Page 15 of Tropical Heat

“So what happened?”

“According to the woman, they were here on vacation last month. On the last day, while they were loading the car, the dog got loose. She said they looked everywhere but couldn’t find him before it was time to return home. The kids were heartbroken.”

“When are they coming to pick him up?” Dante asked.

“They’re not. She told the vet, it was too far of a drive, besides they already got another dog.”

“That’s a shitty thing to do.”

I agreed. The vet said they would hold him for three days, after which, if no one adopted him, he would be euthanized. I grabbed the dog and left. When I told this to Dante, he said he would have done the same thing.

“But you can’t keep calling him Stinky. It’s demeaning. What’s his real name?”

“I don’t know. The vet didn’t think to ask. How do you feel about calling him Oliver?” Before Dante could answer, the dog jumped off his lap, commenced barking and danced around on his hind legs, all while enthusiastically wagging his tail.

“Oliver, it is then,” chuckled Dante. It felt good to see him smile.

“If you’re hungry, there’s pizza inside.”

“No, I’m good.” And just that quickly, his eyes went dark, and the smile disappeared. “I had a sandwich at Cooper’s place. People don’t know what to say, so they keep showing up with food. Like a casserole will make everything better.”

“How’s the wife holding up?”

“Her husband is never coming home again,” he snarled. “How the hell do you think she is doing?”

His acidic tone caused me to recoil. The silence between us grew, until finally I said, “I’m sorry. It was a stupid question.”

“No, I’m the one who should be sorry.” He blew out a long breath. “You didn’t deserve that. It’s not your fault. It’s just so goddamn unfair. Coop was one of the good guys, you know.” His voice broke, and I touched his arm to let him know I understood.

For most people, the earlier flash of anger and now sorrow would have just been part of the normal grief process. But seeing it in Dante worried me. He could be sarcastic at times, but rarely showed emotion. That ability to hide what he was thinking served him well as a cop.

I knew firsthand the toll losing a comrade could exact on those left behind. I cared too much for Dante to let him go through what I had. Determined, he would not spend the next year filled with self-loathing. I looked him in the eyes. “I know a part of you is blaming yourself right now. But none of what happened was your fault.”

“I understand, but it still hurts like a son of a bitch.” He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, sniffed, and then inhaled. “Damn, I need a shower.”

“You can talk to me anytime you want. I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”

He stood and squeezed my shoulder. “Thanks, I appreciate it. I really do, but right now I’m going to shower and then try to get some sleep.”

“Good luck.” I knew he was scheduled to work the next day, and despite having accumulated hundreds of personal hours, he would not use one of them. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“If you really want to help, you could join me in the shower.” He moistened his lips. “Help me work off some of this tension so I can fall asleep quicker.”

“You never give up, do you?” I laughed way too loud at the realization my friend was going to be okay.

“You’ll be sorry. One day I’ll meet somebody else and you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering what if?”

I hoped the light had faded enough that he could not see me blush. Before I could think of a response, he went inside.

As the light continued to fade, I sipped my iced tea. I knew Dante well enough to know the invitation, although couched in humor, had been sincere. His flirtations had become more frequent as of late.

That I was actually considering the offer should have concerned me more than it did. But why shouldn't I consider it? It's not like I had anyone else in my life. For a brief while, I thought Dr. Lewis might fill that role, but she had not responded to either of my text messages. Clearly she was not interested

And I liked Dante. Liked him a lot. And let's face it, he was a gorgeous man and if I were to give myself to a man, I could do a lot worse. That’s not to say I had ever seriously considered a male lover, you understand.

I was simply curious about what it would be like to be with another man. Doesn't every guy wonder the same thing occasionally? But it would have been crazy to act upon those impulses with Dante. I wasn't even sure I could go through with it, and if things didn't work out, it would ruin our friendship.

If not with him, who then? I did not experience the same feelings or attraction to other men. I felt more comfortable with Dante than I ever had with anybody.

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