“Did you just insult my wife?”
“I guess you didn’t misinterpret it, then.” Two women, who I think are scene techs, go behind the counter toward the back, and I smile at them before turning to Ricky. “Aren’t you on wife number six?”
Ricky looks at the ladies behind us while covertly flipping me off. He’s my superior and such a man of high respect around here. Dupre asks, “You’ve been married six times, lieutenant? I thought it was four. My word.”
Ricky whispers, “Hysterical, assholes. She’s my soulmate, and we’ve been married twenty-three years. She’s for keeps and is damn hot.”
“Your wife’s reflection could melt a mirror.”
One woman in the room giggles, shocked. Ricky glares at me but then explains, “I’m married to Sergeant McGrath’s sister, so just keeping it in the family.”
Dupre loudly whispers, “They call that incest.”
The woman nods with another laugh as Ricky turns back to us, whispering, “You want to hear what Dani and I did in the shower yesterday?”
I cringe, losing this battle. “No, thanks, Tesco. I’m out. My recruit is waiting in the SUV. I think.”
Dupre sighs. “Twenty bucks says you’re riding alone.”
Laughing, Ricky picks up his folder. “Good luck, man. They’ll need it with you.” As I go for the door, he says, “Rook, go to Sage’s for lunch. I know a guy there. And tell Natalia she deserves all the sympathy in the world, putting up with you for this long.”
I nod with a grin. “Will do. Tell my sister she’s okay-looking and to raise her standards.”
Ricky frowns, and I laugh as I head for the unit lot. Seeing Ruby walking around my usual black-and-white SUV and writing on a clipboard, I stop behind her and ask, “About ready?”
The clipboard flies into the air, landing with a fluttered thud on the ground. She spins around with a nervous laugh. “Whoa. You scared me.”
“Really? You should be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially when carrying a firearm. Never put yourself in a situation where you or your weapon are vulnerable.”
“Then how do I do the flight thing?”
“Just be aware as you do it. After a while, you’ll be checking for exits when you enter a building, and you’ll learn to never sit with your back to a room. Things like that.”
I pick up the clipboard and notice she completed everything. “Good job.” As I do a quick double-check, I see her patting herself down. Narrowing my eyes, I ask, “What’re you doing?”
“Nothing,” but she continues doing it until she smiles and removes the keys from a pocket. “Thought I lost them.”
“Uh-huh.” Good God. What the hell? Getting into the passenger seat, I shake my head as I wait for her to get in. When she does, she starts the SUV, and after putting on her seatbelt, she puts it in drive. “Whoa. Whoa. Not so fast. You have to log into the computer, do another quick check that you have everything, and then radio dispatch.”
“Right.” After she logs in and completes her check, she says, “I forget where we’re going.”
“Traffic enforcement on West or East Broad. Take your pick.” This should be no less than excruciating.
I sigh. “There are some things to work on. You own every stop, so don’t allow the driver to intimidate you. You have a job to do, and if they still don’t cooperate after you call for back-up, they’ll take a ride downtown in the back of your patrol car.”
She nods. “Okay, sergeant. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Just learn from it.” As I write notes about her performance for my daily report and she enters her notes into the in-car laptop, she growls as she types and then backspaces. Without looking up, I ask, “Is there a problem?”
Ruby clears her throat. “Um, not really. You’re left-handed?”
Caught off guard by that random question, I look at her. “Yes, why?”
Her swift shrug is disingenuous as she taps at the computer. “Just noticed.” I narrow my eyes, unsure of what to think. When I return to writing, she says, “I kind of know your son. I mean, I know him more from afar than I know him personally. He was a year behind me in school. I’m not stalking him. Jeez. Please don’t think that. I’m not saying anything bad about him, either. I’m just letting you know because I don’t know what else to say.”
I laugh. “Um, okay. That was a lot. Which son?”
“You have more than one?”
“Is that an issue?”
“No! I only know one.”
“And?”
