him, so I have been, but with this case and all, I haven’t gone for a few sessions. That’s it. Nothing more to tell.” There, she’d let it all out. Well almost all of it anyway. She’d finally confided in her partner and best friend. What she didn’t tell him was how good it had felt to be around Brendan.
“No way. I had no idea that you had a thing going on, Holly. I knew you might have a crush or an interest, but it sounds like you’ve got a thing. ” Chad finished off his drink. He was obviously looking around for Maureen to get him another one, but she was far too busy flirting with the personal trainer to take notice.
“Want the rest of mine? I’ve got to get going,” Holly said, shoving her margarita over to his side of the table. “It’s not a thing. Yoga class and a couple of glasses of wine don’t constitute a thing .”
“Oh, no, you’re not skipping out on me after dropping a bomb like that. But, yeah, I will take the rest of your drink if you don’t want it. I didn’t mean your telling me about the class and your wine date made it sound like a thing. It’s the sound of your voice when you talk about him. And I can see it in your eyes.”
“Like I said, it’s nothing. It certainly isn’t a thing . He’s a nice man I’ve spent a bit of time with, and we enjoyed each other’s company. But I am not ready to get involved.”
Chad shook his head. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” Holly stood just as Brooke walked into the bar, all long legged and dressed as if she’d just stepped out of Neiman Marcus. She let out a low whistle. “Someone is dressed to impress.”
Chad glanced at the door and turned away.
“Are you blushing?” she teased.
“No. And we’ve only got a minute or two before she spots us and makes her way over, so give it to me straight, partner.”
She rolled her eyes at him and said, “I did give it to you straight. He’s a nice man, that’s it. End of discussion.”
“Wait a minute. Oh, wow, Detective Holly Jennings has a major crush.”
“I do not,” she hissed, giving his arm a hard knuckle-rap.
“Hey, I told you to watch that swing of yours. You’re brutal. I hope this guy can hold his own. So, what does he do anyway?” He looked back over at the entrance. Brooke was still trying to get through the crowded bar. It was one of those places that had standing room only once the five o’clock hour hit.
“He’s a vet.”
“Cool, cool. You like animals.”
“I work with you, don’t I?”
“Low blow, Detective. All right, enough beating around the bush. Give me the whole story for real, and I’ll be nice for the rest of the week.”
“You are so lucky I don’t tell Brooke that I know the truth. But since you’re a relentless ass, I’ll tell you this much. He’s cute, he’s nice, he’s funny, he’s a good dad. I don’t know. He’s about as close to perfect as any man could get, I suppose.”
“Boy, has he got you snowed. You know that we men are all liars. But since you’re the one who used the word perfect, tell me, what’s the problem?” Chad asked, eyeing her suspiciously. “Or should I answer that and say that Jack is the problem?”
“I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.” She grabbed her purse off the booth.
“You know what, I’m glad you did, because every time Jack’s name comes up you run or change the topic as fast as you can, and personally, I think you need a shrink to work that out. But since I know you well enough to know you’re not about to puke your past traumas and emotional hang-ups while laying back a on therapist’s couch, you need to talk to me.”
“I suppose it is about Jack.” She turned and waved to Brooke who caught her eye and continued pushing her way back to them. Then she stopped at the bar to order what Holly was certain to be a Cosmopolitan. Maybe something a bit more demure, like a simple glass of merlot. Holly didn’t have Brooke completely figured out yet.
“Of course it is.
“No way. I had no idea that you had a thing going on, Holly. I knew you might have a crush or an interest, but it sounds like you’ve got a thing. ” Chad finished off his drink. He was obviously looking around for Maureen to get him another one, but she was far too busy flirting with the personal trainer to take notice.
“Want the rest of mine? I’ve got to get going,” Holly said, shoving her margarita over to his side of the table. “It’s not a thing. Yoga class and a couple of glasses of wine don’t constitute a thing .”
“Oh, no, you’re not skipping out on me after dropping a bomb like that. But, yeah, I will take the rest of your drink if you don’t want it. I didn’t mean your telling me about the class and your wine date made it sound like a thing. It’s the sound of your voice when you talk about him. And I can see it in your eyes.”
“Like I said, it’s nothing. It certainly isn’t a thing . He’s a nice man I’ve spent a bit of time with, and we enjoyed each other’s company. But I am not ready to get involved.”
Chad shook his head. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” Holly stood just as Brooke walked into the bar, all long legged and dressed as if she’d just stepped out of Neiman Marcus. She let out a low whistle. “Someone is dressed to impress.”
Chad glanced at the door and turned away.
“Are you blushing?” she teased.
“No. And we’ve only got a minute or two before she spots us and makes her way over, so give it to me straight, partner.”
She rolled her eyes at him and said, “I did give it to you straight. He’s a nice man, that’s it. End of discussion.”
“Wait a minute. Oh, wow, Detective Holly Jennings has a major crush.”
“I do not,” she hissed, giving his arm a hard knuckle-rap.
“Hey, I told you to watch that swing of yours. You’re brutal. I hope this guy can hold his own. So, what does he do anyway?” He looked back over at the entrance. Brooke was still trying to get through the crowded bar. It was one of those places that had standing room only once the five o’clock hour hit.
“He’s a vet.”
“Cool, cool. You like animals.”
“I work with you, don’t I?”
“Low blow, Detective. All right, enough beating around the bush. Give me the whole story for real, and I’ll be nice for the rest of the week.”
“You are so lucky I don’t tell Brooke that I know the truth. But since you’re a relentless ass, I’ll tell you this much. He’s cute, he’s nice, he’s funny, he’s a good dad. I don’t know. He’s about as close to perfect as any man could get, I suppose.”
“Boy, has he got you snowed. You know that we men are all liars. But since you’re the one who used the word perfect, tell me, what’s the problem?” Chad asked, eyeing her suspiciously. “Or should I answer that and say that Jack is the problem?”
“I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.” She grabbed her purse off the booth.
“You know what, I’m glad you did, because every time Jack’s name comes up you run or change the topic as fast as you can, and personally, I think you need a shrink to work that out. But since I know you well enough to know you’re not about to puke your past traumas and emotional hang-ups while laying back a on therapist’s couch, you need to talk to me.”
“I suppose it is about Jack.” She turned and waved to Brooke who caught her eye and continued pushing her way back to them. Then she stopped at the bar to order what Holly was certain to be a Cosmopolitan. Maybe something a bit more demure, like a simple glass of merlot. Holly didn’t have Brooke completely figured out yet.
“Of course it is.
Similar Books
