As soon as I left Ari’s, I texted Heath saying I’d dropped her off. His response was a suggestion to meet at our regular place at ten o’clock tomorrow.

Looked like I wouldn’t have to track him down.

How was I going to tell my best friend that I’d manhandled his sister, kissed her, and planned to do a hell of a lot more? I climbed into bed at my hotel a little while later, still without an answer to that question.

When I woke up at seven the next morning and jogged to the gym, I was still coming up empty. Even a punishing workout didn’t knock any ideas loose.

Didn’t matter. I was going after what I wanted. No more sitting on the sidelines. No more allowing life to pass me by.

I rolled up to our regular breakfast spot just beyond the boundaries of the Quarter and decided to wing it. Heath was already inside, a mug of coffee in front of him. Black with two sugars. That was how well I knew the man.

As I sat across from him, the waitress swooped in and poured me a cup as well. When she disappeared, Heath slid his phone across the table toward me.

“We got a problem.”

I expected to be staring down at information relating to my dad’s case, but instead I saw a picture of Ari on the screen, walking out of a restaurant with another guy’s arm around her shoulders. I’d put money on that asshole being her ex. The gossip rag that had posted the pic had captioned it Reclusive Tech CEOs Vacation in New Orleans.

What the hell?

“He’s here?”

Heath shook his head. “No. Old picture. She definitely never brought him home. I’m guessing this is Carlos’s last attempt to keep her by forcing the issue in the press.”

My hands clenched into fists. “They’re done. Ari was clear about that. Obviously, someone needs to make it even clearer to this asshole.”

I looked up at Heath in time to catch the satisfaction flashing across his features.

“If he comes here, there’s no way I’ll let him get close to her.” He leaned back in his chair and held my gaze. “If she wasn’t living in Cali, I would’ve told her she’d be better off dating you.”

If I had a mirror, I was sure my face would be the picture of dumbstruck. “What did you say?”

“When we were in school, I knew she was crazy about you. We all did. You never let on that you knew, which made me respect you even more. Some guys would’ve taken advantage and tried to hook up with her because they knew she’d be an easy lay.”

“I never would’ve—”

Heath held up a hand. “I know. But we’re not in high school anymore. She’s not my virgin little sister. We both know I have no say in what she does with her life. But I’m just throwing it out there because I know she’s never totally gotten over that crush, and I know you’re too good of a guy to make a move behind my back.”

Guilt formed a fist in my chest, wrapping around my lungs, and I had to come clean.

“I kissed her last night.” I left out the rest for obvious reasons.

Instead of his features twisting with anger or betrayal, Heath smiled. “Fucking finally. All I’m going to say is this, and then we’re never going to talk about what happens between you and my sister ever again. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, the best man I know. You fuck her over like that asshole did, and I’ll deal with you shotgun-and-shovel style. You guys try it out and it doesn’t work for whatever reason, I’m not gonna hold it against you. If it does work out, I’ll welcome you as a brother with open arms, because you’ve already been one my whole life. That’s my way of saying you’ve got my blessing for whatever you decide.”

With each word Heath spoke, the fist loosened its hold a little more. When he finished, all I could do was shake my head in amazement.

“It would be the understatement of the year to say this went how I was planning.”

Heath chuckled as he shrugged. “I know I was an asshole in high school about anyone who looked twice at her. I’d like to think I’ve grown up a little since then. Besides, if I could pick a guy for her then or now, it would be you.”

I appreciated his vote of confidence. “I don’t know what’s going to happen—”

He held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “I know, and that’s why I’m backing away and not worrying about either of you when it comes to that. But,” he pointed down at the picture on his phone screen, “I am worrying about this. Now people know she’s in town, and although she’s not a celebrity, I don’t like the level of visibility it gives her. Ari keeps a low profile for lots of reasons, but most of all because of the incident she doesn’t think I know about.”

It was clear Heath kept closer tabs on his sister than she knew, based on his comment and the pictures he’d produced. If I were in his shoes, I would too.

“What can I do?”

“I was hoping you were going to ask that.” Heath’s smile widened. “I was thinking you should pull your head out of your ass and stay at her place instead of at whatever cheap hotel you probably picked.”

He knew me well. When I didn’t shoot down the idea, he continued.

