wise man once told me . . . if you’re not at least a little scared of your woman, she’s not the one.”
Connor snorts. “You’re scared of your wife?”
“Absolutely,” JP says without a second thought. Looking back at me, he holds his thumb and finger an inch apart but slowly spreads them wider and wider until he’s spreading his hands apart like he’s measuring a fish. His laugh is louder and deeper, coming from his belly now. “You do the same to him?”
“Trying my best,” I boast, perking up and trying to look as boss as possible. “She sounds like my kind of girl. Maybe we can meet sometime?”
Connor clears his throat, sounding amused but getting back to business. “Forgetting something, Poppy? We’ve got to figure out what to do about Carter first.”
My smile fades as the crazy little bite of normalcy gets chewed up by the situation we’re in. “Ugh, don’t remind me about him. He ruins my good mood instantly.”
“That’s why we’ve gotta to deal with him,” Connor says, putting on his turn signal to make the next to last turn on his way home. “So you never have to frown again.”
I’m still not convinced but trust in him and in my heart. I’m just eager to see what Connor has up his sleeve.
Chapter 25
Connor
I don’t really like the idea of bringing a man like JP to Poppy’s home, but she’s right about the dogs. They’ll probably destroy the place if they’re ignored too long. As soon as we reach the door, they’re barking and scratching at it in anticipation.
“Yes, my babies,” Poppy calls, shimmying a little herself. “Mama’s coming. Hold your bladders one more minute!”
She unlocks the door, and the two white pompoms rush out past our feet, tearing circles in the grass before Nut squats in the corner of the grass that’s ‘his.’ JP makes a noise of surprise that turns into a laugh.
“Ah, I get it . . . Nut Juice.”
Poppy tuts gently to correct him, pointing at one dog and then the other. “Nut and Juice.”
Juice finds his spot. He’s more of a wandering pisser with his business. Once he’s done, the two trot happily back inside, ready for a treat from Poppy.
While she feeds her monsters, I gesture for JP to sit on the couch. He does so slowly, legs tense and elbows braced on his thighs to stand quickly if need be. He’s ready to fight for his life, to battle me or anyone else who threatens him or his family. That, I can definitely respect because I’m ready to do the same thing.
But if this conversation goes the way I hope, it’s not going to come to that between us.
JP gives me a wary look, still not relaxing. “Are we . . . good, my friend?” he asks carefully. “No problems?”
I sit in a chair across from JP, keeping my hands on the arms and in the open to show I don’t intend harm . . . at the moment.
“Men like us will always have problems, but hopefully, we won’t have any between you and me. But I need you to tell me everything about Mr. Big and Detective Carter. All of it. The more I know, the easier I can get us out of this shit. You showed me a lot of trust in telling me where your son worked, and I’m showing you the same by bringing you here.”
I look to the kitchen where Poppy is sitting on the floor with both dogs in her lap, their dinner forgotten. Poppy’s heels lay askew from where she kicked them off, and she’s totally oblivious to what she’s doing to her skirt in the moment. All three of them are making these happy yipping sounds as she pets them, Poppy working in, “I know, Mama’s been gone so long. I missed you too.”
Of course, she’s one of those people who baby talk to their dogs. And yips with them because she speaks fluent Pomeranian.
JP follows my gaze then turns his eyes back to me, nodding once. In the silence, a bond is solidified. One I hope we will both honor.
He leans back, crossing his legs to assume a comfortable, almost conversational body posture like we’re about to sit around discussing the weather or our favorite sports teams. It’s an intentional shift he’s offering, showing his willingness to work with me.
“I’ve worked with the Boss for five years. It didn’t start out like . . . this.” He doesn’t need to explain