“We worked together for four years.”
“Ever date?” I want to swallow the words back the second they’re out of my mouth. She was with Nelson that whole time. I’m an idiot.
“Nope,” she says, her voice clipped.
“Right. Sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
I should let this go, but I can’t seem to help myself. “He seemed very interested.”
“Officer Prowler is interested in everybody. Actually, he’s kind of Pensacola’s version of you, now that I think about it.”
I scoff. “I’m not at all like that guy.”
“You so are.”
“How?”
Noli holds up her fingers, counting off our supposed similarities. “You’re both outgoing, the life of the party. Leaders on your respective forces. Your dads are both cops, which means you feel like you have something to prove.”
She says this last piece more to herself than to me, but I feel it like an egg being cracked over my head. How does Noli know I feel like I have something to prove? I’ve never told her that. I’m about to ask her about it, but then I tune back in and hear the end of her list.
“You’re both too handsome and charming for your own good.”
I missed something in there, but we ended on a high note.
I flash her a grin. “You think I’m handsomeandcharming.”
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Too late. A compliment from Noli Kasper? I can die a happy man.”
We drive in silence for a little bit, and my mind is a jumbled mess.
Stupid Officer Prowler. I know he’s my brother in blue, and we’re all on the same team, but his interaction with Noli has me all out of sorts.
“What kind of a last name is Prowler, anyway?” I ask as I pull into the driveway of the house we’re staying at. “Sounds like he should be a big cat on an African savanna somewhere, hunting wildebeests.”
Noli laughs out loud at that. “Says the man with the last name Rattler.”
I frown. She makes avalid point.
She’s staring at my face, and my expression makes her laugh harder. “I’m telling you,” she says as she wrenches open her door, “you met your match.”
“Who met whose match?” Mack asks as he joins us from the front porch.
I shake his hand.
“Collin got pulled over on the way in,” Noli says. She sounds way too happy about it.
I shoot her a look. “We have a taillight out. That’s all.”
Noli gives Mack a hug. “Is Poppy inside?”
“She and Rose are getting changed to head to the beach.”
“Perfect.” With a finger wave, Noli jogs up to the front door. “Collin, pookie,” she adds. “Will you grab my things?”
