His Moment to Steal: In the Line of Duty, Book 4 Page 9

  She nodded. “I’m hoping once things start picking up I’ll be able to bring in some part-time help.”

  Luke circled the truck and climbed in. He rolled down the windows, as Rex panted. “You hungry boy? You want breakfast?” Rex barked and Emery laughed.

  “It’s like he knows what you’re saying.”

  “He does.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “Every Saturday before we go to the compound he always gets a breakfast sandwich from McDonald’s.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’re kidding?”

  “Nope, it’s his treat.”

  Emery shook her head, and her scent reached him as her hair flared. Here he was berating Rex for wanting to sniff her all day, when he wanted to do the same.

  “They can’t be good for him,” she said.

  “You’re probably right, but you know what, not only did he do two tours overseas, he’s like a hundred years old. If he wants a breakfast sandwich he gets one.”

  She nodded and smiled at him. “I can see your point.”

  He pulled into traffic and a few minutes later he drove into the parking lot of Rex’s favorite restaurant. “You don’t mind eating in the truck do you?”

  “Not at all.”

  “I don’t want to leave him out here alone. I hate those bastards who lock their animals in their cars in the heat of summer. I once busted a window.”

  “You did.”

  “Damn right.”

  She grinned at him.

  “What?”

  “Such a rebel.”

  “Is that what you like about me?” he asked.

  “Who said I liked anything about you?”

  He reached over and cupped her sex. “You didn’t tell me, sunshine, you showed me.”

  Grinning, and getting the full gist of what he was saying, she teased back. “Well, there are a couple of little things I might like.”

  “Little?” he asked.

  “That’s some ego you’ve got there,” she said. Then she laughed and patted Rex. “I like that you’re a good daddy.”

  Hearing the word daddy had him thinking of hers, which reminded him of his own and how he’d turned his back on him all those years ago. A wave of anger moved through him, but when Emery touched his arm, he exhaled slowly and looked past Rex’s head to see her.

  Her hand moved back to Rex, and she rubbed him gently. “Was it something I said?”

  “Yeah,” was all he said.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Nothing to be sorry for.” He pulled his truck through the drive-through. “What will you have?”

  “A muffin sounds good.”

  Luke put his order in and Rex whined when he got the whiff of food. “Don’t worry. boy, it’s coming, and then you get to play with Nana.”

  “Nana?” Emery asked.

  “The only dog in the world older than Rex,” he said, laughing. “She’s such a sweet thing. I think Rex here has a crush on her.”

  “Was she a service dog too?”

  “No, she was at Gemma’s shelter, and when Gemma and my buddy Cole hooked up, they adopted her.”

  “I remember reading about Gemma’s no-kill shelter in the papers. She’s doing great things.”

  The food came, and Rex nearly leapt through the window to get his share. Luke held his arm out to hold him off. “Sit boy.”

  Rex reluctantly sat, and Luke pulled into a parking spot. He handed Emery a coffee. “Careful he doesn’t knock it with his tail.”

  Emery fixed her coffee then bit into her muffin as Luke fed Rex, who ate his entire breakfast sandwich in three seconds flat, then turned to Emery to see what she had for him.

  “Rex,” Luke said, and he let loose a little whine and flattened himself between them.

  He kept peeking up at Emery as she ate, and finally she said, “I can’t take it anymore.” She ripped a piece of her muffin off and Rex jumped up to gobble it down. “He kind of reminds me of you.”

  “Oh yeah, how so?”

  “He somehow always gets his way.”

  As his mind rewound to all their lovemaking his cock shifted. He swallowed down the last bite of his sandwich and said, “Watch it there, sunshine, or we’ll never make it to the compound.”

  They finished their breakfast and Luke gathered up the wrappers and tossed them into the garbage. “All set?” he asked, as she took a sip of her coffee.

  She nodded and Rex settled himself in as he pulled onto the street. He turned a corner, making his way to the center, but decided to take the long way, something inside him compelling him to drive by his sister’s place. He knew her schedule and really didn’t expect to see her, but when he caught her rushing down the stairs of her apartment, he slowed to a near crawl.

