Arissa dropped her elbows on the table, leaned closer to Hank. He read her like a book. “Damn, we really do know each other,” she said and grinned, but sobered when she reached across the table for his hand, linking their fingers. “Honey, I want her words to ring true. I hope she does try to give you more space. I want it for you. I can’t stand seeing the shadow behind your eyes.”
“I’m good,” Hank said, blowing off Arissa’s comment. Yeah, he knew there was a shadow there and it was the worry. Not of his parents but of possibly losing her like he did Phoebe. Losing Phoebe hurt. Losing Arissa would destroy him. He wanted to move past the subject that always seemed to come up. “So, tell me again why we are voluntarily going to Hya’s tomorrow night?”
Arissa reached for her sweet tea. “Barbecue. She’s having the itch and you know she makes way more than she needs.” Arissa kept her eyes on Hank as she took a sip before adding, “She also mentioned karaoke.” She placed her glass down. Wasn’t fooled by Hank’s words, but he would be good. They both would be. And it was on that thought that she shared casually even though there was nothing casual about it. “I’m ovulating.”
Hank was about to lift his glass, but thought not to as he shifted his gaze to Arissa’s. “Cancel Hya’s tomorrow.”
Her smile went from ear to ear. “I was hoping you’d say that.” Her cell ringing, and recognizing the tone, had her smile fading. Reaching for it, she said, “I’m not coming into the office.”
“Sorry, but we need you. There are quite a few fires that only you can put out,” Danielle said in way of greeting.
“Damn it.” Arissa’s gaze drifted to Hank. “When?”
“As soon as you can get here,” Danielle replied.
“Fine,” Arissa disconnected the call.
Hank looked at her expression and knew exactly where this was going. Arissa hadn’t even had a chance to place her cell back on the table when Hank grunted, “Not going to Hya’s alone, so you need to nip that shit now with her.” Arissa gave him a soft smile and he asked, “How long?”
“A couple days, maybe less, but I’ll know better when I get to the office.”
Hank took a swig of his sweet tea and told her. “You got two days, three max before I come get you.”
Her smile returned. “Deal.”
* * *
Hank’s cell vibrated and skidded across his desk. Smiling, hoping it was his woman because fuck, it had only been two days but he missed the fuck out of her. He hadn’t had the availability to just take off and go meet up with her like he had planned. Nope. Sal and Elmer had decided to purchase fireworks over the county line and set them off on Main Street. The problem was, they lit them all at the same time and too close to the trees that lined the street. Hank had been dealing with the fire damage of said trees, two grumpy ass men, and a bit of fire damage to the front of Maisy’s Market. He grabbed his cell, saw the screen and smiled anyway. “Been a long time, man,” he said in way of a greeting.
“It has.” Sean Fowler, detective of the Charleston police department, agreed. “But not my doing.” He chuckled. “You haven’t been up here in awhile.”
“No.” Hank started and leaned back in his chair. “Haven’t had a reason to come up there.”
“So I hear.” Sean laughed, sobered, his voice growing serious as he spoke. “Speaking of your woman, Arissa Haywood, correct?” Sean asked flatly.
Hank sat up straight, his body going on alert, his keen attention on his friend. “There something I need to know, Sean?”
Sean took a deep breath. “Harley Aldridge’s body was found early this morning. Going through his stuff, we found your girl’s name penciled into his date book—”
“How do you know it’s my Arissa?” Hank shot out defensively as he stood and began pacing the room.
“Slow down,” Sean eased. “Because when I looked her up it brought me to you. Did you not know she had a meeting with him?”
“I knew, but he never showed.”
“Interesting,” Sean muttered. “I’m jotting that in my notes.”
“Is Arissa a suspect, Sean?” Hank bit out.
“Not saying anything right now, Hank, but you know how this shit works. I gotta question her, wanted to give you a heads up before I contacted her.”
“I see,” Hank muttered, stopped his pacing and stared at nothing on the wall. “Thanks for the call.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing and—”
“I know it’s nothing.” Hank told him.
Sean sighed heavily. “I’m sure, just doing my job.”
“I know,” Hank said, and rubbed the nagging ache forming in his neck. “You need anything, you let me know?”
Hank dropped down in his chair and rubbed his forehead. Looking in the desk drawer, he saw he was out of Advil. Fuck. Thumbing through his phone, he hit call.
Arissa saw Hank calling, and stood from the meeting. “I’ll be right back.” Stepping into the hall, she connected and said, “I’d hoped you would have come for me by now.”
“Told you what the crazy old men did, probably wouldn’t have happened if you were here,” Hank grumbled. “Gotta talk to you, you sitting down?”
Arissa didn’t like how Hank sounded. “I’m not, but I’m heading to my office. What’s going on?”
“Not gonna sugarcoat this shit. Harley Aldridge’s body was found this morning.” He heard the gasp come from Arissa but he carried on. “They know you had a meeting set up with him. I told them he didn’t show but Sean Fowler is gonna call you, wants to ask you a few questions.”
Arissa did sit, dropped right down in the closest chair. “Wait. When you say found, you aren’t saying he died of natural causes. He was murdered and the cops want to talk to me? Am I hearing this right?”
“Yep, that’s
