Wish

by Deborah Bladon

  “We do,” he affirms with a sharp nod of his head.

  His blue eyes catch mine. “You’re the best babysitter I ever had. Can we look on my mom’s laptop at more stuff about the moon?”

  I glance over at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. “We can do that for twenty minutes and then you’ll have to get into bed. There’s school tomorrow.”

  “You sound like mom.” He giggles. “Can we call her so I can say goodnight to her?”

  Even though his mom, Carolyn, left their apartment less than an hour ago, I know how important it is to Cooper to hear her voice before he falls asleep.

  When Carolyn started working at Premier Pet Care as a veterinarian she kept mainly to herself. I didn’t know she had a son until she brought Cooper to work one day last summer when her nanny was a no-show.

  Coop and I hit it off right away. I spent part of my shift with him in the break room. We discovered our mutual love for science and ever since, whenever Carolyn has been in a pinch for a sitter, I’ve stepped in.

  She’s a single mom with a demanding career and an ex-husband in another state. I see the stress she’s under on a daily basis.

  Her new nanny is great, but she came down with the flu two days ago.

  Since Carolyn is on call at the clinic this weekend, she sent out a group text yesterday afternoon to all of her New York City contacts. She was looking for someone willing to watch Coop if a pet emergency came up that needed her attention.

  I offered immediately since I knew the reassurance of having someone in place to watch her son would take that load off her shoulders.

  This is the second time I’ve been at their apartment since then.

  “We’ll try and call her right before bed.” I watch as he settles into a dining room chair. “If she’s busy, we’ll leave her a voice message, but I know she’ll try her best to answer.”

  His gaze slides from the laptop screen to my face. “I heard you and mom talking last night before you went home.”

  I move to where he’s sitting. Carolyn and I are friends. We don’t hang out after hours because her time is devoted to Coop, but at work we regularly share coffee breaks. She’s confided in me about her painful divorce and I’ve shared horror stories about my search for Mr. Right. We’ve formed an unlikely bond.

  “What were we talking about?” I sit in the chair next to him and reach for the laptop so I can pull up the solar system website he loves exploring.

  “I heard you tell mom that you live with a policeman.”

  I did tell Carolyn that I have a new roommate. I’m grateful now that I didn’t mention seeing Sebastian naked.

  “I do live with a policeman.”

  A smile lights up his face. “Does he have a badge?”

  I pat my hand over the front of the waistband of my jeans. “He wears it on his belt. I’ve seen it a couple of times.”

  “Is it shiny?” His eyes widen.

  “It is.”

  “Cool.” His gaze darts to the laptop screen before he looks back at me. “I don’t know any policemen. What’s his name?”

  “Detective Wolf.”

  His face lights up. “That’s the coolest name I’ve ever heard.”

  I can’t help but laugh. “I guess it’s a pretty cool name.”

  He plays with a button on his pajama top. “Can you bring him with you the next time you come over?”

  I hate that I have to be the one to wipe that hopeful expression off his face but I can’t exactly ask Sebastian to tag along the next time I babysit. “He’s really busy.”

  “Catching all the bad guys, right?”

  “You know it.” I smooth my hand over the top of his head.

  He turns to look up at me. “You’re the luckiest person in the world, Tilly. You get to live with a real life hero.”

  “I am very lucky.” I smile softly. “I get to live with a real life hero and you’re one of my best friends.”

  “We’re both lucky, aren’t we?” he asks through a toothy grin. “Can we call my mom now?”

  His smiles are like sunshine. “You bet. I know nothing makes her happier than hearing your voice.”

  He’s up on his feet racing to where I left my cell phone before I can get in another word.

  Chapter 16

  Tilly

  I look up when I hear the door to Sebastian’s bedroom open. I didn’t expect to see him this morning. I didn’t get home until close to midnight last night.

  Carolyn had to perform emergency surgery on a poodle, so after I tucked Cooper into bed, I settled on her sofa with a bag of potato chips and a can of soda. By the time I finished watching a movie, I’d eaten the entire bag of chips. I dusted the crumbs off my jeans and shirt and when Carolyn finally got home, I filled her in on Coop’s bedtime request.

  He wanted me to tell her he loved her one last time before I left.

  I did.

  Her eyes welled with tears and I hugged her.

  She hasn’t had it easy, but she’s a fighter and her son adores her. It’s obvious that’s what keeps her going.

  “Good morning.” Sebastian steps into the hallway wearing a pair of jeans and a black sweater.

  “You’re not going to work are you?”

  “That’s how I pay my share of the rent.” He smiles. “I take it you’re heading to work too?”

  I look down at the blue scrubs I’m wearing. It’s the required uniform of every vet assistant who works at Premier Pet Care. “What was your first clue, detective?”

  He laughs. “I like that look on you.”

  I can’t tell if it’s a genuine compliment, so I ignore it in favor of my original question. “You worked all weekend. Don’t you get at least one day to recover from that?”

  “My lieutenant doesn’t seem to think so.” He waves his cell phone in the air. “She called me twenty minutes ago. No rest for the weary.”

