Page 40 of Flirting With Fire
“I think it’s just a graze, but I sent him over to Garcia.”
“We should check on him,” she said.
I was more than happy to do that. I took her arm and led her over to the waiting ambulance, where Dex sat while Pérez tended to his wound. It was just a graze; it wouldn’t even need stitches.
Garcia looked up from his tablet. “I was just about to send Skip after you, chief. Your turn.” He pointed at the space by Dex. “Sit.”
“I’m fine. Nothing hit me.”
He waited, one eyebrow raised in a ‘don’t give me attitude’ expression.
“I think he means it,” Mom stage whispered.
I knew better than to argue with an EMT.
“Huh.” I huffed as I slumped next to Dex. I turned to him. “Are you all right?”
“He’s fine,” Garcia said before Dex could answer. “Now it’s your turn.”
“You sit here without making a fuss, and I’ll hunt for coffee and water.”
“I love you,” I moaned. Just the thought of coffee was orgasmic. Then I realized what I’d said from the squints they were giving me.
“The chief wants to talk to you two,” Brannigan called out. He’d been chatting to the cops nearby.
“Oh lord, we’ll be here forever,” Dex muttered.
I heard a couple of snickers and looked up to see Mom and Garcia smirking at each other. “The chief still talks a lot?”
Yeah, I remembered Chief Wally of old. Lovely guy, but getting away from him could be a problem.
“Chief Wally has a lot to say,” Mom agreed.
“I’ll find coffee and speak to him,” Dex said, hopping off the ambulance. “You get checked out, then catch up with Chief Brannigan.”
“Yessir.” I saluted him.
He went to flip me the bird and realized where he was. “Later,” he grumbled.
I caught my mom staring after him, then turning to me.
“He seems anxious to get away from here,” Mom observed.
“We were interrupted before we could finalize the details for the cottage.” I would not blush. I wouldnotblush. From her snicker and Garcia’s snort, I failed. I ignored them both.
The checkup didn’t take long. I passed all the tests, and Garcia pronounced me fit to return to duty. It hadn’t even occurred to me I’d be benched on the second day in my new job. I’d never have lived it down.
“Jones is good to go, chief,” Garcia yelled to Brannigan who turned and jogged over to us to stand next to Mom. It didn’t escape my noticehowclose they stood together.
“Thank the lord for that,” he said. “You had an interesting day, son.”
I bristled a little at the ‘son’, but I knew he meant well. “Is it always so much fun?”
Garcia barked out a laugh. “You know Charming. There’s always something going on.”
I swear Charming Butte used to be so quiet even the crickets got bored. But apparently, a lot had changed in ten years.
“Tell me what happened, Jones,” Brannigan ordered. “Why did you and Dex go into the cave without backup?”
