To Love a Cop by Janice Kay Johnson Read Free Book Online

she’d remembered to bring her purse.
    “See you there,” he said with a nod.
    Over the roof of the car, their eyes met, and his heart skipped a couple of beats at what he saw in hers before color washed over her cheeks and she climbed in and slammed her door.
    Feeling uncomfortably light-headed, Ethan got into his Yukon, where he sat looking at the back of her head and wondering what in the hell had just happened.

CHAPTER THREE
    L AURA PARKED IN front of the house instead of driving into the garage and waited for Ethan to get out of the big SUV that had ridden her bumper all the way. She was embarrassed to feel so grateful for his insistence on accompanying her home. She knew that, at the least, he’d listen patiently and that he was nonjudgmental.
    She saw him putting his phone back on his belt as he walked toward her, which meant he’d taken a call during the drive. Her eyebrows pulled into a frown.
    “If you have to go, it’s okay.”
    He shook his head, wiping his face clean of whatever irritation or frustration he felt. “It was just an update.”
    “Oh.”
    “I assume Jake’s home?”
    She made a face as she led the way onto the porch. “Unless he’s decided to run away.”
    He chuckled. “I kind of doubt that.”
    “I don’t know.” At least she’d remembered to lock the front door as she flew out. Inserting her key, she said over her shoulder, “He’s been a real pain in the butt this week. It’s like having a rabid teenager in the house.”
    Her reward was a deep laugh, so close behind it stirred the hair on her nape and made her shiver. “Sadly,” he murmured, “my mother would know exactly what you’re talking about.”
    Despite everything, Laura found herself smiling, too, as she opened the door. “She would, huh?”
    Jake was waiting in the hall leading from the bedrooms, his mouth dropping open at the sight of her. “You’re not mad anymore.”
    “I’m still mad. I’m just...” She tried to decide. “I did what I could. Monday I’ll go talk to your principal.”
    “I thought Uncle Tino would hit you.”
    Laura crossed the room to gather him into her arms and press her cheek to his. “He wouldn’t have done that. In his world view, it wouldn’t have been manly.”
    “Really?” Her son’s voice squeaked.
    “Really.” She smiled and kissed his forehead. “I don’t know if I accomplished anything, but I didn’t blow it as bad as I would have if Ethan hadn’t showed up to talk some sense into me. So thank you for calling him.”
    His expression was so incredulous, it made her laugh.
    “I thought you’d be mad.”
    “You mean, even madder.” She grimaced. “I was. Until he talked sense into me. Now I’m not.”
    He exhaled a huge breath. “Oh.” Then a frown crinkled his forehead. “What did he say? Uncle Tino?”
    “Actually...not much. Mostly, I didn’t give him a chance to talk.”
    “He said he was sorry,” Ethan said quietly, and she turned.
    “You were looking at him. Do you think he meant it?”
    “Yeah. He was crying, Laura.”
    “Crying?” He’d said that, but it hadn’t sunk in. Now, she tried to picture the oldest Vennetti son breaking down. “Tino?”
    Jake looked stunned. “Wow.”
    Laura gave herself a shake. “Have a seat, Detective.”
    His eyes smiled at her. “Ethan.”
    “Ethan.” Why had she even bothered to try to distance him? “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
    “I’d love a cup of coffee.”
    “Sugar? Creamer?”
    “Black.”
    He chose the same place on the sofa to sit as the last time he’d been here. When she went to the kitchen, she heard his and Jake’s voices. Fortunately, she had some decent coffee on hand and returned reasonably quickly with two mugs.
    Ethan took his with thanks. “I usually bring a travel mug with me. Kind of hurried out the door this morning.”
    “Jake said you investigate assaults and...bias crimes? Does that mean specifically anti-gay or whatever?”
    “That’s right. Did you know