Home Sweet Home Ch. 04

I get some complaints on the length of time between chapters, but this isn't my day job. Yet. It's either I write stories like these on a monthly release cycle between the detective stories I usually release quarterly, or I go dark for three to four months at a time. These stories allow me to test concepts and try new things outside of my normal format. You might be able to read 10,000 words in a few hours, but I promise you, it takes a hell of a lot more time to write it. But hey, people getting anxious over the time between chapters is kind of good thing when you get down to it. It certainly shows the interest in the story. I'm a silver lining kind of guy.

I try to keep myself to a release schedule. I post on my bio estimated times of release for upcoming stories. I hope to have the next detective crime drama up before Christmas, and I'm working on it. Give the bio a look for updates if you're curious, or feel free to DM me on the forums if you have any questions.

--

Diana's phone woke her up at fifteen till five. She had set the alarm while driving to Riley's knowing she'd need to wake up to drive home, change, and prepare for work. The alarm didn't stir Riley who was sound asleep. Carefully, she exited the bed to gather her clothing. Once fully dressed, she walked to his side of the bed and kissed his cheek. He groaned but didn't awaken.

There wasn't much light in the house, but there was enough to walk without second guessing her steps. Dawn was just breaking. Yellow-orange light was glowing through the windows, giving Diana enough light to maneuver with confidence. Taking a moment to look around, she saw the ironing board still propped up against the wall. She smiled, remembering how crisp his shirt was. It was nice to know he took the time for the small things too often ignored.

The streets of Ferry Grove were nearly empty, aside from a few early risers putting out their trashcans. She slowly drove wide around the occasional jogger. Two red lights slowed her down, and she waited for over a full minute for both even though no traffic was coming from either direction.

It was shortly after five in the morning when she tiptoed into her house. The first floor was dark, and it appeared empty. The front of her home faced west, so the first light was illuminating the other side of the house. Diana assumed Whitney was asleep. She removed her shoes at the door and took one step into the living room. The lamp next to the recliner snapped on.

"Gotcha!" Whitney said, making her mother jump back in surprise.

"Jesus!" Diana said, clutching her chest, feeling her heart race for a moment. "I said don't wait up."

"Where'd you go last night?" Whitney said with a grin.

"Had a few drinks, talked with some friends..."

"...mom, I'm fifteen, not five," Whitney said. She pulled the lever on the side of the recliner to draw the leg rest back so she could stand up. "You also have bed head, so I know you slept at someone's."

Diana looked at herself in the mirror and saw how her hair looked. If her and Riley continued this, she'd had to leave a silk pillowcase at his house.

"You caught me," Diana said with a laugh. "The date went very well."

"You gonna tell me with who?" Whitney asked, and Diana debated with herself if she told her so soon. "Come on mom."

"I was with Riley last night," Diana said, and watched her daughter eyes bulge.

"Riley Blake? You fucked Riley Blake?"

"Young lady," Diana said, chastising her for her language.

"Sorry, but, damn mom," Whitney said, and began giggling.

"I need to shower and get ready for work. You need to get ready for school," Diana said, and then noticed her backpack next to the chair, ready to go. "I'd appreciate breakfast if you wouldn't mind."

"Between you and me cooking? I'll pick me," Whitney said, and began to prepare breakfast.

Diana finished getting ready for work by fifteen before the hour. Whitney had an empty plate in front of her and was nibbling on toast as she scrolled on her phone. Some scrambled eggs were on the counter, kept warm between two paper plates.

"Thank you," Diana said. She picked up the plate and walked it over to the table. "Do you have any questions?"

"I know what sex is, mom," Whitney said, and lowered her phone. Her mother's face demanded more be said. "Not from experience, relax."

"Good. Not until you're thirty," Diana said. Whitney detected no sarcasm.

"Who asked who?" Whitney asked.

"He asked me," Diana replied, and Whitney started to giggle again. "Even you said we'd have a lot in common."

"Do you?" Whitney asked.

"We connected," Diana said, and Whitney put her hand over her mouth to smoother a laugh. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"When was your last date?"

"Three years. And the one before that was two years. It's slim pickings the older you get," Diana said. Up until this point, she just relegated herself to believing that part of her life was over. That she was going to be single until she died.

