The Penitent One (Boston Crime Thriller Book 3), Brian Shea [best non fiction books of all time .TXT] 📗

lack of a better word, girlfriend. Although neither Kelly nor Barnes had ever formally labeled the relationship.

Embry swung the door wide. Barnes entered, chased by a blast of icy cold wind. The temperature had dipped as the sun set, and it appeared the northeast was settling in for a long winter ahead, if November's current temperatures were any indication.

Barnes stood in the doorway for a moment and shook off the cold. Embry, the gracious host, offered to take her coat and threw it on a hook in the mud room. Barnes squatted low as Kelly had seen her do numerous times in their partnership when dealing with a young victim or witness. She had a kind, natural way about her, and she was applying it now with Embry. Kelly couldn't hear what was said, but Embry seemed delighted by it. Barnes gave her a pat on the head, then straightened and followed Kelly's young daughter into the kitchen area.

Kelly wasn't sure about the protocol of their greeting. He walked over and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, cordial but not an overt display of affection. It was lukewarm at best. He wasn't sure how anything more would be received by his daughter. Plus, Kelly was not a fan of PDA by nature.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Brayden said, giving her a big hug. It lasted longer than Kelly would have liked, and knowing their past dating relationship—although long ago in their youth—still made for a bit of awkwardness, at least for Kelly. "Come on in and have a seat."

Kelly pulled out a chair and Embry took the seat next to her. Kelly moved around to the other side of the table and took up a spot next to Brayden.

"I'd sit next to you, but I lost a bet."

"What was the bet?" Barnes asked playfully.

“I bet Embry she wouldn't eat my Brussels sprouts; she said she would try them if I let her sit next to you.”

"Well, it looks like I am the one who won the bet," Barnes said, smiling down at Kelly’s little girl, who looked up at her in delight.

Kelly's mother was the last to sit and had brought the pie with her, wobbling unsteadily as she made her slow progression from the kitchen to the table. Kelly knew better than to try to assist. She was as stubborn as they came.

"I've got a pot of coffee brewing if you'd like, or something stronger," she said with a smile.

Barnes looked over at the glass of red wine in front of Kelly's plate. "I'll take a glass of wine. I can get it, though."

"Let me." Kelly stood and slipped into the kitchen. Upon his return, he heard Embry say, while his mother cut the pie into eighths, "So, do you love my dad?"

Kelly nearly dropped the glass of wine in his hand. He tried to interrupt and made a sound that was somewhere between a cough and a choke.

Barnes took it in stride, laughing out loud.

"How can they be in love?" Brayden said. "They've only been dating for a minute."

"I knew I loved your father the moment I saw him," Ma Kelly said, her brogue adding its lyrical lilt to her voice.

"Here we go again with the love-at-first-sight story." Brayden put his forehead to the table in playful exaggeration.

"I'd personally love to hear it," Barnes said, taking the glass from Kelly, who remained momentarily frozen in shock at how quickly the conversation had deteriorated.

"Well, their father's father ran a small market. Your basic variety of dairy products, milk, eggs, and the like. Back in the day, mind you, they used to deliver door to door."

"The good ole days of the milkman—here we go again," Brayden said under his breath.

"Enough out of your mouth, Brayden Kelly.” Ma Kelly gave her youngest a squint of her eyes before continuing. “My mother had ordered a dozen eggs and a couple of bottles of milk. And their father delivered. Although, not so well, I might add." Ma Kelly laughed. “He tripped on our stoop and fell flat on his face, breaking eleven of the twelve eggs. Most of which ended up all over his white aproned uniform. I had come to the door just in time to see the fall. It was quite a sight. When I picked up the egg-covered boy and looked into his eyes, I knew at that moment that he was going to be my husband. Hell or high water, I was going to find a way to marry that klutzy man. And lo and behold, I did. And I have never regretted the time that I spent with him." She raised her glass and took a sip.

As he looked into Kristen Barnes’s emerald green eyes, Kelly wondered what his story would be.

12

The dessert session with Barnes had gone better than expected. Kelly finished putting Embry to bed and headed downstairs, where Barnes was hanging out with his mother and Brayden. He went into the kitchen and grabbed the foil-wrapped plate, taking a slice of the pumpkin pie and wrapping it separately, before walking into the living room. Barnes was seated on the couch next to Brayden, and his mother was rocking back in her favorite doily-adorned recliner.

“I hate to break up the party, but it’s getting late and I want to get this over to Pops before he leaves for the night,” Kelly said, holding the warm plate of covered food.

Barnes said her goodbyes and followed Kelly to the door.

The cold bit at his face as he stepped outside. Barnes was blocking his car in the narrow incline of the driveway. The two stood between the two department-issued unmarkeds, the bumper-to-bumper vehicles mirroring the two drivers as they moved in close.

She moved closer until the plate of food was the only thing separating them. Kelly placed it on his hood and closed the distance.

Barnes gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "I had a really great time tonight."

"Me too. I