Page 11 of Lay Down the Law

Damn, he didn’t want to have to deal with this.

“It was wrong of me not to tell you I’m still…dealing with what happened to Danny,” she said.

“Frank didn’t bother,” he said dryly. “Why should you?”

“Frank doesn’t hold me responsible. It’s not an issue for him.”

“He didn’t clean up your file, did he?”

“He wouldn’t do that.”

“Internal Affairs cleared you?”

She looked at him as if she were about to walk the plank—and he was the one holding the gun at her back. “Yes.”

Nick didn’t like the way this was playing out. It was clear this woman had been exonerated by the department. The problem was she hadn’t yet exonerated herself.

“The police department isn’t the place for personal baggage,” he said. “Even in Logan Falls.”

“I’m working through it.”

Even from three feet away he could see she was shaking. What in the world had happened to this woman? What had Frank gotten him into? Whatever the case, Nick wasn’t happy about the situation. He sure didn’t like the way he was reacting to her. At the moment, he wished he’d never heard of her. Wished he’d never hired her, for God’s sake.

But another part of him knew that wasn’t completely true. She might be an attractive woman who was affecting him in all the wrong ways. She might have let her partner down in a crisis. But she was still a cop. A cop who’d been cut down in the line of duty and needed a chance to get back on her feet.

Frowning, Nick crossed to his desk, but he didn’t sit. His temper was still lit, but he knew it would be wrong of him to take it out on Erin. He didn’t know all the details of what she’d gone through. Frank had told him the shooting wasn’t directly her fault—she’d followed procedure for the most part. But her momentary hesitation had cost her—and her partner—dearly. The ensuing Internal Affairs investigation irrevocably damaged her career. She’d lost her confidence. In the end, she’d resigned voluntarily, to keep herself from getting fired.

“I hope this doesn’t affect your decision about hiring me,” she said.

He turned and looked at her, taking in the rigid shoulders. The high chin. The gaze that was level and a little too intense. His chest tightened uncomfortably when he realized it was taking most of her nerve just to maintain eye contact. Whatever happened in that warehouse had taken a heavy toll on her. She blamed herself, he realized. Nick knew firsthand how easy it was to accept blame when the real culprit wasn’t able to.

“This isn’t going to work out if you can’t handle being around the wheelchair,” he said.

“I can handle it.”

“You sure about that?”

“It just…caught me off guard. I didn’t mean to upset her.”

“I don’t think she noticed. But she’s sensitive about her handicap. I don’t want it to happen again.”

“It won’t.” Guilt shimmered in the depths of Erin’s eyes. “I overreacted. I’m sorry.”

Once again, Nick couldn’t take his eyes off her. She gazed steadily at him, her green eyes dark against her pale complexion. Relief flashed through him when he realized she wasn’t a crier. Female tears were the one thing he’d never handled well. Thank God he didn’t have to deal with that heaped on top of those bottomless, troubled eyes and soft mouth.

“We don’t have time to discuss this right now,” he said. “But you owe me a more detailed explanation.”

A breath shuddered out of her. “I know.”

He glanced toward the door, beyond which Stephanie waited. He’d always been protective of his daughter. Especially since the car accident three years ago that had taken her mother from her and injured her spine. As of late, it seemed his protective instinct had grown into something even Nick couldn’t control.

“I need to take her home,” he said. “You can ride along. Then we’ll start our shift, and we can talk.”

“Look, Nick, I’m a good cop—”

“This has nothing to do with whether or not you’re a good cop. The question is whether or not you’re ready to return to the field.”

“I’m ready,” she snapped.