Page 24 of Burning Justice

“Brett!” her mother called out.

“Hey, Brett,” her oldest brother Chris shouted in his deep baritone.

From the kitchen, Rory and Ben shouted simultaneously, “Yo!”

“Good ta see ya,” her father said in his thick Brooklyn accent, rushing out from behind the counter to shake Brett’s hand.

What the—? God, did her entire family love this guy? She might as well have been invisible.

“Honey, it’s good to see you,” her mom finally said, coming from behind the counter to wrap her in a warm hug. Like her dad, her mom’s Brooklyn accent hadn’t toned down even a scooch in the years since moving to Colorado.

“Hi, Mom.” Gemma gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek. The deli and her mom smelled like yeast and freshly baked bagels.

“Hey, squirt.” Chris winked at her as he slathered cream cheese—schmear—on a poppy seed bagel.

Gemma’s brows rose as her mother proceeded to wrap Brett in the same familial bear hug she’d thought was reserved only for family.

“Gemma, dear,” her mom said. “This is Brett Tanner, one of our favorite customers.” Her mom turned to Gemma, batting her eyelashes and winking—the unspoken signal she used to tell Gemma this was a customer she’d wanted to set her up with on another blind date.

Gemma gasped, her mouth remaining open as she looked from her mother to Brett, then back again. Oh, no. Just…no!

Her family didn’t realize they’d walked in together.

“Isn’t he handsome?” her mother whispered, leaning in. “He’s smart and nice, too. Such a gentleman.”

To cover for the embarrassment creeping up her spine, she averted her gaze, pretending to be interested in the glass case full of deli meats, cheeses, and half a dozen varieties of flavored schmear.

“You okay?” Brett touched her shoulder.

She cleared her throat. “Uh, yeah.” Aside from discovering that Brett was her parents’ next pick-of-the-day for her.

Her mother straightened. “You two know each other?”

It seemed like all conversation in the deli ceased, although, in reality, it was probably only her entire family who’d clammed up and frozen in place.

“We’re working together on a case,” Brett said to her parents.

“Oh,” her mother said in a high-pitched voice, then clapped her hands together. “Isn’t that nice?”

Was it? Traitorous though it would be, next time, she’d insist they meet for coffee at the Burger King a quarter mile down the road. Anywhere but here.

The air conditioning was cranked high inside the deli. That didn’t stop the flush of heat creeping up her neck.

Chris cleared his throat. “What can I get you?”

“Toasted everything with scallion cream cheese and a large coffee,” she and Brett said at the same time.

Again, with that pearly white grin. “Great minds…” Brett winked.

“Add two strips of bacon on the side,” Gemma said to her mother.

“For Blaze?” Brett laughed. “You’ll spoil him.”

Gemma smiled. “All dogs should be spoiled.”

“I’ll have those right out for you.” Her mom bestowed Brett with one of her special smiles.

“Thanks, Mrs. S.” To Gemma, Brett said, “After you.”