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“If I’d been less busy, you wouldn’t have been in your workshop the night your equipment turned faulty.”
Someone was pretty sure of himself. “Are you implying I’d have let you stay the night? Sounds kind of risky. How do I know you don’t snore?” I teased.
“I do, but planned to leave you too tired to notice.”
His sharp riposte had me laughing and then groaning as I grabbed my head. “Oh, that hurts.”
Instant apology creased his expression. “Sorry. I should let you rest.”
He moved off the edge of my bed, and I grabbed at him. “Please, don’t. I’d like it if you stayed.” Being with him helped me ignore the fact that I’d landed back in a hospital. At least, this time, it was an accident.
“I’m supposed to be going over case files,” he started, only to halt. Then he said, “Give me ten minutes. I’ll be right back.”
He left too quickly for me to ask anything. A part of me honestly didn’t expect him to return, especially as the ten minutes on the clock hanging on the wall ticked close to fifteen. They’d placed me in a room by myself, which made me wonder at my luck. I had no insurance, which meant I could probably expect a hefty bill. Free Canadian healthcare didn’t come with luxuries like privacy in the hospital. Cable television, a room to myself, and other things meant to make a person more comfortable all had a price.
At seventeen minutes, Brayden reappeared, holding quite the armful. He had a portfolio shoved under an arm, a tray of drinks, a bag that emitted a delightful aroma, and a stuffed gray cat.
My mouth rounded in surprise as he shoved it at me. “Here’s a kitty to get you used to the idea.”
It was stupid and corny, and I loved it. I tucked the cat close as he then showed me the contents of the paper bag.
“If the nurse asks, lie and say I didn’t share,” he whispered, glancing at the closed door.
Biting deep into a burger, I could only grunt in agreement. Hungrier than expected, I stuffed my face with the burger and fries, which I swore tasted like Heaven. Or maybe it was the company that made it all better.
As I inhaled my food, Brayden regaled me with more tales of his epic walk with Blade, which turned out to be a lot of pulling, yanking, and dragging—of the human.
I started laughing until I gasped for air. “Stop,” I pleaded.
He did, but only to wait until I finished eating before waxing eloquently about the size of my dog’s shit. “It was literally larger than a cat. Which, speaking of, you know we can get a litter box that cleans the waste for you each time it goes. All you gotta do is take out the bag each week.”
“But will a cat smother and lick me until I beg for mercy?”
“It might sit on your face to suffocate you while you sleep,” he offered.
Which led to more giggling as I sipped on the iced tea he’d brought. Good choice. Not too sweet, cold and refreshing, with ice chunks I could crunch.
After he’d cleared the meal, I caught sight of the last thing he’d brought.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing to the leather portmanteau, the brown exterior battered and scored.
“Case files. Remember how I said I was supposed to be looking them over?” He eyed me. “Congrats, I’m deputizing you as my aid.”
“Won’t you get in trouble for showing me police files?”
“Not if I claim I required your services as an outside consultant.”
“You can do that?”
“As long as I don’t submit a bill, they won’t bother asking questions.”
“What’s the case you’re working on?” I couldn’t help but ask, intrigued as he pulled out folders thick with paper.
“You are looking at the police reports for the Triclaw Murders that happened over a decade ago. Given the recent seeming appearance of one, I want to go over the old case files and compare them against each other.”
I perked right up. “Because you think Mahoney is back.”
“I don’t want to jump to conclusions without evidence.”