  He stayed back a few feet and just watched her. Dressed in a pair of cutoff shorts and T-shirt, she had her long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. To him she was simply gorgeous. His heart pounded as she hurried down the sidewalk, a backpack over her shoulders. At the lights she met up with another girl, who had an armload of books, and Luke guessed they were headed off to study. They both chatted animatedly for a bit, then crossed the street and made their way to the coffee shop.

  He swallowed, and the sound filled the cab. He shot a sidelong glance at Emery and noticed the way she was watching him. Her gaze went from his sister to Luke back to his sister again. For a minute he wondered if she’d question him. He also wondered if she’d recognize Allison from the photo he kept in his van. Yeah, he saw the way she had studied it with curious eyes. Then again, it had been taken a few years ago and Allison had grown up a lot since then.

  Seconds before his sister entered the coffee shop, she looked over her shoulder and scanned the street, almost as if she felt his eyes on her. There was a haunted look in her eyes as they swept past his truck. He stayed still, perfectly still, then she turned around and stepped into the shop. He waited a second longer, then exhaled slowly before he continued on to the center.

  Wanting to engage Emery in conversation before she asked a question he didn’t want to answer, he said, “Do you think you’ll have any trouble taking Jeremy out for the day?”

  “Not once they see you.”

  “Yeah?”

  “They just worry about my safety, and you’re a big guy. If anything happens you’ll be able to control Jeremy.” She took a sip of her coffee.

  He puffed his chest out. “You think I’m a big guy?” He cast her a sly glance. “Where do you think I’m big?”

  “Jesus, Luke,” she said, nearly spitting her coffee out. “Don’t make me laugh when I’m taking a drink. And the biggest thing on you is your ego.”

  He laughed at that as Emery put her coffee in the cup holder. “I do wonder where we’re going to put Jeremy, though.”

  “Don’t worry, Rex loves riding in the back.” He patted the seat. “And you can snuggle in next to me.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how much he liked having her sit beside him on the ride, how natural and easy she was to be with.

  How much he wanted to fuck her again.

  Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into a parking spot at the center. He leashed Rex in the back and they made their way inside. He stayed back and let Emery talk to the nurse, and when she cast him a big smile his heart thumped to see her so happy.

  It had to be hard taking care of everyone else all the time, and once again he wondered if she did anything for fun.

  He waited in the lobby and eventually she came out with Jeremy, who was grinning from ear to ear. Jeremy pointed at Luke and clapped.

  “Cheater, cheater.”

  Luke laughed and put his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder. While he wasn’t as tall as Luke, the man was still solid. He could understand why the staff didn’t want Emery to take him out alone.

  “How about we go for a ride, and then later, I’ll introduce you to some of my friends, who love to play chess. They’re good but I bet you can beat them.”

  “I always win,” he said and Emery took
his hand in hers and walked with him outside. Luke stood back and watched for a second. There was just something about Jeremy that he liked and he had a feeling a few of the kids and elderly members at Sheffield would take him under their wings.

  When they reached the truck, Rex stood and started wagging his tail. “This is Rex,” Luke said. Jeremy leaned in and Rex gave him a big lick across the mouth.

  Jeremy laughed. “Rex likes me.”

  “He does,” Luke said, then turned to find Emery smiling at him. The way she lit up like a Christmas tree when he interacted with Jeremy did the strangest things to him. He turned back to her brother and let him get acquainted with Rex for a bit, then said, “Ready to go for a drive?”

  After they all climbed into the truck, they made their way to the compound. Luke took note of the vehicles and was happy to see that Garrett wasn’t there yet. Good. The last thing he wanted to hear was any more of his bullshit analogies. He and Emery were simply having sex. He might be playing in her sandbox but he wasn’t looking to build anything. Even she so much as told him she didn’t expect more. Yeah, that’s right, he reminded himself. In her eyes he was a thief, one good enough to sleep with, but not to get involved with.

