Hmm. Interesting.
Very interesting.
And then Lucas said, “Why do you visit my sister so often, Sheriff, if there’s no trouble?,” and Maria felt her heart leap into her throat.
How would Sly—
“Because we’re seeing each other.”
—ah. By telling the truth.
Merda.
Lucas’s eyebrows climbed high. It was his only reaction. “Oh. And this is new?”
Whether he meant to or not, Sly fell into a military stance. Back straight, head forward, hands folded smartly behind his back. “No, sir.”
“Then how long?”
Maria decided it was time to intercede. “Luc, I—”
Unfortunately, Sly wasn’t having it. “No lies at Christmas,” he rumbled to her before meeting Lucas’s gaze head-on. “About a year.”
Lucas didn’t say anything in response to that. Instead, he turned to Maria.
“Are you happy?” he asked.
“Yes,” she simply. And then, because the sensation of it was still so new, she added, “I love him.”
It had taken her more than a year to work up the nerve to admit the truth of her intense emotions to Sly. He told her that he loved her so early on in their relationship, Maria was afraid to jinx it by confessing her own feelings. To be honest, it took seeing Lucas give up everything he had for a woman he just met to encourage Maria to tell Sly how much she cared for him. As she often thought, Sly was a patient man, but she was never sure how long he would wait for her.
He said he would be there for her forever. Maria knew better than most that tomorrow wasn’t promised to anyone. So she told him she loved him not too long after Lucas was gone, and Sly accepted it with a smile and a soft, “I know.”
Didn’t mean that he didn’t love hearing it. His brilliant eyes brightened as she turned to him, taking his strong hand in hers. “I love you, tesoro.”
Behind them, Tess made a soft sound in her throat, like a murmur mixed with a sigh. “Aww. I’m so happy for you two.”
Keeping her hand in Sly’s, Maria searched out her brother. He hadn’t said anything yet and that was definitely unlike him. “I really am happy, Luc.”
He nodded. And then he said the last thing she ever expected.
“It was a long drive and I’ve got to piss. Me and Tessa are going to spend the night, and I figure we’d take my room upstairs.” Leaning down, he gave Tess a quick kiss. “I’ll put our bags upstairs, you can put the cookies in the kitchen. Be down soon, baby.”
“Okay.”
Maria was sure her jaw was hanging open. A mischievous sparkle twinkled in his pale blue eyes as Lucas said, “Show Tessa where you want the cookies, would you, Maria? And if you’re planning on supper with your sheriff, then we’d like to join you.”
After a few stunned seconds, Maria managed to say, “Dinner will be ready in a half an hour.”
“Sounds good. Then I can take care of some things. I’ll see you in a bit.” As he strode through the foyer, heading for the hall, he nodded at Sly. “Sheriff.”
Sly returned the nod with a cautious expression. “Doctor.”
Tess bumped her hip into Maria. Since Maria stood a good head taller than the petite woman, her hip smacked right into the lower part of Maria’s thigh.
She giggled. “Come on. It’s been ages since we got to gossip in your kitchen. I missed it.”
Maria had been watching Lucas as he disappeared down the hall that led to the stairs. Lucas’s room—just as he left it—was on the second floor of Ophelia. Something… it didn’t seem right. He took that way too easily.