I nodded again.

Then I looked down at his hand and saw a wide, shiny, gold wedding band proudly displayed.

I looked back into his eyes. “You’re married?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed.

“She’s lucky,” I whispered and he grinned his shit-eating grin again.

“Sorry, Tess, that’s me.”

Great freaking response.

So great, I felt my face go soft and I smiled. “Bet she thinks differently.”

His face went soft too and he replied, “Yeah, she does. One of the many reasons she makes me lucky.”

I heard the sirens and I suspected he was a man on the move and wouldn’t hang around long enough for me to offer him gratitude cupcakes.

So, quickly, I said, “Thanks for stepping in tonight.”

“Slim wanted you on radar, you’re on radar. You got eyes on you often but definitely anytime you lock up alone. He called and told us tonight you were lockin’ up alone.”

I didn’t know this but I liked it.

“Well, thanks.”

He jerked up his chin. Then he grinned. I smiled back. Then the cop car showed.

Ten minutes later Brock showed and I was right. The boys were in the truck looking freaked and Brock was in it looking pissed. I was also right about Vance. He made his statement, gave his card, and took off.

Ten minutes after that, Brock and the boys followed behind my car as we drove to his house.

Ten seconds after I arrived, I turned on the taps in the bath.

* * *

“Babe,” I heard but didn’t move. “Tess,” I heard from closer and I still didn’t move.

But a noise escaped my lips and it was, “Mm?”

“How long you gonna stay in the tub?” Brock asked and I couldn’t see him, seeing as I had a wet washcloth on my face, but I knew from his voice he was crouched right by the tub.

“Infinity,” I muttered.

I heard a chuckle then I heard water splash and I heard Brock again. “Water isn’t even warm anymore.”

“If I don’t move,” I told the washcloth, “I can pretend it’s still steaming.”

“Tess, darlin’, get out. You need dinner. It’s nearly nine.”

“I’m too tired to eat.”

“You still gotta do it.”

“If I leave this tub, I enter the world. Damian doesn’t exist in here. Olivia doesn’t exist in here.” Reluctantly, I lifted a hand, removed the cloth from my face, looked into his silver eyes, and suggested, “Let’s move in here. We can buy a mini-fridge, a tiny microwave, and a camp stove and we’ll be set.”

He grinned. “I think, even for you, it’d be a challenge to make a carrot cake on a camp stove.”

“Yes,” I muttered, looking to my toes at the end of the tub, “that would be a drawback.”

His hand moved to cup my jaw and force my face back to looking at his, where I saw his eyes had melted mercury.

“My sweet Tess has had a bad day,” he murmured.