Page 68 of Covert Affections (Shadow Agents/PSI-Ops #5)

Lindy groaned. “No one is eating them. Throw them away.”

He stared at her like she was the crazy one.

Waverly laughed. “I’m still game to try his wings. Screw the waiver. I understand the risk. You only live once.”

“All right, Graverly,” said Bill. “It’s your funeral, or is it? Feel the need to scream or anything? Is death on the horizon?”

Waverly stiffened. “W-what?”

“Gus may have mentioned a few things about you being a screamer and all,” said Bill with a wink.

Lindy’s eyes widened as she stared at her friend. “You and Gus? Really? There are so many levels of wrong with that.”

Waverly blushed. “Ohmygod, no! I’d never. Not with him. No.”

“I’ll have you know my best bud is a catch,” said Bill, sounding offended on Gus’s behalf.

Bill straightened to his full height, which still left him staring up at both women.

“Him and his girl are on the outs and I’ve been telling him to play the field.

To find himself a real honeybun. Someone to rock his world.

You know, have him seeing stars and all.

Course, he’s gonna have to get over that whole no touching thing first. You might be the girl to do that for him, Waiver-Lee. ”

She gasped. “Nope. I am so not that girl.”

“Yeah, you’re right. He’s probably too much man for you,” added Bill.

“Totally,” replied Waverly, relief showing. “Speaking of Gus. Where is he? He normally comes here with you, doesn’t he?”

“He said he had to see the Fuzz about a tow, then see a cat about a wrench and a ride and then get geared up for swimming tonight,” replied Bill nonchalantly.

“He’s going swimming tonight?” asked Lindy. “Where?”

Bill glanced around. “I don’t know. I think here.”

“Oh, okay,” said Lindy, positive the man wasn’t playing with a full deck. That was fine by her. She was used to Teresa who tended to be as erratic and off the wall. Lindy could see the two of them getting along well and then getting arrested.

“When you say he’s going to swim here, what does that mean?” asked Waverly, her gaze narrowing with suspicion. “And should we be worried?”

“Nah. I’m sure it’ll be fine,” said Bill as he handed Waverly the chicken wing.

Lindy lifted a hand as she thought more about what Bill had said. “See a cat about a wrench and the fuzz about a tow? What does that mean?”

Bill shrugged once more. “I don’t know. I wasn’t listening. I was catching a ride with Deputy-Downer before we went out to see Kitty-Scat mending fences.”

“Deputy-Downer?” asked Lindy.

“Same guy you was playing hide the pickle with not that long ago,” explained Bill.

When his meaning registered, Lindy groaned. “You mean Robert?”

“Yes. And you should know, I rode willingly in his police vehicle.” Bill lifted his chin. “Wasn’t even in handcuffs for most of the ride.”

“Wait? Robert handcuffed you?” questioned Lindy.

“Not on our way to see Kitty-Scat. Only on the way here. Said I was touching too many buttons,” said Bill with a grunt. “If they’re not for touching, why are they buttons? Makes no sense to me.”

“Robert gave you a ride here to the bar?” Lindy asked, disappointed he’d not stayed long enough for her to speak to him. She missed his friendship.

Bill glanced at her. “Yes, I’d have taken Kitty-Scat’s truck, but the asshole is hiding his keys from me. I was waiting to snag them from his bunk once he fell asleep but he ain’t been sleeping in the bunkhouse.”

“Kitty-Scat is who again?” asked Waverly.

Bill grumbled. “A total bag of dicks I got stuck working with every day out at the rescue. Lindy-Lou here has a soft spot for him. Thinks he’s a cutie pie. I think he has girlie hair and no tech skills to speak of.”

Waverly’s questioning gaze found its way to Lindy.

“Jesse,” said Lindy with a slight grin as she blushed. “He was at the man-meat market thing. Charley hired him on at the rescue.”

“And you have a soft spot for him?” asked Waverly with a grin.

Lindy rolled her eyes. “Sue me. He’s hot.”

“Got a picture of him?” asked Waverly.

Lindy shook her head and couldn’t help but think of Teresa’s request for one as well.

Bill nodded and set the chicken wing back on the plate.

He used his non-sauced hand to reach into the apron pocket and withdrew a beat-up looking cell phone.

He waggled his brows. “Got me some pictures of Romeo and Juliet rolling around in the leaves together—naked. I ain’t gonna tell you what the brown stuff is on them because we’re about to eat and I’m a gentleman. Want to see?”

“Yes,” said Waverly at the same time Lindy said, “No.”

Lindy’s stomach clenched at the idea of Jesse being with other women.

They weren’t a couple and had barely uttered more than a few words to one another at the man-meat market, but still, the thought of him rolling around in the leaves with a woman left her feeling as if she might be sick.

The last thing she wanted to see was photographic evidence of it all.

Bill stared between them before putting the phone back into his apron pocket. “Women never can make up their minds. You want a picture…you don’t want a picture.”

Lindy thought more on what Bill had said. “Jesse isn’t sleeping at the rescue in the bunkhouse?” That was news to her. Charley made it sound like Jesse was sleeping there. “Where is he sleeping?”

Bill grinned at her. “You want to know because you’re worried about him having a roof over his head, or you worried about whose bed his boots been under?”

“That one,” said Waverly as she motioned to Lindy. “Look at her.”

“I’m not worried about who he or is not having sex with.

” As the words left Lindy’s mouth, her chest tightened.

Flashes from her dream about him washed over her and she couldn’t help but think of him with others.

She had no claim to him, but the idea of Jesse banging other chicks more than bothered her.

Bill’s bushy brows moved up and down as he nudged Waverly with his elbow. “Looks like the idea of Kitty-Scat’s boots being under other women’s beds isn’t as okay with her as she wants us to believe.”

“It does look that way,” said Waverly. “Bill’s been filling me in on a bunch of the guys who have been coming in. Hasn’t said much about Jesse though. Told me tons about Teddy, Mac, Car and the hot French guy.”

Bill’s lip curled. “Count Dick-u-la?”

“Anyone ever tell you that you have very interesting names for people?” asked Waverly.

“ All the time,” he replied. “Now. You sure about trying my wings?”

“I’m sure.” Waverly flashed a wide smile.

Bill grabbed another sauce-covered wing and held it out to her. “Here you go. Bottoms up.”