Rather than guess, she walked right over to Charley with a wide smile. “That’s the husband I was telling you about on break earlier.”
“Oh, really?” Charley’s eyebrows knitted together.
“It’s okay if he comes here to eat, right? We can pay for his dinner if that’s a—”
Charley shook his head.
“No problem. Family gets the employee discount. Make sure Stevie knows.” Charley nodded toward Quint. “I’d keep an eye on your man around here if I were you.”
Ree turned around in time to see the female bartender throwing her hair back, laughing, and making conversation with Quint as she closed down the bar. A twinge of jealousy formed a knot in her stomach.
“Didn’t realize I would have to,” she said, trying to joke. It fell flat.
“No physical contact while you’re working. It’s bad for business,” Charley said before walking away and heading into the kitchen.
Ree stood there for a long moment.
“Don’t worry,” Adrian said as she walked over. “Charley is all bark and no bite.”
“He’s serious about the no-touching policy, though. Isn’t he?” she asked, not needing to fake disappointment.
“At first, I’d toe the line if I were you. Give it a few weeks and he’ll lighten up,” Adrian said. “Charley usually takes a shine to the new girls, so he probably doesn’t love the fact you’re married.”
Ree decided this wasn’t the time to mention that she wasn’t a “girl.” Adrian probably hadn’t intentionally been offensive. “Are you saying he has a crush on me?”
“You wouldn’t be the first,” Adrian said. “He’s gone out with several of us.”
Ree picked up on the us immediately. She didn’t need to be a good investigator to realize Adrian had dated Charley. Had Zoey done the same?
“It’s all fun and games in the beginning,” the other waitress continued wistfully. “He can be quite a charmer when he puts his mind to it.”
“And when he doesn’t?” Ree asked more out of curiosity than anything else. This information was painting a picture of the man who ran Greenlight, and Ree needed all the information she could get.
“Let’s just say it gets real cold in the shadows,” Adrian said.
Ree nodded toward Zoey. “What about her? Did they date?”
“I’m not sure what to think about poor Zoey,” Adrian said, moving closer and whispering.
“Not cool.” Ree figured Charley could go down on at least one charge even if he wasn’t responsible for the guns running out of the back of his establishment. At the very least, he needed to learn how to respect women.
Adrian shrugged. “She’s young and doesn’t talk much. I know she’s staying at the motel a couple of blocks from here. It’s one of those pay-by-the-week places.”
“Any family around?” Ree figured she needed to let it go, so this would be the last question. She didn’t need to snap into investigator mode.
“Just the jerk over there at the bar. He used to show up more, yelling at her in the parking lot,” Adrian said, making a face.
“Poor kid.” Ree shook her head. “She can’t be more than twenty.”
“Yeah,” Adrian agreed. “What’s your story?”
Ree gave her the two-minute version before excusing herself to check on an order from the kitchen. Adrian had handed over interesting information about Zoey. When Ree really looked at the other waitress, she thought Adrian might have a point about age. Zoey could pass for twenty but she might barely be eighteen. There were some very physically mature teenagers who looked much older than they were. Puberty could be an interesting mixer. Ree fell into the late bloomer camp and she’d always been told she looked younger than she really was. She figured she’d appreciate it later in life. Not so much after she’d turned twenty-one and was constantly carded while ordering a beer after work or trying to buy a bottle of wine on her way home.
After setting down plates, she made rounds. Table three needed their check, so she handled that. More water for table two, so she fixed that easily enough.
At least they’d made it through a night. Everything hurt after being on her feet all day. Time to close up the restaurant side couldn’t come fast enough. The scare with Sarah and Marcus had her nerves on edge.
After filling her last ketchup bottle, she got her handbag out of the locker she’d been assigned in back. The room wasn’t much larger than a walk-in pantry with space for no more than three people at one time. The back door was beside it and a small employee bathroom sat directly across. Ree took special note of the layout, and the camera positioned above the back door.
Quint was no longer sitting at the bar by the time she reentered the dining room, but Charley was in deep conversation with Ruddy and Bald. A moment of panic struck as she scanned the room. He probably headed back to the cabin without her. They hadn’t exactly come up with a plan for how to handle nights. Still, for reasons she didn’t want to examine, it bothered her that he hadn’t stayed to walk her home.
Mentally shaking it off, she said good-night to the others and headed out the front door.
Quint was there, sitting, and her heart gave a little flip. He stood up the minute she walked outside.
“Hey,” he said, dipping his head down and kissing her before linking their fingers. Heat swirled through her body. Instead of fighting the feeling, she leaned into it.
“How was work?” he asked, giving her hand a little squeeze.