“Oh, Chase McGrath. I guess you know his last name. Duh. I didn’t know he was your son. Are you his stepfather? He doesn’t look much like you. It’s so not any of my business. I’m not saying he’s ugly. Far from it. I’m not saying he’s cute, either. He’s not really my type. Not because he’s unattractive, but he’s too smart. How dumb of me. Oh, my God.”
I watch her melting down and can’t help but smile. “Yeah, he sounds familiar.”
“Is he your biological son? You don’t have to answer that.” She shakes her head and hides her face behind her hands, mumbling more at one-hundred miles per hour.
“Yep, he’s mine. At least, that’s what his birth certificate says.” I laugh, hoping she relaxes, but she rapidly taps her fingers on the steering wheel. When I see she’s not calming down, I say, “He looks more like his mother. Chase is mixed race, if that’s what you’re asking. He’s Black, Brown, and white.”
She drops her hands, and her wide eyes scan the dashboard. “I’m not asking anything. That’s awesome. It looks good on him. Not that it doesn’t on other people. I don’t know many people of mixed races. I’m not against that. It’s not a bad thing. I think it’s fantastic that people get along enough to have…Dear Lord. Just please, please ignore me, sergeant.”
“It’s okay. You seem way nervous. Is there an issue you want to talk about that doesn’t have to do with my son’s heritage?”
Appearing close to tears, she says, “Oh, crap. I didn’t mean to offend your family and life choices. I’m not saying you make bad choices. At least you were there for Chase, growing up, instead of impregnating his mother and then hitting the bricks. Son of a gun. You didn’t do that, did you? I can’t believe I just insulted my FTO and then followed up with another insult. I wish lightning would strike me down—”
“Okay. Okay. Ruby, I was only joking.” Ruby catches her breath, and I glance at the clock. “Let’s have lunch. Do you know Sage’s?”
“Is that on a test?”
I laugh, closing my notebook, a gift from Taggart. She gives me a notebook every Christmas. I haven’t decided if it’s thoughtful or stingy. “It’s a place to eat lunch.”
She nods. “My mom eats there on her lunch break sometimes. I haven’t been there, though.”
Watching her hands shake, I say, “I’ll drive.”
Ruby doesn’t argue, and when I’m behind the wheel after adjusting the seat and mirrors, I ask, “Are you okay?”
“Not really. I’m doing a horrible job. I’m not usually this nervous.”
“About?”
“You. Officer Schultz told me I should be extra vigilant in making sure I do everything right.”
I wince at the side mirror. “Why?”
“Because you expect perfection.”
I can’t hide my shock. “I do not expect that. You’re just starting out. You’ll make mistakes, but that’s how you learn. I messed up a ton as a rookie, and I still make mistakes all the time. Just ask my youngest son. He’ll be flipping happy to tell you.” I grin, but she doesn’t see it.
“How many kids do you have?”
“Four.”
“Wow. You must really like your wife.” I glance at Ruby, whose mouth could swallow a tire. “Or ex-wife. Or girlfriend. Or one-night stand. I did not say that out loud.”
“You did, and I like my wife a lot, who wasn’t a one-night stand.”
Ruby motions toward the back. “There are several firearm
s. Pick one and put me out of my misery.”
“Now, that’s extreme and not happening.”
When I park at Sage’s, I hand the radio to Ruby with a serendipitous grin. “You know the drill.”
She follows me to the door, where I step back to let her go first. Adjusting my radio volume, we wait for the hostess to seat us. When she does, she is excessively gracious and giggles when we say thank you. Different.
Sitting, I don’t see anyone I know. However, I smile at other diners who look our way. As usual, got to keep the peace and all of that bullshit.
Looking across the table, Ruby is again quiet, which seems abnormal now. “So, Ruby. Tell me about yourself.”
“Why?”
“I want to get to know you better since we’ll be together a lot. I’ll probably see you more than my daughters.”
“Daughters? What are their names?”
“Lynzee and Amari. Do you have any siblings?”
“No. My mom never had more after me. I was a surprise.”
“Oh. We’ve had a couple of those.”
