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“Sorry, yeah. I was distracted by the… phone.”
The pair of women turned their sharp gazes towards the other dispatcher on shift today. We always had two dispatchers, and Paisley didn’t count until she was released from training. Thankfully, Catherine had picked up a ringing line right when I’d gotten lost in thought.
I cleared my throat, burying the wireless headset idea. I could only imagine the field day this town would have if they found out it was my idea to make some kind of high-tech update to the comms center. They’d be petitioning for Paisley to get locked away so she couldn’t infect anyone else with the fancy-ideas flu.
“Are you gonna stand here all day waitin’ for me to mess up so you can poke fun at me?” she asked.
“I wouldn’tpoke funat you if you crashed and burned,” I assured her. But when her lips only pulled into a tight line in response, I let out a breath. “This is important work you’re doin’ in here. Come on now, you know me better than that.”
She considered my words, her eyes flashing like she was getting ready to contradict that statement. But since she’d never come close to mentioning our past—or exactly how well we knew each other—in public, I doubted she’d start now.
Before she could say anything, however, the phone at her console rang. She spun, gracefully slipping into her chair to face the computers. And she did it without getting all tangled up in that headset leash, I might add. It was a wonder she’d managed it with the heels she had on.
My eyes tracked over her body. While everyone else opted for thecasualend of the business-casual dress code, Paisley wore one of those fitted pantsuits with heels. She probably didn’t own anything that wasn’t part of a getup like that.
Did she sleep in those suits?
“All right, now, make sure you’re always aware of the officers’ locations,” Hope instructed, pointing to the map of Charlotte Oaks displayed on the screen. “And remember, you’re their lifeline out there.”
Paisley nodded, her chin-length black hair swaying slightly with the movement. Then she straightened, listening to both her trainer and the caller yammering away in her ear.
And as intently as she was listening… I was watching.
It was strange seeing her here, in my world, determined to excel at yet another thing. Had I really come in here expecting anything less? When had she ever put feelings, emotions, or her best interests in front of her work?
Never.
Besides, while I wouldn’t classify my motives for being here as “poking fun” at her, I still had no business coming in here, knowing it’d lead to some kind of bickering. It always did.
And even if she had messed it all up or acted like a know-it-all with Hope, what made me think I had the right to scold her for it?
As I watched her dispatch the fire department for the caller’s emergency, my thoughts unwillingly drifted back to the night we first met.
It’d started out so good. I could still remember that pull that made me feel like I could tell her anything, even though it wasn’t the least bit logical or sensible. We were total strangers, and yet, the connection we shared was the strongest thing I’d ever felt.
Something inside me recognized her from the jump, and I’d swear it was the same on her end. I’d never been one for sappy romance stuff, that night? It was one for the books.
But now, here we were, a few years later, and worlds apart.
The way we’d talked the night we met, with all that ease and unspoken understanding? That was long gone. Now all we had was a boatload of bitterness that we were both too stubborn to shake off, trapped in a cycle of hurt and regret.
“Adam,” Hope called out, snapping me back to the present. “You okay over there?”
“Yeah,” I said, forcing a nod. “Just lost in thought, I guess.”
“Seems like that’s been happenin’ a lot lately,” she replied in a hushed tone, shooting me a knowing look before turning her attention back to Paisley.
“Yeah, well,” I started, clearing my throat. “I’m gonna take my wellness hour, so I won’t be available for calls.”
It was a new thing they were trying at the police station–giving officers an hour each shift to do whatever they needed to keep their minds and bodies in check. And right then, I needed it. I could feel the tension building up inside me like a pressure cooker. If I didn’t let off some steam, it wouldn’t be pretty for anyone.
“Sure thing,” Hope replied with understanding. “I’ll mark it on the board. Take care, now.”
“You, too,” I muttered, making my way out of the station and down the street, one destination in mind: Travis’s boxing gym.
And it’d been the right choice since the transition from the police station to the gym was like stepping into a different world. Suddenly, it wasn’t about protocols and procedures but about sweat, adrenaline, and raw emotion.
It was exactly what I needed right now.
