Chapter 4

• Dade dropped down on the couch. “I’d offer you a beer, but you saw the pictures. I haven’t been able to think of one since, so I don’t have any.”
• Patrick sat back and grinned. “I’m fine. Is there a story behind those pictures?”
• Dade smirked. “A very stupid one. Let’s just say it doesn’t matter now that I’m engaged to her.”
• “Ah.” Patrick smirked. “Say no more, I feel that.”
• Dade studied him for a minute. “So…Rhonda?”
• Patrick rubbed his hand over his face. “Damnedest woman I’ve ever met.”
• Dade chuckled. “I thought as much.”
• “What?” Patrick gave him a curious look.
• “Don’t what me. I’ve seen the way you look at her.”
• Patrick shook his head. “I had to watch her remember?”
• Dade slid down and clasped his hands behind his head. “Had to. Past tense. Don’t now.”
• Patrick shrugged. “She doesn’t have anyone; no family and her closest friend was the other woman we found with her…”
• Dade hissed. “That’s gotta be rough on her. Her healing isn’t going as quickly as she’d like us to believe, is it?”
• Patrick leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. Looking down at his hands, he shook his head. “No. No it isn’t. Her back still bothers her a lot. They’re talking about surgery to reduce the scarring, so the skin will stretch better or something.” He looked up at Dade. “She can barely manage to make a meal for herself or hold anything in her hands.” He stood up and paced away a few feet, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “She’s frustrated with it all, and I can’t blame her there.”
• “You’re half in love with her.” Dade said quietly.
• Patrick smirked at him. “Oh, I’d say more than half, but I can’t get near her. She’s got a whole lot going on right now and even if she jokes with all of you about it…a man complicating her life wouldn’t help right now.”
• Dade sighed. “It might.”
• Patrick shook his head and turned back to the window. “There’s more. I have to go back to work.” He turned and looked at him. “I took time I had coming to me after Mabon, she doesn’t know, but next week I have to go back. Then what?” He took a deep breath. “She’ll be stuck in her apartment with no one, she lives over an hour away, so it’s not like I could ask anyone of you to check on her.”
• “You won’t be able to?”
• Patrick shook his head. “No. I’m going in deep, something I set up before Beltane. Hopefully not for too long though.”
• Dade sat and watched the man silently. He couldn’t do that. If Cora was in Rhonda’s position and he had to leave her, well, he’d be without a job. “Would she move here?”
• Patrick raised an eyebrow. “Here with you?”
• Dade grinned. “No. Here to this house. I plan on invading Cora’s until we’re married. I’ve waited too many years, and now that I have her I’m not letting go even for the engagement.”
• “Does Cora know this?”
• He shrugged. “Deep down, probably. This place will be empty, Cora and I will be a few minutes away…”
• “I could ask her, but there’s a problem there…”
• “Afraid of a tiny redhead, Detective?”
• Patrick smirked. “At times.” He sobered. “She’s going to think that I don’t think she can do it on her own, if I ask her.”
• Dade sat forward. “Yeah, I get that. Let me talk to Cora tomorrow and see what she thinks can be done.” He sighed. “Does Rhonda know you’re going away?”
• Patrick nodded. “She does.”
• Dade stood up. “Leave it with me and I’ll get back to you.”
• Patrick dropped down on the couch and let out a long sigh. “It’s appreciated. I can’t tell you how uncomfortable I’ve been.”
• Dade grinned down at him. “Well, if you take as long to hook up with her as the rest of us did with the girls… get used to uncomfortable, it only gets worse.”
• He leaned back. “Somethin’ to look forward to.” He sighed again. “She’s just…I dunno, sometimes I just want to pick her up and shelter her from the rest of the planet.”
• Dade leaned his hip against the chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I know that too well. Can I ask a dumb question?”
• “You’re entitled.”
• Dade grinned. “How the hell old are you? Sometimes I think you’re my age, and then sometimes you look like you’ve lived too many lives.”
• Patrick grinned. “It’s been a long career in law enforcement. I’m only thirty-five—going on seventy some days.”
• “You’ve got a rough, worn out look about you, my friend. That cute little redhead might help lessen it a bit.” He scratched his head. “And how old is Miss Caruthers? Cuz’ sometimes she looks to be about sixteen.”
• Patrick laughed. “Yeah, I’ve noticed and then she opens that nasty mouth and spews something mean.” He shook his head. “She’s actually twenty-eight.”
• Dade’s jaw dropped. “Really? Wow, well guess it doesn’t matter how you look at it then, she’ll always look younger.”
• He frowned at him. “Go to bed Jones, you’ve made me old and haggard enough for one night.”
• Dade straightened. “Always aim to help. See you around dawn. I have four thousand things I’m supposed to do tomorrow and no clue how.”
• “That makes two of us then.” Patrick said quietly as he watched Dade walk out of the room.