This might just be for show but there was something nice about him being there.
“Good tips tonight but my feet are ready to fall off,” she admitted.
“Too bad I have this injury or I’d carry you over the threshold,” he said and she couldn’t tell if he was serious or joking as they headed home to the cabin. He lowered his voice when he said, “I have information.”
Ree’s mind immediately snapped to Ruddy and Bald. Then there was Zoey. The young woman was on her mind now and she couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to help.
QUINT LET GO of Ree’s hand the minute they were safely inside the cabin. He instantly felt cold where warmth used to be. “Charley’s cousin is the sheriff.”
“Interesting. I don’t remember seeing that intel in the brief.” Ree kicked off her boots at the door and walked over to the sofa before plopping down. She started rubbing her feet almost immediately.
“They had different last names and there’s a stepfamily situation, which took the agency a minute to figure out,” he stated, walking over to the fridge. “Do you want anything to drink?”
“Water would be nice. I had fifteen minutes to gobble down my dinner, which was the most amazing chicken-fried steak I’ve ever eaten, and almost no time to stay hydrated.” She groaned her pleasure at the mention of the food and it wasn’t a sound he needed to have associated with her.
He might have had doubts about being able to work with Ree but he was coming around. She’d held her own on a long shift and, in his estimation, had to do the heavy lifting in the case by working at Greenlight.
Quint poured two glasses of water and brought hers over to the coffee table, setting it down within arm’s reach.
“Thank you,” she said. “Interesting about the sheriff. Did you get his or her name?”
“Sheriff Welton Rice,” Quint supplied.
“I’m sure the agency is doing a deep dive into his background,” she said. “Seeing if he has any blemishes on his record.”
He nodded. She was on the right track. He dimmed the lights before taking a seat across from her.
“I’m sure you took note of the two men who came in at closing time,” she stated.
“The bald guy and the one with the ruddy complexion,” he said. “Hard to miss those two.”
“And the fact my cover was almost blown by my brother’s friends.” She gave him a quick rundown. “I don’t think anyone caught on but I did see Adrian and Zoey whispering.”
“Could have been about anything,” he said.
“I know. The timing is terrible, though,” she said.
“It’s never a good time to run into people from your real world,” he stated. “I can feel Stevie out to see if you hit her radar. She keeps tabs on what goes on at the place.”
“You definitely hit Charley’s radar,” she said as a look flashed behind her eyes. If they were a real couple, he’d say it was jealousy. Under the circumstances, it couldn’t be.
“What did he say?” he asked.
“No touching. Said it’s bad for business,” she stated. “You can swing by for dinner. I get the impression he doesn’t mind as long as we steer clear of each other inside those glass doors.”
“Got it,” he said. “The man keeps a close eye.”
“He’s either very involved at running his business or has something to hide,” she said.
He nodded. The two of them were hitting a stride with each other.
“Mind if I ask a personal question?” he asked, trying to capitalize on the comfort they were developing with their partnership.
“Go ahead.” She picked up the water and took a sip.
“Why did you get into law enforcement?” he asked. Everyone he’d come across, be it cop, agent or investigator, had a story.
“Um, well...” She seemed a little surprised by the change in direction. “Let’s see, I grew up with four brothers thinking I was one of them, so I was never going to be a prima ballerina, much to my mother’s great shock and disappointment.”
“Expectations are hard to live up to. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to come from such a big family, though,” he said. “To be honest, I always wished for siblings.”
“Mine are all great in their own ways and they never treated me like I was anything less than an equal,” she admitted with a smile. “But I followed in my dad’s footsteps going into law enforcement. He was killed in a high-speed chase when I was little, so my grandfather stepped in. He was always my role model and hero.” The note of melancholy in her voice said she missed her father very much.
“What made you decide law enforcement was the right career?” he asked.
“Why does anyone follow in anyone else’s footsteps. To make them proud, I guess. It’s in the blood for me,” she admitted. “What about you?”
“Okay,” he started. She’d been honest with him, so reciprocating was the least he could do. “You already know that I grew up with a single mother who worked two jobs. We lived in a trailer park on the outskirts of Houston and she was gone most of the time. I got bored. Lonely. So I got into trouble.”
She winced before taking another sip. “Must have turned out okay since you’re here. What happened?”
“There was a liaison officer at my school who realized I needed a male role model in my life,” he said, thinking that he never told this story. “His name was Officer Jazz, so, clearly, we used fake dance behind his back. Jazz hands and all.”
She laughed and it was the most musical sound.
