consideration.”
Before David could retort, Bo’s office door swung open. The second Bo strode out, Sam knew something was wrong. Bo’s cheeks were red, the muscles in his jaw standing out hard and tight. Sam’s insides clenched.
“Sorry, y’all,” Bo said before Sam could ask him what was wrong. “But I have to go pick up Adrian from school.” He lifted his jacket from the coat rack and shrugged it on.
“I’ll be back in a little while. I hope y’all don’t mind him coming to the office with me for the rest of the day.”
“Of course not.” Dean shot a questioning look at Sam, who shrugged. “Anything we can do?”
“No. Thanks.” Bo frowned, opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again.
“See y’all in a little while.”
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Ally Blue
He yanked the front door open and hurried outside. Sam followed without stopping to think about whether or not he should. Shivering in the increasing cold and damp, he jogged across the porch in Bo’s wake. “Bo, wait.” Bo stopped. “What?”
Sam ignored the snap in Bo’s voice. “What happened?” Sighing, Bo took Sam’s hand in his and laced their fingers together. “Adrian’s been suspended.”
Sam’s mouth fell open. “Suspended?”
“Yeah.”
“Why, for fuck’s sake? He’s a great student, and he’s never been in trouble before.”
“I know, I know.” Bo rubbed his free hand over his forehead. “The principal said he was disrupting the class, that he refused to stop and that he threw a pencil at his teacher when she reprimanded him.”
Surprised, Sam blinked. “That doesn’t sound like Adrian at all.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Sam pulled Bo closer. “You sure you don’t want me to come with you?”
“I’m sure. Thanks, though.” Bo tilted his face up and pressed a swift kiss to Sam’s lips. “I need to go. I’ll tell you what I find out later.”
“Okay.” Sam squeezed Bo’s hand, then let him go. “Call me if you need me.” With a wan smile, Bo nodded and turned away. Sam stood with his shoulders hunched against the cold and watched while Bo climbed into his car and backed out into the tree-lined street. Sam didn’t go back inside until the car was out of sight.
***
Bo returned half an hour later with a sullen Adrian in tow. The boy ignored Sam’s greeting and stomped into his father’s office in a nearly visible cloud of preteen fury. The door slammed shut behind him.
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An Inner Darkness
Danny glanced at the office door, then raised her eyebrows at Bo before returning to her work. Shaking his head, Bo crossed to Sam’s desk and dropped into an empty chair beside him. “Don’t ask.”
“You got it, boss-man.” David spun his chair around to face Bo. “You want me to take him out for ice cream or something?” Bo smiled. “That’s very nice of you, but there’s no need. We’re not staying after all.
I’m taking Adrian home. He and I need to have a talk.” A sudden attack of nerves churned Sam’s stomach. He never knew whether to involve himself in Bo’s family affairs or not. Sean and Adrian weren’t his children.
However, they were part of his life now via his relationship with Bo. What he hadn’t quite worked out was precisely what role he played in their lives. Trying to be a parent to them felt horribly awkward. He did the best he could, for Bo’s sake, but he always felt out of his depth.
Sam licked his lips. “Do you want me to come with you, or would you rather I stayed here?”
“Would you mind coming with me?”
Damn. “Of course I don’t mind.”
The relief which flooded Bo’s face gave Sam a guilty twinge in his gut. “Thank you, Sam. I really need your support for this.” “No problem.” Forcing a smile, Sam laid a hand on Bo’s knee. “Hey, why didn’t the school call Janine?”
Bo’s face clouded. “They did. She didn’t answer her cell, so they called Lee’s. He told them Janine was on assignment and he
Before David could retort, Bo’s office door swung open. The second Bo strode out, Sam knew something was wrong. Bo’s cheeks were red, the muscles in his jaw standing out hard and tight. Sam’s insides clenched.
“Sorry, y’all,” Bo said before Sam could ask him what was wrong. “But I have to go pick up Adrian from school.” He lifted his jacket from the coat rack and shrugged it on.
“I’ll be back in a little while. I hope y’all don’t mind him coming to the office with me for the rest of the day.”
“Of course not.” Dean shot a questioning look at Sam, who shrugged. “Anything we can do?”
“No. Thanks.” Bo frowned, opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again.
“See y’all in a little while.”
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Ally Blue
He yanked the front door open and hurried outside. Sam followed without stopping to think about whether or not he should. Shivering in the increasing cold and damp, he jogged across the porch in Bo’s wake. “Bo, wait.” Bo stopped. “What?”
Sam ignored the snap in Bo’s voice. “What happened?” Sighing, Bo took Sam’s hand in his and laced their fingers together. “Adrian’s been suspended.”
Sam’s mouth fell open. “Suspended?”
“Yeah.”
“Why, for fuck’s sake? He’s a great student, and he’s never been in trouble before.”
“I know, I know.” Bo rubbed his free hand over his forehead. “The principal said he was disrupting the class, that he refused to stop and that he threw a pencil at his teacher when she reprimanded him.”
Surprised, Sam blinked. “That doesn’t sound like Adrian at all.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Sam pulled Bo closer. “You sure you don’t want me to come with you?”
“I’m sure. Thanks, though.” Bo tilted his face up and pressed a swift kiss to Sam’s lips. “I need to go. I’ll tell you what I find out later.”
“Okay.” Sam squeezed Bo’s hand, then let him go. “Call me if you need me.” With a wan smile, Bo nodded and turned away. Sam stood with his shoulders hunched against the cold and watched while Bo climbed into his car and backed out into the tree-lined street. Sam didn’t go back inside until the car was out of sight.
***
Bo returned half an hour later with a sullen Adrian in tow. The boy ignored Sam’s greeting and stomped into his father’s office in a nearly visible cloud of preteen fury. The door slammed shut behind him.
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An Inner Darkness
Danny glanced at the office door, then raised her eyebrows at Bo before returning to her work. Shaking his head, Bo crossed to Sam’s desk and dropped into an empty chair beside him. “Don’t ask.”
“You got it, boss-man.” David spun his chair around to face Bo. “You want me to take him out for ice cream or something?” Bo smiled. “That’s very nice of you, but there’s no need. We’re not staying after all.
I’m taking Adrian home. He and I need to have a talk.” A sudden attack of nerves churned Sam’s stomach. He never knew whether to involve himself in Bo’s family affairs or not. Sean and Adrian weren’t his children.
However, they were part of his life now via his relationship with Bo. What he hadn’t quite worked out was precisely what role he played in their lives. Trying to be a parent to them felt horribly awkward. He did the best he could, for Bo’s sake, but he always felt out of his depth.
Sam licked his lips. “Do you want me to come with you, or would you rather I stayed here?”
“Would you mind coming with me?”
Damn. “Of course I don’t mind.”
The relief which flooded Bo’s face gave Sam a guilty twinge in his gut. “Thank you, Sam. I really need your support for this.” “No problem.” Forcing a smile, Sam laid a hand on Bo’s knee. “Hey, why didn’t the school call Janine?”
Bo’s face clouded. “They did. She didn’t answer her cell, so they called Lee’s. He told them Janine was on assignment and he
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