The Birthday List(97)
Hours later, after too much food and drink and gifts, Cole and I loaded up a sleepy Nazboo and drove home.
“How did it go with your dad?”
“Better than I expected. He didn’t want to hear me at first, but when I told him that I’d make a shit chief of police because my heart wasn’t in it, he started to come around. I still think he was disappointed though.”
I knew Cole hated disappointing people, but in this case, he’d done the right thing. Reaching across the console, I took his hand. “He’ll come around.”
“Yeah.” He kissed my knuckles. “Did you have fun?”
“Yes, so much. I love your family.”
“They’re yours too. You’re stuck with me, so you’re stuck with them.”
I smiled out the dark windshield. “I like stuck.”
“Good.” He laced our fingers together. “How would you feel about being stuck at my house? Maybe make it our house?”
My head whirled toward him. Cole was grinning into the night. “Really? You want me to move in?”
He looked over and nodded. “Pretty much since the first night you stayed over but I thought that might be too soon.”
“Finally!” My shout startled Nazboo in the backseat. “Sheesh. I’ve been stalling my realtor for months.”
He chuckled. “So that’s a yes?”
“That’s a yes, Detective.”
“Goodman.”
I frowned as Cole answered his phone. It was the morning after our dinner at Brad and Mia’s and we were supposed to have the Friday alone together.
I’d gotten up early and made us both breakfast—we were eating in the dining room for the first time in ages. We’d been talking about taking Nazboo for a walk when his phone had rung, and since it was the station on the other line, it couldn’t be ignored.
“Yeah, I’ll be there in twenty.”
Damn it. So much for our day off.
“Sorry.” Cole gave me a sad smile as he hung up the phone. “If I could stay, I would, but I really need to head into the station.”
“Okay.” I couldn’t fault him for putting the chance to make an arrest ahead of couch time with me. “Be safe.”
“I will.” He stood and kissed my forehead, taking his plate to the sink.
I stood and followed him with my own. “I’ll take care of the dishes. You go ahead.”
“I’ll make it up to you.” He took the plate from my hand, set it down, then hoisted me onto the counter.
I brushed his dark hair off his forehead as he stepped between my legs. “What did you have in mind?”
“How about I pick up Chinese takeout on my way home and we have a late lunch and watch a movie?”
“Do I get to pick what we watch?”
He nodded. “Yes, but I get two vetoes.”
“One.”
“One.” He leaned in and brushed his soft lips to mine. “I’ll hurry.”
“Text me when you leave the station. I might take Nazboo over to my place to start packing.”
“Don’t wear yourself out. Save some energy for me.” He grinned and kissed me again before rushing out of the kitchen. His sweatpants hinted at the perfect ass beneath the gray cotton.
I’d hoped to spend a lot of time squeezing that ass today. Instead, I’d get a head start on packing so I could officially move in.
I sighed and hopped off the counter, rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. I was just about to go upstairs when Cole came back down, dressed in jeans and a thick green sweater. The cable knit made the green in his eyes pop more than his usual black polo.
“I love you.” I wrapped my arms around him, taking a deep breath of his fresh smell.
“I love you too.” He leaned me back so his lips could mold to mine. His tongue slipped between my teeth, tickling, before he pulled away. “See you soon.” One more kiss to my forehead and he was gone, striding toward the garage.
I held Nazboo back as we went to the front door to wave good-bye from the porch.
Nazboo let out a whimper as he backed out of the garage and onto the street, leaving her behind with her second-favorite owner.
“Sorry,” I rubbed her ears, “but he’ll be back soon. Come on. Let’s get some packing done before he gets back.”
I hurried through my own shower—not bothering to wash my hair but rather leaving it up—then pulled on some skinny jeans, an oversized gray turtleneck and my favorite black TOMS. Nazboo rode shotgun as we crossed town, and when we got to my house, I decided to start packing up the small office.
Two hours later, I was sitting on the floor, sorting books and papers into three stacks: keep, throw and Jamie. The keep pile had been growing the fastest, with the throw pile a close second. The Jamie pile was the smallest with a few of his old books I was going to give to Jimmy.
“Nazboo!” I called, taking a break from sorting.
She’d disappeared about fifteen minutes ago and I couldn’t hear her paws clicking on the hardwood floors, which meant she’d either fallen asleep or she was causing trouble.
I waited and listened, but nothing. “Nazboo!”
This time I heard a scurry from the living room before she came trotting down the hallway and into the office with a book in her mouth.