Her eyes brighten like she didn’t expect that. “Really? Like the mood got away from you? No contraception?” Her face drops, “Like no filter. Sweet Lord.”
I smile at her horror. “Something like that.”
“Hey, hey, Uncle Dylan!” I look up to see Dani’s eldest son and Ricky’s younger mirror image bound to our table with a wide grin. My sister had nothing to do with his creation except for the pregnancy and birth.
“Hey. How’s one of my favorite nephews?”
“Pretty good. Dad texted me to watch for you around lunchtime. There you are, and here I am.”
I notice Ruby gaping at him, so I say, “J.J., this is my recruit, Officer Ruby Ellsworth. Ruby, this is my nephew J.J. Tesco.”
She stutters, “Hello.”
J.J. turns up the mega-watt Tesco charm, which is problematic. “Hey. You have an outstanding teacher. He’s a cool uncle, too.”
“What’s J.J. stand for?”
“Juaquin Javier.”
Ruby’s voice melts. “I love the name Juaquin.”
He shrugs, but it’s obvious he’s checking her out. “You can call me whatever you want.” J.J. smirks, and Ruby nearly falls off her seat. Fuck. Watching their exchange, Ruby easily talks to him while she’s a live wire with me.
J.J. then asks, “What can I get for you two?”
After we give him our club sandwich orders, J.J. smiles, his gaze lingering on Ruby longer than cordial. When he leaves, she blows out a loud breath with a grin to the table. I ask, “What just happened?”
“That was your nephew. Remember when he said hello?”
“That’s not what I’m asking.”
“I’ve never seen a smile like his before. How are you related to him again? I guess that was a dumb question. I meant, how are you related to him again? I think I just asked that. How old is he?”
I prop my arm on the table. “He’s my sister’s eldest son, and he’ll be twenty-three in December. Why?”
“Just wondered. Is he in college?”
J.J. returns, delivering our drinks, and I ask, “You don’t have long left in school, do you?”
“No. I should’ve graduated last year, but I changed majors and had to pick up more classes.”
Ruby asks, “What’s your major?”
“Criminal justice. I want to go into probation.”
“Oh, that’s so cool.” She giggles, and I blink several times to make sure I’m not having a nightmare.
“Maybe, but only if I get to work with you.” I crook an eyebrow at him, and he laughs. “I’ll be back.”
Ruby watches him leave and doesn’t stop watching him until he’s out of view in the kitchen. I clear my throat. “Yes, he’s nice to look at, but you both need to concentrate. Now’s not a good time to…whatever it is you want to do.” And he’s a Tesco. His want is blatant.
Her face reddens. “I’m not looking at him like I want to rip…I’m just talking and not thinking of anything else.”
“I’m not forbidding you or anything. I just know what it’s like. I fell in love with a waitress.”
“Does your wife know?”
My smile is dubious. “She is my wife.”
“Oh. Does she work here or something?”
“No. I met her in California.”
“That distance must be hard on your marriage.”
“No. She’s here. Not in this diner. In Richmond.”
She nods. “That explains how she got pregnant four times, then. You couldn’t do that without superpowers. What kind of superhero would do that? Holy goblins. I can’t stop myself.”
I narrow my eyes as I decide whether to laugh or ask her what the hell she snorted. Getting up from the table, I say, “Restroom break. Don’t get into too much trouble within the next five minutes.”
“Like your wife did four times? God, take me now.”
Walking away, I sigh. Holy fuck. It’s like I’m in the Twilight Zone, and Taggart is somehow punishing me from California. I didn’t act like that around Talia. I couldn’t have.
When I leave the restroom, I see a woman wearing a melon-colored skirt and floral blouse at our table, laughing and talking to Ruby. Kind of odd. However, when I return to my seat, before I say hello, I stop.
Now quiet, Ruby says, “Sergeant McGrath, you know my mother.”
“Audrey.” Her hair is shorter, like she wore it when I met her.
Her smile is anxious but still pretty. “Dylan.”
