But I didn’t know how to handle either.

“Fuck it,” I muttered, tossing the phone on my purse. I went back to my vacuuming, doing it with Celine, losing myself in rivers deep and mountains high, knowing when the time came to deal, if I did it right or I did it wrong, I’d still do it.

Because that was what I did.

It had always been what I did no matter what messes I got myself into.

I dealt.

For me.

For Ethan.

And now I’d do it for Merry.

Chapter Ten

The Score

Garrett

After leaving Cher, Garrett walked up the back steps of the station into the bullpen, carrying two Mimi’s coffees.

When he hit the top, he did an automatic scan of the space, seeing Drew and Sean in the office with the cap. Adam and Ellen, in uniform, were walking down the front steps.

And Garrett’s partner, Mike Haines, was sitting at his desk, a desk that was butted front-to-front with Garrett’s.

Mike had his eyes on him and Garrett moved that way, hitting Mike’s desk at the side to put his coffee down before walking to his own desk.

“Get your business sorted?” Mike asked as Garrett set his coffee down and took his seat.

He looked to Mike. “Yep.”

Mike eyed him, hand wrapped around his coffee still resting on his desk.

“Can’t get a read on you,” he noted after a few beats. “You either just got a late life offer from the Colts to be their starting tight end or you’re planning to kidnap someone to torture them.”

Garrett was not surprised Mike got this read. They’d been partners for a while.

“Accurate on both, seein’ as things are good, as in real good, and I’m still pissed.”

Mike took a sip of his coffee before suggesting, “Maybe we should start with the good shit.”

“Takin’ Cher Rivers to dinner at Swank’s tomorrow.”

Disappointment slid through Mike’s features, his mouth went hard, and he sat back in his chair.

Mike could read Garrett, Garrett could read Mike. And his read was that this wasn’t about Garrett not sharing with Mike how things were the last week and a half with Cher. Even if he hadn’t said a word, Mike had definitely heard because everyone in town was talking about Garrett, Cher, and Mia.

But Mike knew him well enough to know that if Garrett wanted to talk it out, he’d do that. So Mike had let it go, waiting for Garrett to come to him if he needed him, or not.

No, his reaction was Mike knowing Garrett liked to get laid and him thinking that was what was happening here.

Garrett figured disappointment didn’t slide through his own features, considering he didn’t feel disappointed.

He felt pissed.

“You heard talk,” he remarked.

“Impossible not to hear it unless I locked Dusty and me in a soundproofed panic room the last two weeks,” Mike returned.

“Well, I can confirm Cher and me hooked up.”

Mike leaned toward Garrett’s desk, starting, “Man—”

Garrett leaned forward too.

“It was that. Then it was not that,” he bit out. “You know me, brother. I’m dumb enough to get drunk with a good woman who’s a friend who means somethin’ to me and fuck that shit up. I’m not that man who would do what you’re thinkin’ to Cher.”

“You and Mia are—”

“There is no me and Mia.”

At the strength of Garrett’s tone, Mike did a slow blink.

“Straight up, Cher and me hooked up,” Garrett carried on. “That’s what I thought it was. Wasn’t so drunk I didn’t think she knew the score. She did. Problem was, I didn’t.”

“And what’s the score?” Mike asked.

“The score is, when I went to J&J’s after we’d had our thing to get us back on track, some trouble Cher was having walked into the bar with bad timing. I saw that shit go down, I asked her about it. But she’s Cher. She’s been fucked over so bad, she doesn’t want anyone to think they can get at her just the same as she doesn’t want anyone to think she needs them. She tried to shut me down.” Garrett shook his head. “When she did that, what we had before and then what happened between us—havin’ her, wakin’ up to her—something in me, brother, it just clicked.”

“It just clicked,” Mike muttered, still studying him.

“Near on two weeks, can’t get the woman off my mind.”

Mike’s eyes grew intent. “What’d you and Cher have before?”

“You ever known me to get to know a woman before I took her to bed?” Garrett asked. “I’m not talkin’ dating. I’m talkin’ spendin’ years building a friendship with a woman and then takin’ that further.”

Understanding hit his eyes as he shook his head. “No, man.”

“No,” Garrett confirmed. “I know her, Mike. I know how she is with her kid. I know how she is with her friends. I can read her voice. Her eyes. Her movements. I know the depths of her loyalty. I know she’d take a bullet for her son. I know she’s got a smart mouth because she’s just fuckin’ smart. She can hang with the guys. She’s about givin’ it all to her girls. She’s funny as fuck. And now I know she has an unbelievable body, though I do not know how because I’ve seen the woman eat and that’s impossible. I also know she’s an outstanding lay. And I know she looks so pretty first thing in the morning, it’s like a goddamned miracle.”

“Jesus, Merry,” Mike murmured.

“And I know when I found out she had trouble, that shit started eating at me instantly. Eating at me like shit would eat at me if I knew my sister had trouble. My dad. You. I wasn’t concerned about a friend. I was all in instantly.”

Mike sat there, mouth shut, continuing to study him.

So Garrett gave him more.

“I also know shit is done with Mia, not just because she’s engaged to another man but also because I’ve had time to think on things and I know now she was not the woman I needed in my life—not back then, not in the years we’ve been divorced, not now. She’s not strong enough to handle my shit. She doesn’t have the tools and she doesn’t have it in her to find them. Might be wrong, but my take is Cher was born with those tools. But now, Mia wants to dump her man and try it again with me. I shut that down.”

Mike’s eyes slightly widened.

“Holy fuck,” he whispered.

“Yeah. It’s over with her because I got nothin’ left for her, man. I dug deep, but it’s just not there. And now I’m starting something with Cher and that’s all that’s in my head. Doin’ that right. The way it started officially was fucked up, me gettin’ hammered because of Mia. But the way we really started was totally fuckin’ right, bein’ friends and layin’ that foundation so now we’ll have a mind to each other as we take this shot.”

Mike gave it a beat before he remarked, “This gets to Colt, you better have this speech down, Merry, because if he thinks you’re not in this for the reasons you just gave me, then he’s gonna lose his mind.”

“Colt knows about the hookup and I’ll explain shit now. I’ll do it once, Mike. He doesn’t know the man I am or the feelings I had for Cher even before this happened and know I’ll have a care, then we got problems.”

Mike nodded, muttering, “I’ll take your back on that, brother.”

Garrett didn’t reply. He grabbed his coffee and took a sip.

“Now, the good stuff done, what’s got you pissed?” Mike asked.

“You know if Colt gets any assholes up in his shit, writin’ books or anything else to do with Denny Lowe?” Garrett asked back.

Mike straightened. “He and Feb used to. Think that’s died down.” His head tipped to the side. “Cher still got issues with that?”

“Former FBI profiler walked right up to her door an hour ago, offerin’ her a grand to have a chat so he can write a book.”

Mike’s mouth went hard again.

“What a fuckin’ dick,” he clipped.

“It happens to her, Mike. Not frequent, according to her, not anymore. But it still happens. Phone calls and visits.”

“She shut him down?” Mike asked.