corn dogs and Tater Tots?”
“Smart-ass. I’m making lasagna and garlic bread. Connor’s coming, so you two could ride together if you wanted.”
She glanced over at Connor, who raised his eyebrow in question.
“Sure, that sounds great, Pop. I’ll look forward to it.”
Pop put a hand on her shoulder and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “You take care and be sure and leave here at a decent hour. We’ll be out for the afternoon, so if you need us, just holler.”
On impulse, she reached out and hugged him, burying her face against his chest. He seemed surprised at first then folded his arms around her, squeezing her tight.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he said gruffly.
C HAPTER 8
G ray increased his pace as his feet pounded the padded indoor track. He still wasn’t one hundred percent after taking a bullet in the leg the night Alex had been killed, and his body didn’t mind letting him know it.
Sweat rolled down his neck and soaked into the muscle shirt that clung to him like a second skin. Thoughts of Faith crowded his mind, and it pissed him off.
Since arriving in Houston, he’d thought of everything but what he should be thinking about: catching Alex’s killer.
Guilt weighed heavy on him. Fact was, ever since he’d left Dallas, he’d felt lighter, like a great burden had been lifted. In Dallas, he’d woken up every single day to the reality of Alex’s murder. He’d eaten, drunk, and slept with the memories of that night ricocheting through his head like a Ping-Pong ball.
But here…Here he felt freer. A little lighter. When he was with Faith, he forgot about Alex, Mick and that Faith was his only viable link to Samuels.
His body screamed, and he realized he’d pressed to a full run. The muscles in his injured leg quivered and rolled. He forced himself to slow, and then he came to a stop, his chest burning like he’d just sucked on a blowtorch.
He put his hands on his knees and bent over, drawing deep mouthfuls of air into his aching lungs. Punishing himself wouldn’t help. It might make him feel a little better, because in his mind, he deserved it, but it still wouldn’t change anything.
He picked up the towel he’d discarded earlier and draped it around his neck. With one of the ends, he mopped his sweaty brow as he walked toward the locker room.
After a quick shower, he changed into jeans and a T-shirt then slid his cell phone into his pocket. He hadn’t even gotten to the door when his pocket pulsed and vibrated against his leg. He sighed in exasperation and dug it out again.
He flipped it open and put it to his ear. “Montgomery here.”
“Hi, Gray. It’s Faith.”
Her soft voice whispered through his veins, and his shoulders relaxed as the tension uncoiled and loosened.
“Hey,” he said, irritated at the catch in his voice.
“I just wanted to check in and see how you were feeling.”
Gray felt a twinge of guilt. He was supposed to be at home sick, and instead, he was working out in a gym in plain sight. Not entirely smart.
He shielded the mouthpiece of the phone as he stepped out of the club and into the parking lot. He hurried over to his truck and got in so Faith wouldn’t hear the noise of the city around him.
“I’m good, thanks to your cooking,” he said.
She laughed softly, the sound sending a little spasm of pleasure through his chest. “I thought I’d stop by a little later and bring you some supper.”
He paused and shook his head at the giddy rush he got over the idea of seeing her again. He was acting like a lovesick fool.
“Unless you’re resting,” she added in a rush. “I don’t want to disturb you.”
“No, not at all,” he hurried to say. “I’ve been up and around all afternoon.”
“Okay then, I’ll come by around five thirty if you’re sure I won’t be a bother.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Gray said truthfully.
He hung up the phone and checked his watch. Plenty of time to get back to the apartment before Faith
“Smart-ass. I’m making lasagna and garlic bread. Connor’s coming, so you two could ride together if you wanted.”
She glanced over at Connor, who raised his eyebrow in question.
“Sure, that sounds great, Pop. I’ll look forward to it.”
Pop put a hand on her shoulder and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “You take care and be sure and leave here at a decent hour. We’ll be out for the afternoon, so if you need us, just holler.”
On impulse, she reached out and hugged him, burying her face against his chest. He seemed surprised at first then folded his arms around her, squeezing her tight.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he said gruffly.
C HAPTER 8
G ray increased his pace as his feet pounded the padded indoor track. He still wasn’t one hundred percent after taking a bullet in the leg the night Alex had been killed, and his body didn’t mind letting him know it.
Sweat rolled down his neck and soaked into the muscle shirt that clung to him like a second skin. Thoughts of Faith crowded his mind, and it pissed him off.
Since arriving in Houston, he’d thought of everything but what he should be thinking about: catching Alex’s killer.
Guilt weighed heavy on him. Fact was, ever since he’d left Dallas, he’d felt lighter, like a great burden had been lifted. In Dallas, he’d woken up every single day to the reality of Alex’s murder. He’d eaten, drunk, and slept with the memories of that night ricocheting through his head like a Ping-Pong ball.
But here…Here he felt freer. A little lighter. When he was with Faith, he forgot about Alex, Mick and that Faith was his only viable link to Samuels.
His body screamed, and he realized he’d pressed to a full run. The muscles in his injured leg quivered and rolled. He forced himself to slow, and then he came to a stop, his chest burning like he’d just sucked on a blowtorch.
He put his hands on his knees and bent over, drawing deep mouthfuls of air into his aching lungs. Punishing himself wouldn’t help. It might make him feel a little better, because in his mind, he deserved it, but it still wouldn’t change anything.
He picked up the towel he’d discarded earlier and draped it around his neck. With one of the ends, he mopped his sweaty brow as he walked toward the locker room.
After a quick shower, he changed into jeans and a T-shirt then slid his cell phone into his pocket. He hadn’t even gotten to the door when his pocket pulsed and vibrated against his leg. He sighed in exasperation and dug it out again.
He flipped it open and put it to his ear. “Montgomery here.”
“Hi, Gray. It’s Faith.”
Her soft voice whispered through his veins, and his shoulders relaxed as the tension uncoiled and loosened.
“Hey,” he said, irritated at the catch in his voice.
“I just wanted to check in and see how you were feeling.”
Gray felt a twinge of guilt. He was supposed to be at home sick, and instead, he was working out in a gym in plain sight. Not entirely smart.
He shielded the mouthpiece of the phone as he stepped out of the club and into the parking lot. He hurried over to his truck and got in so Faith wouldn’t hear the noise of the city around him.
“I’m good, thanks to your cooking,” he said.
She laughed softly, the sound sending a little spasm of pleasure through his chest. “I thought I’d stop by a little later and bring you some supper.”
He paused and shook his head at the giddy rush he got over the idea of seeing her again. He was acting like a lovesick fool.
“Unless you’re resting,” she added in a rush. “I don’t want to disturb you.”
“No, not at all,” he hurried to say. “I’ve been up and around all afternoon.”
“Okay then, I’ll come by around five thirty if you’re sure I won’t be a bother.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Gray said truthfully.
He hung up the phone and checked his watch. Plenty of time to get back to the apartment before Faith
Similar Books