“My mom stopped by for lunch. I swear I didn’t tell her you were here. Just a happy coincidence.”
“Say what?”
Audrey says, “It’s good to see you, Dylan.” She then hugs me, and I’m at a fucking loss for words. I stiffly hug her back but quickly disengage from her, crossing my arms.
I shake my head, becoming more confused. “Hang on. Ruby, you knew my history with your mother and kept that bit of info to yourself while blurting your internal monologue?”
“I’m nervous because my mom’s high school sweetheart is my new supervisor. She has seen you naked. Awkward.”
Audrey frowns at Ruby but says, “When she said Sergeant Dylan McGrath would be her training officer, it floored me. I’ve told her about you over the years.”
Ruby laughs. “And how she named me for July because it was special between you two. She wouldn’t tell me why, so I’ll draw my own conclusions, and wow. Awkward would be generous.” Audrey again shoots a look at her daughter as every drop of blood drains from my upper body.
Audrey says, “Ruby, stop talking.”
Clearing my throat, I ask, “Um, Audrey, can I speak to you outside?”
She sighs and focuses on the table. “It’s probably not a good idea. I have to get back to work.”
“I’ll rephrase. Audrey. Outside. Now.”
Ruby says, “Mom, please don’t upset my FTO. It could screw me in a different way than how you…I’m zipping it.”
I glance at Ruby, seeing her in a new light. One I don’t want to see, and I look back at Audrey. Sending my incensed glare to the door, she turns around, and I follow.
Once outside, Audrey asks, “Where? You’re not arresting me, are you?”
Ignoring that, I nod to the side of the building, away from people, as I lick my dry lips. We go to the side, and she stops, but I say, “Keep going.”
“Dylan, what are we doing?” I don’t need any witnesses to this.
I turn the corner and spin to face her, surveying the area before I darkly ask, “Do you have something to tell me?”
However, Audrey steps back and holds onto her purse strap. “You’re still a police officer.”
“Technically, I’m a police sergeant, so I didn’t flop like you thought I would. Because I always hear you in the back of my mind, criticizing me for my work ethic or lack of direction. That feeds my drive to never give up.”
She laughs and rolls her eyes. “Here we go again.
I believed in you, but you didn’t believe in yourself. You blamed me when I tried to push you in the right direction. No matter what you think, I tried to help you. So that voice you hear in your head isn’t mine.” Somewhat stunned about seeing her, what she said, and what could be my reality, I’m speechless. Audrey sighs. “Over the years, I once saw you with two younger boys and once with a little girl.”
“So, you’re following me?”
“No. Just actively looking for you when I’m out and about. I don’t pursue you or anything beyond that. Were those your kids?”
“Yes. I have four.”
“Oh.” Audrey bites her lip. “That hurts more than when Ruby said you have a son.”
“Why should that hurt you?”
Audrey frowns as her eyes fly over my face. “You really need to ask me that?”
“Yeah. The last time we saw each other, you said you hated me. That hurt, Audrey.”
Surprise lights her face. “Why should that hurt you?”
“You really need to ask me that?” I sigh, not wanting to talk about any of this shit. I buried it in the past, or so I thought.
“You didn’t love me, Dylan. You had moved on right in front of me. I heard you having sex with that Hispanic woman. She was beautiful. You twisted the dagger.”
“She’s Black and Hispanic, and yes, she’s beautiful.”
“Twist it a little more, why don’t you?”
“You might not believe it, but I cared about you.”
“Sure. You cared so much about me that you fucked another woman beside an open window, hoping I’d get the message.”
“That’s not how it happened, and I told you that.” The deeper we dive, the more I regress to our past arguments over the breakup, and the renewed fury blindsides me.
“That’s right. Did you even catch her last name?”
“Yeah. It was Welch, but now it’s McGrath.”
Tears fill her angry eyes. “You married her?”
“Where do you think I got the four kids?” Audrey gasps and turns toward the road, and I prod, “Why does it matter to you?”
Rebel Rook: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World) Page 39
