“That’s what Jack said you’d say.” She laughs and turns to Jude. “I hear you and Liam are partners on the force?”
“Former partners,” Jude corrects, sighing. “They split us up when we started dating.”
She looks empathetic. “I guess they have to do that for safety reasons?”
“That’s what they say.” Jude grimaces. “But I miss Liam. We had a lot of fun during work. My new partner is more stiff. Not much of a sense of humor.”
“Who did they put you with, Jude?” Jack asks, cracking open a bottle of beer and handing it to Priya.
She takes it and smiles at him.
“Jude’s with Kevin Winston now,” I say, trying to keep the sourness out of my voice. I haven’t fully made peace with the new arrangement. Kevin is competent. Solid. Dependable. But he’s not me. I’m not sure I trust him to keep Jude safe.
“How’s Kevin working out?” Jack asks, opening a beer for himself.
Jude shrugs. “Kevin is fine. Talks a lot less than Liam.”
“Everyone talks less than Liam,” Jack says.
“Shouldn’t you be on your best behavior with Priya here?” I frown. “You should at leastpretendto be a nice guy.”
Jude ignores our bickering and continues. “The problem is I’m kind of quiet and then Kevin is kind of quiet. So, it’s pretty awkward in between calls.”
“So what I’m hearing is,” Jack says, “Liam used to blabber nonstop so things were less awkward?” Jack ducks when I playfully swipe at his face.
Jude meets my gaze, looking a little sad. “All I know is, I miss my real partner and I wish the department hadn’t split us up.”
I sigh. “Me too.” My new partner is a guy named Owen. He’s fine, but he’s not Jude. I miss the shorthand Jude and I had. The way we could communicate with a look. The way he always knew what I was thinking.
“Owen seems nice enough,” Jude says.
“He’s fine.” I lift one shoulder. “But he’s dull as dirt. He’s sucking the life out of me. I’ve thought about it a lot and I suspect he’s an energy vampire. I start the day with vigor and the minute he gets in the car, I’m drained.”
Jude chuckles. “Energy vampire.”
“See, and Jude thinks I’m funny. Owen doesn’t.” I grin and bump Jude’s shoulder with mine and he leans into me briefly.
“Hmmm.” Jack looks like he’s trying not to laugh. “Could it be that Jude is blinded by love and you’re not actually funny, bro?”
“Oh, fuck off,” I say.
“Liam watch your language,” both Mom and Dad say in unison.
Wincing, I mutter, “Sorry. I forgot where I was.”
“Uh, oh. He’s already getting senile.” Jack sniggers.
Priya laughs. “You two should take this show on the road.”
Dad also laughs. “Yes, please. Take it on the road. A very long road that takes you very far away.”
Mom appears in the doorway. “Dinner in fifteen minutes. Everyone wash up. Jack, bring Priya in here so I can actually talk to her. There’s way too much testosterone in this house.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jack leads Priya toward the kitchen, and I hear Mom launch into the kind of rapid-fire warmth that can overwhelm people who aren’t prepared for it. Priya laughs at something, which is a good sign. If she can handle Mom in full holiday mode, she can handle anything.
Jude and I wash up in the hallway bathroom. The space is small, and we bump elbows at the sink. He catches my eye in the mirror and we smile at each other.
“This is way better than Thanksgiving,” Jude says softly. “I was so stressed out that time. It’s all a blur.”
