“He may be disappointed but he won’t be upset. He wouldn’t value his store more than my happiness. But I wouldn’t put it past him to sweeten the offer just to make sure.”
“He’s a businessman and you’re his best asset. I wouldn’t hold that against him,” Vincent said. “We have a little surprise for you.”
“You do?”
James lifted the candy dish, looked at her, and grinned. “Want to take a ride with us?”
“Sure.” She looked around at the mess she’d made. She patted the pile of Bubble Wrap. “I need to put all of this back up first.”
Vincent shook his head and grinned. “No, you don’t.”
“I don’t want to come home to a mess, though.”
James said “How about this, honey? You take a ride with us and we’ll help you pack all this up afterward.”
Biting her lip, she said, “I’m going to be picky about how it gets wrapped and put back in the boxes. You probably don’t want me hovering over you while you help. It won’t take long.”
Vincent glanced out the window. “The sun will be down soon. You can boss us around however you want later, fluff. For now, come with us. Please?” He turned those bedroom eyes on her, probably knowing how she’d react and grinned when he saw the moment she capitulated.
“‘Okay. But you really don’t have to help.”
“We won’t mind, since we’re taking you away from your relaxing trip down memory lane.”
“Let me get my shoes.”
“We came straight from the station. Mind if we change real quick?” James asked, gesturing at the black duffel bags sitting in the hallway that they’d had slung on their shoulders when they’d arrived.
“Sure.”
When they went down the stairs, she spotted the short-bed pickup. She giggled and said, “You got the tailgate put on!”
“Yep. And we have a choice to make, too. But we want to show you what we found this morning first,” James said as he opened the passenger side door for her and lifted her inside.
“What is it with guys and lift kits?” she asked with a giggle.
“It’s not that high,” Vincent said. “We just like having the excuse to pick you up, fluff.”
“Sweet talker.”
Vincent climbed in on the driver’s side and said, “We have another decision to make about the truck and we want your input.”
“What’s that?” she asked as she buckled up.
James popped open the glove box and pulled out a printed card and put it in her hands. “Paint samples. We want you to pick the color.”
“Why me?”
With the windows rolled down, the wind ruffled the wisps of her hair around her neck and shoulders as she looked at her left and right, waiting for an answer. Vincent finally said, “We believe Patterson would’ve wanted you to pick the color and would’ve wanted us to give you the choice under these circumstances.”
A spark of sadness entered her chest. She’d much rather that he was here so he could ask her himself…and she said as much as she opened the paint chip card and the array of colors on the card blurred a little.
“Me, too, Leah,” James whispered. “You know, if he was here, he’d demand that you rode on his lap.”
“That’s not safe,” she said with a shake of her head. “But very Patterson-like. You’re right. He might’ve.”
Vincent kept his eyes on the road. “He would’ve told you he’d keep you safe. He might’ve been a cop but he also thought he was unbreakable. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise how could he have done something so stupid as not wear his helmet?” she filled in for him. “I’ll never get a satisfactory answer to that question. If he was here I’d be so pissed at him. But I can’t stay there, can’t hold on to that discontent. If I do, it’d color everything between us. Do you feel like that sometimes?” she asked and then looked down at the samples.
James rested his upper arm on the door and propped his hand in the window as the country roads leading back to their place zoomed by. “Sometimes I feel like kicking his ass. It’s not fair because he’s gone, he’s missing out on everything with you, but I’m really angry with him. Stubborn bastard.” Leah nodded at his gruff words and glanced at Vincent and caught the little smile he shared with her as he drove.
Vincent turned on the blinker as they rolled up to their driveway and said, “Chief asked if we were dealing with Patterson’s death today.”
“He did?” she asked with raised eyebrows.