Page 10 of Loving at 40

“I’m not in trouble,” I snap, growing frustrated as I try the code one more time. “And I don’t do drugs.” The only drugs I’m involved in are finding the illegal kind, the people who produce them, and investigating how they get into this country. Then shutting that shit down.

“What’s with the gun, then?” Anna stands in her room with her hands on her hips like she has all day to wait out an answer.

“What’s with this safe?” I bark, slowing my thick fingertips to press harder at each number as if that will make the code register.

“Ben changed the number.” Anna shrugs. “I have the passcode somewhere.”

Turning my head, I glare at my sister over my shoulder. “And might I have it?” My brow arcs. What does she think I’m doing here? Playing Tetris?

“Might you explain why you have a gun?” she sasses back as her brow hitches, mirroring mine. Our exchange reminds me so much of when we were kids, going tit for tat at one another. She might have been quiet, but my sister was fierce. I’ve missed her more than I’ve allowed myself to realize.

“I just have it.” I sigh, deciding now isn’t the time to go into the details of being in special ops for the Drug Enforcement Administration. I need to get back to Jenna and apologize. That woman has me all wound up. “But Rosie found it this morning, and ’Locks might feel safer if it’s here. In the main house. In the safe.” Which I can’t fricking open.

“Who’s ’Locks?” Anna asks.

I clear my throat before answering. “Jenna.” She couldn’t be Goldilocks because her hair was that midnight sky color, so ’Locks it is.

Anna shakes her head, moving on. “Rosie had your gun?” Her mouth falls open after she shrieks her question. “How the hell did that happen?”

“I left it out.”

“You what?” If Anna hadn’t punctured my eardrum with the first shrill squawk, she certainly did this time around, and I press a fingertip inside my ear. Holy hell.

“I don’t need your sass,” I bark. “I need the fricking code to this damn safe so I can lock up my gun.” Fricking? Fuck, she has me doing it now too.

“Archer.” Standing beside me, Anna chastises me in tone and body language. Hands on her hips. Scowl on her face.

“It wasn’t loaded.” The statement isn’t an answer or an excuse, but I can’t tell Anna the truth. Because I’m a dumbass who forgot for a moment about the kids while I whacked off to thoughts of their mother.

“Jenna has a real thing against guns.” Anna’s voice softens only an octave. “Her husband was shot.”

“Fuck,” I groan, tipping back my head. “What happened?”

“He was killed when Rosie was a baby and Talia was two.”

Fuck. I slam my eyes closed and then pinch the bridge of my nose. “How come I don’t remember Jenna?” They both mentioned being friends in college. Anna and I are three years apart, but I still think I’d remember her hot college gal-pal.

“We didn’t meet until my junior year. Our friendship began when our education classes started.”

I was definitely out by then, off in the police academy, but even if I hadn’t been, I would have missed meeting Jenna. In my mid-twenties, I had other things on my mind than settling down with a woman and having a couple of kids. I lacked commitment, and I definitely hadn’t desired children. At forty-five, I was in the same position, especially after my recent mission.

So why can’t I stop thinking about the woman invading my apartment?

My sister’s phone dings from her back pocket, and she quickly pulls it forward to read a text. “What else did you do?” She looks up in horror.

“What do you mean?”

“Jenna sent me a text. She said she’s taking the girls on an adventure, and I shouldn’t count on them for dinner. She’s missing out on Monday manicures and margaritas.” She growls. “She needs this break, Archer, so what else did you do?”

“Why the hell is this my fault?” However, I scratch the back of my neck, chagrined, noting once again the darkness under my sister’s eyes. Fuck. I really screwed up. I swallow hard before admitting the rest of the story. “The girls might have accidentally turned on a porn video.”

“What?!” Anna shrieks again, and there goes the other eardrum. “How does a three-year-old accidentally turn on porn?”

“I found a DVD in the television stand and popped it in the old player. I guess the player was still on this morning, and when Talia turned on the TV, the video started up where it left off last night.” Once the naughty teacher got the rocks off her student, I was done, so I don’t know what happened next.

“Oh, my God, Archer. If Jenna decides not to be my friend anymore, I will never forgive you.”

“It wasn’t mine,” I defend, turning fully to face my sister.