“What kind of rules do they live by?”
“People don’t necessarily behave like their parents think they should,” Katie shrugged.
“You don’t have manners anymore, princess? That if an elder person, pregnant woman, or anyone looking like they needed to take a load off, walked in here, you wouldn’t get out of your seat and offer it if there weren’t any others spare?” He saw something flash over her face and then it was gone.
“All right, so you have me there.”
“Glad to see LA hasn’t roughed you up too much.”
“How’s your mom, Cubby?”
“Good; she keeps busy organizing me and pretty much anyone else she can get her hands on. She’s happier than I’ve seen her in a while.”
“Wow, it’s taken her that long to get over your dad’s death?”
Cubby tensed at the mention of his father. The man had been an asshole, a bully, and not someone he gave much thought to if he could help it.
“Not everyone has a match made in heaven like your parents,” Cubby said.
Katie’s head tilted to one side as she studied him. “I thought your parents had it all going on too, like mine?”
“Nope. How’s your chili?” he added, changing the subject. He should have kept quiet, and wondered why the hell he hadn’t. He hadn’t spoken about his father in years.
“Good,” she said, still studying him, but thankfully she didn’t say anything further. Another change in the woman he’d once known. That Katie would have kept digging until she had all the answers.
Pulling out his phone as it rang, he looked at the caller ID and answered it. “Hawker.” He felt Katie’s eyes on him as he spoke; the call was brief.
“One of your deputies?”
“Yeah, it was Brady; he’s helping out for a few months.”
“Is Lake Howling suffering a crime wave or something? Because there’s already you and two deputies.”
Cubby shoveled in a mouthful of chicken before he answered her question. “A friend in San Diego asked me to take him on for a couple of months. Seems he got burned out working some big case and wanted a break, but not completely. He thought the air in Howling would be good for him.”
“How’s that working for you, babysitting some big-city cop?”
“Don’t give me lip, McBride, and Brady’s okay; he’s a good sort, actually. Doesn’t talk about what happened, only that he was undercover and things went to shit. Fits in, doesn’t throw his weight around, and he’s helping out while I’m here.”
“Sounds like a win-win all round, then.”
Call it instinct, call it whatever you want, but they both turned in unison to watch the man walk up to the counter. He wore a hoodie pulled over his head, which hid one side of his face. He said something to the staff member who had served them, and the only word for her reaction was shock.
“My money’s on him having a gun somewhere in that hoodie, or a knife,” Cubby said, swallowing another mouthful.
“Odds on; in fact, I think I know that guy,” Katie said, getting to her feet.
“You’re injured,” Cubby said, doing the same. “And if it’s a gun, chances are he knows how to fire it.”
They were talking in low voices so no one could hear them.
“I’m not stupid, Cubby, I know better than to rush the guy; besides, I’m not armed.”
“Shit,” Cubby said as the woman screamed. He watched her drop down below the counter. Seconds later, Katie was running with him on her heels. She dived as the man turned, and caught him around the waist, throwing him to the ground. She rolled, but held on. Cubby kicked the gun from the man’s hand as he freed it from his pocket, and it flew out of his hands and hit the wall, coming to rest out of his reach.
Grabbing Katie, he hauled her to her feet, then the boy. Spinning him, he pulled his hands behind his back.
“Call for backup!” Cubby snapped, and was pleased when Katie actually obeyed him and pulled out her cell phone.