"Was he cool?" Whitney asked.

"Absolute gentlemen," Diana said with a smile.

"Gentlemen have sex on the first date?" Whitney asked.

"Even gentlemen have dicks," Diana said. They both laughed, and Whitney teased her mother on her language.

"You gonna see him again?"

"I hope I do," Diana said. She then started to eat.

--

Riley had a feeling he would wake up alone. Diana had too important of a job to lounge around in bed. He wasn't offended. He understood. Rather than get out of bed immediately, he placed his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. He smiled to himself, then tilted his head, wondering if he could still smell her on the pillow. Her scent was present; a lovely aroma of citrus he remembered from inhaling her during the night.

After several minutes, Riley committed himself to starting his day. He dressed without a shower, choosing loose fitting clothing he purchased at a moment when he felt a sudden desire to start an exercise regimen he never did begin. Much like his desire to learn how to cook or fix cars. He had a particular skillset, and his life never saw him wandering far from it.

He left his room in sweatpants and barefoot. Tilly was on the couch with a plate of food on her lap. Poached eggs on toast, sliced down the middle, and was now dipping the bread in the yoke.

"No company?" she asked, her head resting on the backrest to look at him.

"She had to leave early for work," Riley said while taking a cup of coffee from the pot Tilly had already brewed. He took a sip and immediately noticed it was much smoother than the way he normally made it. He had grown so accustomed to bad coffee, good coffee felt like losing his virginity. The pleasure, the joy, the general confusion of what happens next. "Seriously? What am I doing wrong?"

"What?" Tilly asked, and he raised his coffee cup to show her. "The golden ratio of coffee? That's more basic than hard boiled eggs. Must I teach you everything?"

"Apparently," he said.

"Two tablespoons of grounds for every six ounces," she said. Tilly stood up from the couch and entered the kitchen to place her plate and silverware in the sink. "Do you just blindly dump grounds in and say screw it?"

"Kind of," he said.

"How are you an adult?"

"Never said I was," he said, and smelled the coffee before drinking. "Damn that's good."

"When you say she had to leave early, is that you explaining away why you woke up alone?" Tilly asked.

"No, she had to leave early," Riley assured her.

"What does she do that's so important?"

"Deputy Chief of the police department," Riley replied, and Tilly tilted her head in thought. She was searching through her memories, thinking she might have already met her.

"The black female officer who showed up with the CPS lady?" she asked, and Riley nodded. Riley was sure she didn't mean anything by the question. It was a just a descriptor.

"That's the one," Riley said. He waited to see how she felt about him being with the person who had her arrested. Tilly didn't seem to have taken it personally.

"What does she look like out of uniform?" Tilly asked with a grin.

"Gorgeous," he said, returning the smile. "Sexy naked too."

"You gonna see her again?"

"Absolutely."

A knock came at the door, and Riley put the cup of coffee on the counter to see who it was. There was a man at his door. He was pacing back and forth, hands tucked into his pockets. Riley didn't recognize him but answered the door regardless.

"Morning Mr. Blake. Do you remember me?" the man asked, and Riley took a moment to figure out if he did, before he shook his head. "It was dark, I understand. Officer Ballard. Badge two-two-two-four."

Joey wasn't in uniform. He wore a pair of light blue jeans with converse and a plain black shirt under a jacket.

"Dia....your chief said someone might stop by," Riley said. He didn't want to create the wrong perception about Diana. Even if it was accurate. It felt like it could undermine her authority. The Chief who ordered him to apologize to a man she was currently sleeping with.

"She ordered a formal apology, which suggests I show up in full blues, the works. Didn't feel right. I had a feeling you'd prefer something a little less formal," Joey said, keeping his hands in his pockets.

"No need to make you a dancing monkey. I get it," Riley said. He could tell Joey was prideful. His posture displayed someone who does not like apologizing. But here he was.

"I knew you owned the house," Joey said. He looked away and braced for the possibility of getting punched. He wouldn't even file a report if it happened.

"How?" Riley asked.

"I was in a bidding war with you for it," Joey said. Riley understood now.

"It is a nice house."

