“Venezuela. They’re getting a few clinics up and running and training the staff.”
Calder set his donut on a napkin. “He’s doing good work.”
“And breaking my mother’s heart.” I didn’t remember the last time Beckett had been home. Maybe at Christmas four years ago for a total of forty-eight hours.
“Julia likes all of her chicks home to roost.”
“But it’ll never happen with him. Too much of a restless spirit.” I took a sip of coffee. “You get word from your investigator yet?”
“He called just as I was dropping off the girls. It’s arson. Not a professional job. If it hadn’t been so damn dry, it might not have spread so quickly.”
“Hell.” I dropped my donut onto a napkin and leaned back in my chair.
“You got some ideas?”
“Her family, to start.” Ian and Allen were at the top of my list.
Calder scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “That girl has more to deal with than anyone should.”
He wasn’t wrong. I looked longingly at my donut. “I’m going to have to take this to go.” I paused, taking in my friend and the dark circles rimming his eyes. “You okay?”
“Fine. Could just use a few more hours of sleep. You know how that goes.”
“Why don’t you let my mom take Birdie and Sage for one of their sleepovers next weekend? She’s always asking for more time with them.”
Calder broke off a piece of his donut but didn’t eat it. “Your mom does more than enough for us already.”
“And she loves every minute of it. You know she’s ready to throttle her kids because she doesn’t have grandchildren yet. You take some of the pressure off.”
He chuckled. “She playing matchmaker again?”
I stood from my chair and wrapped my donut in a napkin. “Thankfully, she hasn’t ambushed me lately, but I know it’s coming.”
“That’s one good thing about my parents moving to Florida. I only have to deal with their in-person meddling a couple of times a year.”
I scowled in his direction. “Rub it in, why don’t you?”
Calder stood to follow me out of the station. “You wouldn’t give up your family for anything.”
I wouldn’t. As many issues as we had, I couldn’t imagine living across the country from them. And it pissed me the hell off that Calder’s folks had up and left when they knew he needed help. But my parents had simply brought him into the fold. He was an honorary Easton now, and he’d eventually learn that being one of us meant someone was always there to help—or meddle.
I gave him a chin lift of farewell as we headed down the department steps. “Grab a nap today.”
He paused. “You taking backup?”
“Not for this.”
“You sure that’s smart? If they had something to do with this, they might not take kindly to you saying as much.”
My back teeth ground together. I’d accused Young of being reckless, and I was about to do the same damn thing. “You might have a point.”
He grinned. “Are you saying I know what I’m talking about?”
“Don’t push it.”
Young pulled into the small parking lot in her cruiser, waving as she stepped out. “Hey, boss. Smoke-eater.”
Calder nodded in her direction. “Donut-pusher. Why don’t you go with Hayes and make sure he doesn’t get himself into trouble he can’t get out of?”