“She could use an extra set of eyes, and this wouldn’t feel like she was crushed by security. Just the fact that she made her guy leave her alone last night scared the shit out of me.”

His words made me wonder if there was another threat Ari hadn’t told me about, but he didn’t elaborate.

“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked.

He reached for his coffee. “She’s my little sister. I might be cool with the thought of you dating, but I still get to worry about her. I’d move Dad into the mansion, but he won’t even leave my den after the scene at the restaurant yesterday. I got my hands full. Do me a solid.”

I thought of how Ari and I had left things last night. “I can’t just show up with a bag and move in.”

“Don’t see why not. I’m sure you’ll figure out something that works. You’re smart.”

The waitress returned to take our orders, and we both ordered the same thing we had every time we sat in this very same booth.

“Some things don’t change,” Heath said as she walked away with our orders. Omelet for me, and eggs Benedict for him.

“Yeah, except you’re the one sitting there with a badge and I’m not.” The hint of bitterness that crept into my tone was unavoidable.

Heath’s easy smile faded. “I know. And that’s straight fucked up.”

“You hear any more on the investigation?”

Lines bracketed the corners of my friend’s mouth. “You know I could lose my badge for saying anything to you.”

“So all those years of friendship you talked about meant nothing?”

Was it fair for me to play on his loyalties? Maybe not, but I’d do whatever it took to get to the bottom of what happened with my dad. It didn’t feel right. Something was off in a big way.

“I don’t know much except what’s going on in IA, but the whole department has been talking about the case and no one knows what the fuck happened. The wiring and triggering device weren’t what they would’ve expected your dad to use.”

“What do you mean?”

“He knew military demolition but old-school style. This was new school. Sophisticated shit. Unless your dad kept up with technology as it advanced, it looks like someone else might have wired it. If they did, it was like they went out of their way to make it clear he didn’t do it.”

A shaft of hope jabbed into my chest. “So you’re saying he’s going to be cleared? And if he didn’t do it, who did? What was the motive?”

Heath held up a hand. “Slow down a second. The only thing they’re saying is that he might not have done the wiring. Forensic accountants are going through all your parents’ finances to see if your dad might have paid someone else to wire it. The timing of everything seems way too convenient.”

Typical of the department not to look at every possibility. They weren’t searching for a reason to clear him; they were digging for a reason to pin this all on him so they could close the case as fast as possible.

I knew exactly what I’d have to do in order to clear my dad—figure out what actually happened and bring in irrefutable evidence to support it.

“Think about it. Why would he pay someone to wire the house when he could’ve done it himself? And let’s get real, there’s no way in hell he would’ve done it himself either with my mom coming and going. He never would’ve put her at risk like that. You can’t tell me you believe it.”

Heath jammed a hand into his hair. “You know I don’t want to believe any of it, but we gotta look at all the angles. He was a lifelong cop looking at sitting in a cell for a long damn time after they arrested him. None of us would want to go through that. He wouldn’t have been the first cop to . . . take another way out.”

My jaw clenched at the suggestion. “I don’t believe it. Leave my mom homeless so he could avoid being arrested? It doesn’t make sense. If he wanted to end it all, he could’ve walked out of the house with a gun in hand and gone out old-fashioned suicide by cop.” It turned my gut to say it, but it was the truth.

“Your old man was stubborn, there’s no doubt about that. Look, let us do our job. If there’s any evidence to the contrary, it’ll come to light.”

“Yeah, because you can tell me with a straight face that’s really what the department wants.”

Heath’s expression darkened. “We’re not all dirty cops. Some are still in this to protect and serve. You know that.”

“I know.”

“Did you know Ari might be sticking around longer than she’d planned?”

The trajectory of my thoughts did a one-eighty. “Really?”

“She said she’s not going anywhere until we sort out all this stuff going on with Dad, no matter how long it takes.”

“Shit, I’m sorry. As much as I’m glad she’ll be around longer, the reason sucks for you both.”

“Getting old’s a bitch, that’s for sure. I’m hoping for the best, but from what I’ve been seeing the last week, he’s going downhill fast.”

“If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

“Appreciate it. Best thing you can do is keep an eye on Ari.”

The waitress delivered our orders, and the rest of breakfast passed with the same easy camaraderie Heath and I had always had. But as we ate, my mind kept bouncing between two different thoughts.

What the hell actually happened with my dad, and how long would I have with Ari?