Page 27 of Shelter for Shay
“Yeah, that had to have sucked.”
“It wasn’t fun.” Andy chuckled. “Before you go in there, you should know, she’s aged. She doesn’t look well. Like the life she’s been living has finally beaten her down.”
Moose shrugged. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
“I gotta ask.” Andy nodded slowly, then glanced sideways. “Why now after all these years?”
“Margaret’s gone,” Moose said quietly. “Passed away last night. Shay made the tough decision to shut down all the machines around midnight. Margaret didn’t last very long.”
“Jesus. I’m so sorry.”
Moose ran a hand over his jaw. “Shay… she’s something. She’s strong—like her mom. But she’s carrying more than she lets on. I think… I needed to face this before I pretend I’ve got something to give someone else.”
Andy was quiet for a moment. Then he gave a low whistle. “Didn’t expect a confession tonight, Rhoades, especially about you and Shay, as in the two of you being a couple.”
“Not exactly what I’m saying.” Moose ran his fingers through his hair. Whatever was happening between him and Shay had steamrolled him flat. He couldn’t think straight. All he knew was that she’d somehow become the air that he breathed, kind of like his chickens. “I’m simply just trying to put the past… I’m trying to deal with the shit I’ve never dealt with before I… hell, I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”
“But you and Shay?”
“None of your damn business,” Moose said. “And for the record, I just re-enlisted for another six years. I’m not leaving the Navy anytime soon.”
“Sounds like you’re one confused man.”
“Yeah. You can say that again.” Moose had spent the day in a haze. Between helping Shay go through things around the house, putting the finishing touches on the funeral, and stealing kisses when he should have been keeping his lips to himself, he was walking around in a different universe. One where he saw white picket fences and cribs.
Two things he’d never once considered before… ever. How the hell did that happen overnight?
Andy pushed off the fender and stretched his back. “So… you call me here for backup?”
“Honestly, I just wanted to see you,” Moose said. “I just needed someone to remind me I’m not the kid who used to wait outside that bar hoping she’d remember to come home.” He waved his finger. “Besides, you go in there in that uniform, half the bar, including my mom, will scatter.”
Andy’s expression shifted—softer now. “For the record, that kid would’ve walked away. This you? You’re still here doing allthe tough things instead of acting out and making my dad or one of his buddies, or me, put the cuffs on you.”
Moose rubbed his wrists. “Stacey was always the worst. She still a trooper?”
“Much to her father’s dismay, yeah. But she mostly works admin now and is my dad’s second. Both of them make me nuts. Hell, I should ask for a transfer, but I love living here and working for her and my dad. This has always been part of who I am, especially after what happened with my biological mom and dad. Besides, I’m still a mama’s boy.”
“You were always that.”
Silence filled the space and Moose didn’t move. He needed a few more moments before he made his way inside.
Andy seemed to pick up on that. “Hey, you been following that trial? Tech exec who murdered his assistant?”
Moose nodded. “Shay mentioned it and she’s all worried she might end up on that jury since she’s been summoned and it tracks when the jury will be picked. The whole thing sounds messy.”
“It’s more than messy. I had a hand in that arrest. One of our troopers caught the call when the security guard found the body. What we found on his hard drive? It’s going to make headlines for months. Jacob’s already bracing for the circus. Feds, state, media, every network you can name.”
“Bet he’s thrilled.” Jacob had been the ADA when Moose had been a kid, but Moose also remembered Jacob had done a stint as an FBI agent for a couple of years. Talk about a man to be afraid of.
Andy snorted. “Jacob doesn’t like neat, boring crimes he can wrap in a bow. But he can’t stand high-profile tech bros with murder charges and shady boardroom secrets that will bring its own shitstorm.”
Moose nodded once. “It’ll eat the town alive.”
“Yep,” Andy said. “I hope Shay can avoid being on that jury if she’s called up the same time as Jacob is picking one. Unfortunately, Shay is perfect for that kind of trial. Jacob wouldn’t let her go, and neither would the defense. That girl has fair and impartial written all over her.”
Moose went still at that. Just the thought of Shay caught in that mess made something tighten in his chest.
“Can I ask you something about a different topic regarding Shay?” Moose asked.
