by Paige Tyler
He’d been on the verge of asking Delacroix how he might approach Jim with his concerns about the drinking, but then right out of the blue she told him she was going to sign off on his FFD paperwork.
“If you continue to come in and see me on an as-needed schedule completely outside the department’s purview, I’ll sign off on your paperwork right now,” she said. “You can be back on duty by lunch.”
He’d been so frigging surprised, it had taken a minute for him to answer. “I’m eager to get back on the job and all, but why now? What changed your mind?”
She looked at him for a long moment before answering. “Officer Cooper, I’m going to be completely frank. You’re still carrying a truckload of baggage from your time in the army, and it’s likely to take you a lifetime to get over it.”
Well, that was depressing.
“But at least you’re aware of the baggage, and you’re facing it head-on,” she continued. “More importantly, it’s obvious your SWAT teammates play an important role in your life. Simply put, they’re your bedrock. Suspending you and keeping you away from them is actually counterproductive to the steps you need to take to move forward. That’s why I’m recommending that you return to duty. It’s where you belong.”
He sure as hell wasn’t going to argue with that. “You know Coletti will have a cow over you closing this review so quickly, right?”
Delacroix smiled—one of the few times he’d seen her do it. “I’m sure he will. But in this matter, I work for the Dallas Police Department, not Internal Affairs. The DPD tasked me with determining if your reactions at the time of the bank robbery were in line with those of other police officers and to assess your overall mental stability in regard to future performance. I’ve done both of those tasks to my satisfaction. When Coletti viewed the video, all he saw was the violence and what he assumed to be out-of-control rage. I think we both know that while you were certainly angry, you never lost control of yourself or the situation for even a second. What he construed as rage was simply you using the abilities you had available at the time.”
Cooper stared hard at Delacroix, trying to figure out what the hell that little line had meant. Was she dropping a hint that she knew what he was? If so, she wasn’t giving anything away. No increase in heart rate or breathing pattern, no tension in her muscles—nothing. Maybe she hadn’t been hinting at anything.
“You don’t think I’m a risk to the public then?” he asked.
“No.” She leveled her gaze at him. “I believe you are fully capable of doing your job, far more capable than most.”
Okay, that one was damn hard to ignore. But how could she know he was a werewolf? And, if she did, what was he going to do about it? He obviously couldn’t shut her up if she intended to tell people.
But as he sat there thinking about the possibility of Delacroix knowing his secret, he realized there weren’t any alarm bells going off. If she were a threat, he would have picked up on it. And right then, he wasn’t feeling threatened.
Finally, he went with his gut and decided he was just reading too much into a few random comments. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t concerned about one thing she’d said.
“These other sessions you want me to come in for?” he asked. “If I’m cleared for duty, why should I come in at all?”
“Like I said before, Officer Cooper, you’ve got some things you need to work through. I’m simply offering my help. Whenever you need to talk, give me a call, and I’ll find room in my schedule. You talk—I’ll listen.”
“I thought you didn’t do general therapy,” he pointed out.
“I do it when the right case presents itself.”
He’d sure as hell like to know what made his the right case. He only prayed it wasn’t because she knew what he was and was hoping to be the first psychologist in history to have a chance to climb inside a werewolf’s head and muck around a bit.
But again, it just didn’t feel that way to him, and ultimately, he decided to accept the offer at face value. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice. Not if he wanted to get his ass off suspension.
Cooper had just cranked the engine and was wondering if he should share his concerns about Delacroix with Gage, when his cell rang. He checked the screen then thumbed the green button.
“Hey Dennis, thanks for calling back. Anything new on the case?”
His friend sighed. “Our lab confirmed the bomb was made with military grade C-4 explosives. Unfortunately, the chemical markers the DOD laced into the mix aren’t helping us much. All the DOD can say for sure is that the batch of explosives used to make the bomb is part of a shipment of several tons that was supposed to have been consumed in Iraq a few years ago.”
Cooper swore. The military layered different chemicals into their bulk plastic explosives so that forensic labs could track the stuff back to the ammo plants that produced it, all the way down to lot numbers and shipment dates. But when the lots were measured in tons, that information didn’t do any good.
“We’re working to track down anyone who might have a connection with moving stolen military explosives, but it’s a long list of suspects,” Dennis said. “And that’s only here in the Dallas area.”
“I’m guessing these suspects don’t go out of their way to keep their contact information up to date with the FBI?” Cooper said drily.
Dennis snorted. “No, they don’t. But we’re not putting all our eggs in that basket. Like you suggested, our techs went through the videos taken by the cameras in the parking garage around the time the bomb went off. Depending on how large of a window we go with, we’re looking at fourteen possible targets. We’re checking out each to see if any stand out.”
“What about the security and traffic camera positioned around the industrial area?” Cooper asked. “Any luck locating somebody with a record?”
“That part is going slow,” Dennis said. “We’re looking at somewhere north of four hundred vehicles, even more people to identify and check out. That’s a big job, and we can’t say for sure if we’re wasting our time or not. The area has a lot of gaps in their camera layouts. Our bomber could have driven out through any of those gaps, and we’d never even know it.”
