She shot him a self-satisfied look.
“Well, Imighthave put in my application just after we talked about co-fostering,” she preened. “And I was actually approved this morning,” she ended with a little squeal. “So now I’m startingmythirty hours, which I’ll do on my many boring trips out and back to Jeffrey’s Ledge on theWater Wrestler.”
“That’s great news,” Vince congratulated her jubilantly. Lace was really something else.
He started the truck and backed out of the spot he’d been lucky enough to find in the busy lot.
He’d been wondering if and how Lace would proceed with her end of things. He hadn’t wanted to pressure her in case she’d changed her mind, but he should have figured she’d been all over it.
“That means we can get the rest of the ball rolling, sooner, rather than later,” he mulled excitedly.
“We sure can,” Lace responded. “I had a chance to look things over this morning, and I’m not seeing anything in the classwork that’s particularly difficult. It’s all common-sense stuff.”
“Exactly,” Vince said, tapping his painted temple. “And we’ve completely got that covered.”
“Says the clown-guy,” she quipped.
“Hey,” he mock-pouted. “I’ll have you know that clowns are very level-headed.”
“So you say, but…” She rolled her eyes and added a touch of sass to her tone. “Where are we headed right now?”
“Oh, shit. That’s a good question. You haven’t told me where you’d like to eat yet, have you.”
He’d been driving in a general direction without a clue as to where they’d end up.
So much for common sense.
Lace laughed and cut him some slack. “Well, now that we’ve established you’re human, and since we’re already headed toward town, how about the Bear’s Claw?” she asked. “Nate makes a mean panini.”
Off the hook.
“You know Nate?” Vincent chuckled.
“Doesn’t everybody? That kid is the best gossip in town. If you want to know anything about anybody’s business, he’s the one to see.”
With the Bear’s Claw being within walking distance of Diver Downeast, Vincent had met the twenty-something barista/food-server the first day he’d worked at the shop. Everyone who worked at DD took advantage of the stellar coffee, pastries, and home-made lunches that the establishment offered.
And since Natedidseem to know everybody in town, maybe a few questions at another time would uncover just what the story was with the captain of theWater Wrestler.
It was food for thought, since his cop brothers hadn’t discovered anything on their radar regarding the man.
“Bear’s Claw it is,” Vince agreed, before adding a caveat. “Although we risk running into my brothers and their wives there,” he warned, not sure how Lace would take meeting up with not only his mother today, but more of his meddlesome family.
“Hmm. Buck, maybe?” She fanned herself, theatrically. “Ialwayslook forward to seeing him.”
Vince gave an internal growl.
The minxknewhe’d experienced a little jealousy over her comments about his brother during their last conversation about him, and even though Buck was very happily married to Bobbie, Lace was clearly pleased to poke that hornet’s nest.
“Yeah,” he sniped petulantly. “ButI’myour boyfriend, right?” Vincent posed.
Sometimes a guy just needed to hear the words.
Lace reached over and patted his thigh. “You are indeed, my boyfriend,” she agreed, then got a sly look on her face, “That is,ifyou agree to call this a date.”
She had him there, and he wasn’t going to mess around.
“Fine. This is a date,” he gave in.