Saturday night, Jed would not shut up about how wonderful Thursday’s dinner had gone. “I mean, Shannon thought Mack was the best guy. Let me tell you, shereallyshowed mehow muchshe appreciated how well dinner went. Even the kids went to bed early, without a fuss, drunk off their little asses.”
The cuffed criminal in the back of the car perked up at the sound of drunk minors.
“Off apple juice?” Cass couldn’t help grinning.
“Best. Night. Ever,” Jed practically sang.
She sighed. “Can you please stop being so cheery? I don’t even know you anymore.”
He laughed. “So when are the four of us going out again?”
“We technically haven’t gone out the first time.”
“True. But Shannon cooked the hell out of that roast, you have to admit.”
Cass still drooled thinking about it. “I’ll give you that.”
“Well?”
She looked over at him briefly before focusing on the road, driving tonight. Thus far, they’d had to deal with one fistfight over a shoe sale, one drunk and disorderly, and one attempted robbery at a convenience store that, fortunately, had ended the moment the suspect had seen flashing lights nearing. Jed and she had run him down, leaving them both breathless yet pleased. With the offender in the back and his toy water gun taken away, they drove to booking.
Cass wondered if she’d entered an alternate dimension. Did Jed actually want her to date Mack? For real? “I’ll let you know when we’ll go out again. It’s not as if he and I are really dating.”
“Why not?” asked the young punk from the back seat. He looked barely legal to drink, a young white kid with a chip on his shoulder. “You’re pretty hot. Is the dude gay?”
Cass shot Jed a look.See? This is why we don’t share personal details with criminals in the back seat.
“Good point, kid. She’s not bad-looking. He’s not gay, is he, Cass?” Jed asked with a smirk.
“You, zip it,” she ordered the kid, staring at him in the rearview. “Jed, you too. He’s not gay, you jackass. He’s nice.”
The kid frowned. “Hey, gay people can be nice. My cousin is gay.”
“Oh my God. I’m not saying gay people aren’t nice. I’m saying the guy is nice, so I don’t know if I can date him.”
“Oh, you’re one of them demons in the sack, is that it?” The kid laughed himself silly. “Can’t take a brother who’s nice and shit.”
Jed coughed to hide his own grin.
“You see what you started?” Cass said to her partner. “I’m not talking about my personal life with either of you.”
When they’d dropped off the young criminal and were back in the car on patrol, Jed tried again. “Sorry, but I have to know. Mack seemed like a great guy. Not your type or something?”
She could hear his honest concern and flushed. “He’s just fine. I like him. We’re taking it slowly. Right now, we’re just friends, okay?”
“Fine, fine. No need to get huffy.”
She told him where to stick his “huffy.”
He chuckled. They sat in silence for a few miles.
“I’m thinking of taking him to meet my parents,” she admitted. “Just to get them off my case about dating.”
“Good plan. He’ll impress them. He impressed Shannon and me. Funny, nice, and didn’t let my kids scare him.”
“Mike.” She shook her head, still grinning about that. “Tell him he’s my new favorite.”
“Sam will be crushed, but okay.” He sighed and after a few beats said, “Shannon thinks she wants another kid.”
