“I’m on it.” Fox nodded. He and Hart exchanged serious expressions.
“You take a look only, see what you can dig up… and that’s all you do. Report what you find to the sheriff’s department in Walker’s county and let them make the arrest,” Hart ordered his lieutenant. “No cowboy shit, Fox. I mean it. You don’t need any more negative press.”
“Right, right. I got it. You can trust me. I’ll be in and out,” Fox smirked. “Of the county, I mean.”
“Damn,” Hart muttered. “This is gonna be a mistake.”
“Very slick, Fox.” Free chuckled as if this was some kind of inside joke the three of them had going. “But don’t you think Bull is going to get suspicious when you return with his father? His dad comes in to make a vandalism report and comes back with a SWAT lieutenant?”
“You let me worry about that, Freeman. I’m Fox. Being slick and suspicious is what I do.”
Jesse didn’t complain a peep as he sat there silently while Mason completed Mr. Walker’s paperwork and got his complaint filed. He left the older man in Free’s very capable hands, knowing he’d get him taken care of. Mason didn’t know why Fox was so eager to take such a simple assignment on a farm that would ordinarily be tasked to a rookie before the city used one of its most valuable resources. But he sure looked eager as hell. There was something there, a secret Mason wasn’t privy to, but maybe one day he would be.
“You ready, Jess?” Mason asked, putting his heavy jacket on over his uniform. “I kinda feel like pancakes.”
“IHOP.” Jesse smiled warmly.
“Yes, please,” Mason said. “I’m starved.” A notification chimed on his cell phone, and he paused, staring at the recently sent email.
“Everything okay, Ellis?” Jesse frowned.
“Um, yeah.” Mason laughed. “I forgot I signed up for a New Year’s singles meet retreat. They’re asking for me to confirm.”
“Oh,” Jesse said almost numbly.
Mason tapped a few keys, then put his phone away. “I signed up for that six months ago.” Before I met you, beautiful.
“Did… are you going?” Jesse asked in a low tone, walking stiffly beside him.
Outside, in the cold of the brisk Atlanta winter, Mason took Jesse—his friend, his lover—in his arms. “No, Jess. My New Year’s plans seemed to have changed. Besides, that retreat is for singles. And while I’m not married, I don’t consider myself single. Because I happen to have a very hot boyfriend in my arms right now that I’m kinda crazy about.”
Jesse wrapped his arms around Mason’s waist and kissed him with a passion that said they weren’t going to have the patience to stop and eat pancakes. It’d been five days since he’d had Jesse’s legs locked around his shoulders. Breakfast could wait.