Page 55 of True Valor
“Well, I don’t mean to be presumptuous, and,if I’m out of line, please say no...”
At Nic’s look of encouragement, she went on.“Do you guys want me to clean out Joey’s room?”Julie resisted theurge to say more, to explain.Instead she watched both men fortheir reactions.She nearly had to bite the inside of her cheeks,though.Each of them looked at her as if she’d asked if she couldcall her family on Mars.
Finally, Nic spoke.“Um, I hadn’t thoughtabout it.But it does need to be done.”He looked at Eric.“Anyobjections?”
“None here, and Ihavethought aboutit.There might be some empty boxes in the garage.”
Nic cleared his throat, the only obvious signthe discussion bothered him.Julie hadn’t expected tears, not fromthese macho guys, but she’d watched for pain in their eyes and sawnothing.
Never play poker with these two.
“Great.”
Eric pushed away from the counter.“C’mon youtwo, I’ll take you to breakfast.”He looked at his watch.“Orlunch.”He grinned and slapped Nic on the back, propelling himtoward the door.
Chapter Twenty
Suzie’s Kitchen must have been their usualhangout because, from the cook to the waitresses, everyone saidhello as the threesome entered.They didn’t bother waiting to beseated.Just claimed their usual booth, way in the back, where twocups of coffee waited.
“I saw you pull in,” the brunette waitresstwinkled as she laid down their menus.“Coffee?”she asked Juliewith a little less twinkle.
“Um, just water, please.”If she drankanother cup of coffee, she’d vibrate right off the bench—like WileyCoyote with a jackhammer.
“Milkshakewith breakfast, Nic?”thewaitress asked before leaving.
“Please.”
Before she could ask, Eric leaned across thetable and cleared up her confusion.“Milkshake in Boston-speak ischocolate milk for the rest of the world.Standing joke aroundhe-ah.”He grinned at Nic and waggled his eyebrows.
“Wicked.Frickin’.Funny.”Nic shot back.
Laughing, she bumped Nic with her shoulder.“I think your accent is cute.”
Now Cruz moved in for the kill.
“Yu-ah cute, Nicky D.Killah cute.Say it forus, Nic.Listen my children and you shall hear…”
“Na-ah.”Nic shook his head.
“Sorry,” she whispered to him.
“What-evah,” he said with a shrug.
Once their orders were placed, theconversation became serious.
“So what do we know at this point?”Cruzasked.
Julie sighed.
After a bit, Nic spoke.“Julie’s family wasmurdered by someone who wasn’t the deputy.The deputy blew himselfaway rather than kill Julie.The sheriff’s department figured outpretty quick that Julie didn’t kill Deputy Dog.And they let hergo.”
Cruz nodded at each point Nic listed.He’dcalmly summed up the last two weeks as if it were a movie he’d seenlast night.
When she pulled herself from her thoughts,Cruz was speaking.
“...isn’twho he pretends to be andwe’re pretty sure that heisthe murderer.”
“What?Who?”Nice of them to bring her up todate.
