Page 23 of Justice for Aleta

Jack nodded as he folded the paper up and stuffed it in his console. “Yeah, and it’s not good. But we’ll talk about that in a little while, okay? Right now, let’s just enjoy our dinner, please?”

She nodded, but he noticed a little trepidation. “Yeah. Okay. Sure.” She sat while he rounded the car and opened the door for her, then held his hand as they entered the restaurant.

The recommendations were all true. Jack could honestly say the only steak he’d ever had that was better than the one at Smokin’Joe’s was one that he grilled himself. It was cooked to perfection and seasoned with something incredible. “How do you like it?” Aleta asked shyly.

“It’s amazing, sugar. Really.” He’d only had two bites and he was hooked.

Aleta cut another piece of filet and held it aloft, asking before she popped it in her mouth, “Will you tell me some things about you? You know all about me.”

“Well, let’s see… I wanted to be a cop from the time I was just a little kid. My parents tried to get me to go in a different direction, but I just wouldn’t. My mind was made up. I was part of the JuniorExplorers program in middle and high school, and I went straight to college to get a criminal justice degree. When I got out, I got drafted into the academy immediately, and from there, I went to KSP Post Two in Madisonville. I stayed there for a few years, and I’ve been at Post Four for six years. I love it there. MorganSeitzer is our captain, and he’s incredible. I have the utmost respect for him. All the guys I work with, they’re all the best. I never worry that I won’t have somebody to back me up or help me pull off a good investigation. Everybody’s by the book, everybody works as a team, everybody’s self-sufficient. I mean, it’s every law enforcement officer’s dream team.”

“I can tell you love it.” Aleta chewed thoughtfully on a bite of baked potato, swallowed, and smiled. “So what do you like to do for fun?”

“Fish. Hunt. I played basketball in high school, and we have a basketball league. We play the other posts, and we play other departments, like the HardinCounty Sheriff’s Department and some of the fire stations. It’s a lot of fun. DannyFoley, the sheriff over in NelsonCounty? His son and I played basketball together in high school. Every time we’ve played them, he begs off and asks to put Jeremy in his place. We just laugh and agree to it, because Jeremy and I like playing against each other, since we played together as kids.”

“Anything else?”

“Umm… I like to watch sports on TV. I like concerts too.”

“What kind of music? Don’t tell me?New Country.”

“Yeah. I’m a big Eric and Luke fan.”

“Well, that’s good, because I am too! I like Miranda too.”

“Me too.” He took another bite of sweet potato. The sugar, butter, and cinnamon were perfectly balanced. God, what a great meal! “Oh, and I like to hike. You’ve probably heard of LBL.” The LandBetween theLakes National Recreation Area was closer to Mayfield where her husband’s pastorate had been than to where Jack lived, but he went there every chance he got. “I love to hike the trails, fish in KentuckyLake and LakeBarkley, and eat at some of the restaurants down there. None of our local state parks up here have dining rooms, so it’s a real treat for me. Sometimes I rent an executive cabin at KentuckyDam Village and stay a weekend. I’ll invite some of the guys and they’ll come have a guys’ weekend.”

“And some of their girls don’t like that, I’m betting,” she said matter-of-factly.

“They have their own girls’ weekend.”

“If you were my guy and you did that, I’d miss you.”

He leaned over to where she sat on the side of the table adjacent to his and kissed her cheek. “If you were my girl, I’d miss you too.”I wish you were my girl, a voice in his head crooned. Maybe…

“Play your cards right, buster,” she said and giggled. God, he loved that sound! Her smile was huge, and he wanted so much to see that every time he looked at her. Problem was, he was pretty sure that was going to fade quickly when he told her what had to happen.

Dinner was over too soon, and he wondered what else she had planned. When she didn’t really say, he just outright asked. “So what now?”

“I thought we’d go down to the brewery for a little while.”

“You like beer?” he asked. He had sonotpegged her as a beer drinker.

“I want to like it. I need you to help me pick a couple out and try them. Can you do that? Be my brewmeister?”

That made him laugh out loud. “Sure! I’d love to! Teaching a girl to like beer. This should be interesting.”

By the time they got to the brewery, the place was hopping, but they were in luck. As soon as they walked in, someone was waving, and it turned out to be Matt and his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Tiki. Matt waved them over and Jack led Aleta by her elbow to the table. “Come join us!” Matt called out and pointed to the two chairs on the opposite side of the table.

“Sure you don’t mind?” Jack asked, almost yelling over the din.

“Of course not! You’re Aleta, right?” When she nodded, he explained. “I was at the hospital. I remember you from then. You sure look great. I’m glad you’re doing so well.”

“Thanks! I got to take off my brace earlier this week. I think I’m doing pretty good.”

“Tiki, you know Jack, and this is Aleta. Aleta, my girlfriend, Tiki.”

“Great to meet you!” Tiki said with a smile and held out her hand. Aleta took it and the two women gave each other a squeeze. “Have a seat! What are you guys up to?”

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