Seth rolled down the passenger-side window of the patrol car and dropped his arm out, spreading his fingers to let the light evening breeze roll through. The wind picked up just enough to carry the scent of jasmine and summer lilac down the street. He inhaled the floral fragrance deeply. It was a gorgeous, clear evening, and the nocturnal insects were just starting their nightly chorus. He looked over at Linc, who was staring out his own window in the driver’s seat.
They were parked on a quiet side street in the Hialeah area, with a Peruvian restaurant just down the road to their right, and several two- or three-level apartment buildings along their left. They had been sitting in their patrol car for nearly an hour already, and with the sun going down, it seemed like they might be in for a long haul. But Seth and Linc knew better than to let their vigilance down even for a second. They were here on assignment from Lieutenant Pearce to stake out the apartment where Ricky was supposed to have been living, follow his movements, make observations, and tail him if necessary.
But apart from their direct orders, the men would’ve been on it anyway. Seth was determined to protect Gentry at whatever cost, and if that meant tracking Ricky Hanes like a bloodhound, then so be it. So they were watching his terra cotta apartment building, scanning back and forth among the front entrance, the side alleys, and the street leading up to it. So far, no sign of Ricky within or outside of the residence, but they weren’t giving up yet. The night was young, and they were on a mission.
The neighborhood itself was relatively quiet tonight, although there were a few groups of people sitting on their little two-story balconies, sipping sweet tea or beers, chatting together. Some looked like happy families, with kids running around, and others were coupled up. One thing Seth didnotsee was a family unit consisting of one woman and two men. Usually, that didn’t bother him much. But lately, it was all he could think about, and it was pretty clear why.
Not that he had discussed any of this with anybody. Especially not Linc, even though the tension was strung between them like a tightrope. It wasn’t envy. It wasn’t anger. It was the silent mutual knowledge that they were tangled up in something they’d never expected to do again. They had managed to keep their affair with Gentry hush-hush, but now that they were on a stakeout together, it was getting increasingly difficult to maintain. Seth was not the type to just ignore the elephant in the room, even if Linc was stoic enough for both of them.
In the dimming evening light, Linc finally turned to make eye contact with Seth.
The younger cop softly began, “We both know why we’re here, right?”
Linc frowned. “The lieutenant sent us.”
Seth gave him an emphatic look. “Come on.”
Linc looked away out the windshield and sighed heavily. “Whatever we’re feeling, it doesn’t matter right now.”
“It does, though, Linc. You know it does. This isn’t some random fling you and I will get over in a week. Gentry isn’t that kind of girl, and you aren’t that kind of guy,” Seth countered.
“We don’t have to talk about it,” Linc said, but Seth shook his head.
“Yes. We do,” he persisted. “It’s not going away.”
Linc turned in his seat to glare at Seth.
“Okay, you want to talk? And say what, huh? That you’re falling in love with her and so am I? That we’re both going out of our minds trying to figure out a way to make this impossible situation work?” Linc blurted out angrily.
“Yeah, that’s a start,” Seth replied, “and it’s not like we haven’t been down this road before.”
“Exactly!” Linc retorted, eyes blazing. “Where did that road end, eh? I still see that drunk driver’s face every fucking day,every day, Seth! He killed her!”
“I know. We lost her. We lost Tara,” Seth admitted.
“Do you remember how much that hurt?” Linc growled. “I do.”
“I do, Linc. I loved her, too,” he replied softly. “That’s how I can tell these feelings are real. That’s how I know this is worth fighting for.”
“Gentry is the most amazing woman in the world. I think we can both agree on that,” Linc said. “But Tara was an exception; what woman could handle or want to handle two men? Especially two like us?”
“I don’t know, Gentry seemed pretty comfortable with us last night,” Seth pointed out.
Linc tensed. “For how long? Ricky made it very clear he doesn’t want us around her. What if our constant meddling in her life gets her fired? Ruins her career? What if some shitty tabloid runs a story about the country blues starlet who’s sleeping with two of Miami’s finest? It could destroy her. It could destroyus.”
“We won’t let it,” Seth protested.
“And who’s to say she’ll even want to see us anymore after everything goes down? If we take Ricky down, the whole house of cards might fall with him. Including Miami Blues. That place is a local gem, a landmark. It employs a lot of good people, and Gentry is among them. If the Blues gets busted, Gentry could be out of a job. She might have to move back to Tennessee,” Linc went on. “Hell, even if she wasn’t totally crushed in the shuffle, there’s a good chance she would hate us so much she’d never want to see us again anyway.”
“Sure, yes. There are lots of variables at play here,” Seth admitted. “There’s a lot that could go wrong. But isn’t that always the case when something is really, really worth it?”
“I don’t want to hurt her, Seth. We’re putting so much pressure on Gentry,” Linc said.
“Well, then, we’ll do what we can do: protect her through the shitstorm, and once it’s over, we can letherdecide. Maybe she’ll choose one of us. Maybe she’ll walk away entirely. Or maybe, just maybe, lightning does strike twice. She could be the one,” Seth suggested.
Linc just stared out the windshield vaguely in the direction of Ricky’s supposed domicile. Seth went on. “Who knows? There’s always a chance we could get hurt. But if there’s any woman in the world worth that risk…”
“It’s Gentry Hays,” Linc answered. “I agree.”