He grinned. “If some hunk of a man sweeps you off your feet into a date, we’ll reschedule.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure, Dad. In fact, I do meet a lot of people. Maybe one of the hunks behind bars will sing me into a yes. Then you could have a felon for a son-in-law.”
Her father ignored her sarcasm. “As long as he treats you right, I’ll be happy to invite him to family get-togethers.”
“Argh.Go scramble some kid’s brain while I get back to work keeping the streets safe.”
“I’m proud of you, honey. You do good work.” He hugged her but had to get the last word in. “Now go do good work with someone you can bring home to your sad, sorry folks.”
He raced away with a laugh, and she watched him go, wondering why she felt more depressed than uplifted after her favorite food with the people she loved.
Chapter Three
Tuesday night, Mack sat with the guys at Reggie’s house in the dining room, poker night in full effect. It should have been manly and filled with laughter. But he was distracted, listening to the guys’ girlfriends laughing and hanging out in the living room.
How the hell had guys’ night turned into bring-your-lady-to-hang night? But if he complained, he’d look like the single loser he was turning out to be.
In a low voice, Reggie said to him, “You need to get laid.”
The others nodded.
Brad and Tex said something between them that had them smirking and staring at him.
“What?” he snarled, annoyed he was down twenty bucks after only three games.
“You’re always irritated anymore,” Brad said and laid down his cards. “I’m flush. Read ’em and weep.”
“Yeah?” Tex grinned. “Try these ladies. Four of a kind.”
Reggie sighed. “Shoot. I had a straight.”
“You’re all losers.” Gleeful, Mack tossed down his cards. “Straight flush. Bite me.”
The guys frowned at him.
“You’re still down,” Tex said. “So it ain’t all sunshine and roses.”
“You got that right.” Brad frowned and ran a hand through his sandy hair. Hell, in this light, he did look like a Ken doll—something the guys liked to razz him about. “When’s the last time you went out with a real girl, Mack?”
A muddy, angry cop from the soccer game immediately came to mind. “First of all, it’swomen, Brad. I don’t dategirls.”
Reggie chuckled.
“And second, I went out a few months ago with Carol.”
Tex cocked a brow. “Isn’t Carol the name of your dad’s Shelby?”
Busted. “Well, maybe. But that mustang is classic.”
Brad groaned. “You need therapy.”
“Vella keeps me company,” Mack tried to defend himself. Lame, but it was all he had. He hadn’t dated in a while, and he didn’t know why. It wasn’t for lack of offers.
“Vella is your car,” Reggie said slowly, as if to explain to an addled mind. “Cars aren’t people, Mack.”
“Oh, shove it. You guys are so damn chipper all the time. It’s beyond annoying.”
He glared at them, three men so different yet brothers all the same. They’d been in the military years ago. Brad and Tex had been Marines. Reggie had done time in the Navy, and Mack had served in the Air Force.