Dennis didn’t say anything for so long Cooper thought he’d lost the connection. Then his friend finally spoke. “We need a break in this case, Cooper, or this guy might get away with killing that cop.”
* * *
Jayna and her petite friend Megan might not like to shop for clothes, but they clearly liked pizza, Everly thought as she sat across from them at a table in Grimaldi’s and watched them tear into the pies like they hadn’t eaten in a week. When they’d ordered the two large pizzas, Everly was sure they were going to end up with enough food for another meal and then some, but now, she realized she might have to grab a second piece or both pizzas would be gone before she finished her first slice. She found it hard to believe two women—especially one Megan’s size—could pack away this much food. There was a table full of big college-aged guys in the corner, hanging their heads in shame right at that moment.
“Tell me you two don’t eat like this all the time,” Everly said. “Because if you do, and don’t gain any weight, I’m going to be really mad.”
Jayna laughed. “No, we don’t. All that shopping was exhausting. I never knew buying a dress could be so hard.”
Now it was Everly’s turn to laugh. “Just remember, you’re the ones who called me.”
“I know.” Jayna grabbed another slice of pizza. “It seemed like a good idea at the time since Mac and Gage are getting married tomorrow, and we still didn’t have anything to wear.”
Everly thought Jayna was using the whole I-need-a-new-dress-for-the-wedding scenario as an excuse to go shopping and hang out together. Like anyone really needed an excuse to do either. She’d been floored when she realized Jayna was serious.
“I haven’t worn a dress since I was five years old and don’t know a thing about what to wear to a wedding,” Jayna admi
tted. “I’ve never even been to one.”
Everly had been planning to spend the morning working on a book cover for a local romance author she knew, but since the wedding was tomorrow, she decided helping Jayna and Megan shop for dresses definitely constituted a clothing crisis. So, she’d shut down her computer, picked up Jayna and her friend in front of their apartment complex, and headed for one of her favorite malls. The Shops at Park Lane had a ton of cool stores, so they’d have no problem finding something.
As she bit into a slice of pizza, Everly realized she’d been a bit too optimistic. It had taken over three hours to find them something suitable for a wedding and something they’d agree to wear. Because Jayna hadn’t been kidding—she hadn’t worn a dress since she was a little girl. She wasn’t even comfortable in one. Every time she’d try one on, she pulled and yanked on it. Megan had only been marginally easier to deal with. They’d gone into every single women’s clothing store in the big open-air mall—some more than once.
In the end, she’d helped Jayna and Megan find two perfect dresses for the wedding—and one for herself. It had taken a little work to get them comfortable with the idea of wearing outfits that showed a little cleavage and flashed a little leg. Even now, between inhaling pieces of pizza, Jayna frowned at the shopping bag by her chair.
“Don’t even say it, Jayna,” Everly warned. “You’re going to look fabulous in that dress.”
“Are you sure?” Jayna bit her lip. “It’s not too revealing?”
It was hilarious to see a woman as attractive as Jayna, who was obviously very confident in every other way, be so timid about a dress. “Trust me, it’s not too revealing. Showing a little cleavage is completely acceptable. And I can guarantee that Becker will absolutely love you in it.”
Jayna didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know. Eric loves it when I wear yoga pants. I don’t think he likes women in dresses. I’m sure he won’t like the high heels either. Maybe…”
Everly was all about a comfy pair of yoga pants, but there was no way Jayna was wearing those to the wedding. “Jayna, there’s not a man alive who doesn’t love the way a woman’s legs look in a pair of heels. There will be drool—guaranteed.”
Megan perked up. “Drool. Really? I like the sound of that.”
Everly couldn’t help but smile. Megan was such a joy to be around. In some ways, she seemed so young—like when she was shyly talking about how much she cared for her boyfriend Zak. Other times—like when she was talking about growing up on the streets as she and Jayna had done—she seemed much more mature. An old soul, her father would say.
“How long have you and Zak been seeing each other?” Everly asked.
Megan couldn’t be more than twenty-one, but Everly got the feeling she must have been dating Zak for a while. Their relationship sounded pretty serious.
Across from her, Megan fingered the small silver dolphin pendant attached to a fine chain around her neck. Everly had caught Megan playing with the pendant throughout the morning, and every time she did, she smiled. Like the jewelry reminded her of something—or someone—very special.
“We met about three months ago, but didn’t go on our first date until three weeks later,” Megan said. “He just moved into the loft a few days ago.”
Everly was pretty sure her jaw dropped because Megan and Jayna burst out laughing.
“Yes,” Megan said as she tried to control her giggles. “Zak and I are sleeping in the same bed in a small apartment with five other adults.”
Everly waved her hand, even though she was shocked to learn there were actually that many people living in one apartment. “I don’t care about that. From first date to cohabitating in two months? Wow. I’m not judging or anything, but I don’t think I could move that fast.”
The words were out of her mouth before she realized she might have offended Megan. That hadn’t been her intent.
