Before he left the living room, he felt the familiar brush against his leg. “Hey.” Studying the cat, he kneeled. As usual, she backed up when he held out his hand. “Come on.” The cat darted away.
Oddly enough, he felt rejected, but he didn’t know why. He didn’t even like cats. And as soon as things calmed down, he’d find the shelter that didn’t put the animals down.
He eased into his bedroom. Looking down at Cali, Brit exhaled as the night’s tension evaporated. She rested on her side and hugged a pillow as if she’d needed something to hold when she’d drifted off to sleep. Had she missed him? By damn, he’d missed her.
For several seconds, he just stood there and watched her breathe. He wondered how she was going to react when he told her they’d caught Humphrey. Would she be eager to get back to what she’d called her “normal life?” Would she rush back to her apartment? Where would this leave them? What would she say if he asked her to stay here?
Logic said it was too soon to offer any type of a commitment. But nothing about any of this felt logical. The fact that he wasn’t panicking about the idea of a commitment wasn’t logical.
Again the thought of Stan Humphrey having ever touched something as sweet as Cali brought a knot of jealousy to his gut. Didn’t she know she deserved so much better than that jerk? He shut his eyes when another question bounced back. Did she deserve better than Brit Lowell? He sure as hell didn’t have what one would call a good relationship record. Hell, most of his involvements with women couldn’t even be called relationships.
He’d liked it that way. And for a damn good reason.
He’d watched his mom and dad and then watched his mom and her four, five or was it six husbands now, do the relationship dance. While his gut churned at the idea that he might be like either one of his parents, the truth was he didn’t really know how a normal relationship should go. Hence, his fear of actually getting into one and being horrified that he had more of his parents in him that he wanted to admit.
Closing his eyes, he tried to nudge the thought from his mind. Taking a deep breath, he caught the scent of cigarette smoke. He sniffed his shirt sleeve, then went to grab a shower.
~
Cali woke up when the mattress shifted and she watched a naked Brit slip into bed beside her.
“Hey.” His shower-warm body, still moist, came closer. “Do you always sleep in the nude?”
“Don’t tell me that’s bad manners, because I was hoping you might join me.”
Grinning, she touched his face, just to make sure he wasn’t a dream. He’d shaved and smelled like soap. “What time is it?”
“Almost one.” He ran a hand through her hair.
She remembered what she’d discovered about the two officers, but Tanya hadn’t called her back. The idea of telling him something that came unsubstantiated from dreams with her dead mom didn’t feel right.
Then she remembered where he’d been and she sat up a bit. “Did you catch Stan?”
He seemed to study her. “Yeah. He came to the hotel just like we thought he would.”
A thousand questions ran though her mind. Had Stan confessed to the murders? Had anyone been hurt? But for some reason, she was a tad nervous to ask, afraid he’d read something more into her curiosity.
“Tomorrow you’re going to have to go in and answer some questions,” he said.
“What kind of questions?” And a thought crossed her mind. “Did someone find out about us?”
“No. The DA just needs to ask a few questions about the bracelet.” He paused. “If the subject comes up about us, I expect you to tell the truth.”
“I would, but I’m not going to offer the information. The DA shouldn’t ask about my personal life, should he?”
“No. But if it comes up, I’m serious, don’t lie.”
She nodded then pillowed her head on his chest. “I can’t believe it’s over.”
His hand brushed across her back, and he told her about the arrest. When he finished, she lay there, trying to figure out what this meant now. She could go back home. Not too long ago, that had been so important to her. Not now.
He rolled on his side and faced her, his look in his eyes told her whatever he had to say was serious. “Do you think I can become part of your ‘normal life’?”
“I was hoping you’d want that.” She propped up on her elbow, running her fingers through his wet hair and wondered how big a part of her life he wanted to be. Because the whole relationship hadn’t begun in a normal fashion, she didn’t know how it was supposed to work now.
“What is it?” he asked as if trying to read her mind.
She grinned. “I thought you promised me make-up sex?” she whispered in his ear.
“Hmm. I think I can do that. But first I’m going to have to get you naked.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“It’s almost time now,” her mom said.
Cali looked up. Her mother stood in the doorway, wearing the same navy suit she’d worn in all the dreams.
“Time for what?” Cali asked.