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He felt that like a punch to the chest. “Are you mad I’m not there?”

“That goes in the sad column. But I understand. You’re busy. I’m glad you called. It helps.”

“Not enough. I hate that I’m not there.”

Nick squeezed his shoulder, then walked away, leaving Viper alone to talk to Lyric in private.

Viper ducked into an empty conference room at the police station they were working out of and sat at the table. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He meant that more than he could express. “What do you need? What can I do?”

“Tell me the truth.”

His heart jackhammered in his chest. “About what?”

“I have to buy all new stuff, so maybe you can help me decide what to get. What’s your favorite color?”

His adrenaline rush waned and he smiled. She wanted the truth about him, but in a different way than he thought. “Blue and green.”

“I should probably upgrade to a king-size bed if you’re going to be in it.”

He liked where this was going. “We definitely need a big bed.”

“Do you like white dishes or colorful ones?”

“My mom has white dishes, but they have differentpatterns. Some have waves or lines or textures around the edges. They’re classic. Colored dishes sometimes make the food look weird to me.”

“Okay. I’m learning a lot here. Sheets. Super soft or crisp?”

“I like you on top of me best, but otherwise, it better be soft.”

“Do you sleep hot or cold?”

“Can we get off the bed thing? It’s getting uncomfortable here.” He adjusted his hard length but didn’t bother to wipe away the images of her in bed with him. He liked them too much. “As long as you’re in bed with me, I’ll be the happiest man alive.”

“I’ve been thinking about buying a house. Maybe now is the time to do it. What kind of house would you like?”

“I told you I have a cabin near my family,” he reminded her. “It’s got this great river-rock fireplace and all this wood. I like it, but sometimes I wish it was lighter and brighter. It’s also small. A house should be big enough for a family.”

There was a short pause before she asked, “Do you want kids?”

“Yeah. I do. I sometimes feel much older than my age and wish I had a wife, kids, a home.” He could picture her, their kids, a house full of laughter and love and music.

“Do you want to know why I never moved to Nashville and pursued a singing career?”

He’d like to know, because it had crossed his mind that she might want to do that someday, and what would that mean for them? “Why?”

“Because I like a simple life. I want it centered around family and love and music.”

“I think about that kind of life all the time now.”

“Are you a cat or dog person?”

“Both, I guess. I grew up always having a dog in the house. We had barn cats, but I didn’t spend much time with them. Why? Do you want one?”

“Of each? Yes.”

He chuckled. “What kind of dog?”

“A sweet one. But I want a black cat. I’ll call her Pepper.”