AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You pulled Tyler over.”
I stilled. “Yep.”
“But you didn’t give him a ticket.”
“Nope.”
“You let him off with a warnin’.”
I blinked at her. “Uh-huh.”
“Why?”
Chuckling at her dubious glare, I held out my hands. “What, now you’re gonna tell me lettin’ him off with a warnin’ was another bad choice, Pais?”
Her mouth popped open. “No.”
“Then, what?”
Paisley took a slow, hesitant step forward, and it took way too much effort for me not to meet her in the middle. The woman was like a dang magnet lately. I couldn’t seem to stay away from that call center, and every time she was near me at a family thing, I found myself drifting into her orbit without even meaning to.
But if she were about to let me have it for doing right by her brother after all these years of hating me for the opposite choice, I’d lose it.
“Actually... thank you for that,” she whispered, meeting my eyes only after seeming to prepare for it like she was headed for battle. “I appreciate what you did.”
“But?”
Her lips tipped up on one side. “I don’t know, okay? Maybe I just don’t understand why you did it.”
Her question shouldn’t have bothered me as much as it did, but I couldn’t contain the bewildered laugh that burst out any more than I could control my tone when I spoke. “Contrary to what you’ve always wanted to believe, I don’t have a problem with your brother, Pais. I’m not out to get him. I wasn’t when I pulled him over, and I wasn’t that night. For the last time:it wasn’t personal.”
That brought her onto my level, and she rolled her eyes. “Right, right. It was just yourduty.”
I ground my teeth. “It was my duty to give him a ticket today, too, and I didn’t.”
“Looks like you’re growin’ then,” she said. But then, just as quickly as the words were out, she pulled her lips together and took a step back. Then, she nodded, looking down before meeting my gaze again. “You know what? You’re right. Youcould’ve given him a ticket, and you didn’t. End of story. So, again, I appreciate it.”
Jamming my hands into my pockets, I willed my shoulders to relax. “Yeah, well, I’m not sure what good it’ll do, but it felt right.”
“Probably more good than a ticket would’ve,” she hedged, and unless I was dreaming, there was a hint of humor behind her defiant stare.
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth—which was exactly what it felt like for that conversation to end without bloodshed—I changed the subject. “You uh… gettin’ the hang of everythin’ at the station?”
Just like that, she went rigid, throwing up her guard. “Why? What have you heard?”
“Nothin’. Forget I asked.”
“Well, why did you?”
I sighed, throwing out my hands before letting them fall against my thighs with a smack. “Because, Paisley, that’s what people do. That’s what coworkers do—ask the new guy or girl how they’re doin’. But since you’re…you, you probably don’t need that kinda check-in.”
“What does that mean? Because ‘I’m me?’”
“Have you ever failed at anythin’ you’ve tried to do? Serious question.”
She let out a dark chuckle. “Uh, are you forgettin’ the whole reason I’m even doin’ this job? I failed at everythin’ else I tried to do in this town.”
I gave her a look. “That’s a load of bull, and you know it.”
