Page 10 of Murder in the Lighthouse

“Hey, Brogan,” Theo said, greeting her with a sly smile.

Theo was about to get to his feet as she entered the room, but she waved him off. “Please, don’t bother getting up. You’ve had a stressful day.”

“Which makes me that much more appreciative I’m not going home to a cold sandwich for dinner. Lucien tells meyou’ve been making tamales. I can’t wait to try them. They smell amazing. They’re one of my favorite foods.”

Brogan felt a rush of relief at his friendly demeanor. She had been worried about him clamming up and not participating in the conversation. “I hope they meet your expectations,” she replied with a grin, sitting across from him.

Lucien sipped his Modelo Especial, looking pleased with how things were going. “She isn’t afraid of trying new recipes she’s never cooked. She’s fearless like that.”

Theo chuckled and raised an eyebrow at Brogan. “My mother was much the same way. But she cooked for my dad and four kids. She loved coming up with new ways to make our budget stretch.”

“Really? Like what?” Brogan asked.

“She had this meatloaf she made with a little bit of hamburger meat and a whole lot of cheese in the middle. I swear it served six people.”

“You have siblings?”

“I do. A brother and two sisters.”

The conversation flowed easily as they chatted about everything from small-town living to Theo’s decision to relocate.

“It was easy for me. I put in my twenty years on the force and went through a messy divorce.”

“You don’t look that old.”

“I joined the Seattle PD at eighteen, married at twenty. I’m ready to begin a new chapter of my life somewhere else. For me, Pelican Pointe checked all the boxes.”

Brogan smiled over at Lucien, relieved that their guest seemed to be in a talkative mood. “I think you’ll love it here. It’s a shame Brent Cody went on vacation just as you arrived.”

“I think he wentbecauseI arrived,” Theo corrected. “His wife, River, was more than ready for him to take some time off.He needed a well-deserved vacation away from work. With me here, he was able to grab some downtime.”

“Well, I for one, am ready for dinner,” Lucien announced, rubbing his hands together. “It’s beginning to smell like that Mexican food restaurant we used to go to in Los Angeles.”

“I can take a hint,” Brogan said as she got to her feet. “Theo, we’re eating in the dining room tonight in your honor. Go on in and get settled. I’ll bring out the food. Lucien, have you picked out a wine yet?”

“Good thinking. Theo, red or white? I’m thinking I could throw together a quick sangria.”

Theo stood up and followed them into the dining room. “That’s fine. Or I could stick with my Modelo. Beer’s fine by me.”

“You guys decide,” Brogan urged as she veered into the kitchen.

“No sangria,” Lucien decided. “I’ll get you a second beer.”

“I’m off duty, but with Brent out of town, I remain on call twenty-four-seven. We all are. So, maybe I should go with a soft drink.”

“Sure. Coke or something else?”

“Got a Dr. Pepper?”

Lucien grinned. “I’ll see what I can rustle up.”

A few minutes later, he and Brogan brought out the tamales, the rice and beans, and the guacamole on a tray with a glass of ice and a can of Dr. Pepper. Stella and Poppy followed closely behind, hoping for any stray bits of food that might come their way.

They joined Theo at the table. Brogan felt a sense of contentment seeing her hard work laid out before their guest.

“Dig in,” Lucien offered.

“I want to thank you both for inviting me tonight,” Theo said as he unwrapped his napkin. “It’s not often I get to enjoy a home-cooked meal like this.”

---