steel-blue highlights woven through it.
And those intense blue eyes—they’d come from his mother, she recalled hearing him say once. Those same eyes were responsible for melting an entire squad of cheerleaders in high school, not to mention almost every other teenage girl within a five-mile radius of the hunky, popular quarterback.
God knew she hadn’t been immune to him either, but she’d had no desire to beat off a throng of adoring, salivating females just to get a little one-on-one time with the devastatingly handsome football player.
Funny thing about that. She’d always thought he would make a name for himself in the professional arena, but he seemed to have completely disappeared shortly after he’d graduated high school. They’d been exactly a year apart, even though she had shared a couple of classes with him.
Was this where he’d ultimately wound up? Working in law enforcement and looking like someone badly in need of a haircut and a shave, not to mention new clothes?
Maybe it wasn’t Steve, she thought, reconsidering. As she recalled, the heartthrob of the gridiron had a grin that had a way of imprinting itself on the souls of every female, young and old, whom he ever came in contact with.
This man in her newly discovered uncle’s office had a somber, almost sullen expression. It was the kind of expression that told the casual observer that he didn’t know how to smile.
She directed her wayward attention back to her uncle. The latter smiled warmly at her as he gestured toward the empty chair.
“Please, take a seat,” he urged. When she did, he undertook the introductions. “Detective Esteban Fernandez, I’d like you to meet Detective Kari Cavelli-Cavanaugh.” He paused for a moment to allow the names to sink in on both sides, then he added the all-important words, “Your new partner.”
Esteban visibly balked, his impassive expression cracking just long enough for his complete displeasure to show through.
“Sir,” he protested, “I haven’t worked with a partner for three years.”
“Then it’s high time that you did,” Brian told him matter-of-factly. “You’ve more than earned the right to have someone else watching your back.”
Brian could see that the news was not being received well, but then he’d known it would take time. Rome wasn’t the only thing that hadn’t been built in a day. Neither was trust. But it all started with taking the first step. And this was Fernandez’s first one, even if he abhorred it.
“Your lone-wolf days are over, Fernandez, so you might as well get used to it.”
The expression on his handsome, tanned face was far from accepting. “Sir, could I have some time to think about this?” he asked in a clipped voice.
Brian shrugged. “You can take the time it’ll take you to go home and clean up.”
For form’s sake, the Chief pretended to glance at his watch. He was well aware what time it was. It was one in the afternoon. Fernandez had come to him straight from the safe house he’d been whisked to when he’d had to flee from the run-down apartment he’d been renting from his contact to the cartel.
“Tell you what,” Brian amended. “You can take until tomorrow morning to decide.” He knew he’d be doing the detective a disservice if he didn’t offer this option.
“But be aware of the fact that there’s nowhere else I can put you right now, so your choice, I’m afraid, is limited to yes or no,” he said as Esteban rose to his feet. Getting up as well, Brian leaned over his desk and shook the other man’s hand. “I’d hate to lose you, Detective,” he added with conviction.
Esteban had lived the past three years exclusively in a world where lip service was commonplace and actions spoke far louder than anything that could be said.
Still, despite his wariness of the spoken word, Esteban had the feeling that the Chief was being sincere. It didn’t change what he felt was going to be the ultimate outcome of this meeting, but it was still nice to be appreciated, even if just for a fleeting moment.
“Think long and hard, Detective,” Brian counseled somberly.
“I plan to, sir,” Esteban answered.
Deliberately avoiding any eye contact with either the Chief of D’s or the pretty blonde in the room, Esteban strode out of the office.
Kari watched in silence as the detective walked away. She was still debating whether or not this was the same person who had created such a stir in high school eight short years ago.
His gait was different, she decided. But the set