“Thanks for the nachos,” I added, setting down the beer in the middle of the table. “It was nice of you to cook for us when you’re going out.”
“Suck up,” Pete muttered under his breath.
“No, raised by a mama who taught me manners.” I dragged out a chair and sat down. “And who also told me you get more flies with honey. Or more nachos when you’re a nice person.”
Evans and Pete joined me, each of them popping open a beer. We tapped the necks of the bottles and drank deep, enjoying the beer, the chips and the beautiful evening.
“Got the girl’s car all fixed up.” Evans tilted his head, indicated Samantha’s Ford. “Should be good to go now.”
“Great, thanks.” I nodded, taking another swig from my bottle. “What’s it going to cost?”
“Eh, just the cost of the part. It didn’t take any time at all.” Evans waved one hand. “No problem.”
“Put it on my bill, okay?” I crunched down on a cheese-drenched chip.
Pete raised his eyebrows at me. “Wooohooo, what is this? Cap, you got yourself a girl?”
“No.” I felt my face going hot and hoped it didn’t show. “It’s called being a nice person. Like I just said, my mama taught me how to treat women.”
“Uh huh.” Evans leaned back in his chair. “Okay, sir, whatever you say. So, you want me to tell her it’s taken care of, or just that there’s no charge? Or do you want to write a note I could give to her with your, uh, regards?”
“Shut up, Evans.” I didn’t say it with any real malice. “Don’t be a dick.”
“Yeah, dude, don’t be a dick.” Pete swatted his brother-in-law. “Hey, Cap, speaking of being a dick ... I hear that soldier who got in the fight in town this weekend was one of yours.”
A heaviness fell over me. We hadn’t made any sort of headway today in Reardon’s case. I hadn’t expected to make it all go away overnight, but I’d hoped to have more information after Sergeant Tully had met with the local cops. That hadn’t been the case, however. They’d claimed that they didn’t know about any girl who’d been part of the altercation before the fight had gotten physical.
“Yeah.” I set down the beer. “I can’t talk about it, but it sure is a big fucking mess.” I glanced from one of them to the other. “Do you know the other guy? The one who landed in the hospital?”
Pete chuckled without mirth. “This is Petersburg. There are no strangers. Yeah, I know Billy Johnson. He’s an asshole.” He shrugged. “Hot headed guy. Apparently has trouble keeping a job.”
“How about a woman? Does he have a reputation for knocking around his girlfriends?”
Both men looked pained. Pete sighed. “Yeah, could be. I haven’t seen anything myself, but he fits the type, you know?”
I leaned forward. “Listen, I don’t want to put you in a bad spot, Pete, but if you hear anything ... or if you know anyone who was there that night and might tell the truth about what happened, I’d be grateful if you could pass it along.” Pausing, I rubbed my jaw. “The soldier involved isn’t perfect by a long shot, but he’s not what they’re saying, either. I’ve heard his side, but I’d like to hear it from someone else who was there and doesn’t have an ax to grind.”
“Sure, Cap. I’ll keep my ears open.” He lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “That’s not my crowd and never has been. They’re all crazy morons. But sometimes I hear things.”
“He knows more people than I do, for sure,” Evans added. “I might have married into the town, but I’m still an outsider and a soldier first, in their eyes.”
“And you will be for at least another thirty years, bro.” Pete grinned. “Maybe when you retire, we’ll start to—hey, look there. Cap’s girlfriend just pulled up.”
My head snapped around without my consent, which of course made the two bozos at the table with me nearly fall out of their chairs laughing.
The car that idled alongside the curb was a silver Jetta. The girl driving it was pretty, but my eyes were glued on her passenger, who was climbing out as we watched. Samantha tucked her hair behind one ear and leaned back into the car, still speaking to the driver. I tried to keep my eyes off her ass as she bent over, but she was wearing a long skirt that was made of some kind of material that clung to her, accentuating the curve of her bottom so that I could almost feel my fingers itching to grab it.
“Hoooooo.” Pete breathed out a whistle under his breath. “You know, I always thought short skirts were sexier, but it could be that I’m changing my mind.”
“Hey, hey. Not cool talking about the Captain’s lady.” Evans elbowed his brother-in-law.
“She’s not my lady,” I growled. “Think you two can pull yourselves together to act like adults and not embarrass me—or her? Or are we all back in middle school?”
“We’re professionals.” Pete sat up straighter. “We know what we’re doing.” Without pausing for a breath, he stuck two fingers in his mouth and gave an ear-splitting whistle. “Pretty lady! We’re up here on the deck. Come join us.”
Samantha, who had been scanning the driveway and front yard, jerked her head toward us, grinning. I knew the minute she’d seen me, though, because her smile began to fade, replaced by something else in her eyes that made my groin tighten.
She began moving toward us, and I sat back to enjoy the show. The swishing cloth of her skirt swirled around her legs, outlining each one for a moment as she stepped forward. She was wearing a shirt that showed off her shoulders and draped down over her rack; again, the suggestion of sexiness was more powerful than the in-your-face appeal of a low-cut blouse.
