Protecting My Heart

by David Horne

  “Is a date required?” Zeke asked.

  Jennie laughed and shook her head. “It never is, but you always seem to want to bring one. I wonder who it’s going to be this time.”

  “I could go by myself.”

  “But you never do.” She countered his argument. He hated the fact that she could do that just about every single time. That she could get the better of him. That she knew him that well.

  It was how she had become like a sister to him.

  “I’m trying,” Zeke said.

  Jennie smirked at him. “Trying for what? Another nameless body in your bed.”

  “First off, there are not that many, and I do remember their names for the most part.”

  “Good, remember their name when you bring them. Maybe you’ll meet someone.”

  “I meet a lot of ‘someones.’” Zeke smirked at her. He knew his nature. The fact that he was a bit of a rover if he was to put it nicely. A bad boy in a world that didn’t quite fit into what he wanted to be. What he saw himself as. And that picture didn’t quite fit.

  “Is that so?” Jennie asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

  “And I still haven’t been tied down.” Zeke didn’t know if he was proud of that fact or not but tried to act like he was. “I’m a confirmed bachelor.”

  “Isn’t that what they say about celebrities?”

  “Hey, don’t judge me.”

  Jennie laughed and shook her head. “I’ll judge you if I want to.”

  “I should start talking about your sex life.” He snorted with half contained laughter.

  “Do you miss it?” Her voice grew serious.

  “Miss what?” Zeke asked.

  “Miss having someone to come home to every night.” She glanced out of the front window of the car. “Not spending holidays alone. Having a family to visit.”

  “Why would I miss it? I’ve never really had it.”

  “Right. So, there’s nothing for you to miss.”

  “That’s right.”

  Jennie sighed. “I know you don’t exactly have a family to visit.”

  “I do have a family to visit. You invite me every single year.” He pointed it out like he had won some sort of prize.

  She smiled softly. “At least you consider me family.” Jennie was clearly happy about the fact that she was more than a partner to Zeke. They had worked so long together that they acted more like “husband” and “wife.”

  “I do, yeah.” Zeke gently shoved her shoulder. “You’re just like my annoying little sister.”

  “I have some pretty awesome experience at that job.”

  “I know. I saw your resume and called your references.” Zeke was referring to her three older brothers. The entire family were cops and they loved to get together and talk about it. He had been privy to many such conversations; they had often invited partners to various family events.

  “Really?” Jennie asked, surprised.

  “Oh yeah. Your brother spared no details when recounting your shenanigans.”

  “Good. Then you should come for Thanksgiving,” Jennie added.

  “There you are inviting me again.” Zeke toyed with the pen he kept in his shirt pocket.

  “You know I’ll always invite you. I’m not going to let someone be alone for the holiday if I can avoid it.”

  “I know.”

  “Maybe we can save the shopkeeper’s holiday for them too. Being pressed by the Ocotillos can’t be very nice for a holiday.”

  “I’m sure Tristan is going to be making some good money this holiday.” Jennie followed his gaze to the front of Tristan’s bakery.

  Zeke was taken aback by the sudden change in the direction of the conversation. “What?”

  “Nothing. I was just thinking that a bakery would be pretty busy with the upcoming holiday.”

  “I’m sure he is.” Zeke nodded, chewing on his lip for a moment before he remembered that it was a bad habit and snapped a rubber band on his wrist.

  “You still haven’t beaten that have you?” Jennie said.

  “Nah, I guess not.” He shook his head. “Still chewing on my lip. It’s a bad habit.”

  “Why is that so bad?”

  Zeke shrugged. “Keeps making my lip bleed.”

  “Ah, I wish you would’ve told me that. I would’ve helped you break it.”

  “By yelling at me?”

  “I’m pretty good at yelling at you.”

  “Yeah. You are.” Zeke glanced back across the parking lot. “What’s that noise?”

  “Is something happening?” Jennie asked.

  Zeke climbed out of the car and he could definitely hear glass breaking now. “Yeah. Someone’s destroying the bakery.” His voice had grown in volume. “Can’t you hear it?”

  “Are you sure?” Jennie said.

  Zeke felt his heartbeat speed up. “Yeah.”

  Zeke was already heading across the street, “Let’s get moving.”

  Zeke led the charge into the bakery that his ex-boyfriend owned. All thoughts of awkwardness gone.

  There was indeed a ruckus going on in the building. The guy had a baseball bat and was readying a second swing at the glass case that held all the goodies.

  “Freeze!” Zeke shouted.

  The guy didn’t listen and Zeke couldn’t get eyes on Tristan. He must have been hiding somewhere.

  Zeke went for the tackle, dragging the man down to the floor, but it wasn’t going to be that easy.

  The wily thug seemed to be eager to cause as much destruction as he could and finished his swing before getting dragged down.

  “Let go of me!” the man shouted.

  “Freeze!” Jennie was a bit behind him and came in with her gun drawn.

  “I think I’ve got him.”

  Zeke thought wrong as the guy managed to pull away, starting to run only to find himself with a gun in his face. Zeke pulled his own weapon. “Time for you to rethink that.”

