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"Shelby?" he said blankly

Holly shoved a ard strand of brown hair off her forehead "John Garrett’s wife She owns the bakery a few blocks fronant!" Holly bea? They just found out last week"

"Um…"

"For God’s sake, sweetheart, leave the Lieutenant alone," came Carson’s drawl "I told you not to scare hih Becker’s as she led hi on the couch with a beer in his hands "He’s not scared of ht, Thomas?"

"Becker," Carson corrected

Holly pursed her lips "You don’t like Thomas?" she said curiously

He shifted aardly "I like it" He shrugged "People have just always called me Becker most of my life I don’t knoho started it, but it stuck"

"Well, I like the nanified" She let go of his ar out a sample for you"

"A sample?" Becker asked in a low voice as Holly bounded toward a doorway he assue couch and accepted the beer bottle Carson offered hi out a new recipe," Carson explained "Holly’s a chef"

At Carson’s explanation, Becker nodded, suddenly noticing the intoxicating aro in from the kitchen Garlic, tomatoes, and a mixture of herbs It smelled like heaven Tasted like heaven too, he found out, after Holly returned a moment later with a small plate loaded hat looked like veal covered in a creamy tomato sauce and practically forced hi her with awe "You’re really good"

"Thanks" She took his eood"

Holly left the rooaze drifted toward the television screen The Padres ga by two runs, but he wasn’t interested He’d never been much of a baseball fan Football was his sport of choice

"So," Carson said, after the silence between the, but what the hell are you doing here? We’ve known each other for sevenfriends"

Becker respected the other man’s frankness It was probably what made hiuys, haven’t I?"

Carson’s blue eyes flickered with amusement "Yep"