“One of the times I got into trouble, he took it upon himself to speak to the office about me. My teachers came forward saying I used to be a good student and they weren’t sure what happened. Jazzy, as I used to call him, didn’t leave it there. He kept digging and then eventually asked if he could sit with me at lunch one day. Said there was a program and wanted to know if I’d be his little brother,” he said. “I balked at first but then I got into really bad trouble. I remember distinctly sitting across the dining room table from my mom and seeing the exhaustion and hurt in her eyes. She could barely stay awake because she’d worked all night at the hospital changing bedpans. It just clicked for me in that moment she deserved better from me.”
“Your mom sounds like an amazing person,” she said with so much admiration in her voice a place deep down inside him awakened, bringing a peek of light.
“She was,” he said, covering the emotion building with the realization he never spoke about his mom to anyone. Not even Tessa.
“I’m so sorry.” Ree’s expression changed from admiration to sorrow.
“She got sick. It was a long time ago.” Those were the mantras he repeated in order to shove his feelings aside.
“It sounds like you two were very close,” she observed.
“Yes, and the point of the story is that having someone other than my mother believe in me, having Jazzy, made all the difference in the world. It saved my life,” he said in a tone that revealed this conversation was changing directions.
Ree sat there for a long moment, looking lost in thought. “I wonder who Zoey has had in her life.”
“The young waitress?” he asked.
“Yes. Adrian mentioned Zoey might be in a bad relationship and living with the guy in a motel down the street,” she said.
“Think you can get close to her? Find out her story?” Quint asked, his own anger rising at the thought of a lost young person.
Ree nodded.
“It’s just sad. You know?” She lifted those incredible green eyes to meet his. “She is still so young and it doesn’t seem like she has anyone to look out for her.”
He did know to a point. He’d never doubted his mom’s love and it was the other reason he’d wanted to shift gears and be a better person all those years ago. Desire was one thing and a good place to start. Having support taught him how to cross the finish line.
“The boyfriend might be an abusive boyfriend,” Ree said.
“We’ll do what we can to help her no matter what else happens on this case,” he promised, and he had every intention of following through. No young person should be left to their own devices when others could step in and offer a hand up. “Which doesn’t mean she’ll take it. We can’t do anything for her. She has to be ready to leave him if that’s the situation.”
“We can try. This is good,” Ree said, her eyes lighting up. “What’s the point of doing this job if we can’t make a difference, right?”
Quint couldn’t have said it better himself. Up until now, he’d viewed his job as taking bad guys off the streets. He realized how cliché it sounded early on in his career, so he didn’t bring it up with other officers, or civilians for that matter. There’d been a few cases involving misguided young folks that had stuck with him. Maybe he and Ree could make a difference in this case.
He glanced at the clock. They’d been talking way too long and Ree needed to get some rest if she was going to do this all again tomorrow. They’d made good progress tonight toward getting to know each other and working together.
“What do you think about turning in for the night?” he asked.
Ree checked the time. “Oh, wow. I really lost track of time here.”
She stood.
“I’m a night shower person, so I’ll just grab my clothes. This sofa is fine with me for sleeping if you want to throw a blanket and pillow over here,” she stated, biting back a yawn as though being reminded of her exhaustion suddenly kicked her body into sleep mode.
“I’ll have everything ready for when you’re done,” he confirmed. There was no way he was letting her take the sofa when he could easily grab a nap during the day if needed.
Ree left the room as he thought about how little he ever spoke about his mom. Tessa had stepped into the role of his only living family and he’d buried childhood memories down deep. Memories of how he and his mother used to have one meal a day together, his breakfast and her dinner. It was the half hour their lives crossed and they spent time talking, checking in with each other. Looking back, he could see those meals started happening after Jazzy came into their lives. Quint’s mother had been seventeen when she’d given birth to him and, although he never doubted her love for him, she probably didn’t have the necessary parenting skills.
This whole conversation with Ree reminded Quint to catch up with Jazzy, maybe take him out for a beer.
He shifted his thoughts back to the case. He needed to review the video footage from the pencil-sized cameras he’d placed in the windows. The recordings were feeding to his laptop and he needed to watch the footage so he could start getting a sense of routines and behaviors. Since he didn’t have unlimited data storage and the Wi-Fi was sketchy out here, he would have to take notes and then erase the recordings on a regular basis. He opened his laptop and fired off an email to Agent Grappell about the sheriff’s connection.
For the time being, he would have to mostly rely on intel Ree provided, since he hadn’t gotten a toe in the door yet. It was early and these investigations could take weeks, even months when going deep undercover. Considering they already knew weapons were being run out the back, this one should be on the shorter side. Why did the thought hold less appeal now that he was getting to know Ree?
