Hot Pursuit - Denise A. Agnew [24]
Mitch reached for a peanut-butter cookie on a platter. He took a bite and chewed. “Never liked the guy.”
“You met him once,” Neena said. “For about two seconds.”
Mitch shrugged. “With some guys, that’s all it takes.”
Neena sighed. “Well, in any case, it isn’t any of our business.”
Lucy sighed. “It’s okay.” She laughed softly. “Besides, I have to have someone to complain to.” She gave Mitch the short version of the tale.
Mitch finished munching the cookie, a big frown forming on his handsome face. “Damn.”
Lucy then gave Mitch a brief and sanitized version of how she met Vic. Mitch nodded. “I have a call to make. Be right back.”
Mitch disappeared into a back room, and Lucy winced. “What’s he going to do?”
“Nosy business.” Neena poured another cup of decaf coffee for herself and offered a refill to Lucy. “He’s concerned, so he’s contacting Jake about Vic.”
If she hadn’t found Mitch’s protective friendship valuable, she would have been annoyed at him. Still… “What if Vic finds out Mitch checked on him?”
Neena came around the counter and patted Lucy on the arm. “Vic will probably understand. If he didn’t, you may not want to be with a guy like that.” She winked. “But you’re acting guilty about your time with him. Why is that?”
“Well, I was supposed to have feelings for Danny.” Lucy pushed aside her coffee cup and snatched a cookie to munch. “When I met Vic, all those feelings, other than complete annoyance and disappointment seemed to disappear. Vic and I have a…something I didn’t expect.”
Neena sank onto the barstool next to her. One eyebrow lifted. “A connection?”
“Yeah. A connection. It took me off-guard.”
Neena grinned as if she had a secret. “You know how I met Mitch.”
Lucy frowned as she remembered that Mitch and Neena had survived a café robbery. “Yes. You were both very lucky you weren’t killed.”
“We were. He was wearing that ghastly Hawaiian shirt so he could paint, and I’d judged him before I even met him. When he held me in his arms and I felt all those muscles, and when I realized what a fantastic man he is—well, all bets were off. Isn’t that what you did with Vic?”
Lucy smiled. “Yes, but we weren’t thrown together by violence. Our time together just happened.”
“I can understand you being cautious, especially after hearing that he was accused of sexual harassment.”
Lucy sighed. “But don’t discount him because he’s in the military?”
“Well, with your track record…”
Lucy groaned. “I know. Jake is always going on those special spook-type deployments and so is Keith. They’re gone a lot. Would you be able to stand it if Mitch was still in the military and gone all the time?”
Neena pushed back her hair and leaned one elbow on the counter. “I guess I wouldn’t know until I had the experience. But I love Mitch with everything inside me. I’d face down a herd of wild animals for him. So, yeah. I’d have married him if he’d still been in the military.”
Mitch strode back into the room and slipped his hands onto her shoulders. He kissed the side of her neck. “I love you too, darlin’. No chance of wild animals attacking me in Clarksville.”
Neena patted his hand. “I know, honey. What did you find out about Vic?”
“I called Jake and he vouches for Vic. Says that even though they don’t know each other well, Vic has a solid reputation in the military. Seems Vic is highly decorated and considered an upstanding soldier. The sexual harassment thing stained things a bit, but it’s cleared up now. ”
Lucy felt her cheeks turning red. “Thanks, Mitch. I know I can trust him…” She trailed off, unsure of herself in a big way. “That’s not the problem.”
Mitch smiled. “This sounds like girl talk. Ladies, I’m back to work.” He left the kitchen.
Neena grinned at Lucy, her eyes sparkling. “You okay? You’re as red as a beet.”
Lucy rubbed her arms. “I’m embarrassed. Now everyone in Clarksville knows that I’ve got a squiggy for Vic Moore.”
“Everybody? Just me and Mitch and a few friends. That isn’t everybody.”
“Feels like it.” She closed her eyes and shook her head before opening