his head. “It’s a shame.”
“Old man, you need to stop your yammering. His ex is in jail, remember?” John said through tight lips.
“Oh yeah. I forgot. ’Pologize,” Harry said with a curt nod as John shooed him to the door. “Thank you for all your help, Sammy,” he added, exiting the door behind John.
Booker tucked his hands in his pockets and smiled. “Those two are something else.”
“They certainly are, Sammy.” I placed the documents in a folder with the men’s names on it. I gathered a small stack of files and walked over to the filing cabinet. Booker settled on the corner of my desk as I filed everything.
“You know all about my middle name now, so tell me where the name Booker comes from?” I sat in my chair after I finished and Booker turned to face me.
“Long story,” he said sheepishly.
“And judging from your reluctance to share it, I’d guess it’s a tad embarrassing, little Sammy?” I teased. I felt fairly confident I could tease him, but after Garen, I took nothing for granted anymore.
Booker leaned back and laughed. “I love it when you joke.” He tugged playfully on a strand of my hair. “When I first joined the military, Seth’s dad was my commanding officer.”
“Were you a cop?” I asked.
He nodded. “Military police. And very green. I’d never made an arrest on my own. I always had a partner and they’d take the collar . . . the credit. Seniority,” he explained. “When I made my first arrest on my own, a shoplifting senior citizen, I was pretty excited. I kept asking my supervisor if I could book her into custody.”
“A senior citizen?” I arched my brow.
“Yes, and don’t judge me.” He chuckled. “At first the department was unsure about pressing charges on the elderly woman. After three hours in the interrogation room with her, and me continually asking if I could book her yet, I was finally granted permission.” He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “So I booked her and placed her in the women’s holding cell. I was so proud.” He stood and walked to the front of my desk.
“And?” I pressed.
He buried his hands in his pockets as he chuckled low. It twisted my tummy . . . in a good way.
“Half an hour later screams bellowed from the holding tank. Several of us ran in to find my senior citizen standing in front of the toilet . . . well, peeing.” He shook his head. “Turns out my perpetrator was male, not female.”
“How did you miss that?”
“It was an innocent mistake. She . . . he had no ID on him, and his name was Kelly. I just assumed he was a girl because of his clothes, baby blue sweats and a pink baggie sweat shirt, so I checked the female box on the form without asking. Add to the fact that he was a large man with an impressive pair of man-boobs,” he explained. “Anyone could’ve made the mistake.”
Watching him as he recounted the story, his comical expressions, and the way he waved his hands dramatically in the air made me laugh. Booker pressed his lips together, fighting a grin.
“Anyway, the next day the sergeant was handing out assignments in our morning briefing. He blanked out on my name, and in frustration called me ‘You, Book Her’. Well, it didn’t take long for everyone in the unit to pick up on it. Within a couple hours it evolved to Booker. Like I said, Seth’s dad was my commander and since I lived with them, naturally he felt it his duty to call me Booker around the house. My grandfather, Samuel, always up for a good laugh, joined in. As they say, the rest is history.”
Unable to stop grinning, I dropped my head down in an effort to hide my face.
“Tess,” he said, “I love your smile, don’t hide it.” His hand slipped under my chin and he brought my face to his. “It’s infectious, sexy as h—heck,” he corrected himself with a wink and a grin. He’d been working hard to curb his swearing. I couldn’t remember ever hearing him cuss, but I did hear the sound of money clinking against
“Old man, you need to stop your yammering. His ex is in jail, remember?” John said through tight lips.
“Oh yeah. I forgot. ’Pologize,” Harry said with a curt nod as John shooed him to the door. “Thank you for all your help, Sammy,” he added, exiting the door behind John.
Booker tucked his hands in his pockets and smiled. “Those two are something else.”
“They certainly are, Sammy.” I placed the documents in a folder with the men’s names on it. I gathered a small stack of files and walked over to the filing cabinet. Booker settled on the corner of my desk as I filed everything.
“You know all about my middle name now, so tell me where the name Booker comes from?” I sat in my chair after I finished and Booker turned to face me.
“Long story,” he said sheepishly.
“And judging from your reluctance to share it, I’d guess it’s a tad embarrassing, little Sammy?” I teased. I felt fairly confident I could tease him, but after Garen, I took nothing for granted anymore.
Booker leaned back and laughed. “I love it when you joke.” He tugged playfully on a strand of my hair. “When I first joined the military, Seth’s dad was my commanding officer.”
“Were you a cop?” I asked.
He nodded. “Military police. And very green. I’d never made an arrest on my own. I always had a partner and they’d take the collar . . . the credit. Seniority,” he explained. “When I made my first arrest on my own, a shoplifting senior citizen, I was pretty excited. I kept asking my supervisor if I could book her into custody.”
“A senior citizen?” I arched my brow.
“Yes, and don’t judge me.” He chuckled. “At first the department was unsure about pressing charges on the elderly woman. After three hours in the interrogation room with her, and me continually asking if I could book her yet, I was finally granted permission.” He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “So I booked her and placed her in the women’s holding cell. I was so proud.” He stood and walked to the front of my desk.
“And?” I pressed.
He buried his hands in his pockets as he chuckled low. It twisted my tummy . . . in a good way.
“Half an hour later screams bellowed from the holding tank. Several of us ran in to find my senior citizen standing in front of the toilet . . . well, peeing.” He shook his head. “Turns out my perpetrator was male, not female.”
“How did you miss that?”
“It was an innocent mistake. She . . . he had no ID on him, and his name was Kelly. I just assumed he was a girl because of his clothes, baby blue sweats and a pink baggie sweat shirt, so I checked the female box on the form without asking. Add to the fact that he was a large man with an impressive pair of man-boobs,” he explained. “Anyone could’ve made the mistake.”
Watching him as he recounted the story, his comical expressions, and the way he waved his hands dramatically in the air made me laugh. Booker pressed his lips together, fighting a grin.
“Anyway, the next day the sergeant was handing out assignments in our morning briefing. He blanked out on my name, and in frustration called me ‘You, Book Her’. Well, it didn’t take long for everyone in the unit to pick up on it. Within a couple hours it evolved to Booker. Like I said, Seth’s dad was my commander and since I lived with them, naturally he felt it his duty to call me Booker around the house. My grandfather, Samuel, always up for a good laugh, joined in. As they say, the rest is history.”
Unable to stop grinning, I dropped my head down in an effort to hide my face.
“Tess,” he said, “I love your smile, don’t hide it.” His hand slipped under my chin and he brought my face to his. “It’s infectious, sexy as h—heck,” he corrected himself with a wink and a grin. He’d been working hard to curb his swearing. I couldn’t remember ever hearing him cuss, but I did hear the sound of money clinking against
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