CHAPTER ONE
It had been strangely warm weather for the Pacific Northwest, and Jake and Al’s private investigation office felt much hotter than usual. No matter what they did to try to cool it down, nothing seemed to work. They’d debated whether it was the metal on the outside of the building or even the large front windows in their office, but they hadn’t come to any conclusions. They’d finally decided to buy thermal curtains for the windows and just hoped they would work.
Jake wiped his brow on his sleeve as he adjusted the blinds in their office. He was trying to find the right angle that would let in light without also letting in the heat. He turned the blinds upward, trying to get the sunlight to go towards the ceiling and still let some natural light into the room. “How’s that?” he asked as he turned around, hoping to get Al’s approval.
Al pursed his lips and then nodded. “That should be better. I don’t like havin’ ‘em closed, because it kinda’ looks like we ain’t open, ya’ know?” He ran a hand through his hair and down the back of his neck, and then shrugged. “But with a heat wave like this, we gotta’ do whatever it takes to block out as much heat as possible,” he said as he finished drilling in the last screw to the curtain rod he was hanging.
Jake and Al had never worried about curtains before, but thanks to a dry spell and a surging heat wave, they’d decided it was time to invest in some. Now they were hanging them and closing up the blinds to cool down the office.
Jake walked over to the thermostat and checked the temperature. “It says it’s 78 in here, and the air-conditioning is set to go down to 75,” he sighed. “I don’t know when it last shut off. What I do know, though, is that if this keeps up, our utility bill is going to be outrageous this month.” He gestured to the sky as he spoke, hand shooting upward. “Through the roof, Al.”
“Give it time,” Al assured him. “We jes’ got these thermal curtains up and the blinds hung. I bet this is gonna’ make a big difference.” At least he hoped so. He stepped back to look at their handiwork, crossing his arms in front of him.
Jake walked over to his desk and collapsed in his chair. The breeze from the fan felt cool, and he sighed in relief. “I hope so,” he replied, mirroring Al’s own thoughts.
Al adjusted one of the curtains and then sat down so he could enjoy their handiwork. “Well, if nothin’ else, it looks nicer in here,” he said with a shrug. “So no matter what, I guess it’s an improvement.”
Jake leaned towards his computer and began to check his email. “I hope that helps to keep it cooler in here from now on. There’s nothing worse than sweating when you’re sitting still.” He waved the words away with a hand, then said, “I guess only time will tell.”
He began clicking off some emails and sending them to the trash. Some were spam and some were things he’d actually signed up for, but as for the rest, he wondered how they’d even ended up in his inbox. He certainly didn’t think he'd signed up to receive them, but that was mainly what his inbox seemed to be made up of. “How’s Cassie doing? Any issues with her pregnancy?”
“So far everythin’s goin’ good,” Al said as he continued to stare at the curtains. “Although I gotta’ admit, sometimes I’m scared to even touch her. I jes’ don’t wanna’ do somethin’ wrong. And feelin’ the baby kick? It jes’ changed somethin’ deep in me.”
He cracked a smile, though Jake knew Al wasn’t really joking. “I swear, I know she’s the one havin’ the baby, but I’m the one havin’ the life changin’ experience.”
Jake grinned. “What, you think you’re going to break her or something?”
Al sighed. “I know, I know. It’s ridiculous. Even Cassie gets on me fer babyin’ her too much, but I jes’ can’t help it. I’m nervous somethin’s gonna’ happen.” He turned toward Jake, and he could see the worry lining Al’s face.
Jake couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, and he understood Al’s worry. The doctors had already said it was a high-risk pregnancy because of her age, and he couldn’t imagine what living with that kind of constant fear would be like. Yet, as far as Jake knew, the pregnancy was going well.
Jake and his wife, DeeDee, had been doing their best to keep an eye on their friends just to help out in whatever way they could, whenever they could. If something went wrong, they wanted Al and Cassie to know they weren’t alone, that they were there to help them.
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with looking out for her and making sure she’s comfortable,” Jake said. “I know she’s a tough cookie, but sometimes we all need someone to look out for us and make sure we’re okay.”
Jake continued to check his email, finally clicking on one that looked interesting. The subject mentioned a law enforcement convention, which piqued his curiosity. “And as long as you aren’t driving her insane with it, I’m sure she understands.”
“She’s been real patient with me, but I know this heat is gettin’ to her. Her body’s gotten a lot bigger, and she’s started retainin’ fluid, so when it gets to the heat of the day, she’s jes’ downright miserable. We talked about goin’ somewhere cooler, or at least with better air, especially with all the wildfires and the smoke.
“Some days seems like this haze ain’t ever gonna’ go away, and it’s startin’ to make her cough a lot, but I ain’t got the slightest idea where to go or what to do.” He sighed, sounding resigned, the worry more apparent in his voice than it had been on his face.
Jake peered closer at the email and said, “What about Denver? It’s cooler there, isn’t it?”
Al furrowed his brow. He wasn’t sure, but it was far enough away from Seattle for there to be some hope. “Probably. What’s in Denver?”
Jake turned his monitor towards Al to show him. “Looks like there’s a law enforcement convention there next week. Tickets are reasonable, and if we both go, we could even use it as a business expense. We can take our wives and enjoy a change of scenery. What do you think?” He looked back at the screen as if considering it.