  Luke opened the gate, pulled his truck through, and after they all climbed out of his vehicle, he shut it behind them. Emery took Jeremy’s hand as he looked around nervously.

  Luke gave her a questioning glance, but from the look on her face, he could tell she was worried about her brother’s sudden bout of anxiety. Luke unhooked Rex and called Nana over. She sauntered slowly, and panted loudly as she made her way over to see Rex.

  “This is Nana,” he said to Jeremy. “She loves to be patted.” Luke dropped to one knee. “Like this.” He patted the ground next to him. “Can you help me, Jeremy?”

  Jeremy looked at the dogs all running around and the equipment set up for training. He dropped down beside Luke and looked off in the distance to see Cole and how he was playing catch with Ralph.

  Jeremy ran his hand over Nana’s back and they all laughed when she rolled over and put her legs in the air. “She likes her belly rubbed,” Jeremy said.

  He rubbed her belly for a long time as Rex nosed around him, like he was in need of a bit of attention too. After awhile Jeremy pointed to Cole. “I want to play ball.”

  “Come on then. I’m sure Cole would love for you to help him.”

  Luke helped him up and as they made their way across the compound, Emery moved in close. Unease moved across her face. “You don’t think the guys mind, do you?”

  “No, sunshine. Trust me, these are the best bunch of guys you could ever know.”

  She relaxed into him, and without thinking he took her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze.

  “Cole,” Luke said when they reached him. “This is Jeremy, Emery’s brother. He wants to help you with Ralph.”

  “Hey Jeremy,” Cole said, and handed him the ball. “Just in time, my arm is getting tired.”

  Jeremy clapped as Cole’s gaze zeroed in on Emery. Cole did the introductions, and after his comrade turned his attention back to Jeremy, Luke nodded behind him. “Want a tour?”

  “I shouldn’t leave him.”

  “He’s in good hands and right now, so enthralled with Ralph that he doesn’t even know you’re here.”

  She looked at her brother, who was smiling from ear to ear. “This is good for him.”

  Cole shot her a knowing glance. “I’ll take good care of him,” he said. “Don’t worry.”

  With that she went off with Luke and he showed her all the work the guys were doing. He introduced her to every dog, and he suspected Jinx was going to have a fit when she got home.

  After a complete rundown and a demonstration with Chester, they collected Jeremy and Rex and climbed back into the truck. Jeremy put up a bit of a fight, not wanting to leave, but Luke reminded him of the chess games he was going to play.

  That seemed to appease him and put Emery at ease. They left the compound and headed to Sheffield. The heat of the day was upon them when he parked and he thought maybe Jeremy would like to go inside where there was air conditioning.

  Emery climbed from the cab and as Luke freed Rex she glanced around. “So this is how you spend your Saturdays?”

  “Mostly.” A group of kids came running over when they saw Rex.

  “Hey Rexy-boy,” one of the girls said, giving him lots of love. She looked up at Luke. “Hey Luke.”

  “Samantha,” he said as he handed her the leash. “Can you make sure he gets a drink?”

  “You bet.” The kids took off with Rex, his tail wagging like mad.

  “They love him.”

  “He’s a great therapy dog.”

  Emery grabbed Jeremy’s hand and Luke grabbed Emery’s. “Come on, let’s get Jeremy settled then I’ll show you around.”

  He guided them both inside, and Emery’s eyes widened when he took her to a room where many elderly were lounging with young boys and girls, playing cards or chess. Everyone waved to him as he came in.

  “You’re popular.”

  “Especially with the ladies,” he teased when Esther called out to him.

  “Ego,” she teased, whacking him lightly.

  Jeremy looked around bright eyed and started clapping when he saw the chessboards. Luke settled him in with Frank, and once he was lost in the game, he grabbed Emery’s hand to guide her out.

  “I need to check and make sure Trent is here.”

  They walked back outdoors and he waved to one of the counselors who had a bunch of kids working on the vegetable garden.

  “What exactly is this place?” she asked, her glance taking in the tennis courts, swimming pool, and skateboard ramps.

