Malicious Intent (Soulscape #5)

CH 22

"So... those were the new guys." Marcy squinted, her eyes twinkling. "Are you going to fess up—or do I have to drag it out of you?"

Dennis chuckled and leaned against his desk. "I don't know what you mean." He did—of course, he did. Just because he hadn't given up the names of his two "boyfriends" prior to this moment—that didn't mean she'd hadn't already figured it out.

"Right." Marcy grinned. "And I didn't see the flush in yours and Frank Harlan's faces when I came in. Mm-hm."

Dennis hung his head, laughing lightly. "No clue what you're talking about." He looked up and Marcy gazed back at him, eyes aglow and filled with deep affection. Dennis nodded. "Yes... that was them."

"Of course, it was." Marcy laughed softly and stepped closer, hugging Dennis. "I like them. A lot."

"Me, too." Dennis returned her hug before she drew back. "I've never had someone to share my life with... in that respect." His heart swelled with warmth. "It's... amazing. I think about them constantly," he murmured. "I want to be with them every second."

"Careful, Sheriff," Marcy teased. "It's starting to sound like you might be falling in love."

Might be? Dennis felt like he already took the plunge. But with everything so brand-new, he wasn't ready to say it out loud—not even to Marcy.

He chuckled. "Could be headed that way. Guess we'll see."

"If the way Frank looks at you is any indication..." Marcy quipped, "... I'd say you're well on the way."

Dennis shivered pleasantly. Truth be told he was already at that place where he couldn't imagine life without them. If things fell apart—even this early on—he didn't know if he would ever fully recover... or be brave enough to take another chance on love.

After Marcy returned to the outer office, Dennis called home. Marlene answered on the second ring.

"It's me, sis," Dennis said. "I just wanted to let you know that Frank invited us out to dinner this evening. A couple of his friends from the city are visiting, I'd like you to meet them. I spoke to them briefly yesterday; they seem like nice people."

"I... I don't know," Marlene said quietly. "I'm not sure I feel up to it. But you should go. And you can take Benny... if you want to."

"Of course, I want to take Benny," Dennis replied. "But I'd really like it if you came with us. At least, think about it?"

"Okay," she whispered.

"All right. I'll see you after work."

As Dennis ended the call, he heard Deputy Dean in the outer office—and his mind jumped back to the men that Zeke saw in the woods. He thought about Dean's reaction to his refusal to hold a service for Randall—and the deputy's derogatory attitude toward Frank and Zeke.

If Bradley Dean was one of the men in the woods—Gary Parsen was surely the other.

Both tight-knit friends of Randall. Both hardcore bigots.

Dean was hardly Dennis' number one fan; if he could find a way to get Dennis thrown out of office—he wouldn't hesitated to execute.

• • •

The information Ron discovered on Zeke's ID card nagged at him—along with his conscience. When Frank and Zeke arrived home, Ron and James helped them unload the groceries they picked up for lunch and dinner.

Frank began preparing lunch after the groceries were put away, and James hung back to give him a hand. Ron could survive on his own cooking, but James had the culinary touch.