Malicious Intent (Soulscape #5)

CH 15

Just before noon, Dennis received a call from Frank. Seeing his name on the ID sparked the sheriff's pulse and warmed his loins. It had only been a couple of hours or so since his and Frank's "rendezvous" at Randall's house and the heat of that encounter had yet to fade from his body.

"Hey." Dennis smiled as he answered the phone. "Miss me already?"

"Every second you're away."

The sweet sincerity in that simple statement injected Dennis with schoolboy glee. "Same here." Dennis released a slow breath. "Is this a casual call, or...?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could do me a big favor."

Dennis chuckled. "I'm glad to help if I can. What do you need?"

"Another mattress."

"Another mattress?" Dennis grinned. "The other one worn out already? Not that I can't imagine it..."

Frank laughed. "No, it still has a few... rides left in it."

"Good to know."

"No, it's just..." Frank cleared his throat, "... a couple of old friends showed up unexpectedly and we haven't had the chance to fix up a guestroom. The beds that were here when we moved in... well, you saw our old mattress."

"Yeah." Dennis leaned back in his chair. "What friends?"

"Ron McNeil and James Pruett," Frank said. "We've been friends since high school. Ron was a warden in the county where I used to practice. He and James recently... became involved. So, I'll only need one mattress."

"Yeah, no problem," Dennis replied. "Is it all right if I bring it out after work? Probably early evening?"

"That's fine. How can I thank you?"

Dennis didn't miss the flirt in his tone. "I could think of a few ways."

"Any chance you can stay the night so we can... explore them?"

"I'll see." He sighed. "To be honest, I feel a little guilty spending the night with you and Zeke when Marlene is going through so much and... having issues with me."

"It's all right," Frank said softly. "If you need to be there, I understand. I would like to invite all three of you to dinner tomorrow night, though. Do you think Marlene would come?"

"I can ask," Dennis said. "But even if she declines, Benny and I will be there, for sure."

"Great. And I hope Marlene comes with you. I only met her that one time, but I liked her instantly. I'd love to get to know her better. Maybe if she begins to feel comfortable with me, she'll agree to the therapy sessions."

"I think that would do her good. It'll break my heart if we can't get back to where we were before."

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," Frank said. "Your relationship with her was strong, bound by love and trust. She's working through some things, but I'm confident she'll come back to you and your relationship will be stronger than ever."

Dennis smiled. "You fill me with hope."

"I'm glad."

"You're amazing."

"And you."

I'm falling in love with you. The words remained unspoken, nestled in the sheriff's heart. When the time came to speak them out loud... it wouldn't be over the phone. Even so, it was too soon for that. Much too soon—regardless of what his heart was telling him. Everything with Frank and Zeke was so fresh and brand-new and exciting... it was easy to think about "love" at times like these. But in reality, they hardly knew each other. Dennis knew next to nothing about Frank's past—or Zeke's. He needed to take things one step at a time. There was no need to rush. And he didn't want to rush—he wanted to savor every moment with these two wonderful men who miraculously appeared in his life.