“I guess so,” Kelsey said. “She said she met some guy and decided to go to Mexico with him.”
“Mexico?”
Lacey couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice. This was Texas, so it wasn’t like Mexico was on the other side of the world. But from the little she knew about Sara Collins, she didn’t sound like the kind of girl who’d run off with a guy she just met.
Kelsey nodded. “Yup. She makes it sound like it’s not a big deal. She said she’d see me in a few weeks.”
Lacey reached down to give her sister’s hand a squeeze. “The important thing is that Sara’s okay. I’m sure she’ll catch you up on everything when she gets back.”
Kelsey considered that for a moment, then smiled. “You’re right. Have a good time tonight.” She winked. “And don’t worry. I won’t wait up.”
* * *
Lacey assumed they were going to one of the bazillion restaurants in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, followed by a movie at one of the bazillion theaters. Instead, Alex drove to a quiet residential area and stopped in front of an apartment complex with assigned parking and lots of curb appeal.
“You don’t mind dinner and a movie at my place, do you?” he asked as he pulled into his space.
“Not at all.”
She’d been wondering what kind of place a SWAT cop who loved dogs called home. When he unlocked the door of his second-floor apartment a few minutes later, she was pleased to see that it was just as down-to-earth and warm as he was.
The living room opened to an eat-in kitchen. A small hallway led to the back of the apartment and what she assumed were bedrooms. She could tell by the fresh scent in the air and complete lack of dust around that he’d cleaned before bringing her over.
“Feel free to look around while I get dinner going.” He flashed her a smile as he tossed his keys on the table in the entryway. “Be careful you don’t get lost, though. The place is bigger than it looks.”
Lacey’s mouth curved as she followed him into the kitchen. “Sure. It’s like a TARDIS apartment, right?” When he gave her a blank look, she laughed. “Not a big Doctor Who fan, huh?”
“Who?”
“Exactly.”
Alex turned and frowned at her. “Are we having the same conversation? Because I’m officially lost.”
Lacey giggled and quickly moved to put the small kitchen island between her and Alex, since it suddenly looked like he had the urge to spank her. Where had that thought come from?
“Doctor Who is a character on a TV show of the same name,” she explained. “He travels through time and space in an old British police call box that’s called the TARDIS. It’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.”
Alex stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. “That’s just strange.”
“No, Doctor Strange is completely different,” she pointed out, proud that she could keep a straight face. “He uses magic.”
Alex’s mouth twitched, but he refused to bite this time. Instead, he turned to wash his hands. “You okay with veal scallopini?”
Lacey blinked as Alex pulled a frying pan from one cabinet and a baking sheet from another before preheating the oven. He moved with the sure, confident steps of a person who knew exactly what he was doing in the kitchen.
“Scallopini sounds great. Are you really going to cook me a homemade Italian dinner?”
He smiled at her as he took a loaf of some kind of baguette bread off the top of the fridge. “I’m Italian—at least on my father’s side—and we’re in my home, so yes, I’m making you a homemade Italian dinner.”
She perched on one of the stools at the island, watching as he cut several slices off the loaf of bread, then cut those into cubes. Her jaw dropped when he sprayed them with olive oil, then tossed them in a bowl with garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
“You’re making croutons?”
He chuckled. “That’s the general idea. You don’t like croutons?”
“I love them. I just usually buy the ones that come in the foil bag at the grocery store.”
“Those are good too. I just figured I’d go all out for our first dinner in.”
