Page 84 of Star Crossed
“I got you something else.” Jules leaned over the bed and grabbed another package out of the bag. “Here ya go.”
The long present, wrapped in metallic blue paper, was heavier than the others and obviously not clothes, but Wyatt was already bored with Jules’s annual shopping spree. He opened it with lackluster interest, and it wasn’t until he exposed the silver box that he felt a jolt of excitement.
He popped the latches and then opened the lid, unable to help smiling so broadly his cheeks hurt. “Dang, this is awesome.”
“Now’s probably not the best time to give you a mini fourteen assault rifle,” Jules said as she arched an eyebrow at him. “But I’d already bought it. Something fun for your collection.”
“Thisisfun,” he agreed, taking the rifle out of the padding and admiring it. “You wanna go to the range with me tomorrow?”
“Yeah, sure.” Jules reached over and started refolding the shirts she’d bought him. “I could use the stress relief.”
“Unless you wanna use Wellings for practice instead.” Wyatt couldn’t help but grin at the thought. “I’m sure I could convince the sheriff to look the other way.”
“Funny,” Jules said, making it obvious she didn’t think he was funny at all.
Wyatt set the rifle aside and got off the bed. He grabbed her present off the dresser and tossed it on top of the shirt she was folding. “In case you change your mind.”
Jules looked up at him, frowning, before she tore into the wrapping, revealing a silver case. Her eyes lit up when she opened it to expose a Colt Commander .45.
“Wow.” She pulled it out, holding the .45 in her hand as she grinned at him. It fit easily in her palm when most women couldn’t carry a sidearm that size. Unashamed of her larger grip, she announced, “This is a gun for big girls who like to make big holes.”
Jules pointed the gun at the wall, squinting out of one eye.
Wyatt watched Jules test the feel of it and pointed out, “It’s got fiber-optic sights. Skeleton trigger.”
“I see.” Jules pulled the gun back to study it more closely. “My firearm is cooler than your firearm.”
“That’s debatable.”
Wyatt jumped back on the bed, because that assault rifle was calling to him. Together they played with their new toys and forgot for the moment that Jules had decided to join the Conner Broken Hearts club.
* * * *
Jules left early for work, but Wyatt had the morning to goof off. He headed to the Cellar to work out, but stopped in his tracks when he spotted Romeo’s Ferrari parked next to Clay’s SUV. They were back to training this morning as if nothing had happened, and it pissed Wyatt off. One of the perks of owning his own gym wasusing it.
To say nothing of Clay working out with the man who’d just broken Jules’s heart and thrown a championship fight. The list of reasons why Wellings was bad news was endless, but Clay had always operated on his own terms, and Wyatt wasn’t even surprised to find the two of them back to training—angry as hell, but not surprised.
Deciding he and Clay were certainly going to have words later, Wyatt turned around in the parking lot. He’d get his workout in later by kicking the living shit out of his traitor of a best friend.
Instead Wyatt grabbed an early breakfast at Hal’s and headed home to find something to do until two, since he was working the late shift. Without the Cellar or the sheriff’s office to keep him busy, Wyatt quickly found himself bored and ended up reading the same book he’d read a thousand times before. Most of the pages were earmarked and worn. The binding was just about shot. He probably needed to buy another copy, but there was something about the first-edition hardback that made him feel better about life in general. It was like reaching out and touching the past, and he needed it desperately after the week he was having.
Lost in the story, Wyatt was jolted back to reality when the home phone rang, and he tossed his book aside, dashing into the kitchen to catch it before the caller hung up. Everyone called their cell phone these days. It was probably just a solicitation call, but Wyatt still wanted to see who it was.
“Hello?” he asked, turning to walk with the portable back into the living room.
“Morning, Sheriff. Jules there?”
“Nah, it’s ten o’clock. She’s long gone.” Wyatt picked up his book, checking to make sure he hadn’t injured it. He placed a bookmark between the pages he was on and then set it on the coffee table. “Can I help ya?”
“It’s Dr. Philips.”
“Oh hey, Doc.” Wyatt sat up straighter, his heart doing a little flip in his chest. “Everything okay?”
“I called her office, but the machine picked up. I was hoping to catch her this morning. It’s important. ”
“They miss calls all the time when they’re packed with clients. You know it’s her busy season,” Wyatt said, his shoulders tense with the anxiety. “Why the rush? Something up with her tests?”
“I left a message there, but if you could get her to call me, I’d—”
