I grin because, chances are, she’s right.
“That’s probably a safe bet,” I warn her.“Linc was a holy terror.Colicky, underweight, spit up a ton, wouldn’t sleep unless he was skin to skin, and look at him now; a laid-back giant.Then there was Remi, who was like Magnus, a dream child, until he started walking and talking.My God, that boy has given me some gray hairs.”
“About that…” Savvy segues.“We were over at Hugo and Bess’s place last night for dinner and heard about that showdown at the junkyard.”
Yeah, last night was a small reprieve when I wasn’t called into the office right away for some kind of reprimand and left to deal with Clem and my son, who was badly shaken by the entire ordeal, but I knew I’d be called on the carpet this morning.
I took it.First the stern reprimand from Hugo and assignment to desk duty for an unidentified period of time.I wasn’t happy about it, but I deserved it.
After that I got a harsh talking to by Mancuso, who was in town to speak with Mrs.Dixon himself to get the information she provided in an official report.He was still spitting fire I almost derailed his case and told me, in no uncertain terms, not to come anywhere near the remainder of this investigation.If I were in his shoes, I’d be incensed as well.My main concern was getting to my son, who was in danger, but Mancuso has to worry about justice for all the victims, and the only way he can do that is to build as airtight of a case as possible, by following proper procedure.
So I took his tongue-lashing too and promised to steer clear of anything to do with his case.
Even though I know Savvy’s heard Hugo’s version, I tell her the sequence of events from my perspective.
“I’d do it again.Without a single regret,” I confess.
She chuckles and nods.“As recently as three months ago, I probably wouldn’t have understood that as well as I do now.When it comes to our kids, all bets are off.”
“Exactly.”
“But, just to be clear,” she points out, “I’d have benched your ass too.”
“I know.”
I smile at Magnus, whose little hands wave around a bit clumsily, tangling in my ponytail.I’m rewarded with a little gummy smile.
“Did you see that?”
I flash a glance at Savvy, who is grinning.“Yeah, he just started doing that.But don’t tell Nate, he hasn’t had one yet and he’s been trying to get Magnus to smile so hard.”
“What are you doing here?”Hugo asks, walking up behind Savvy and putting a hand on her shoulder.
“Magnus and I are checking in, seeing how things are going here.”
“Things are fine, as I reported to you last night,” Hugo reminds her pointedly.
Savvy, her back turned to him, rolls her eyes at me.
“Who said I was checking in with you?As you can see, I’m touching base with Tessa.And maybe I’ll do the rounds in the bullpen after,” she adds saucily.
Hugo grins, the years’ long friendship between the sheriff and her right-hand man obvious in the easy, playful interaction.
So different from the office I left behind in Spokane, where tension was always high, and backstabbers had me constantly check over my shoulder.I thank my lucky stars I landed here, with a great team of people around me.
Heck, even being relegated to desk duty here is preferable to being back at my former job, challenging as it might have been.
Life is too short, and I choose simplicity over a stressful and politically tainted climb up the career ladder any day of the week.
“What about you?”Hugo directs at me.“Didn’t you say you were supposed to pick Clem up from the hospital?”
“I was, but apparently my boys took it upon themselves to collect him instead.They should be home by now.”
Hugo checks his watch.“It’s almost five, why don’t you get out of here, make sure everything is okay at home, and I’ll see you back in the morning.I’m gonna need you on your regular shift, Althof is swamped.”
I try not to grin too wide.I got off pretty easy with only one disciplinary day behind the front desk.
“Look at him,” Savvy indicates, admiring her son, who is still in my arms and looking at me with his cherub face smiling back big.“Give him to me, before he wastes all his good ones on you.”
