“Busted a meth lab a couple weeks ago. Caught three guys ripping off the liquor store, too. But there’s some grumbling, for sure. I don’t know if crime’s up, but people are sure talking like it is. This recent vandalism isn’t helping.”
“Maybe they’ll find a clue tomorrow,” Brian offered.
“I hope so.” Yasmin drank her mug to the dregs and rose stiffly, a hand on the table to help herself up. She walked to the window and stared out for a minute. “We’ll leave the lights on. Brian, you let me know if that mutt of yours gets nervous, right? He might finally be good for something.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He glanced at Luger, who was dozing, eyes blinking slowly. “He looks calm right now.”
“Well.” She paused at the doorway, as if to say something, but just added, “Good night, boys.” The collies followed her off to her room.
Zander said, “Your sister must be a sound sleeper. I expected her to be out here demanding all the details.”
Brian glanced down the hall toward Lori’s closed door. “She can sleep through anything.”
“I guess it’s good she’s getting her rest now.” Brian thought there was humor in Zander’s eyes. “She won’t get much once the baby comes.”
“Mm.” Brian didn’t want think about the baby. Nothing to do with me, I hope, I hope, please— Lori will cope. She always does.
Zander collected the empty mugs, gave them a quick wash, and set them in the dish drainer. “I should go to bed too. See you in the morning.”
“Good night.”
Brian got up, and Luger immediately bounced to his feet too. Brian rubbed his head. “Hey, Luug, keep your ears peeled tonight, ’kay?”
Luger twitched his big ears as if to agree and followed Brian back to his room. Brian shut the door behind them and locked it this time, sat down and patted the bed for Luger to jump up and join him, no matter how squishy that made the narrow space. He was glad Yasmin didn’t want Luger on patrol. With Nick away, it was comforting to have his dog with him. Maybe she understood that— both her dogs always slept in her room, too.
He spotted a flicker of light and grabbed his phone off the stacked milk crates by the bed. The message symbol was blinking with a text from Nick. ~Done now. Even Brian could manage to read those simple words. He hesitated. Nick would need his rest for the long drive tomorrow, but Brian needed to hear his voice. He hit the phone symbol.
Nick answered, sounding drowsy. “Hey, I thought maybe you’d gone to bed.”
“Not yet.” He pressed the phone against his cheek and his whole body relaxed. “How did it go? Are you packed?”
“Almost. We’ll load the bed into the truck in the morning. The stuff I’m not bringing is on the curb for free.”
Brian squeezed his eyes shut. It was almost like having Nick there. “I miss you.”
“Yeah. Only two more days. How are things going? Fallen in any manure piles yet?”
He considered telling Nick about the tractor, but it would just worry him, and he didn’t want Nick driving too fast for his sake. “We’re okay. A bit of this and that. No worries till you get here.”
Maybe his voice wasn’t as ordinary as he thought, because Nick said, “You sure?”
“Positive. Except for the part where I’ve been sleeping alone for two weeks.”
“Tell me about it.” Nick’s voice dropped and got huskier. “In fact, do tell me all about it.”
“Don’t you need to get some rest?” He signaled for Luger to jump off, though, and pushed down the waistband of his sweatpants.
Nick murmured, “I’ll sleep better with a good bedtime story. Tell me what you do all alone in that bed.”
“Mostly I sleep.” He grinned at Nick’s huff of breath. “Sometimes I think about this guy.”
“Some particular guy?”
“Maybe. He has dark hair and these hazel eyes that change color, and he works out a lot.”
“You like his muscles.”
“Yeah, I do.” Brian rubbed himself through his boxers and closed his eyes again to hear Nick better.
“And his dick.”
“Hah. Yeah. It’s pretty.”
“It’s huge and rugged and awesome.”
“It’s kind of ordinary size and pretty.”
“Wait. Do I know this guy?”
Brian fought a giggle. “I imagine I’m asleep after working all day, and you come in and strip off. And… do stuff.” He slipped his hand inside his shorts. Phone sex was still not one of his strong suits, but he was becoming a fan.