“Will there be interestin’ stuff at this convention? We can’t just jump into this without knowin’ what we’re gettin’ into,” Al said.
Jake shrugged. “I’m not really sure,” he said. “But if we’re in a hotel, then it’s on their dime to keep us cool,” he pointed out. “And who knows, maybe we could learn a few things for the business.”
Al laughed. “Ya’ got a point there. But first we gotta’ convince the wives.”
“DeeDee won’t need much convincing,” Jake said as he picked up his phone to call her. “And I bet Cassie won’t either.”
After a quick conversation with each of their wives, the consensus was that a trip to Denver sounded exactly like what the four of them needed.
*****
“Maybe this trip will help me relax,” DeeDee mused as she and Jake sat on the deck watching their dog, Balto, toss his toy rabbit in the air and catch it over and over. He’d let out a high-pitched bark when he tossed it and then excitedly pounce on it once it landed. “The details for my new restaurant have me practically pulling my hair out.”
“It’ll do you good to forget about it for a little while,” Jake agreed. “Sometimes you have to put a project down for a little bit and come back with a fresh perspective.” He shrugged. “And even if it doesn’t help you, it isn’t going to hurt you.”
She huffed out a breath, unfolding her arms from their position across her chest. “Maybe I do need a break,” she admitted. “I know it’s not really that bad, but it feels like it’s taking forever to get this project done.”
“Well, there’s a lot of moving parts to the process,” he reminded her. “And I think Cooper’s actually been hurrying it along fairly quickly,” Jake said, referring to their friend, Cooper, who had proposed the new restaurant project and was financing it.
“I know,” DeeDee said as she inhaled sharply, then released her breath at a slow, calming pace. “But sometimes I just can’t help but wish it were over.”
“Well, here’s your chance to forget about it for a little while,” Jake said as he slipped his hand in hers. “I wish we could take the dogs with us. I think Balto and Yukon could use a little vacation.”
“I do too, but I can’t imagine taking them on the plane. That would simply be too uncomfortable for them, and I couldn’t do that to them. Besides, Cassie knows about a good boarding kennel that will take care of them while we’re gone. I bet Al isn’t going to like leaving Red behind, either.”
“Probably not, but it’s necessary. After all, what would we do if they went with us? Leave them locked up in the hotel room all day? That wouldn’t be fair to Balto and Yukon, either.”
“I guess that’s true,” DeeDee admitted. “I hadn’t even thought about that part.”
“I know. I’d considered taking them until I realized there was no point. They’re big dogs that need a lot of room.” Jake chuckled. “And hey, who knows? Maybe they need a break from us too.”
She laughed lightly. “If they did, I wouldn’t blame them, particularly after all of the things you and Al make them do when they’re working with you.”
“Yeah, it’s got to be tough,” he said as he rolled his eyes.
*****
Meanwhile, not far away from Jake and DeeDee’s home, Al and Cassie were having a similar discussion.
“Trust me, Red will be fine,” Cassie assured Al as he scratched behind Red’s ear.
“But what if he thinks I abandoned him?” Al asked forlornly, not willing to let the subject go without at least arguing about it a little bit. “I mean, I jes’ got back from Portland, and now I’m leavin’ again?” He was pouting, and Cassie couldn’t help but grin.
“Like I said, Red will be fine. I’ve been to this kennel, and I’ve seen how the dogs are treated. He’ll be on his own little vacation, and Balto and Yukon will be with him. He’ll be okay, I promise. Relax.” She moved over beside him on the couch and put her arm around him. Her fingers leisurely played with the shell of his ear. “Are you sure it’s Red you’re worried about?”
Al paused and then leaned into her hand, not answering her question immediately. “I’m probably jes’ overthinkin’ things. There’s been a lot goin’ on, and I guess I’m jes’ waitin’ for the next shoe to drop, ya’ know? Like feelin’ as though somethin’s waitin’ ‘round the bend.” He looked at her swollen belly and placed his hands on it, finally getting to the point. “Maybe I’m jes’ worried about you.”
She put her hand on his and smiled. “I’m fine. The baby is fine. We don’t need you to be stressed out and worrying about every little thing.”
“But you’ve been so tired lately,” he began.
“Al, I’ve got a human being growing inside of me,” she pointed out. “I don’t know if you realize this, but that takes a lot of work.”
Al sighed. “Yeah, I guess yer’ right.” He knew she’d been pregnant before, but this was a first for him, which meant that, even if it was only on his end, it was all so new and scary. Plus, the books she’d bought for him to read and learn from had only made things worse. After seeing everything that could go wrong, he wondered how anyone was born healthy and whole.
“Of course I am,” she grinned. “Now try to relax. This is going to be a great trip. Even if I have to nap while you’re at the convention, we can enjoy our time together when you get back to the room.” She interlaced her fingers with his and squeezed as best as she could, even though his hand was so much bigger than hers.
He pushed the worry down, deep into his toes to where he could hardly feel it anymore. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy his quiet time with Cassie before their baby was born, because he’d heard that once the baby came, they’d hardly ever be able to find a moment of peace. Still, he couldn’t help but long for that day, too.
“I can’t wait,” he said, returning her smile.
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