Page 46 of Sting
Chapter 12
Joe entered his house through the kitchen door, slid the folder he’d brought from the office onto the table, then tiredly removed his wrinkled jacket and hung it on the designated hook adjacent to the door. He placed his shoulder holster on top of the hutch out of the kids’ reach.
“Anybody home?” He opened the fridge and decided on orange juice.
Marsha caught him drinking straight from the carton. “The kids know better than to do that.”
“They know better than to get caught.” He drained the carton and set it on the counter beside a large pumpkin. “What’s that?”
“It’s called a pumpkin.”
Joe shot her a look.
“For the carnival. I have to draw a face on it.” She held up the black marker she’d brought with her into the kitchen.
“Where are the kids?”
“Upstairs. Molly is in the tub. Henry is dressed and ready. He’s in his room playing a video game.”
“They okay?”
“They had a knock-down, drag-out this morning over whose turn it was to empty the dishwasher.”
“Who won?”
“I did.”
Joe smiled as he pulled a chair from beneath the dining table and dropped into it. “How was Top Gun?”
“Goose dies every time.”
“The wine?”
“Maybe I should have splurged on an eight-dollar bottle.”
“Anything’s drinkable with popcorn.”
“I skipped the double butter. I’m getting fat.”
He reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. Running his hand over her hip, he said, “Your curves are womanly.”
“Even my mom jeans are getting tight.”
“I love ’em tight. Let’s have sex.”
“The kids could walk in on us, and I have to draw that pumpkin face.”
“It’ll take sixty seconds.”
“The pumpkin or the sex?”
He laughed. “Tired as I am, I may need more than sixty seconds.”
Kidding aside, she touched his face with concern. “You look exhausted. What’s going on?”
“Josh Bennett got tired of the taxpayers’ hospitality and pulled a disappearing act.” Taking advantage of her speechlessness, he said, “Don’t announce that over the speakers at the carnival. We haven’t gone public with it yet. I was hoping to catch him before we had to.”
“How in the world did he get away?”
