Page 37 of Tyler

“RJ, Dean, Cooper—you’re on Houston detail,” Mac said, handing out the day’s assignments.

Some of them would be multiple days. Normally, he wouldn’t care if he was out of town for a few nights, but after what had happened last night with Piper, Ty hoped he landed an assignment nearby.

Their relationship was still budding, and he was treading in unchartered waters. He wanted to cultivate what they had, and it would be easier from the same town.

“Carter, Ty, Hunter, you’ve got maintenance.”

Yes…headquarters, relief, and the possibility of another hot night twitched his lips.

“Rylee and Dex, you’re with me on the San Antonio case,” Mac continued. “And Sinjin and Dante, that leaves you on the Dallas detail. I was going to put you on it, Ty, but we can’t give the senator a smiling bodyguard. You haven’t stopped grinning since you walked in this morning.”

His laughter mixed with the others, and he shrugged. “It’s true.”

“When are you going to see her next?” Cooper asked.

Not soon enough.

Carter’s gaze narrowed on him before he smiled. “You’re meeting her for lunch today, aren’t you?”

He grinned. “Yep.”

The four hours until that meeting dragged on for what felt like days. By the time lunch rolled around, he was beyond eager to leave the building, and he ended up arriving fifteen minutes early.

But it worked out, because he ran into his brother and sister-in-law in the parking lot.

“Hey, bro,” Gabe said, walking toward him with his arm slung around his wife. “Too bad we didn’t know you were having lunch at Rosie’s today. We would’ve waited.”

“Yeah, I would’ve been the talk of the diner, having lunch with the two best looking guys in town.”

He chuckled. “Don’t let Carter hear you say that.”

“Yeah.” Gabe snorted. “He’s under the impression he’s handsome.”

Lyndsey smiled. “Mel seems to think so.”

“She has to,” his brother said. “She’s his wife.”

Lyndsey laughed before kissing Gabe’s cheek. “Got to go, hon. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Roger that,” his brother said, holding the door of her vehicle open. “Stay safe.” He kissed her cheek.

“You too,” she said before Gabe shut the door.

They stood, silently watching as Lyndsey drove away.

“I like her,” he told his brother.

Gabe smiled. “Thanks. I think I’ll keep her.”

He laughed.

“So, how’s work?” his brother asked.

He shrugged. “All right.”

“That good, huh?” Gabe questioned, and Ty shrugged again. “You can always come work with me. You’d make a fine deputy.”

This wasn’t the first time his brother had suggested it.