Page 82 of Gunner

She almost dropped the pasta dish she’d retrieved from the fridge. “Oh. Tell me more. I sense something juicy.”

“What’s juicy?” Jasper walked into the kitchen. “Oh hey, Ben. What’s up, man?”

“I’m good. Not about to ruin your evening with your wife. I’ve taken up enough of your time together over the past couple of months.”

“She’s back now. That’s all that matters.” Jasper kissed Alice’s cheek. “What did I walk in on?”

“Ben has a special someone.” Alice waggled her eyebrows.

“He’s not a special someone.” Special and Gunner didn’t go well together in the same sentence. He was something all right, but I hadn’t yet figured out how to describe what. “It’s not serious or anything, so stop giving me that look.”

“Have you slept with him yet?”

“Alice.”

“What? You can talk to your baby sister. He’s good in bed, right?”

“You’re being too inquisitive, babe,” Jasper said.

“Thank you, Jasper, for always being the voice of reason.”

Alice pouted. “I just worry about you, Ben. It’s been a while since you-know-who passed away.”

“He’s not Beetlejuice. You can say his name.”

“You deserve someone who loves you, Benny.”

God, I hate that nickname.

“Not sure I have the time for a serious romance. My job’s taking everything out of me these days.”

“You have to make the time, or you’ll regret it.”

Jasper handed me a soda, and I accepted, guzzling down the cool drink while Alice regaled me with all the good things about being in love and having someone special. Of course she would think that. The man she loved reciprocated her feelings and treated her like a queen. Even when they’d both been down in the dumps, homeless and bouncing around, he’d always taken care of her. Now they were both sober, had a home, and were about to start a family.

Fuck, I had never felt more lonely than watching the two of them and thinking about all they’d overcome.

“Are you paying attention, Ben?”

“Yup. I need to find a special someone, get hitched, and make some babies. Got it.”

“Are you mocking me, big brother?” She waved a fork at me. “Babe, you’re closer to him. Will you give him a slap for me?”

Jasper held up his hands. “You kidding me? Look at the size of your brother. He can knock me out.”

“He’s a pussy cat. A giant teddy bear.”

I straightened my spine and fixed my tie. “I’m a police chief.”

She scoffed. “You didn’t even want the job. Did you forget after you and Mason broke up, you planned to quit the force? I’m not even sure you stayed on for the right reasons.”

“I think I’m right where I need to be. Speaking of which, did you catch the news about the escaped convict?”

“Yes. What a horrible thing to have happened to her!”

Alice frowned as she covered the two containers she’d packed with food. Her response seemed in line with the way everyone else felt. As much as I loathed making her more alarmed, I couldn’t overlook aspects of the case and put her at risk.

“The incident might be related to the baby sellers,” I said quietly. “We’re almost sure.”

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