Page 5 of Heart of a Hero

“It’s not like that,” he defended, lying through his teeth. “I only met her for a moment. I assume she’s competent, or she wouldn’t have the job she has. And she seemed really…” He found himself stumbling again. “Pleasant.”

Now, several other detectives who were listening chuckled.

He battled another urge, one of thrusting his middle finger up at the others and stalking out. But Mark prided himself on always being in control, so he simply scowled and plopped intohis chair. Flipping on his laptop, he hoped to ignore the others and be ignored. But a moment later, he heard the scrape of rolling desk chairs over the floor as Sam and Aaron scooted closer.

“You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to go out on a date,” Sam said.

“And when am I supposed to do that? I work full-time, and I’m a full-time dad. Benji deserves all my attention.”

“I hear what you’re saying,” Sam agreed, throwing his hands up defensively. “When I got involved with Haley, we had the advantage of knowing each other before she became a widow. But I also know how hard it was being a single parent.”

“You all are acting like Karen is single. For all I know, she’s married and has a bunch of kids.” He wasn’t sure if they knew her well enough to know her relationship status, but considering they were mentioning her as someone he could ask out, he was curious about what information they did have.

Aaron shook his head slowly. “I remember Belinda saying once that she’d like to set Karen up. I admit I didn’t listen much to that part of the conversation, but I assume by her saying that, Karen was single.”

John Sullivan, another detective, walked by. “I saw her one time at the American Legion meeting. I haven’t seen her back, but she was talking to Ginny McFarlane.”

The American Legion was active in Baytown and the surrounding areas. Mark tried to attend all the meetings and helped coach one of their newer activities—age-appropriate youth running groups. He had been a runner in high school and certainly in the military. While he enjoyed team sports, he seemed to excel at a sport that could provide individual personal bests and a team commitment. Finding out that Karen had been to at least one American Legion meeting had his ears perk up. Lifting his brows, he said, “She’s former military?”

John shrugged. “I can’t say for sure, but that’s the only way she could be a member. She would be in the Auxiliary if it were just a family member in the service.” His focus was diverted when Colt walked in, making a beeline toward Mark’s desk.

The other detectives moved back to their work, and he waited until Colt pulled up a chair and gave him his full attention.

“I know Brad is off for the next couple of days, but you can finish the report on the car theft investigation. The county attorney will be waiting, so if you can get the report to him today, that’d be good.”

Nodding, Mark appreciated the vote of confidence. “It’ll be complete before I leave today.”

“I have a call into Brad. He said that he’d be in to work the day after tomorrow since Bess’s parents will be back in town. You can bring him up to speed, then be ready for your next assignment.”

Mark offered a brief nod of acknowledgment before Colt stood and walked out of the bullpen. Colt was a man of few words, something Mark appreciated. They shared a similar nature—both men eschewed idle chatter. Mark had often found that people underestimated quiet men. It was easy to let others assume they weren’t paying attention when, in fact, they caught more than most would ever know.

His partner, Brad, was the opposite. More talkative and outgoing, Brad had a knack for putting people at ease during interviews and softening the edges of tense conversations. The dynamic worked well—Brad talked, and Mark listened. He didn’t just hear their words; he watched their every gesture, every flicker of emotion, reading between the lines in a way that came naturally to him.

Mark glanced around the bullpen, relieved to see that everyone had gone back to their tasks. The earlier curiosityabout Karen had subsided, and he was thankful that no one pressed him further.

Sitting back at his desk, he pulled up the files on his computer and forced himself to focus. It wasn’t easy—Karen’s image still lingered in the back of his mind, those warm brown eyes, the easy smile she had given him. But now wasn’t the time. He pushed the thoughts aside and dove into the cases he and Brad had been working on, the familiar weight of responsibility settling back over him as he began the meticulous work of writing reports.

The hours passed, and the workday routine pulled Karen further from his thoughts. But as the day ended and the office began to empty, his mind wandered back to her. It had been such a brief encounter, but something about her lodged itself firmly in his thoughts.

When Mark shut down his computer and grabbed his jacket, he was more than ready to head home. The drive home was short, but anticipation built in his chest as he neared his house.

As he pulled into the driveway, a smile tugged at his lips, warmth spreading through him at the familiar sight—his little boy’s face, pressed eagerly against the living room window, eyes wide with excitement. Mark couldn’t help but grin as he climbed out of the vehicle. No matter what had happened during the day, this was the moment he looked forward to most—the simple joy of being home, of seeing the light in his son’s eyes, and knowing that, for now, all was exactly as it should be.

He barely made it out of his SUV when Benji burst through the front door with a broad smile, his arms pumping in rhythm with his spindly legs as he raced across the yard toward him. At ten years old, he was all big teeth and long limbs. His hair was longer, having begged off the last couple of haircuts, which surprised Mark, but his son had claimed to want to look like some of the soccer players he watched on TV.

“Dad!”

Laughing, he hugged his son as he looked down at the heartwarming smile beaming up at him. As much as he loved his son’s excitement, he couldn’t help but wonder if part of it was based on relief that his dad had come home, considering Benji only had one parent.

As it always did, the thought cut through him like a dull ache he couldn’t quite shake. Being a widower and a single father was a reality he’d come to accept, but it didn’t make the weight of it any lighter.

Mark pulled Benji tighter against his chest for a moment, the warmth of his son’s growing body grounding him in the present. Every day, he was reminded of how precious this boy was and how he meant more than anything else. Benji was his heart, his whole world, the gift he never took for granted. But with that love came a responsibility that weighed heavily on his shoulders.

Looking over Benji’s head, he smiled at the man who stepped onto the porch.Okay, so I’m not raising Benji alone.It would be ridiculous for him to dismiss how much his dad meant to both of them.

“Hey, Dad,” he called out as he walked with his arm slung casually over Benji’s shoulders. “All good?”

Richard chuckled and nodded, his approving gaze on both of them. “All good.”

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