Sylvie laughed. “Of course.” She set a plate down in front of Alex piled up with bacon, eggs, and toast. She grabbed a bottle of hot sauce and immediately began drowning her eggs in it while Alex thanked her for the food. Then he scooped his eggs and bacon between his slices of toast.
“Oh, if I’d known, I would’ve made you a breakfast sandwich.”
He grinned and said, “Next time,” before taking a bite.
Next time. She didn’t think two little words could ever make her toes curl like that.
“I’ll head home and change, then up to Watchdog first,” he said. “Give me maybe a twenty-minute lead before you come see Chewie.”
Sylvie nodded. “Good idea.”
Alex reached across the peninsula and took her hand. “I’m sorry we have to keep this hidden.”
“I am too. But not much longer.”
“I’m so proud of you getting on the Unit, Sylvie.”
She beamed. “Thank you. I had the best teacher.” They leaned across the peninsula and kissed.
“I hope Frank’s okay with not getting in this round,” Alex said. “He did a great job and should definitely be up for the next opening.”
Alex’s words put a weight in Sylvie’s stomach as she decided how to answer that. “He’s not happy, of course. But he did congratulate me. No hard feelings, he says.”
“That sounds like Frank. You had a good mentor in him.” He sipped his coffee.
“Yeah. Yeah, I did.” If Alex could see that Frank was a good man, she needed to set her doubts aside about him and focus on Tom. She’d checked her messages earlier in the hopes that Frank had reached out, but nothing. It was early though; maybe she’d see him at the precinct long enough to talk.
“Something wrong?” Alex asked. “You’ve gone quiet there.”
“Nothing.” Sylvie smiled. “I just feel bad for him, that’s all.”
Alex cupped her cheek. “Loyal to a fault, aren’t you?”
She smiled and threaded her fingers with his.
Let’s hope my loyalty is in the right place.
“Anything else bothering you, gorgeous?”
She nodded. “Actually, yeah. I have to get this housing thing straightened out ASAP. I called a realtor and she’ll be coming by next week. That’s the soonest she could make it out, with the market being as hot as it is. She says I’ll have no trouble selling this place, but finding one might get tricky. The bidding wars are vicious. And rents with a pet deposit are twice my mortgage right now.”
Alex shook his head. “If you bring Chewie back here for the interim—”
“The HOA will fine me like crazy. I told Stan I’ll do it if I have no other choice, and hope that they can’t get a lien against my condo before I find another place, and then I can’t sell at all.”
“That bitch.” He looked off into the middle space.
“What areyouthinking now?”
His gaze came back to hers. Alex’s usual good humor was gone from his eyes. It unnerved her enough to make her wonder for a moment just who she was involved with.
“I have people at Watchdog and…elsewhere…who could look into your HOA president. Maybe persuade—”
Sylvie’s hand flew to Alex’s mouth and she pressed her fingers against his lips. “Don’t. Say. Another. Word. Don’t you realize you’re talking to a cop?”
His eyes went round and she lowered her hand slowly. He looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time. He opened his mouth, then closed it again without saying anything.
“Alex—”
