm. “You better
be glad she didn’t hear you say that. She’d kick your ass.”
“She probably would. What brings you to town so early?”
“I’m working the breakfast and lunch shift with Jill. Cheryl
drove Lottie into Harrisburg last night for a girls’ night out. They aren’t due
back until this afternoon.”
“That’s right,” he said, “I forgot that was today. Jill must
have been desperate for help.”
“Ha ha,” Kate said. He and Rick often teased her about her
inability to boil water. She was a disaster in the kitchen, a detail he and his
partner had learned early on. Rick had taken on the duty of keeping them all
fed. Until he’d moved in with Jill, Wes struggled with the realization that he
was becoming a third wheel in their household, and he was grateful to be able
to give the new couple some time alone.
“Stop harassing the hired help. Besides, I’m doing the
cooking. She’s going to be my waitress.” Jill walked down the hallway.
He turned to look at her. Regardless of what she wore, she
took his breath away. Today she was sporting a short jeans skirt with tight
black leggings beneath, a red cotton blouse and her black Converse tennis
shoes. He’d laughed the first time he looked into her closet and discovered she
owned the high-top sneakers in nearly every color. She claimed they were the
most comfortable shoes around and considering she was on her feet all day, that
made the indulgence of owning so many pairs worth it.
“Hey, Jill, I gotta tell you, you may have to pay me
overtime for dragging me out of bed so early on a Saturday,” Kate said.
“Shit,” Jill deadpanned. “I’m paying you?”
“Very funny.”
Jill put her hands on her hips. “Besides, you aren’t fooling
anyone, Miss Mary Sunshine. You live for dawn. Only reason you’re pissed off is
because I dragged you away from Rick.”
Kate gave her a wicked grin. “It’s his day off. We usually
put Saturday mornings to very good use.”
“Ick. I’ll give you a thousand bucks not to give me any of
those details.”
Wes smiled at the two sisters. “I’ll leave you two to fight
out the issue of compensation. I’ve got to go out and keep these mean streets
of Madison safe for you law-abiding folk,” he said in a perfect imitation of
John Wayne. He bent down to brush a light kiss against Jill’s lips in farewell
and was surprised when she reached up and deepened the gesture. When he pulled
back, she smiled at him.
“Be careful, hotshot.”
She said the exact same thing to him every morning.
“I’m always careful. Besides, pixie, with Drake at my back,
what could go wrong?”
Jill rolled her eyes. “Drake can’t distinguish between his
ass and a hole in the ground. You might not want to lose sight of that.”
“Sad, but true. I’m starting to suspect the mayor hired me
to protect Drake while he attempts to protect Madison. I’ll check in during the
day. You girls behave.”
As Jill watched her handsome policeman close the door behind
him, she felt her sister’s accusatory glare land on her.
“You haven’t told him, have you?” Kate asked.
“No. The opportunity hasn’t presented itself yet. We’d
better get downstairs and start firing things up.”
Never one to let things lie, Kate didn’t budge. “Jill, you
need to tell him. Now.”
“I know, Kate. Jesus. Do you think you’re telling me
something I don’t know?”
“It’s not going to get easier with time.”
Jill turned her back on her sister, fighting down the
combination of fear and fury Kate’s words provoked. “I don’t need this right
now.”
Kate put her hand on her shoulder, and Jill fought the urge
to shrug it off. It wasn’t Kate’s fault she was fucking up her life.
“I’m sorry,” Kate said. “I’m nagging. Starting to
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