“True.”I nodded.“You’re an important man about town, and I’m just a lowly reporter.”
He chuffed.“I’m hardly important.”
I laughed.“But I am lowly?”
He winced.“No.That’s not what I was saying.”
I shook my head.“Okay, Hale, I get it.I’m the dirt beneath your shoes.”I gave an exaggerated sigh.“When I’d hoped to be the wind beneath your wings.”
He actually laughed, and I felt like I’d won an Olympic gold medal.I couldn’t help laughing along with him, and we held each other’s gazes.I was surprised and confused by why we were suddenly getting along, but I wasn’t mad about it.
He leaned against the bar, looking surprisingly relaxed.There was still a current beneath the surface, but the edges were softer tonight.Yesterday at the harbor, he’d looked like he’d have enjoyed knocking me into the water.
I glanced around.“What happened to your date?”
His eyes flickered.“She went to powder her nose.”
“Got it,” I said drolly.“Well, if she’s hanging out with a big shot like you, she has to stay camera-ready.”
He rolled his eyes.“I thought you’d be better with words, seeing as you write for a living.”
I groaned.“Do I, though?My last big scoop, no pun intended, was about how destructive the seagulls’ crap is to the roof of the ice house.Seems to me a monkey could do my job.Probably better.”
He wrinkled his brow.“Hey, that’s bullshit.You’re good at your job.”
“How would you know?”
He wrinkled his brow.“I told you, I’m familiar with your work.”
I squinted at him.“Are you saying you’ve actually read my stuff?”
He avoided my gaze.“Of course I have.Some of it.You wrote about some of my friends on the force back in Portland.”
I scowled.“I didn’t publish anything that wasn’t true,” I said gruffly, preparing for him to launch into me in defense of his friends.
I was surprised when instead, he shrugged.“Bad cops should be exposed.Don’t worry, you didn’t write about anyone I was actually close to.I shouldn’t have said you wrote about my friends.They were really just guys I knew.As far as I know, none of my actual friends were dirty.”
I met his gaze.“You know, I wrote about a lot of things, not just dirty cops.”
“I know.”
I pulled my gaze from his.“Some people wanted to make up stories about how I hate cops.That’s bullshit.I went after all types of corruption, and I’d do it all again exactly the same way.”
He laughed suddenly.“Calm down, Cross.You’re not on trial here.”
I gave a grudging smile.“You sure about that?”
He hesitated and then leaned closer.His citrusy cologne was nice, and his brown eyes were much warmer than I remembered.“I don’t have a problem with you.”
My heartbeat kicked up.“No?”
“So long as you’re not fucking up my scene, we can get along fine.”He straightened.“We’re both just trying to do our jobs, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”I grinned.“So does that mean you’ll share what you know about Eddie’s death with me?”
He narrowed his eyes.“No.”
I sighed.“Then I guess I’ll just have to keep digging all by my little lonesome.”