  They took the thug into custody and loaded him into the back of the unmarked police car. “I’ll be right back.” Zeke took off back inside.

  “I’ll call for back up,” Jennie said.

  “I’ll check on Tristan.”

  Zeke burst back through the door. There was no point in showing the calm unconcerned side of himself. He was worried. Tristan could be in trouble.

  Tristan was pulling himself up from behind the counter where he had been hiding. Zeke rushed over to him. “Are you okay?”

  Tristan looked down at himself as if trying to make up his mind. “I think it’s just some cuts and bruises.”

  “Are you sure?” Zeke rushed around the counter and looked his ex-boyfriend over. “I can call an ambulance.”

  “He didn’t actually hit me. It was mostly flying glass that got me.”

  Zeke drew in a deep relieved breath. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I think he was just trying to intimidate me. Screaming about me talking to the cops and that kind of stuff.”

  “Going to the cops?”

  “Yeah. I’ve got no clue.” Tristan shook his head and finally looked up. “Zeke?”

  Zeke frowned. “Yeah. It’s me.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I was investigating something in the area and saw it go down, so we came to help.”

  Tristan nodded. He looked a little dazed. “I’m sorry.”

  “There’s no reason to be sorry,” Zeke said.

  “I…” Tristan frowned heavily.

  “What is it? Do you know who did this?” Zeke asked.

  Tristan shook his head. “No. I don’t know the guy.”

  “But you know something, don’t you?” Zeke couldn’t turn off his cop mode, not when he had a witness.

  “I don’t know what I know.” Tristan shook his head. “It’s nothing. Probably a mistake.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Tristan shook his head again. “I don’t really know anything.” There was an emphasis on the word know. “I’m fine. Reall
y.”

  “Are you going to stick with that? Really? Just stay quiet when we can help?” Zeke was feeling the frustration.

  “Yeah. That’s all I’m going to say,” Tristan grunted in his direction.

  “What is it that you’re not telling us? We’re here to help.”

  “It’s nothing. I don’t know why the guy was here.” Tristan shook his head, looking down at the cuts on his hands.

  Zeke looked at the cuts. “Let a paramedic take a look at you.”

  “I’m fine. It’s just a few cuts.”

  “Then they can put bandages on them.” Zeke insisted. “Look. I get that you’re not going to tell me anything. I can handle that. What I can’t handle is if adrenaline is hiding some other injury that’s worse than those cuts.”

  “I’m not hurt.”

  “Just sit tight. It’s going to be fine.”

  “I know that. I need to cover the windows. They’re broken.”

  Zeke frowned. “I’m sure we can get people to help with that. It’s going to be fine.”

  “Okay. So just calm down on me. I’m not dying.”

  Zeke drew in a sharp breath between his teeth. He knew that he needed to calm down. “I just don’t like seeing you hurt like that.”

  “I know.” Tristan sighed heavily. “It’s just so strange. I wasn’t expecting this.”

  “Is this because my partner came to speak to you?”

  Tristan shrugged. “The only cop I’ve seen here asking questions was that woman that came in with you.” He felt a prickle on the back of his neck.

  Zeke nodded. “All right. Well, we’ll handle it, okay?”

  “Yeah. I know. It’s going to be fine.”

  The paramedics entered the building. Two big guys. “Let me have a look.”

  Tristan protested. “I don’t think this is necessary.”

  “Why don’t you just let us take a look at you. I promise it won’t take very long at all.” The man had a disarming smile. It was clear he was used to people that didn’t agree with needing to be checked out

  The paramedic had brought his best bedside manner. “I get that you’re probably a little freaked out right now. I promise that this won’t take long and you can get home.”

  Tristan nodded and let the men work, sitting in silence as the shock of the incident hit. Zeke knew that there wouldn’t be much more talking going on today. Tristan was far too upset and had just experienced something that he had never expected.

  Chapter Six

  Tristan stared out the window. He had been taken to his parent’s house. The sun was about to set. It had been just before lunch when the thug started damaging and breaking anything made of glass in his bakery. His place had been smashed and his innocence shattered. Some people were merely evil.

  Tristan barely remembered the car ride with Zeke. And he barely recalled Zeke’s hand on his elbow as Tristan was helped out of the car. He still felt a little out of it. It was a surreal feeling as though the whole world had gone a little fuzzy around the edges.

  The paramedics had mentioned shock. The surprise of the incident breaking him down into separate parts. Tristan felt a divide between where he was and where he usually fit into the world. His mind idly roamed while he sat there, but he didn’t speak. There simply wasn’t the need to waste the energy to do so. Tristan thought about Zeke, bursting in like a hero. The man who he had loved a long time ago. Back before life had gotten in the way and they had drifted apart. He couldn’t even put a finger on when it had ended anymore.

  Tristan didn’t speak for hours, he just sat on the couch. He knew his family must be worried about him. But Tristan knew that he was fine, or at least that he was going to be fine. It was almost peaceful. A peace that he’d found after the panic had faded. His father sat across from him. The old man had a devastating look of concern on his face. If anything could bother Tristan in the rather blank state of mind that he was in, that was it.

