stomping down those feeling you have; otherwise, neither one of us is going to survive this.” Twirling around, she called over her shoulder, “I’m going out with a federal agent, and he promised to keep me safe.”
“Who is going to keep you safe from him?” he called.
“No one…I hope.” She moved through the patio doors and laughed.
CHAPTER FIVE
Joel sat with Gideon at the kitchen table, and they drank beer and shared a pizza. When the detective had called earlier and suggested they meet, he agreed right away. His specialty didn’t include solving crimes. He could go into hostile territory and pull out a hostage with a hundred people after him and succeed with his eyes closed. But solving a crime like this was outside his wheelhouse. “Thanks for meeting me here. I have to finish up the system tonight while Vivi is on her ‘date’.”
“How in the hell did you let that happen, man? You and your guys show up, and they decide it’s time to break up the widows’ club.”
“I guess it’s our magic touch,” Joel replied.
Taking another slice of pizza out of the box, Gideon devoured it quickly. “When Vivi came back to town last year, I did my best to be a good friend. I even tried to see if there was anything left between us.”
“How did that go?” Joel asked.
“We will be good friends for the rest of our lives, but she shut me down hard on anything else. I understood. Mostly.”
The sound of high heels clattered against the wood floors as Vivi made her way into the kitchen. Joel tried to prepare himself for what he was about to see, but he did a piss-poor job. When he swiveled around and Vivi came into view, he almost fell off his chair. Lord have mercy. It was true, she was going to torture him. Vivi stood before him in a formfitting, pale pink dress that left nothing to the imagination. It was tasteful, but her curves were shown off beautifully by the fabric that draped against her body. Her long chestnut-brown hair lay against her shoulders in soft waves, and her warm hazel eyes stared at him. Dr. Vivi DuMond was a fucking knockout…and she was going out with another man. How had he screwed up so spectacularly? What a shit show .
Gideon stood up and held out his hands. “Let me see you, girl. My God, you’re not going to show that poor Fed any mercy.” When she put her hands in his, he twirled her around and whistled. “You better behave tonight.”
“Oh, poo. I always behave. When do I get to stop behaving?” Sliding her hand onto her hip, she studied Gideon and winked. “I believe the last time I didn’t was when you talked me into losing my good name to you when we were sophomores.”
Gideon’s eyes roamed all over her body and he grinned like a wolf. “It was the best thing I ever did. Those memories of the two us still keep me warm at night.” Winking, he sat down and took a sip of his beer and wiped his brow.
“Always the charmer, Gideon. I love that about you.”
There was only so much that Joel could take, so he interrupted the cozy walk down memory lane. “Where is Wyatt taking you this evening?”
“I think he’s taking me to Antoine’s. He’s not real familiar with Louisiana cooking, so I thought it would be a good way for him to try it out.” Sliding into a chair at the table, she opened her small bag and gazed inside.
“Do you have cab money, Vivi?” Gideon pulled his wallet out and handed her forty dollars. “Just because he’s a Fed doesn’t mean that he knows how to behave with a proper Southern woman.”
Patting his hand, she smiled. “My goodness, you’re sweet.”
Interrupting the little tête–à–tête, Joel took her phone and programmed in his number. “You call me, Vivi, and I will come and get you. Maybe I’ll just go and hang out in the bar and make sure that everything goes okay.”
Laughing, she looked at both men. “I feel like I’m in high school and my two brothers are giving me advice. The next thing I’m going
“Who is going to keep you safe from him?” he called.
“No one…I hope.” She moved through the patio doors and laughed.
CHAPTER FIVE
Joel sat with Gideon at the kitchen table, and they drank beer and shared a pizza. When the detective had called earlier and suggested they meet, he agreed right away. His specialty didn’t include solving crimes. He could go into hostile territory and pull out a hostage with a hundred people after him and succeed with his eyes closed. But solving a crime like this was outside his wheelhouse. “Thanks for meeting me here. I have to finish up the system tonight while Vivi is on her ‘date’.”
“How in the hell did you let that happen, man? You and your guys show up, and they decide it’s time to break up the widows’ club.”
“I guess it’s our magic touch,” Joel replied.
Taking another slice of pizza out of the box, Gideon devoured it quickly. “When Vivi came back to town last year, I did my best to be a good friend. I even tried to see if there was anything left between us.”
“How did that go?” Joel asked.
“We will be good friends for the rest of our lives, but she shut me down hard on anything else. I understood. Mostly.”
The sound of high heels clattered against the wood floors as Vivi made her way into the kitchen. Joel tried to prepare himself for what he was about to see, but he did a piss-poor job. When he swiveled around and Vivi came into view, he almost fell off his chair. Lord have mercy. It was true, she was going to torture him. Vivi stood before him in a formfitting, pale pink dress that left nothing to the imagination. It was tasteful, but her curves were shown off beautifully by the fabric that draped against her body. Her long chestnut-brown hair lay against her shoulders in soft waves, and her warm hazel eyes stared at him. Dr. Vivi DuMond was a fucking knockout…and she was going out with another man. How had he screwed up so spectacularly? What a shit show .
Gideon stood up and held out his hands. “Let me see you, girl. My God, you’re not going to show that poor Fed any mercy.” When she put her hands in his, he twirled her around and whistled. “You better behave tonight.”
“Oh, poo. I always behave. When do I get to stop behaving?” Sliding her hand onto her hip, she studied Gideon and winked. “I believe the last time I didn’t was when you talked me into losing my good name to you when we were sophomores.”
Gideon’s eyes roamed all over her body and he grinned like a wolf. “It was the best thing I ever did. Those memories of the two us still keep me warm at night.” Winking, he sat down and took a sip of his beer and wiped his brow.
“Always the charmer, Gideon. I love that about you.”
There was only so much that Joel could take, so he interrupted the cozy walk down memory lane. “Where is Wyatt taking you this evening?”
“I think he’s taking me to Antoine’s. He’s not real familiar with Louisiana cooking, so I thought it would be a good way for him to try it out.” Sliding into a chair at the table, she opened her small bag and gazed inside.
“Do you have cab money, Vivi?” Gideon pulled his wallet out and handed her forty dollars. “Just because he’s a Fed doesn’t mean that he knows how to behave with a proper Southern woman.”
Patting his hand, she smiled. “My goodness, you’re sweet.”
Interrupting the little tête–à–tête, Joel took her phone and programmed in his number. “You call me, Vivi, and I will come and get you. Maybe I’ll just go and hang out in the bar and make sure that everything goes okay.”
Laughing, she looked at both men. “I feel like I’m in high school and my two brothers are giving me advice. The next thing I’m going
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