Chapter 42
It was early afternoon, and they were moving Nathan to HQ. Amy stood in the middle of the storeroom, sweaty and tired. Rock, off duty, had come to help and now that they were done, he waited in the vestibule, beside the front door, open onto Main Street.
They’d carted Nathan’s bags upstairs, just to get them out of the way of the impending renovations. His sleeping bag was in the middle of the main-floor open area, and the puppy was installed in his crate close by, laying comfortably on one of Amy’s old bathrobes.
“I still think you’re babying that dog.” Nathan stood in front of the crate, shaking his head. “And pink? God, woman. Do you not know he’s a man?”
“Oh, that old, tired topic.” She turned to Rock. “Sweet-um’s, would you weigh in on this? Does pink not a man make?”
The cop grinned. “Brother, I’d drop my cargos right now and show you my gauchies, but there might be a Barney Fife wannabe strolling by, and I don’t want to be the subject of a citizen’s arrest, no matter how misguided.” His dark eyes danced with mischief. “Though, if you want I can hike these down a touch, give you a peek.” He shoved a thumb under his belt, at the ready.
Nathan looked horrified. “For the love of God and all that’s holy, stop! Point taken, you freaks. Point taken.”
“Don’t fight me on this or any other current topic, Nathan. Especially not one to do with gender issues. You know?”
He looked at her, face set in a serious expression. “Okay, Peaches.”
“And don’t call me peaches!” Somehow, a playful streak had emerged in Nathan overnight, and while she didn’t quite get it, she was enjoying it.
“K, Peaches.”
She mock glowered at him, flounced over, grabbed a stuffed brown paper bag from off the floor, and plopped it in his hands. “Don’t forget. Salad and meatballs from Rena’s. I put my water container on the counter in the back, and it’s full. And I know you want to get started today, so if you need something, give me a call.”
“Water. Jeez, thanks.”
“You starting today, bro?” Rock glanced at his watch. “Ames, if you need to get going, I can stay and give this putz a hand for an hour. Maybe longer—depends on if I’m needed at the Ridges. Parker wants me to check on some stuff. But yeah, I can stay for a bit.”
She saw the surprise look of appreciation that flashed in Nathan’s face. But he sloughed it off, just went all business. “Got any experience in plumbing?”
“Do I have experience in plumbing? Well, was my dad the most notorious cheapskate that ever lived?” Rock asked, all theatrical. “And, still by the way, is. But yeah. He’s had all of us doing stuff only a licensed contractor should do since we were like two weeks old. Like I said—cheapskate.”
Nathan nodded, rustled the paper bag in his hand. “You want some before we start?”
“Nah, I’m good. You go ahead.” He stalked over to the tiny bathroom, opened the door, poked his head in. “I’ll take a look around. Let me know when you’re ready.”
A pop of happiness zinged through Amy. It seemed her renos were just about to start. Her dream was on its way, despite the fact she hadn’t gotten the full loan.
“I’ll see you guys later. And you…” she pointed her finger at Nathan. “Dog. Needle. Don’t forget. Got it?”
Nathan grinned at her. “I won’t. You, on the other hand…go. Get your stuff done today. Don’t forget either. Got that?”
She laughed. “If you forget, I’ll flay you.”
He tossed her a look, and she shivered at the masculine hint in it. “I look forward to it. We’ll see if we can make that happen, either way.”