said.
56
APPREHENSION
Chapter Six
"So, how's the MCL doing today?" Jack asked the next day when he stopped by Thor's house to drop off a dessert plate from his wife Betty. Taking the chair across from the couch, Jack sat down.
"Good. By tomorrow I should be about ninety percent."
Thor rubbed a hand across the side of his knee. Most of the soreness had gone and he walked with only a slight limp.
"Hopefully, I'll only have to ride the desk for a few days, then I can get back out to the field."
"Yeah? I'm surprised you lasted this long being a couch potato." Jack reached into the cooler beside the table, tossed Thor a beer and retrieved one for himself.
"So, am I," Thor chuckled and popped the top off his bottle.
"I guess it helped having company sitting with you while you recuperated." Jack opened his drink and guzzled some.
Thor was in the process of lifting his beer to his mouth when
the
understanding
of
Jack's
words
hit
him.
"Company…hmmm. Who told you?"
"Small town chatter." Jack confirmed and took another drink, eyeing Thor over the brown bottle's length.
Looking at Jack intently, Thor decided not to waste time beating around the bush. He and Jack had always been straight with each other. No need to change that now. "Yeah, Liza came by a few times."
Jack raised his eyebrow. "A few times? More like three to four hours a day," his friend corrected.
"Damn.
That's
not
chatter,
that's
fuckin'
special
investigations."
Barking with laughter, Jack almost choked on a mouthful of beer. Wiping his lips and chin with the back of his hand, Jack 57
YVETTE HINES
said, "Pretty much." He cleared his throat. "So, what's going on with you and Liza?"
"Nothing." He paused and stared down at his label. "I thought maybe something… but," he stopped again, sighed and took a sip of his beer, "I'm not what she wants."
"Are you sure?"
"Yup. She likes charity cases. Helping the helpless." He patted his knee in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner. "I was. Now, I'm not."
"What happened? Did that accident knock all the sense out of your damn thick skull?"
Thor was shocked by the forceful tone of his friend. He and Jack went way back and this was the first time he'd ever seen him this upset. "What's wrong with you? Liza and I are both adults. I didn't take advantage of your town princess if that's what's going around."
"No one's sayin' that." Jack barked. "This town cares too much for Liza to say anything that hurtful."
"Well, good." Now he was angry. Thor's beer made a loud thunk as he set it down on the table. "Because I care about her too, but she's the one who walked away and hasn't called or come by in two days."
"Have you called her?"
Jack's calm question knocked the wind out of his sails.
"What?"
"Have you called her?" he asked again.
"No."
"I thought you said you two were adults."
"I am a fuckin' adult."
Standing, Jack grabbed both their beer bottles. "No time like the present to act like one."
"What makes you think that she wants more from me than a good time?" Thor asked.
"Women who want a good time don't lay on the side of the road in the dirt holding on to an unconscious man's hand. Nor do they spend all night in a hospital waiting for a guy to wake up if all they're looking for is a little fun." Jack turned and headed toward the kitchen.
58
APPREHENSION
Jack's words hit him deep in the gut. Liza had been there at the accident and with him at the hospital? Thor watched his friend walk into the kitchen. He knew Jack was right. For the last two days, he'd been sulking around the house waiting for her to come by so he could talk to her. Tell her how he felt and that he cared for her. More than he ever wanted to.
Liza had waltzed her little sassy ass right into his heart. And damn it, he'd fallen for her hard. It was time for him to make the next move.
* * * *
"So, guys, this is our game plan."
Thor watched Glen Russell, the captain of the RACE team, walk over to the white board in
56
APPREHENSION
Chapter Six
"So, how's the MCL doing today?" Jack asked the next day when he stopped by Thor's house to drop off a dessert plate from his wife Betty. Taking the chair across from the couch, Jack sat down.
"Good. By tomorrow I should be about ninety percent."
Thor rubbed a hand across the side of his knee. Most of the soreness had gone and he walked with only a slight limp.
"Hopefully, I'll only have to ride the desk for a few days, then I can get back out to the field."
"Yeah? I'm surprised you lasted this long being a couch potato." Jack reached into the cooler beside the table, tossed Thor a beer and retrieved one for himself.
"So, am I," Thor chuckled and popped the top off his bottle.
"I guess it helped having company sitting with you while you recuperated." Jack opened his drink and guzzled some.
Thor was in the process of lifting his beer to his mouth when
the
understanding
of
Jack's
words
hit
him.
"Company…hmmm. Who told you?"
"Small town chatter." Jack confirmed and took another drink, eyeing Thor over the brown bottle's length.
Looking at Jack intently, Thor decided not to waste time beating around the bush. He and Jack had always been straight with each other. No need to change that now. "Yeah, Liza came by a few times."
Jack raised his eyebrow. "A few times? More like three to four hours a day," his friend corrected.
"Damn.
That's
not
chatter,
that's
fuckin'
special
investigations."
Barking with laughter, Jack almost choked on a mouthful of beer. Wiping his lips and chin with the back of his hand, Jack 57
YVETTE HINES
said, "Pretty much." He cleared his throat. "So, what's going on with you and Liza?"
"Nothing." He paused and stared down at his label. "I thought maybe something… but," he stopped again, sighed and took a sip of his beer, "I'm not what she wants."
"Are you sure?"
"Yup. She likes charity cases. Helping the helpless." He patted his knee in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner. "I was. Now, I'm not."
"What happened? Did that accident knock all the sense out of your damn thick skull?"
Thor was shocked by the forceful tone of his friend. He and Jack went way back and this was the first time he'd ever seen him this upset. "What's wrong with you? Liza and I are both adults. I didn't take advantage of your town princess if that's what's going around."
"No one's sayin' that." Jack barked. "This town cares too much for Liza to say anything that hurtful."
"Well, good." Now he was angry. Thor's beer made a loud thunk as he set it down on the table. "Because I care about her too, but she's the one who walked away and hasn't called or come by in two days."
"Have you called her?"
Jack's calm question knocked the wind out of his sails.
"What?"
"Have you called her?" he asked again.
"No."
"I thought you said you two were adults."
"I am a fuckin' adult."
Standing, Jack grabbed both their beer bottles. "No time like the present to act like one."
"What makes you think that she wants more from me than a good time?" Thor asked.
"Women who want a good time don't lay on the side of the road in the dirt holding on to an unconscious man's hand. Nor do they spend all night in a hospital waiting for a guy to wake up if all they're looking for is a little fun." Jack turned and headed toward the kitchen.
58
APPREHENSION
Jack's words hit him deep in the gut. Liza had been there at the accident and with him at the hospital? Thor watched his friend walk into the kitchen. He knew Jack was right. For the last two days, he'd been sulking around the house waiting for her to come by so he could talk to her. Tell her how he felt and that he cared for her. More than he ever wanted to.
Liza had waltzed her little sassy ass right into his heart. And damn it, he'd fallen for her hard. It was time for him to make the next move.
* * * *
"So, guys, this is our game plan."
Thor watched Glen Russell, the captain of the RACE team, walk over to the white board in
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