Page 16 of Falling For You

He looked at me. "No."

I let it go. Knox didn't give you more than he wanted to, and pushing only made him give you less.

We cleared the building and loaded back into the engine. Travis stretched across the bench seat and groaned.

"I just want to sleep for twelve hours and then go get a beer. Is that too much to ask?" He looked at me. "Lantern tomorrow night?"

"I'm sorry you have to stay over again, Barb."

Barb was already settled on the couch with a blanket and a paperback.

"As if I have anywhere else to be." She scoffed good-naturedly. "I'm an old lady. I want to be asleep by nine. Birdie and I have the same bedtime, so it works out perfectly."

I'd set up a spare bed in Birdie's room for nights like this. On days when I was on shift and on nights when I went out with the guys, Barb stayed over.

She waved me toward the door without looking up from her page. "Get out of my house."

"It's my house."

"Not tonight it isn't."

"Thanks, Barb."

I checked on Birdie on my way out. She was already asleep, one arm around a stuffed elephant, the other hanging off the side of the bed. I pulled the blanket over her shoulder, kissed her forehead, and left the door cracked.

The crew was already at the pool table when I got there. Greene was lining up a shot. Travis had gotten hold of a steak knife from somewhere and was lining up a throw at the dartboard like he was about to make history.

Selena pointed at him from behind the bar. "Boy, if you don't put that knife down."

Travis put both hands up like she'd drawn a weapon on him. The knife clattered on the table.

"Mr. Brooks!" Terrence pushed his glasses up with the back of his wrist. "Good to see you."

"Hey, Terrence. How'd the exam go?"

"Ninety-two."

"That's great. Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir." He set a beer in front of me without being asked.

The night settled into itself after that. Pool, drinks, the sound of guys who saw each other every shift and still hadn't run out of things to say. Gus came out from the back and put fresh pretzels on the bar. Daphne's flower arrangements on the tables were pink and yellow this week.

"Did you hear?" Knox walked up beside me. "Gus got another call from Lockwood."

"You're kidding. They really don't know when to give up, do they?"

I took a drink. Somewhere behind us, Travis was arguing with Greene about a shot that may or may not have been a scratch. Then the noise at the pool table stopped, and a groan went through the crew. I turned to see what they were looking at.

Andy Walsh.

I'd seen her out of uniform a couple of times before. Both times it caught me off guard, and this was no different. Her braid was down, loose over one shoulder, framing her face in a way the tactical bun never did. Dark jeans, boots, a fitted jacket. She looked exactly like the kind of woman who could ruin your night and look good doing it.

A couple of the guys started heckling. Something about a cop being lost, something about calling the real authorities.

"You boys leave Officer Walsh alone!" Selena called from behind the bar without missing a beat.

Andy sat down at the counter. Gus set a napkin in front of her, took her order, and headed to the other end of the bar. She pulled a book out of her bag, propped it against the edge of the counter, and started reading.