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“Good to see it, brother.”

“So, Jodie friend-zoned you?” He tapped the tin. “These are supposed to make her change her mind?”

“No. She didn’t friend-zone me, I friend-zoned myself. By accident.”

“Oh, you dumbass! How the hell did you manage that?”

“So, I spent the night⁠—”

“You slept with her and then accidentally friend-zoned yourself? Oh, Woody⁠—”

“No, I did not sleep with her, I said I spent the night. On her couch.” Mac bristled at the nickname Woody, for one of the characters on Cheers who was not that bright but apparently looked a little like Mac if you squinted just right. Mostly, the guys at Watchdog called Mac Woody because of his positive attitude, which he shared with the character. “She was embarrassed that I’d stayed and tried to make me breakfast, and I told her it was okay to accept help from friends.”

Colin’s mouth dropped open. “And you did not try to fix that?”

“No. It was clear that I just needed to get the hell out of there.”

“Take her to dinner.”

“She’s already taking me to dinner as a thank-you.”

“You’re not seriously letting that happen.”

“No, of course not. I’ll pay.”

“And you’ll call her when we get to Watchdog and tell her you’re taking her to Lavender in Lyons.”

“That fancy French place?”

“Yeah. You can even impress her with your French.”

“Wrong part of the country, brother. I’m from Alberta, not Quebec. We’re all ranchers and rig pigs, just trying not to put ’er in the rhubarb, eh?” If Colin was going to give him shit, Mac would lean into it.

Colin laughed. “I got all the words but didn’t understand any of that.”

“You don’t deserve to.” Mac folded his arms with a smile. “So, Lavender?”

“Lavender. Maren loved it. I had to take her somewhere extra special after San Diego.”

Mac nodded. He’d been sidelined for that operation because getting caught in Watchdog’s off-the-books sting could have put his security clearance back under a microscope. Being an American citizen had never been the problem. The years he’d spent in the Canadian military—some of them with The Forces—and later with the RCMP, had simply made his file more complicated than most. Kyle hadn’t been willing to risk reopening all of that over San Diego.

His only consolation was the pleasure and honor of guarding Maren’s daughter Juniper, who now called Colin her daddy.

Mac understood the sidelining. He still hated that his partner had been under fire without him.

“I should have been there, brother.”

“What are you talking about? You kept my little girl safe and sane while Maren and I were gone.” He reached over and clapped Mac on the shoulder. “I couldn’t ask for better.”

And that meant the world to Mac.

“Now,” Colin said, “about Jodie.”

Mac groaned.

Colin grinned. “Lavender.”

Mac looked at the tin between them and smiled despite himself.