Pearl sipped her tea, making us wait. How did she even have any left in her cup? "Henry says he has no half-brother and thinks the test is a fake. He refused to attend the reunion. Came in the bakery pitching a fit about new technology and deep state fakes."

Anessa tossed her towel into the bucket under the counter and shook her head. "Drama, drama, drama."

I nodded as I ate the last few bites of my cupcake, and Anessa set another one in front of me. Could it really be this easy to solve my cheating case? And hurray for him not being a cheater.

My grin fell.

He was still a liar, however. I'd have to deal with that. But I didn't want to do it in my normal way. This case needed a gentler approach. Kylee and Carl seemed like a cute couple. They shouldn't let this one little deception destroy them. It's possible Carl had a good reason for keeping the truth from his fiancée. Unless he was in love with his sister or something.

No. I shook my head. No horrible thoughts while eating a cupcake. I'd just have to talk with Carl and figure out whether I believed him or not. My phone vibrated in my back pocket. I set down my second cupcake with the wrapper half removed and grabbed it.

BROADRICK: Want me to make tacos to apologize for whatever I did to upset you?

The tightness in my chest increased. How did he not know what he did to upset me? Did he think I hid that ice cream for him? Who just ate random ice cream out of the freezer? Obviously, it belonged to someone. You didn't just touch someone's ice cream like that. We had boundaries.

But actually... tacos sounded pretty good.

VONNIE: Yes, but you still owe me ice cream.

**

"And that's why any Ben & Jerry's ice cream that enters the house belongs to me," I said as I finished rolling up my taco. Two pieces of tomato fell out the other end, and I popped them in my mouth.

Broadrick laughed. "Okay, babe. Noted."

"Thank you for the tacos," I said before shoving the rolled deliciousness into my mouth. The ice cream incident was still on my mind, but he made a mean taco, so I'd forgiven him for the evening.

This time.

"I have to take a class for my retirement discharge requirements next week," he blurted out like it was no big deal.

I lowered the taco as a heaviness hit my shoulders. "You're leaving again?"

For a man getting out of the military, they sure made him do a lot of shit to earn his exit. Next, they'd be sending him on another deployment. I couldn't do that again. Not knowing whether he was safe and then him coming home injured was too much. Broadrick's shoulder healed months ago, but the skin was still red around the injury. It'd probably leave a scar.

"No, it's offered online, and I thought you could do it with me."

"Really?" I asked, not sure whether I wanted more info on the online part or was just happy he wanted me to be there with him. "What's it about?"

"Civilian life." He grabbed another shell and piled meat into it.

Ppfss. "You don't need a class on that. I've been a civilian my entire life. I'll teach you everything I know," I said with a grin.

He smiled back. "I'm not sure you'd pass the government background check."

"Hey." I tossed a tiny piece of tomato at him. "Anderson never logged my arrest in the system. I'm still clean."

NB sat on my foot, so I stole a little piece of my ground beef and dropped it under the table for him.

Broadrick narrowed his eyes at me. "Did you just feed the dog?"

"No." It wasn't a feeding, or even a snack. It was barely a treat. "You really want me to do the course with you?"

"Of course, babe," he said, letting me change the subject. "I want you everywhere with me."

Aww. My heart grew, cutting through some of the tension I'd carried around all day.

"There are a lot of standard rules about how much time off I can take before retiring. I'll have to make at least one more appearance before my official retirement before I can take more leave."

"They're very bossy," I said and slipped NB another piece of meat.

Broadrick nodded. "It's the government. It's part of their persona."

"When do you think you'll have to go back?" I did my best to ask without causing my stomach to twist in worry, but it did.

Broadrick tossed NB one of the tomato pieces I'd thrown at him earlier. NB sniffed beside the table and turned his nose up, giving Broadrick a look that voiced his disapproval. "Probably August. I have to run the official math before I know exactly."

"Nobody ever tells you how much math there is in the military. They have to calculate this date and that. This deployment and a return. They should gift everyone a calculator when you sign up."

He chuckled and finished his taco. "The hardest part of being in the military is learning how to game the system."

"They should teach a course on it. Call it Military Math 101."

NB nosed the tomato piece once he realized we'd finished eating, and he'd run out of his supply of ground beef. He sniffed it, shook his head, and then lapped it up with his tongue.

"Remind me of that if I ever need money in retirement. I'd make millions," Broadrick said, grabbing our dishes and taking them to the sink.

He always prewashed before loading them in the dishwasher, no matter how many times I reminded him that dishwashers were supposed to do that part.

"You want to hang out tonight?" I asked as I leaned against the sink, watching him work.

Oh no. My mouth spoke before my brain. I couldn't have Broadrick hanging out with me tonight. I had trouble to cause.

Hmm. Maybe if I worded it well, he'd go along with my plans.

"Sure, what shall we do?" he asked. "We could find a new movie to watch on TV."

I actually really liked the sound of that, but first I had to find a murderer.

"Let's table that idea because I really need a night in but not tonight."

He turned off the water and placed the plates in the dishwasher's bottom. "What did you have in mind, then? Something more fun?"

The wink that accompanied his sentence made me think he had bedroom activities in mind, but we didn't have time for those either.

I pushed him on the shoulder so gently that he didn't move. "No, I have to run to the apartment complex outside of town and check in on Emma's neighbor. Her shift started an hour ago, so the place is empty."

"Vonnie." He closed the dishwasher and matched my stance against the counter, staring at me. "You mean breaking and entering?"

He always jumped right into B&E. Just once, I wanted him to assume Faith gave me a key to her place and told me to have a look around. She didn't, but Broadrick didn't know that. He always expected the worst.

"I will only be doing the entering part. Nothing is getting broken because I have my lock pick set on me." It hadn't let me down yet, and I didn't plan to let it tonight. Everyone knew those apartments used cheap locks. It's not like I was going to break the door down or anything. "I'll only have a glance inside and be done. Not even a fingerprint out of place."

Broadrick shook his head, but I noticed how the ends of his lips were still upturned into a half grin. "I can't get arrested while active in the military. It would jeopardize my retirement plans."

What about being arrested after he left the military? Was that even considered? It was better not to ask. Otherwise, Broadrick might do more military math.

"No one is getting arrested."

Broadrick didn't budge from the counter, even when I walked toward the bedroom to change into my "sneaking around" outfit of black leggings with a long black T-shirt. "You can't be sure of that, Vonnie."

"It will be fun, B. Trust me," I said as I slipped into the bedroom.

If the cops showed up, I'd hide him in a closet and take the fall. He had no reason to worry.