  Eventually, the sight of it got to him, rousing him from the rambling stupor of his own thoughts.

  Tristan drew a shaky breath after what must have been hours. “Sorry.”

  “You don’t have to be sorry.” Tristan’s father said, shaking his head. “I just want to know that you’re okay.”

  “I’m okay. It’s just crazy.” Tristan shook his head. “It’s so strange.”

  Martin frowned. “I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t expecting you to get attacked.”

  “I don’t think that he was going to kill me or anything.” Tristan shook his head. “He was trying to terrify me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he thought I was talking to the cops.”

  His father frowned. “What did you say to the police?”

  “I didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say. I didn’t know what was going on between you and that guy.” Tristan shook his head. “I didn’t even know if it was important or not. So, I didn’t say anything.”

  Martin ran a hand through his graying hair. “It’s a little hard to explain.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I probably should.”

  “Right now, I need a break. I’ve had a rough day. We can talk later.”

  His father inhaled. “Yeah. Do you want anything? We can order in or I can cook something.”

  “No offense, but I’d rather order in.”

  “I can’t blame you for that. Your mother says the same thing whenever I ask.”

  Tristan laughed. “Where is Mom anyway?”

  “She’s out buying more antiseptic and bandages. You’ve got a few cuts.”

  “Knowing her, she’ll get a lot more than that.”

  “Of course, she will.” His father forced a smile. “Do you want some coffee or something?”

  “I can get it myself.” Tristan got up before his father could protest. He didn’t want to be served. He didn’t know what he was going to do about any of this. But the last thing Tristan wanted was to be treated like he was some fragile bit of glass that one bad thing could break.

  He was feeling determined when he got up and walked into the kitchen, popping a pod into the coffee machine and placing a mug in place.

  Within minutes the smell of coffee brought him back to reality. It wasn’t expensive espresso made in a machine, but the bitter smell still screamed its way into his lungs and reminded him that he was still alive. “I really love coffee.”

  He could hear his father laughing from the doorway. “You’ve been in love with coffee since the first time you tried it. It was actually a surprise.”

  “Are you watching me?” Tristan asked.

  “Maybe a little.”

  “Because you’re worried?”

  “You would be worried if it was me,” Martin said.

  “Yeah. I guess I would. Best I can guess is that he made a mistake about who he was threatening.”

  “Maybe.” His father didn’t look like he believed it though and Tristan wasn’t going to ask. “At least you weren’t seriously hurt.”

  “No. I wasn’t. Can we talk about something else?”

  “What?”

  “Anything else.”

  “Fine. Thanksgiving. Are you bringing someone with you this year?”

  Tristan shook his head. “Afraid not.”

  “That’s a shame. You haven’t dated in a long time.”

  Tristan shook his head. “I’ve just been busy at work.”

  “You don’t have to be so busy,” Martin said.

  “I’m trying to take over the store.” Tristan smiled at his dad. “But thank you for worrying about me.”

  “That’s my job.”

  Tristan smiled, some of the frustration and fear was starting to fade away. “Because you’re my dad.”

  “Exactly.”

  “How long have I been here? I’m starving?” Tristan asked.

  “A few hours. Zeke came and dropped you off then said he was heading back to the office to find out why the guy did it.”

&nb
sp; Tristan looked at his father. “Why did it happen?”

  His father sighed. “I don’t know for sure.”

  “I feel like you know something at least.”

  “I didn’t think they would ever do something like that.” Martin shook his head and sighed.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I tried to pay them to stop bothering us,” Martin added.

  “Tried to pay who?” Tristan leaned forward, completely forgetting about the coffee that was brewing.

  “It’s not important. We need to focus on what we’re going to do next.”

  “What we’re going to do is fix the store and get it back up and running.”

  “We could change locations,” Martin said.

  Tristan shook his head. “No. They’re not going to scare me away like that.” He didn’t ask his father any more questions. There wasn’t any point. Tristan’s father had that protective look on his face. And in his eyes Tristan had become a kid again. Someone who information like that could hurt.

  Tristan hated that feeling. How his parents could make him feel so small and incapable with their concern. They had raised him well. To be brave, smart, and wise. They had shown him the right way to do things. And the fact that they could be complicit in whatever this was that was going on bothered him. It wasn’t the picture that he had ever held in his head about his father. And he didn’t like having it now.

  “Has anyone checked the damage at the bakery?”

  His father nodded. “That’s all being handled. Zeke said he would be back soon.”

  “Back? For what?”

  “To get a statement from you.”

  “Right. Cop stuff.” Tristan glanced away from his father. “He’s working on this case?”

  “Seems to be.”

  Tristan sighed. “When is he coming back?”

  “Soon.”

  As if the gods of perfect timing were listening to them talking, a knock sounded on the door.

  “Who is it?” Tristan called out.

  “It’s Zeke. Can Tristan come out and play?”

  Tristan smiled a little as he walked over to the door and opened it.

  “Hey.”

  An awkward silence stretched between them.

  “Hey,” Zeke spoke up finally, breaking the tension.

  Tristan nodded. “I guess it’s stupid to ask how it’s going, huh?” He noticed his father slip out of the room, heading into his den. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”