  “It started out as a community center, but it’s so much more now.” He pointed to Jax, who was gardening with a group of kids, then to Olivia, who was making a banner with another group. He spotted Ving and one of the therapy dogs off in the distance. They were playing catch with a group of teens. The two exchanged a wave.

  “A lot of the kids that hang out here are latchkey kids, who deep down are looking for guidance. They think of it as nothing more than a community center where they can swim and play games. Some of the other kids have been put here by me because everyone deserves a second chance.”

  They walked past the pool, where Jacob was giving lessons. They exchanged a wave and Luke continued, “The men and women who hang out here are counselors.” He gave her a sly grin. “The kids just don’t know it. They involve them in activities, which actually teach moral intelligence. They lead by example, and show how their actions affect others, which is why on weekends members from the veterans’ hospital are brought in. The kids aren’t forced to play games with them, but eventually they all do. Those men are funny, and their stories have such deeper meaning. The kids learn about their war experiences, their lives, their loves and their losses. Believe it or not, it has a huge effect on the kids.”

  “I believe it.” She went quiet for a moment, her shoes tapping on the cement walkway as they rounded the building, then she asked, “Did you start the program?”

  “Along with my buddy Shane. Want to meet him?”

  She nodded. “Was he a soldier?”

  “Yeah, for awhile, then he went back to school and got a psychology degree. He and his wife, Callie, as well as their twelve-year-old daughter, Amber, all spend their weekends here.” He pointed to the distance, to where Callie and Amber were playing horseshoes with a few kids. “There they are over there.”

  “What a great family. Shane sounds like a terrific guy.”

  “He is.”

  She nudged him. “So are you.”

  While he wanted to say he was sure her father wouldn’t agree, he clamped his mouth shut. Now was not the time to remind her of that. Taylor had spoiled enough of his life as it was. He didn’t want him invading his thoughts and ruining this afternoon for Emery, because it was clear that having Jeremy here was important to her, w
hich somehow made it important to him.

  “So you sent Trent here because he needed guidance.”

  It was a statement, not a question, but he once again found himself saying, “Yeah, I like to give second chances.” She gave him a quizzical look, opened her mouth like she was about to say something but then shut it again when he gestured with a nod.

  “Speak of the devil.”

  Just then Shane and Trent exited through the center’s back entrance. They were in deep conversation and at first didn’t see Luke and Emery approaching.

  “Hey, how’s it going?” Luke asked.

  Trent’s glance darted to Luke, then to Emery. Within seconds his relaxed demeanor was gone, every muscle in his body stiffening as he slipped into punk mode. Luke got the distinct impression Trent didn’t want Shane to know the real reason he was there, but Shane was well aware of it long before now. Of course, he wasn’t about to out the boy in front of him. He wanted Trent and Shane to bond.

  “Luke,” Shane said, stepping up to him to give him a big hug. “I was just inside and met Jeremy. Frank said you brought him here to play chess.”

  Luke nodded. “Jeremy is Emery’s brother.” Shane looked at Emery and smiled.

  “I hope you don’t mind.” She shot Luke a worried glance. “We thought he might enjoy it.”

  “Of course not. Everyone is welcome here.” Shane held his hand out. “Clearly our friend has lost his manners,” he teased. “I’m Shane Conrad.” He narrowed his eyes. “You look very familiar.”

  “Emery Vincent,” she returned, and Shane angled his head, his eyes moving over her like he was trying to place her. “You might recognize me from Taylor’s Market.”

  Shane’s back went as stiff as the cement beneath their feet as his gaze flew to Luke’s. A barrage of mixed emotions moved over his face as he stood there uncomfortable, like he didn’t know what to say next.

  “I’m setting up security for her store,” Luke explained quickly. Then he turned his attention to Trent, who was shifting restlessly beside Shane.

  “What are you two up to? Did we catch you in the middle of something?”

  “No,” Trent said, and while he was trying to make it look like he hated being there, Luke suspected otherwise. He caught the huge smile on the kid’s face before he spotted him and Emery coming his way.