Kissing Reno(Brac Village 3)(37)

Mr. Cross stared at Reno’s hand for a very long moment, his expression inscrutable. Retracting his nails, Reno settled his hand in his lap. “Your son was arrested because there was a dirty cop after me. He thought taking Baker would send me over the edge, making it easier for him to kidnap me.”

“But why would he want to kidnap you?” Mr. Cross asked. His eyes never left Reno’s hand, his voice somewhat unsettled.

“There is a corporation where the CEO is also a head Vampire Hunter.”

“Oh, jeez,” Mr. Cross said as he wiped a hand over his mouth. “Now you’re telling me vampires exist.”

“They do,” Reno continued. “Kenyon didn’t know shifters existed until the dirty cop clued him in. This is why Maverick—”

“I knew it!” Mr. Cross said, jabbing a finger in Reno’s direction. “I always knew there was something off about that man. He looks the same now as when I was a little boy. I know some people age gracefully, but he takes that to a whole other level.”

Reno hid his smile. He wasn’t sure how Maverick got away with being the mayor in a small town without aging. People weren’t blind. Some had to suspect something was going on. Mr. Cross just proved that.

“What I was saying,” he said, “is that Maverick is building up the town to make it look normal so Kenyon won’t become too suspicious. It would have worked had Officer Johnson not revealed our secret.”

“I’m not a criminal, Dad,” Baker said. “It was one unpaid ticket.”

“That you should have paid,” his father said. “But I see what happened. What are they going to do about the crooked cop?”

That Reno was not going to talk about. “He’s been fired.” It was close to the truth. Johnson wouldn’t be working at the station any longer.

Mr. Cross wasn’t buying it. “Yeah, and I’m wearing a skirt. I see how deadly Maverick appears when he thinks no one is paying attention to him. My guess is that Johnson is no longer breathing.”

“I would keep that assumption to myself,” Reno advised.

“I may be a lot of things, but stupid was never one of them.” Mr. Cross glanced over at Baker, a wistful expression in his eyes. “So, you two are mates?”

“We are,” Baker stated proudly, his face firm. “It’s like a marriage, only there is no divorce among shifters.”

Mr. Cross looked as if he was mulling over what Baker was saying. Reno slid his arm around the small of Baker’s back, giving his mate support just in case his father rejected the idea of them being together. He didn’t know the man and had no clue how he was going to react.

“You could have invited me,” his father stated in a tone that said he was hurt that he wasn’t included. “I would have come.”

Reno was shocked when Baker burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that he fell into Reno, clutching at his side as he wiped at his face. “Trust me. It wasn’t for the public.” He laughed some more. “It was very…intimate.”

Mr. Cross’s face flushed with understanding. His gaze lowered as he picked at some invisible lint on his pants. “Your mother would have been thrilled at the news.”

Baker sobered, his laughter dying down, but he hadn’t pulled away from Reno. His hand curled into Reno’s shirt instead. “And you?”

His father looked flustered as he waved a hand toward Baker. “I know I’m hard to deal with lately. I may get on your ass about making something of yourself, but truth is, I’m proud of you, son. You’ve done a heap load better than most boys your age.” The man looked like it had pained him to admit that. Reno wasn’t going to fault Mr. Cross. The guy was trying. As he had explained to Baker outside the house, most men weren’t good at expressing their feelings. He was shocked the man had said that much.

Mr. Cross slapped the palms of his hands on his thighs and then stood. “Well, I best be getting back to work. Have some projects I’m working on.”

The guy was embarrassed. Reno could tell. “And we need to get going. Baker needs to pack so he can move in to my place.” Reno stood and extended his hand. “Be nice if you could come over on Sundays for dinner. Nothing fancy, watch some sports while we chow down.”

“I’ll think about that,” Mr. Cross said, but Reno could see the flicker of interest in the man’s eyes. “Name’s Richard.”

Reno had broken the ice and had made a better second impression. “Reno Davis, fireman down at the firehouse.”

Now Mr. Cross looked impressed. He turned toward Baker, clapping his son on his shoulder. “Did good for yourself.”