Page 27 of Against the Odds
She thumped my shoulder. “I have faith in you. And figure out a time when we can get together. I missed you.”
“I will.” As two of just a few out queer officers, we’d had each other’s backs in a way that went beyond friendship. Vancouver was a liberal city, but the Frazer Valley just beyond the citylimits had its share of Bible thumpers and rednecks, and a few of them landed here in our department. We’d been each other’s like minds and listening ears who didn’t judge for bitching about the straights now and then. I’d missed her too.
Once I’d signed out, inspected and hung up my gear, changed out of uniform, tucked the shirt and pants in a bag to bring home for laundering, and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, midnight was close at hand. I drove home through the darkened streets, playing favourite metal bands on the speakers to keep myself alert. Normally, I slept in on mornings after this shift, but with Jos’s bus picking him up at eight, I had to be up before seven-thirty to make sure he was dressed, fed, and had all his homework and a lunch. Someday, I’d trust him to get his act together, or face the natural consequences. But when I’d tried that, I got a call from the school that he had no lunch and wasn’t on the meal plan. Then he was pissed that I brought him a lunch, and said he’d just thrown it away when they gave it to him because he wasn’t hungry. Which made me grit my teeth, since I’d dropped everything to bring the kid a fucking sandwich.
I was in the process of getting him signed up for the lunch program, but they were running my guardianship papers through, and nothing seemed to happen fast over there.
When I pulled into my driveway, the Fitzpatricks’ house next door was dark, but several lights still shone from my downstairs windows. I wasn’t going to bitch about the electric bill if it made Jos feel safer. I opened the door quietly, noting that the alarm wasn’t set.Kid’s trying to give me ulcers.
Low-volume TV sounds carried from the living room, so I stowed my personal weapon in the safe under the kitchen sink and headed that way. I expected to find Jos snoozing on the couch, or maybe watching a movie, but instead, the figure lounging in a corner of the couch, long jean-clad legs stretched out and head tipped back, snoring, was Callum.
I glanced around and didn’t see the kid anywhere, so I walked over and nudged Callum’s knee. “Hey, dude.”
He woke with a snort and blinked up at me. “Hey, you’re back. What time is it?”
“Just after twelve. Is Jos upstairs?”
“Yeah. Went up an hour ago. I think I bored him to death with hockey commentary.” He waved at the screen where a game played out, the commentators’ muted voices a background mumble.
“Who’s playing at this hour?” We were on the west coast, which meant we never got late games.
“Oh, no one. It’s recorded. We’re playing Edmonton on the weekend, and they have a hot new sniper they just brought up from the HLWNA. I wanted to watch him, get a feel for how he moves, his favourite angles.”
“I’m grateful you’re here,” I said, because the thought that Jos hadn’t gone to bed in an empty house was a comfort. “But I’m not sure why you are.” I’d been working up to ask for his help next shift, not this one.
Callum rose and stretched, giving me a glimpse of those abs as his T-shirt rode up. He grabbed a sweatshirt off the back of the couch and pulled it on, tousling his hair. I fought the impulse to smooth those auburn strands down. Or maybe shove my hands in his hair and muss it up worse.
“He wandered over to our place around nine,” Callum said. “Asked if we had any chores he could do for a bit of spending money.”
I smacked my forehead. “Chores. Allowance. Fuck.” One more thing I hadn’t thought of. I mean, I’d told Jos he was responsible for cleaning his own room and putting his clothes in the hamper, and making his lunches, and heating up his dinners if I was gone. But nothing formal, and we hadn’t discussed money.
“Don’t sweat it.” Callum gave me a sympathetic look. “If it helps, I think he was mostly bored. Maybe looking for company but didn’t want to say so.”
“Even so, I’ll put allowance on my to-do list. Doesn’t explain why you’re here, though.”
“I told him any chores we had were daytime stuff, but I asked if you guys had a decent TV. He said yes, and I told him ours was on the fritz and could I use yours to watch tape. He invited me over. Tried watching with me at first, but I don’t think sports are his thing. He fell asleep three times and the last time I convinced him to go to bed.”
“Andisyour TV broken?”
Callum gave me a grin that warmed me inside. “Not really, but it’s a lot smaller than yours. This is an upgrade. Even let me lipread what the winger was chirping in the corners. Dude has a nasty mouth.” He turned off the remote, then went and pulled his USB drive from the TV port.
I turned to watch him and when he straightened, he ended up close to me. Our eyes met, our bodies barely two feet apart. I didn’t back away.
He licked his lips. “Want to tell me about your day?”
“Not really.”
“Want to tell me something else?” His breath quickened, his blue eyes darkening.
I threw a quick glance toward the stairs. Jos slept like the dead once he was down, and he’d gone up an hour ago.I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t.I said, “There’s a half-bath down here with a door that locks.”
Callum smirked. “Lead the way.”
He crowded after me as we headed down the hall, his tall, muscular body a heated presence.Danger. Close behind you.My pulse kicked up, even as I told myself it was just Callum.I stopped and murmured over my shoulder, “I hate to ask, but please don’t come up behind me. It makes me twitchy.”
Callum raised his hands and stepped back. “Sorry. Not ever?”
“Not now.” I hoped those survival reflexes would settle down after a while. I was already much better than when I first came off that undercover case, when every shadow and sudden movement made my gut clench. Now that kind of reaction was rare, but his size in the dark narrow hallway had me jumpy. Thinking fast, I held out a hand to Callum. Grasping his long fingers in mine was so unlike anything I’d done on duty, it soothed me. “Come on.”