  He may be joking, but I see the exhaustion in his face. I deal with death on a daily basis at the clinic. I know how draining it is.

  What he does for a living is on an entirely different level. There’s no way it doesn’t eat at his core.

  “How was your date?” he asks as he pours himself a glass of juice. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  I didn’t correct him about my plans last night because I saw no reason to. I was in a rush to get to Carolyn’s and he looked about ready to fall asleep where he was sitting.

  “Last night I learned that shadows are darker on the moon and I was proposed to.”

  He waits for a beat before he responds. “Proposed to?”

  “By the six-year-old son of one of the vets I work with.” I run my fingertip over the edge of the counter. “Cooper is his name. He’s a great kid.”

  “Smart too,” he offers with a smile.

  “Carolyn, Cooper’s mom, was called into the clinic for an emergency, so I hung out at her place.”

  “Learning about the moon?” He finishes his juice.

  “Anything related to the solar system.” I glance over at the microwave to check the time. “Last night it was all about the moon.”

  “I know the fascination. My parents got me a telescope for my seventh birthday.”

  “Really?”

  “Don’t look so surprised.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “I’d camp out on the rooftop of our building on clear nights to stargaze.”

  “So you already knew that shadows are darker on the moon?” I study him, taking in how striking he looks when he’s edging toward a smile.

  “I did. I also know that the surface of the moon is hot during the day and cold at night. That’s common knowledge though, so I’m sure you’ve heard that before.”

  I shake my head. “I didn’t know that.”

  He reaches to open the fridge door so he can peer inside. “The next time you see Cooper ask him if he knows that.”

  “If I tell Cooper that you’re a fan of the solar system, he’ll…” I stop myself but not before Sebastian shifts hi
s attention from the fridge to my face.

  “He’ll what?”

  “Nothing.” I wave the word away with a swat of my hand in the air.

  “You were about to say something, Matilda.” His voice lowers. “Tell me what it was.”

  I exhale softly. “Like I said Cooper is six and is fascinated by a lot of different things. One of them is policemen so when he found out I live with one, well…he asked if I could bring you along the next time I babysit.”

  The expression on Sebastian’s face is impassive. I can’t read anything from it, so I keep talking to fill the silence. “I told him you’re very busy and besides, he doesn’t have any clue that we barely know each other. It was just the ramblings of a six-year-old who is fascinated by shiny badges.”

  His gaze drops to where his badge is hanging from his belt. “If I’m around the next time you see him, I’d love to come with you to get an introduction.”

  “You would?” I feel the edges of my mouth curl into a smile. “You’re serious?”

  He leans his hand against the counter, narrowing the distance between us. “He sounds like a great kid. I already know I’ll like him.”

  “Because he loves the moon as much as you do?” I laugh.

  “No.” His eyes lock on mine. “Because he asked you to marry him. That tells me the kid is wise beyond his years.”

  I break the moment when I feel a blush creep over my neck. “He asked me to marry him because I give him licorice before bed.”

  “You’re a rule breaker?”

  I nod. “Sometimes.”

  “Good to know, Matilda,” he says in a low deep tone. “That’s good to know.”

  I push a strand of hair back into the messy low bun I crafted after my shower this morning. I flick my tongue over my bare bottom lip, wishing I had applied the new pale pink lipstick I bought at Matiz.

  “I need to get to work.” He rakes me with a glance. “Take care of yourself today.”

  “I will,” I whisper as he brushes past me toward the apartment door.

  I will take care of myself. I’m going to do it right now.

  The scent of that man’s skin, the look in his eyes and the sound of his voice is all the fuel I need to get myself off before I go to work.

  Chapter 17

  Sebastian

  I close the door of the interrogation room behind me as I exit. I’ve spent the past four hours trying to get a thirty-two-year-old woman to confess to killing her husband.

  I already have all the evidence I believe we need to put her away for the rest of her life, but a confession will seal the deal.

  Brant and I tapped out to let a pair of female investigators take a run at the suspect. They’re both highly skilled, and I have no doubt that by the end of the night, the district attorney’s office will be filing a first-degree murder charge against the demure blonde-haired woman who shoved a knife into her husband’s neck while he was fast asleep.

  “You heading home?” Brant asks from behind his desk.

  “Not yet.” I drop into my office chair. I never leave when a suspect is on the brink of a confession. This is my case, and I’ll follow through with the necessary paperwork tonight. I don’t want there to be any delay once this file is handed over to the district attorney for prosecution.

  “I did it.”

  I look over at Brant. “Did what?”

  “Popped the question.” He smiles. “Guess what she said?”

  “I hope to hell it was yes.” I raise my chin. “That grin on your face is giving everything away here, Brant.”

  His smile only widens. “She cried, Sebastian. Remy cried when I got down on one knee. I couldn’t have scripted the night better.”

  “I’m happy for you,” I say genuinely. “Don’t fuck it up between now and the walk down the aisle.”

  “That’s happening in the next few weeks.”

  I look down at my desk and the mountain of paperwork I need to get through tonight. Brant has just as much waiting for him, but the guy is lost back in the moment when his girlfriend said yes.

