Page 3 of A Little Bit Whiskey
“That dog walker—trainer person—has been coming every day to work with the mutt, but she doesn’t come until later.” Noir shrugged. “Maybe my twin decided to head over to my folks’ early.” He held out his hand. “Come shower with me and we’ll take one car.”
“I have a night shift.” She hugged herself. Just because she let Noir into her life, didn’t mean she wanted the rest of his family, especially his mother.
Not only did she owe her one hell of an apology, but Tamsyn worried Weezer would never accept her being in Noir’s life.
Their relationship—if she dared to call it that—had started as one drunken tango and turned into a few more nights of her tired of being alone with her own pathetic thoughts. She had dedicated her life to the Candlewood Falls Police Department. She’d thrown herself into her work because it gave her access to things she might not have had otherwise when it came to finding her mother.
Only at every turn, she came up empty in part thanks to the man who raised her—who also happened to be her boss.
Noir tugged at her arm. “You can take my car. Nebbiolo can drive me back here after the wedding. Or one of my other siblings can drop me off.” He cocked a brow. “Or are we still hiding that we’re dating from everyone?”
She groaned. Dating was such a strong word. She hadn’t had a boyfriend in over two years. The last one had broken up with her because he couldn’t stand being second in her life to a ghost.
His words—not hers.
“Why can’t we enjoy each other in private?”
Noir sat on the edge of the bed. He rested his hand over hers, rubbing his thumb across her skin tenderly. Growing up, he and his twin had been so different from the rest of his siblings. Everyone in his family had these big personalities, much like their mother. They were loud, opinionated, and didn’t care what anyone in this town thought of them.
Tamsyn didn’t have that luxury. Not because she was a cop, but because of her past and all the rumors that continued to circulate through society about the disappearance of her mother and who her biological father could be. It was as if Tamsyn walked through the streets with a big scarlet letter embroidered on her shirt.
However, Noir had been a reserved soul. He was quiet all through high school. His best friend had been his twin and they did everything together, including going off to a local college. They had been roommates then and continued when they moved back. They got their first job selling liquor at the same company and they were almost never seen without the other. Their friendship circle had remained small, unlike their siblings, who managed to be somewhat popular in a town that feared their mother, whispered about their family behind their backs, and poked fun at them to their faces.
But Noir had struggled with how the world perceived him and it drove him to retreat. On and off through her youth, she and Noir had beenfriendly.He’d always been kind to her, when other kids were cruel. She appreciated his tender soul, but resented he’d been the only one who came to her defense.
“We’ve been doing this for over a month now,” Noir said. “I’m tired of hiding out. Of having takeout in my place or yours. I want to be able to take you out to a restaurant. I don’t understand why you care what anyone might have to say about us dating.”
“Seriously? You have to ask me that question? You know the rumor as well as I do.” She covered his mouth. “And don’t tell me that people have forgotten, because they haven’t. It might not be the first thought that comes to mind when people see me. But it’s there. Lurking in the shadows.”
He batted her hand away. “You’re being dramatic.”
“Am I?” She glared. “We’re coming up on the anniversary of my mom’s disappearance and every year our local news brings it up. It’s made worse that our resident newscaster is planning on doing a series on my mother.”
“I don’t pay any attention to her and you shouldn’t either,” Noir said. “She’s a gossip and would toss her own family under the bus if she thought it would make her relevant.”
“Hard to ignore when she’s showing up at the station and my house, asking for an interview, and both Fred and Anna are considering granting her one.”
“I can almost understand Anna doing it, but Fred? He’s always been a facts first kind of cop.”
“True. And he’s the one who’s constantly trying to get me to stop what he calls an obsession.” Tamsyn hid so much from Fred. She had a file five inches thick regarding her mom and the list of potential men who could be her father, but at the end of the day, all it gave her was a dead end and one big fat fucking headache. “But when it comes to Anna, he will go along to keep the peace with his wife.”
“I don’t understand why she’s so concerned with it all. It doesn’t affect her, only you.”
“And it could bring some ugly rumors back to your family.”
“None of which are true. I knew that before you showed me the proof.”
“Anna doesn’t like anyone in your family, especially Weezer.” Tamsyn pursed her lips. “That could be her motivation. It wouldn’t be the first time she’s tried to make your mom look bad. One more reason I should stay away.”
“You’re making excuses.” Noir stood, releasing her hand. He glared. “If all you want is a roll in the hay every once in a while, then say it. If that’s all we are, then maybe this has run its course. I need to shower and go to my brother’s wedding. I care about you and want you there—as my girlfriend—but if that’s not what you want, fine. But I’m not going to keep doing this. I want more. If you do too, come to the wedding.” He turned on his heel and stormed out of the bedroom.
Shit.
Noir had been the best thing that had happened to her in years. It had been unexpected. Every time they got together, she worried it would be the last. And yet, she was the one who couldn’t take the next step. The only person who knew about them had been Nebbiolo, and he wouldn’t tell anyone because that man barely spoke. He was quieter than Noir, and that was hard to do.
Was she really worried about the rumor mill?
Or what Anna was going to say about her dating Noir River?