"Yeah, it is, and always out of my price range. Until it suddenly wasn't. I made a lot of mistakes when I was younger. Kid right out of high school, you know," Joey said, and Riley nodded before Joey continued. "I did some things right. Married her, had another kid before we should have. Third on the way. I really need to stop fucking at some point."

Riley laughed a little. Joey chuckled himself. He felt how easy Riley was to get along with, and it was gradually making him more comfortable to talk. It also made the apology easier knowing it was to a man who deserved the apology.

"That two bedroom gets crowded real fast," Joey said, looking through the window of the house. Inside of what could have been his. "It's a nice town, always has been. The blood is a little blue for someone like me looking to move up. Then suddenly there is a probate auction. A five bedroom is possible. A little land for my boys to roughhouse. Wife gets the art studio she always wanted. Maybe put in a fence out back for the dog. That wasn't just a dream anymore; it was possible.

"I made some promises I shouldn't have made to her. Told her it was a done deal. She tells me it was fine, but I know I disappointed her. I was pissed, but more at myself than anything else," Joey said, Riley nodding to show he was following.

"Then I respond to a call, and it's this house. I doubt she remembers me, but I went to high school with Tilly. I knew it was her parent's house from the auction, and because of why it went to probate, I knew it wasn't Tilly's. That meant it was yours. I knew. I had an opportunity to be a petty dickhead. It was childish, and I shouldn't have done it. For that, I'm sorry."

Riley stood silently, gauging the sincerity of the apology. It felt genuine. What he did felt good in the moment, but afterwards it didn't. Joey was also disappointed in himself. Riley didn't have to like what Joey had done to understand it. Joey told the entire story so Riley would know it wasn't the man he typically was. It was a moment of weakness. In his life, Riley had plenty of those too.

"You want some coffee?" Riley asked. Joey smiled, knowing Riley had accepted the apology.

"I would, but I can't stay long. I got to get to the DMV," Joey said, and they both laughed. "Thanks though." Riley offered a handshake, and Joey took it. "See you around."

"Absolutely," Riley said, and watched Joey walk down the porch and to his car. He remained on the porch until Joey pulled onto the main street.

--

Diana prepared herself for another working lunch, but before she could open the container in her minifridge under her desk, a figure appeared at her open door. Diana looked up and saw the Chairman of the City Council Ethan Drake.

Ethan was in his early sixties but carried himself as a much younger man. His face had aged like the hard leather of a used catcher's mitt. Liver spots visible on his hands. Balder than not but handled his hair without an iota of vanity. Behind the appearance of a tired old man, was someone who walked with his shoulders square.

"Ethan?" Diana asked. He had her stop with formalities a decade ago. Back when she was sitting in Staff Sergeant Hopper's office.

"Let me buy you lunch," he said. Diana knew that meant he wanted to talk to her about something important.

Diana tucked her lunch back into her fridge and closed her office. Ethan took her to the diner she met Riley at to diffuse the threat of a lawsuit. They sat at a booth, both ordered something light for lunch, and had coffee brought to them.

"You haven't gotten me lunch since you told me I was on the shortlist for Deputy Chief," Diana said, and he smiled at her.

"Let's keep that trend going," Ethan said, keeping the smile. "Malcom just handed me his retirement this morning. Effective in June. Next month is nomination process."

"Wow, he didn't even tell me," Diana said.

"It's a mayoral appointment as you know, then approved by the council. Mayor will make his announcement on Monday. I don't know who else he would nominate," Ethan said, and Diana tried to swallow her enthusiasm, but it still broke through. She smiled wide and tucked her chin toward her chest to obscure it. "You've been working your ass off for over twenty years. Fuck humility."

Diana laughed, the picked her chin up. "Thanks."

"It's a formality at this point. Look forward to working with you. Ferry Grove Chief of Police Diana Jackson," Ethan said.

Ethan had known Diana for ten years, and always saw her a strong police officer, but more importantly, as an objectively fair and kind woman. He was one of the few people outside of her family who knew what her life was like before she had a badge. The hardships she overcame. Raising her sister, and later her own daughter with nothing but grace.

Today Diana had an aura about her. He would have said it was because of the news, but she was beaming before they sat down. It was something else.

"You're glowing today," he said, and she hiked her shoulders up. "Care to share?"

"That glow is sex," she admitted.