  I should have figured it out hours ago. He wasn’t invested in the job today. His mind was somewhere else. Now, I know where.

  “What’s the rush?” I pick up a pen. “Don’t most women need months to plan their wedding day?”

  His gaze travels around the squad room. It’s late afternoon and a hub of activity at the moment. That doesn’t bode well for the commissioner’s promise to lower murder rates in Manhattan.

  “Can I tell you something?” Brant leans over his desk. “I’ll need you to keep it between the two of us for now. I’m not going to the lieutenant with this until I know for sure.”

  I already know the next words out of his mouth.

  I’ve heard the same preface to a confession from a partner before.

  He’s on the hunt for a new job. One that doesn’t require him to look at dead bodies on a regular basis.

  “You have my word I’ll keep it quiet,” I assure him.

  “I’m looking at joining the force in Chicago.”

  “Chicago?” That surprises me. I was expecting him to tell me that he was transferring to robbery or narcotics. I didn’t foresee a move to another state. “Why Chicago?”

  “Remy misses her folks.” He surveys the room again. “You know what they say about a happy wife makes a happy life.”

  It’s a sacrifice not many men in this room would be willing to make.

  “The lieutenant has pull in Chicago.” I point at her open office door. “She came up the ranks there before she moved here. Talk to her. She’ll be pissed when she finds out you’re headed there and you didn’t ask for her help.”

  His gaze follows my hand. “You’re not setting me up, are you?”

  I shake my head. “Christine’s door is always open for a reason, Brant. Get in there and tell her what’s on your mind. You owe it to her.”

  He pushes back from his desk. “The wedding’s here in New York, so I expect you to show.”

  “If you let me know when and where I’ll be there.” I flip through the stack of papers in front of me.

  “You’ll bring someone, right?”

  I look up. “No plus ones for me.”

  “Remy will insist.” He straightens his suit jacket. “There has to be one woman you’re willing to sit next to through the ceremony and dinner.”

  Matilda.

  I could sit next to her for hours, days if need be. I didn’t want to leave her this morning, but duty called.

  “I’ll give it some thought,” I reply. “Go talk to the lieutenant about Chicago and then burn through that paperwork on your desk. You’re still pulling your load until you walk out this squad room for the last time.”

  ***

  “You’re fucking kidding me, Julian.” I lean back into the worn leather of his sofa. “I came here to decompress and now this?”

  “What the hell is your problem?” My closest friend raises a brow. “I just asked you to be my best man. This isn’t the reaction I was hoping for.”

  I listened to Brant talk about his pending wedding and potential move to Chicago less than two hours ago. It means I need to break in yet another new partner. I don’t know if I have it in me.

  I was on my way home from work when Julian called and asked me to stop by his apartment. I expected Maya to be here, but she’s having dinner with Matilda.

  I was about to tell Julian that I’d trade places with Maya in a heartbeat and then he threw the best man pitch my way.

  He’s been engaged to Maya for more than a year. I half-expected the two of them to elope at some point given how busy they both are. Maya’s devoted herself full-time to real estate and Julian heads up his family’s hotel chain.

  “What about Griffin?” I ask because I know Julian must have considered our mutual close friend, Griffin Kent, as a contender to stand next to him when he takes his vows.

  “You haven’t talked to him?” Julian eyes me from where he’s sitting in
an armchair.

  I shake my head. “Not recently. The last time was two weeks ago.”

  Griffin’s engaged too. It’s a running joke that I’m the guy no one wants. My best friends are clueless to the fact that I’m not about to ask a woman to make the unique sacrifices that are expected when you’re married to a member of the NYPD.

  “His caseload has been brutal.” Julian scrubs the back of his neck with his hand. “I thought he’d find some time between court dates to squeeze in a quick call to you.”

  Griffin’s a divorce attorney. His job was his life too until he met his fiancée, Piper Ellis.

  “You two are obviously keeping secrets from me.” I cast him a look. “Am I not part of the club anymore?”

  He laughs. “Griffin’s got a favor to ask you too.”

  “A favor?” I blink. “What favor?”

  “A once in a lifetime favor.” He glances down at his watch. “All I can say is you’re the best man we know.”

  “For fuck’s sake.” I laugh. “You’re not saying that he’s going to ask me to be his best man too, are you? What the hell is this? What if I say no to you both?”

  “You won’t.” Julian tugs his cell from his pants pocket. “You’ll say yes to us both.”

  “You’re right.” I move to stand. “I hope I get a discount on multiple tuxedo rentals.”

  He eyes the screen of his phone. “Maya wants us to join her and Tilly for dinner at Axel Tribeca? Are you hungry?”

  I ate pizza at the station before I left work, but I’m not about to turn down an invitation to see my roommate outside of our apartment. “Count me in.”

  Chapter 18

  Tilly

  “You almost had sex with a murderer?” Maya doesn’t even try and keep her voice at an acceptable level. Thankfully, no one seated near us seems to be paying attention to our conversation.

  “No,” I correct her. “I said that I was considering having sex with a man who I found out was once a potential witness in an attempted homicide investigation.”