I was mopping up tartar sauce with my last piece of cod when the door opened and Declan Hale walked in.I couldn’t deny my pulse did a little fluttery thing at the sight of him.He was out of uniform again, instead wearing jeans and a gray pullover.He scanned the room, clocking the exits and the people.When his eyes landed on me sitting at the bar, his mouth gave a funny little quirk.Then he shocked me by heading in my direction.
He took the stool next to mine.“Good evening, Spencer.”
I sat up straighter.“Uh, hi, Chief.”I was very aware of the quick brush of his leg against mine as he settled on his stool.
“I’m off duty.”He laughed.“You can call me Declan.”
“All right then.”I cleared my throat.“Declan, can I buy you a beer?”
He hesitated.“I’m not going to discuss the Eddie Salcedo case with you.”
“I know that.”I scowled.“I’m just being sociable.”Hadn’t he been the one who came over to sit with me?
He glanced at my nearly empty mug.“Are you having another?”
“I was going to.”
“Then, sure.”He seemed to relax.“Thanks.”
“My pleasure.”I signaled Tess and ordered two draft beers.We sat in a sort of awkward silence.I don’t think either of us knew what to say if we weren’t going to talk about the case.The jukebox was playingDon’t Do Me LikeThat by Tom Petty, and a group near the pool table erupted in laughter over something.
Wracking my brain for something to say, I came up with, “You eat yet?”I wasn’t sure why I felt so tongue-tied around him.I was usually someone who could talk to anyone about anything.
“No.I couldn’t seem to find the time.”He gave a sheepish grin.“I was going to just grab something out of the vending machine at the station, but then decided maybe I should eat something besides granola bars and Doritos.”
I grimaced.“Yeah, that doesn’t sound healthy.”
“You look fit.”He ran his gaze over my body, but he did it quickly, not in a lecherous way.“Are you a health food nut?”
I laughed outright at that.“Um, no.Not by a long shot.”
Glancing at my plate, he nodded.“Ah, yes, I see you had the fish and chips.”
“Yep.That’s what I always get when I come here.”Why was I volunteering that?I doubted he cared.
He glanced at my half-eaten cod.“I tend to get the bacon cheeseburger when I come here for dinner.”
“Gee.”I smirked.“What a surprise.We have different tastes.Who’d have thought?”
He smiled and asked Tess for a glass of ice water as she passed by.
I cocked one brow.“Water?You have a beer on the way.”
He shrugged.“I need to pace myself.”
“Why?”I laughed.
“Who knows?”he said, looking like he was trying not to laugh.“Maybe you’ll try to get me drunk and pump me for info about Eddie’s death.”
“Wow.”I shook my head.“That is some serious shade right out of the gate.”
He chuckled, and when Tess brought our beers, he ordered the bacon cheeseburger.And then, somehow, just like that, we were having dinner together.
The conversation was stilted at first, but after Declan got his second beer down, he seemed to relax.He made a few jokes and told a couple of amusing stories about working for CCPD after being with PPD for so long.How going from having eight hundred plus sworn officers in Portland to six here in Coral Cove had been an adjustment.
“How many years did you work for PPD?”I asked, enjoying the gentle buzz I had going on.I knew it was a bad idea to enjoy Declan’s company too much.But I couldn’t seem to help it.There were so few attractive guys to talk to in Coral Cove, and Declan wasn’t just eye candy, he was funny and smart too.
“Twelve years.”He took a pull of his beer.“Homicide, the last four years.”
