Changing the Rules (Richter Book 1)(36)

“Damn, that was close.”

Jax was laughing so hard she snorted, and that had Claire doubled over the steering wheel.

“Guess we’re drinking at home for the duration.”

Within ten minutes of their arrival at home, Cooper was walking through their front door.

Claire had ditched her fancy shoes and mixed new drinks.

“All the bars in the world, and you had to walk into mine.” He was all smiles and relief.

Much as it was hard to see Cooper walking through her house and tossing his keys on the island in the kitchen where she and Jax hovered, it was also a comfort.

“What are the odds?” Jax asked.

Cooper looked directly at Claire, his eyes softened. “What are you drinking?”

“Vodka martinis.”

“What do I have to do to get one?”

Normally, that charged question would have a snarky remark on its tail. Something slightly sexual and inappropriate. She settled for something else. “Don’t tell my homeroom teacher I was out drinking tonight.”

Claire moved around the kitchen to mix another one, pulled a glass out of the cupboard.

“He didn’t see Claire, did he?”

“No indication he did. How long were you guys sitting there?”

“Not long. Thirty minutes, maybe,” Jax answered.

“Long enough for Mr. Clueless to hit on us,” Claire said as she poured a generous amount of vodka.

“I missed that,” Cooper said.

“Good thing. I was about to make a serious scene. One that Eastman wouldn’t have missed.” Claire shook the tumbler several times before dumping the liquid into a glass. She reached for her jar of olives.

“I don’t need that.”

Claire glanced over her shoulder and, without looking, picked an olive out of the jar and plopped it in the glass. “A martini without an olive is just vodka.”

He smiled, and it was then she realized that he didn’t have to be belly laughing for his dimples to show up.

“What on earth made you pick a bar on that side of town?” Cooper asked, accepting the martini.

Claire and Jax exchanged glances. “Should we tell him?” Claire said in German.

Jax shrugged.

“Is that ‘told’ or ‘tell’?” Cooper asked.

Claire’s smile fell. “You . . . wait, you understood that?”

There was a moment when Cooper just grinned. “I didn’t spend all my time in London when I was overseas.”

“Seriously? Du hast Deutsch gelernt?” Claire asked.

“I’m not sure you can call it studying German. I spent a lot of time outside of the bigger cities so I could learn it. I’m pretty sure most of the people I came in contact with were horrified at how I butchered their language. But I can hold a fairly decent conversation about day-to-day things.”

She couldn’t stop smiling. As brownie points were earned, Cooper stacked his deck with that one.

“Why?”

Their eyes locked. “I would think that would be obvious at this point.”

His words did what his previous confession had failed to do. It made Claire look deeper in Cooper’s eyes and see an emotion she hadn’t noticed before.

“Uhm . . . I can leave the room,” Jax teased.

Claire offered Cooper a sincere smile and shook her head. “I’m in the mood for Chinese food.”

“Sounds perfect.” Cooper smiled and sipped his drink.





CHAPTER SIXTEEN


He’d been ready to quit. Call Neil and tell him the minute the assignment was over he’d be looking for another job. Someplace where he didn’t have to see Claire constantly and mourn the loss of their friendship. Worse, moon over her like a lovesick puppy.

Instead, Claire offered an olive branch by way of Chinese takeout and martinis.

The three of them ate and drank, and talked about the case. He told them what he’d learned about Eastman. As of yet, the man wasn’t putting stuff on his class computer to indicate that he was anything other than a high school teacher with good intentions. According to the employee record, he’d transferred into Auburn that year, which lined up with the divorce he’d spoken to Cooper about.

“Expect harder questions if you plan on putting Eastman in his place again,” Cooper warned Claire.

He could tell by the look in her eyes she was buzzed from the alcohol.

“I might have to actually study. I don’t remember everything.”

“More than me,” Cooper said.

Jax changed the subject. “After tonight, we’re going to have to map out the teachers’ homes. Get a general idea of their stomping ground.”

Claire leaned her head back on the sofa. “It feels like this assignment is taking forever.”

“I’m not sure that’s going to change anytime soon,” Cooper said.

“We have back-to-back parties the next two weekends. Hopefully we can find a solid lead.”

“Any weight to Mr. Cummings?” Cooper asked Jax.

“He has the reputation of staring at chests.” Jax hoisted her breasts with both hands. “These are a little hard to miss, I’ll see if he notices.”

“You have to wear a uniform.”

Jax frowned at Claire. “Never stopped us at Richter.”