Concealed Hearts (Hometown Jasper #4) - Nicky James Page 0,49
you, by the way?”
I rolled to my back, stretched, and scrubbed a hand over my face. My second in command was in no mood to let me off easily. “What are you talking about? I told you, I’m in bed.”
“Whose bed?”
Popping my eyes open, I scanned the room, that same blast of adrenaline waking me up further. Tomi had gone back down the hall, and I was alone.
“Why?”
“Well, I went to your house, and you weren’t there.”
“And you deduced that because I didn’t answer my door?”
“No, I deduced that because your Jeep wasn’t in the driveway. In fact, your fliers are piling up. When’s the last time you were home?”
I knew exactly what he was doing. Throwing the covers off, I shoved out of bed and searched the ground where I’d tossed my clothes earlier. They were gone.
I frowned and took inventory of the room. Tomi had been cleaning up after me again.
“I’m up. Give me fifteen minutes to be at the school.”
John chuckled. “God, that was easy. The mere mention of your secret affair and I can get you to do almost anything.”
I wrenched open a dresser drawer and found a clean pair of underwear as I balanced the phone between my shoulder and ear. “Tell me what I’m walking into?” I said, refusing to acknowledge how right he was.
John didn’t push the matter. His voice turned serious. “Graffiti.”
“You’re waking me up for graffiti? The kids in Jasper get bored. Graffiti is their number one means of being rebellious. Do you know how many incidents of graffiti we deal with in a year?”
“I’m aware. This one might interest you. Remember the elusive Grant who Matt thought he might know but didn’t?”
I stilled with my underwear half pulled up. “Yeah. The boy we thought Felix was defending, but we couldn’t figure out who he was.”
“Well, whoever he is, this graffiti has been personalized to him.”
I could only imagine what that meant. “I’m on my way. Where are you?”
“Driving back to the school. I left Julie there while I went searching for you since you weren’t answering your phone.”
“Can you stop and grab me a coffee? I’m dying here. I’ve barely slept an hour.”
John chuckled again. “Will do, Chief. Do you have a message for Belinda because you know she’ll ask about you? How on earth will you break the news of your new lady friend? She’ll be devastated.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
I disconnected to John’s riotous laughter.
In underwear, since I didn’t see my uniform anywhere, I headed to the kitchen. Tomi had the cupboards empty all over the breakfast bar and counters and was standing on a stool, scrubbing a top shelf.
“What are you doing? It’s eight thirty in the morning.”
He glanced over his shoulder and scanned me, noting my state of undress. “Rearranging the cupboards. They’ve been bothering me for weeks, and I need something to do. Are you leaving?”
“I guess so. Apparently, there’s something at the high school I need to see. What did you do with my uniform?”
“It’s hanging in the closet.”
I smirked and shook my head, retreating to the bedroom. “Of course, it is. Why didn’t I look there?”
“What?” he called after me. “I couldn’t leave it where you put it.”
“It was on the floor for less than an hour, Tomi.”
“The floor, Windsor. The floor! Were you born in a barn?”
I chuckled and found it hanging on a hanger inside the closet. The fabric was about as smooth and wrinkle-free as it could be without Tomi having access to an iron.
I dressed and checked myself in the bathroom mirror to ensure I didn’t have sleep in my eyes. Hopefully, once this was all said and done, I could come back and sleep for a few hours. My days of burning the candle at both ends were long gone.
My Stetson covered the unruly mop of hair on my head, and I couldn’t be bothered dealing with the shadow of stubble on my chin.
In the kitchen again, I snuck up behind Tomi as he rearranged a cutlery drawer. Hooking my arms around his waist, I nuzzled the crease of his neck, inhaling. “Shouldn’t be long.”
“There are no travel mugs. I couldn’t make you a coffee to go.”
“It’s all right. John’s picking me up one.”
I kissed his ear and flicked his lobe with my tongue before sucking it into my mouth. Tomi groaned and tilted his head to the side. “You start this and John will tear apart the whole town until he finds you.”