"Been awhile?"

"Three years," she said, and he whistled. "Long ass time. I've been a single mom for twenty-six years. I don't have the luxury to be screwing around for fun."

"Who was the lucky man?" Ethan asked.

"You remember the lawsuit we managed to stop?" Diana asked, and Ethan nodded. "Aside from threatening to sue my department, he's a good guy."

"Riley Blake?" he asked, and she confirmed. "My granddaughter loves his books."

"Good lord, what is it with teenaged girls and those books?" Diana asked, making them both chuckle.

"I haven't read it, so I couldn't tell you," Ethan said, and waited until they both settled down with the laughter before he continued. "Be careful with that."

"What do you mean?" Diana asked.

"A lawsuit goes away shortly before you're in a relationship with him. You order an officer to apologize to the man you're romantic with. I'm just saying, be cognitive of the perception. Founded or not," Ethan said, and Diana nodded, understanding his point.

"Aside from that, who would you have replace you as Deputy?" Ethan asked. Diana raised her coffee to her lips and used the sip to think about her reply.

"I know Gerald is the easy answer. I was there before he was. We've talked about it, but he said he's already creeping thirty years. He plainly said he doesn't want it if he could have it. I'm thinking Matthews."

"Josh?" Ethan asked and Diana nodded. He called every member of the police by their first name. There was nothing formal about the man. "He'd be an easy sell."

"Nearly twenty years. We were Sergeants together. Him and I have a long history as a good team," Diana explained, though she didn't have to justify it with Ethan.

"I'll trust your judgement on that. You haven't given me any reason to doubt it," he said. Diana's phone chimed, and she checked the message. It was from Riley.

"I would have preferred to call but didn't want to interrupt something."

"Who's that?" Ethan asked. The smile on her face from the message provided him with all the information he needed.

"Riley," Diana said as she typed her reply to the message.

"I'm talking to the Chairman of the City Council right now. I'll call you when I get off work."

"You can call him. I wouldn't mind," Ethan said.

"It helps my persona if he thinks I'm busier than I actually am," Diana said, giggling to herself.

"You're like a schoolgirl right now," Ethan laughed.

--

Riley's writing had slowed down after the initial creative surge but was still moving at an admirable pace. Thirty pages by lunch. He made a microwavable meal and decided to eat it outside of the office so he could enjoy it and take a break. He sent Diana a message while he ate, and she texted him back within a minute. A meeting with the Chairman of the City Council sounded awfully important.

Tilly was upstairs on a conference call with her lawyer, getting prepared for her custody hearing tomorrow afternoon. She was told the same things as last time. Not to get her hopes up for immediate family reunification. She was told Howie was with a good family for the time being and not at a group home. That was a relief to hear and made the entire process much easier for Tilly.

Riley put his microwave package in the trash and returned to his office. He cleaned up the space around his keyboard to start fresh. Before he could get back to work, his phone rang. At first, he believed it was Diana but was disappointed to see it was Debra.

"What's going on?" Riley asked.

"What are you doing right now?" Debra replied with another question.

"Writing. Should I not be doing that?" Riley asked.

"Weirdly no. You need to be producing a television show right now," Debra said. Riley groaned as he leaned back into the computer chair. "You wanted to control the IP. That comes with work. You got some casting to approve."

"Isn't there a casting director?" Riley asked.

"The casting director wants you to narrow the applicants. Before you ask, Titus Welliver passed on the script. He isn't interesting in working outside of LA right now," Debra said, making Riley groan again. That was his number one pick for Timothy Augustine, the protagonist of his book series. He loved him in the series Bosch, and believed he was the best casting choice.

"What's the process?" Riley asked.

"The casting director read lines with over a hundred people for Timothy Augustine, Theodora Abernathy, Michelle Frost, and the Little Maiden. That's a hundred, each, by the way. The director kicked all but about thirty, each. That's what you got to go through. He's requesting a short list."

"That's still over a hundred," Riley said.

"You wanted creative control. Read your contract," Debra said. She waited for Riley to say something else, but he didn't. "They're going to start pouring into your email within the hour. Which character do you want first?"

"I guess I'll start with Michele Frost. I didn't have a specific person in mind for her," Riley said.