restaurant,” Bret confided.
"That place is yours? I had no idea."
"That's how I like it."
"And that's why they call it silent partner.” Her curiosity had the best of her.
"If you don't mind my asking, Bret, what other kinds of businesses do you own?"
"Let's just say I own a variety of businesses. I'd hate to bore you with all my stresses in life."
"You seem to handle them very well. As a matter of fact, you don't seem stressed at all."
Bret stopped next to a bench on the side street, pulling Victoria against him.
"That's because I'm with you.” He took her face in his hands and kissed her.
Victoria unconsciously pulled away from Bret. She liked it, but it didn't feel right, and she damned Steven for the umpteenth time.
"I'm sorry, Bret, I ... It's been a while.” She looked away from him, and focused down the empty sidewalk.
He gently turned her face up toward him.
"It must have been pretty bad."
She nodded.
"He was a fool, I'm sure of it.” He gently kissed her forehead. He paused a moment, looking into her eyes, then kissed her left cheek, her right cheek, and her lips again. This time, she didn't pull away.
* * * *
"Hey, Malley, I heard Kafrey was looking for you."
"That's Sergeant Malley, Captain Louis,” Patrick told the captain who was an old friend of his. The captain laughed as Patrick shook his hand in greeting.
"I saw your nephew, Alex, this morning. He got a good ‘collar,’ a DWI at the end of a night shift. He was pissed."
Patrick laughed. “What about Connor, have you seen him around?"
"Yeah, I saw him about fifteen minutes ago. He was working on the robbery case from two days ago. It looks like they have someone in custody that fits the description. He wasn't too happy, either."
"Why was that?” Patrick was a little concerned.
Then Captain Louis leaned in closer to Patrick. “The word is that your niece Victoria is dating Bret Collins."
"What! Where the hell did he get that information from?” Patrick was pissed. Collins had to be maybe fifteen years older than his niece was, and he was an asshole. What the hell could she be thinking?
"They were spotted in Boulder Point last night. That fancy, expensive Italian place. What's the name?"
"Luigi's off of Main, down by the water?"
"Yeah, that's the place. I hear you can drop a couple of bills like that.” Captain Louis clicked his thumb and forefinger together.
"Holy shit, I had no idea.” Patrick felt the pain in the pit of his stomach. This information was sure to make his ulcer act up.
The captain put his arm around his friend's shoulder and whispered, “I'm sorry to have upset you. I figured if anyone knew that it would be you. You've basically taken over Danny's role, along with your sons."
"Ah, don't worry about it. I just hope it's not serious.” Patrick then excused himself. He immediately headed to his office, offering noncommittal greetings to his friends and colleagues along the way.
He closed his office door, tossing his normal routine of grabbing a cup of coffee first out of the way, and picked up the telephone.
He was annoyed when he got Victoria's answering machine and even more pissed when her cell phone went right to voice mail. Damn it, he wasn't stupid. She was avoiding her family on purpose, which made the pain in his stomach even worse as he slammed the phone down.
Rubbing his eyes with his fingertips, he sensed the tingling sensation and was sure it would turn into a pounding headache.
What could Victoria be thinking? Why now? Why Bret Collins of all people? Could it be serious?
He asked himself a handful of questions then prayed his niece was safe.
He didn't trust Bret Collins as a politician or as a man. His reputation and track record of approvals and denials on the town board was enough to make anyone question the man's integrity.
Sighing, he tried to focus on his paperwork then dropped the manila folder on his desk to pick up his cell phone.
Quickly, he dialed her number again.
* * *
"That place is yours? I had no idea."
"That's how I like it."
"And that's why they call it silent partner.” Her curiosity had the best of her.
"If you don't mind my asking, Bret, what other kinds of businesses do you own?"
"Let's just say I own a variety of businesses. I'd hate to bore you with all my stresses in life."
"You seem to handle them very well. As a matter of fact, you don't seem stressed at all."
Bret stopped next to a bench on the side street, pulling Victoria against him.
"That's because I'm with you.” He took her face in his hands and kissed her.
Victoria unconsciously pulled away from Bret. She liked it, but it didn't feel right, and she damned Steven for the umpteenth time.
"I'm sorry, Bret, I ... It's been a while.” She looked away from him, and focused down the empty sidewalk.
He gently turned her face up toward him.
"It must have been pretty bad."
She nodded.
"He was a fool, I'm sure of it.” He gently kissed her forehead. He paused a moment, looking into her eyes, then kissed her left cheek, her right cheek, and her lips again. This time, she didn't pull away.
* * * *
"Hey, Malley, I heard Kafrey was looking for you."
"That's Sergeant Malley, Captain Louis,” Patrick told the captain who was an old friend of his. The captain laughed as Patrick shook his hand in greeting.
"I saw your nephew, Alex, this morning. He got a good ‘collar,’ a DWI at the end of a night shift. He was pissed."
Patrick laughed. “What about Connor, have you seen him around?"
"Yeah, I saw him about fifteen minutes ago. He was working on the robbery case from two days ago. It looks like they have someone in custody that fits the description. He wasn't too happy, either."
"Why was that?” Patrick was a little concerned.
Then Captain Louis leaned in closer to Patrick. “The word is that your niece Victoria is dating Bret Collins."
"What! Where the hell did he get that information from?” Patrick was pissed. Collins had to be maybe fifteen years older than his niece was, and he was an asshole. What the hell could she be thinking?
"They were spotted in Boulder Point last night. That fancy, expensive Italian place. What's the name?"
"Luigi's off of Main, down by the water?"
"Yeah, that's the place. I hear you can drop a couple of bills like that.” Captain Louis clicked his thumb and forefinger together.
"Holy shit, I had no idea.” Patrick felt the pain in the pit of his stomach. This information was sure to make his ulcer act up.
The captain put his arm around his friend's shoulder and whispered, “I'm sorry to have upset you. I figured if anyone knew that it would be you. You've basically taken over Danny's role, along with your sons."
"Ah, don't worry about it. I just hope it's not serious.” Patrick then excused himself. He immediately headed to his office, offering noncommittal greetings to his friends and colleagues along the way.
He closed his office door, tossing his normal routine of grabbing a cup of coffee first out of the way, and picked up the telephone.
He was annoyed when he got Victoria's answering machine and even more pissed when her cell phone went right to voice mail. Damn it, he wasn't stupid. She was avoiding her family on purpose, which made the pain in his stomach even worse as he slammed the phone down.
Rubbing his eyes with his fingertips, he sensed the tingling sensation and was sure it would turn into a pounding headache.
What could Victoria be thinking? Why now? Why Bret Collins of all people? Could it be serious?
He asked himself a handful of questions then prayed his niece was safe.
He didn't trust Bret Collins as a politician or as a man. His reputation and track record of approvals and denials on the town board was enough to make anyone question the man's integrity.
Sighing, he tried to focus on his paperwork then dropped the manila folder on his desk to pick up his cell phone.
Quickly, he dialed her number again.
* * *
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