The Other Game (The Perfect Game 4)

“Just let him help you, Cass,” I said as I pulled the shirt over my head. “He’s never done it before, and I want to watch.” I raised my eyebrows to waggle them at her, but cringed at the discomfort as I slid onto the bar stool next to her.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s just that facial expressions tend to hurt a little.”

“Tell me about it. I had no idea how much my jaw moved until it hurt every time I moved it.” She placed her hand against the side of her face.

Jack set a plate with a pile of bacon in front of us and then started cracking eggs into the same pan. “Eat,” he demanded.

“Gladly.” I reached for a slice of bacon and bit down, and the grease and flavor exploded in my mouth like heaven. “So good. Why is bacon so good?”

Cassie moaned as she took a bite as well, and when Jack turned around, his eyes firmly focused on her mouth.

“Kitten. Don’t make those sounds during breakfast. We have company.” He nodded in my direction, and she rolled her eyes.

“Dean’s not company. He’s family,” she said, and I couldn’t stop my smile.

“Thanks, sis.” I nudged her shoulder with mine.

“I heard you told the cops I was your sister,” she said, still chewing on her first piece while I’d already moved on to my fourth.

I shrugged. “It just came out. You’re not mad, right?”

She pulled her head back in surprise. “Why would I ever be mad at that?”

“I don’t know.”

Jack joined us at the bar, carrying one plate filled with eggs and another piled high with toast. He set them down between us and I tried to stifle my shock.

“Wow. Jack, I’ve never—”

“Just say thanks and shut up.”

“Thanks. Shut up,” I said as I stabbed my fork at the pile of eggs.

Cassie leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek. “This was really sweet. Thank you.”

“Anything for you,” he said.

I started to fake gag like I normally would to tease Jack, but stopped myself. The truth was that it was nice seeing my brother so happy, so I decided to take the high road this time.

“I talked to the cops this morning while you were in the shower,” Jack said. “Still no word on the guy or your camera.”

I choked, pounding on my chest with my fist. “What? What happened to your camera?”

Cassie turned to face me, her expression sad. “You don’t know? I guess you wouldn’t, huh? He stole my camera. That’s what started the whole thing.”

I dropped my fork and it fell to my plate with a clang. Stunned, I just sat there, shaking my head. “I didn’t know that. I’m so sorry, Cassie.”

“I’m going to find it,” Jack said with conviction. “A guy like that doesn’t steal a camera just to keep it. He’s going to try to sell it somewhere and when he does, I’m going to find it. And if I don’t, I’m going to buy her a new one.”

Cassie smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Her camera represented her future, and I could only imagine what having that taken away must feel like.

We spent the rest of the meal in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. When I finished eating, I stood up and set my dish into the sink.

Jack’s tired eyes met mine. “Leave it. I’ll get it.”

“I can clean up. You cooked,” I said, but he shook his head.