But Megan didn’t look upset. “I get that. If you’d asked me four months ago whether I would ever do something as crazy as have a guy move in with me after having known him for less than ninety days, I would have said you were insane. But then I met Zak, and everything changed.”
Everly wasn’t cynical about love and romance, not by a long shot. But she’d dated enough guys to know love at first sight was something that only happened in romance novels. Not that she would ever say that to a woman as idealistic as Megan.
“Still, I’m not sure I could ever fall for a guy that fast,” Everly said tactfully.
“Really?” Jayna put a half-eaten slice of pizza on her plate and wiped her hands on a cloth napkin. “So you’re saying you’re not falling head over heels for Cooper?”
Everly opened her mouth to say no, that she liked Landry a lot, but they were taking it slow. Then she stopped herself because it would be a lie. They really weren’t taking it slow at all. They’d seen each other every night since the robbery at the bank. The only reason they hadn’t slept together already was because Jim had shown up and put a damper on the evening last night. The feelings she had for Landry were stronger than anything she’d ever felt for another guy. Was she falling for him?
She was so focused on the question that she didn’t realize Jayna and Megan had fallen silent until she looked up and saw them regarding her with broad smiles.
“Ding, ding, ding.” Jayna laughed. “I think someone just figured out that she’s falling in love.”
Everly shook her head. “Whoa, wait a second. How did we get from falling head over heels to falling in love? The two things are completely different.”
“Are they?” Jayna gave Megan a knowing smile. “Let me ask you a simple question. I want you to answer without thinking about it for even a second. Just close your eyes, and go with your first instinct, okay?”
Everly wasn’t sure where the heck this was going, but she closed her eyes. “Okay.”
“Remember—don’t think, just answer,” Jayna reminded her. “If Cooper walked over here right this moment and said he loved you, what would you say?”
The first thought that popped into Everly’s mind was that Jayna’s question was silly, but then she stopped herself. Because that really hadn’t been the very first thing. Before she’d started thinking too much, her first thought was that she’d say, I love you, too.
Her eyes snapped open. “Oh my God!”
Jayna grinned. “Don’t feel obligated to answer the question because you already did.”
Everly sat there stunned, not able to talk. Heck, she could barely breathe. “How is this even possible? I’ve only known Landry for three days. I can’t be in love with him yet.”
“Why not?” Jayna asked.
“I don’t know. It’s just…” Everly was at a loss for words. “I barely know him.”
“What do you want to know?” Megan asked. “What his favorite color is? If he sings in the shower? How he voted in the last election? Whether he wears boxers or briefs? Whether he wants kids right away or if he’d rather wait? Would the answer to any of those questions change the way you feel about him right now?”
Everly’s head swam with confusing emotions. She couldn’t be in love. She and Landry hadn’t even slept together yet!
“I know you’re feeling pretty overwhelmed right now. I get that,” Jayna said. “I’ve been there. The same thing happened when I met Eric. Everything hit me so fast. Like you, I tried to deny it at first. Then I tried to run away from it. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. Love happens whether we’re ready for it or not. It’s just a matter of how much time you want to waste running from the obvious. You’re in love with Cooper, as insane as that is. The reason you’re feeling so confused right now is because your heart already knows—it’s your head that’s taking a while to catch up.”
Everything Jayna said was absolutely true. “Wow,” she murmured as it all sank in. This was really happening. “I’ve fallen in love with a man in what, seventy-two hours? That has to be a record in any place but Hollywood and Vegas. Even Megan took longer th
an that.”
Megan laughed. “Don’t go running off to call Guinness just yet. It might have taken Jayna a while to realize Eric was the one for her, but he knew in ten seconds. Which is a good thing, or he probably would have shot her.”
Everly’s eyes widened. Landry had told her that Becker helped Jayna and her friend out of a little trouble, but he hadn’t mentioned that little nugget. “Did he really come close to shooting you?”
Jayna shook her head with a laugh. “Nah. He was too busy stuffing me in a packing crate to shoot me.”
“Okay, now I have to hear the whole story,” Everly said.
But as Jayna explained how she and her friends had become involved with Becker and the rest of the Dallas SWAT team, something struck Everly as unusual.
“Doesn’t it seem odd that all of these love-at-first-sight relationships seem to revolve around the SWAT team?” she asked. “Even Megan and Zak are together because of their interaction with the team.”
Jayna and Megan exchanged looks.
“Nah,” Jayna said. “Pure coincidence, I’m sure.”
Everly sipped her iced tea while Jayna and Megan finished the last of the pizza, then they grabbed their bags and headed to Everly’s SUV.
“So, what’s the plan for tonight?” Megan asked as she climbed in the back of Everly’s little Juke. “You and Cooper going out again?”
Everly started the SUV and swung the wheel toward the mall’s exit. She would have liked to sit down with Landry and tell him how she felt about him. Or drag him into bed and rip off his clothes. Both sounded fun. But she couldn’t do either of those things—at least not until later tonight.
“I wish,” she muttered. “But I promised my dad this morning that I’d bring Landry over tonight to meet him and my brothers.”