For the first time since this whole case began, he didn’t balk at the idea of being with another female partner. Ree had proved she could stand up to him, which was important. She’d more than proved she could handle the job next door. Her waitressing skills looked on point when he was in the room and she’d already scored critical pieces of information and that was just on day one. Charley seemed to have taken a shine to her. As much as Quint didn’t like that part, she’d played her hand perfectly with the restaurant owner, proving to be a valuable asset while under pressure.
For the first time since losing Tessa, Quint was warming up to working with a new partner. Now it was time to check out the camera footage and see what else he could find.
REE FINISHED HER shower in record time, exhaustion having settled in the minute she peeled off her work clothes. She would get two uniforms so she could wear one and wash the other. Thankfully, she’d seen a washer/dryer combo in the hall closet. The embarrassment of her undergarments being hung outside for the world to see wasn’t exactly something she could digest at the moment. She didn’t exactly want Quint handling her bra and panties, either.
The day had been productive for a first day. Groundwork was being laid. She’d established a few boundaries and Quint had been introduced to the picture. This was all good progress.
Ree toweled off, and dressed in the most innocuous pair of pajamas known to man: lounge pants and an oversize T-shirt. She secured a light robe on top as if the other pieces weren’t figure-hiding enough. Besides, she was a tornado when she slept, so she needed coverage. She threw her uniform and day’s undergarments into the washer and turned it on.
Walking into the living room, she noticed the sofa bed had been pulled out. She started toward it when Quint practically growled at her to take the bed.
“Why? What changed in the last fifteen minutes since I was in the shower?” she asked.
“You need a good night’s sleep.” He pointed to the sofa bed. “That thing isn’t going to give it to you.”
“With all due respect, the same is true for you,” she said, standing her ground.
“I can sleep sitting up if needed, and take a nap if I crash in the daytime. You, on the other hand, have to be on your feet all day again tomorrow. Do you want to do that after sleeping with a rod up your back?” he asked, not looking up from his laptop.
“When you put it that way, no,” she admitted. “But I don’t need you to make concessions for me because I’m fem—”
“I wasn’t,” came the growl that practically shook the walls.
“Good,” she shot back, forcing herself to be unafraid. She’d seen his gentle side when he spoke about his mom. A good person was behind those steel walls he’d erected. After learning about his background, she understood him better. She also realized her brother Shane was right. She had to be brave if she was ever going to have a chance to break down Quint’s barriers. A voice in the back of her head told her that he wasn’t the type to share his past easily or with many. The moment that had happened between them was special, and despite initial evidence to the contrary, the two of them might just end up friends.
The same voice picked that moment to remind her that friends didn’t cause electricity to pulse through her at the lightest contact or her stomach to free-fall with a glance in her direction.
She shelved those thoughts under the category of unproductive.
Quint’s reputation said he was one of the best at his job. She intended to use this time to learn from a master because who knew when an opportunity like this would ever come along again? Being paired with an agent like Quint was a dream come true.
“You want me to sleep on the bed? I’ll take the bed,” she said, throwing her arms up like it didn’t matter one way or the other to her. “I don’t mind being comfortable and this mattress looks like a dream.”
It didn’t. But she didn’t let that stop her from singing its praises.
Quint didn’t respond. After growing up with four brothers, she realized she’d scored a direct hit.
“Bathroom is yours,” she said, climbing under the sheets. She checked her cell before going to bed and saw there was a text from Preston. Hey, was all it said. She wasn’t touching that one with a ten-foot pole. The last time she responded to one of her ex’s texts a six-week fling had kicked off. Granted, the sex had been worth it, but walking away from him a second time had practically gutted her. Plus, she was on an assignment. The rest of the world had to wait. She didn’t even contact her brothers when she was undercover.
The lights were dim enough for her to sleep. She’d never been especially picky in that department. All she needed was a bed, covers and AC in order to be good to go for a night’s rest. And not even a good bed, which was the reason she’d volunteered to take the couch in the first place. It really didn’t matter much to her and his sheer size should dictate he take the larger mattress. But hey, whatever he wanted was fine with her.
“Is Charley still hiring waitresses?” Quint asked.
“Not that I know of,” she said. “Why?”
“I was trying to figure out the reason for the double shift and if this was going to be the norm,” he said.
“A waitress called in sick. Normally, I’ll be working the lunch shift but he needs me for both while she’s out,” she said.
“At least you’ll get to know the players faster that way,” he said.
Tomorrow, on her shift, she planned to keep a closer eye on Zoey as long as she could do it without getting caught. No matter how much her heart went out to Zoey, she couldn’t become a distraction to the real assignment. Could she get the young woman to talk? Share her story?
Ree glanced at the clock. She would know in less than twelve hours.