car.
“Hey, how’s Joe?” he asked as he closed the door, shoved his phone in his pocket, and faced her.
She folded her arms and shrugged. “Doctor said his knee is sprained and that he’s likely to be off work for a month. But he has to go to occupational health and get an MRI. Did you get anything from Trey?”
Nick shook his head. “Trey lawyered up.” He stepped forward and ran his index finger across her forearm. “Losing your partner for a month is tough, but it’s not the end of the world. What else is wrong?”
Cognizant of the fact they were in a busy parking lot, Carly swallowed, fighting frustrated tears. She told Nick about the complaint by Dean Barton. Nick leaned next to her, his hip touching hers, and listened.
“When it rains, it pours.” He took her hand and pulled her toward the shop. “Let’s go in and get something to eat. We’ll both probably think clearer about all this with some food in us.”
He smiled and she squeezed his hand, feeling slightly better and all of a sudden hungry. Now that she’d told him the bad news, excitement from the good news of the task force offer bubbled up. She’d tell him about that over breakfast.
Inside, the coffee shop was bustling. Nick took a number and placed their order while Carly found a table for two near the counter. The food would be delivered to them whenready. She could see Londy working busily in the coffee and baked goods area and Erika doing likewise in the kitchen. Carly also saw Mary Ellen following Jinx around, apparently learning to deliver food and bus tables. Carly knew Mary Ellen had applied, but she hadn’t realized that the girl would be working so soon. Like Londy, Mary Ellen had a checkered past. She’d run away from a foster home and even committed a kidnap, snatching Joe’s son, A.J., from the hospital about a year ago. But she’d brought the baby back unharmed and later saved Carly’s life. When Carly, Joe, and his wife, Christy, went to bat for her, the justice system was lenient. She ended up staying in the juvenile justice system and not moving to adult court.
Mary Ellen had also done a lot for her own cause by buckling down and catching up on missed schoolwork. She completed her high school diploma while in state custody, completing one year’s work in four months. Now, while still on probation—the juvenile system would have jurisdiction over her until she turned twenty-five—she was a ward of her uncle, Jonah Rawlings, who also happened to be Carly and Nick’s pastor.
In spite of the crowd, their food was delivered quickly. Nick had ordered veggie omelets and large coffees for them both, plus a huge cinnamon roll to share. It was the type of meal they’d share together on a day off. Carly felt her aggravation fade with each bite.
“Why are you always right?” she asked Nick after half of her meal had disappeared.
“Hmm?” he mumbled with his mouth full.
“I do feel better, at least about the bogus complaint. But I’m so bummed about losing Joe. You know how tough it is to find someone you can work with for ten hours in a black-and-white.”
Nick swallowed and nodded. “I do. I’m sorry he got hurt. You were safe with him; he has a good head on his shoulders.”
Carly knew he meant physically safe. More than anything, a cop wanted a partner who would always have their back. Joe was that type of partner; she could trust him and they meshed. She took a few more bites of her omelet and then cut into the cinnamon roll.
“Is anyone on your watch looking for a partner?” Nick asked.
Carly shook her head, enjoying the taste of cinnamon and gooey icing. “I would have asked Kyle, but he’s retiring soon and has been taking a lot of time off.” An old-timer and a good friend, Kyle Corley wouldn’t be inclined to be a hard charger, but he wasn’t lazy, and he would back her up.
“But I did get an interesting offer.”
Nick’s eyebrows arched with curiosity as he sipped his coffee. “Yeah,
“Hey, how’s Joe?” he asked as he closed the door, shoved his phone in his pocket, and faced her.
She folded her arms and shrugged. “Doctor said his knee is sprained and that he’s likely to be off work for a month. But he has to go to occupational health and get an MRI. Did you get anything from Trey?”
Nick shook his head. “Trey lawyered up.” He stepped forward and ran his index finger across her forearm. “Losing your partner for a month is tough, but it’s not the end of the world. What else is wrong?”
Cognizant of the fact they were in a busy parking lot, Carly swallowed, fighting frustrated tears. She told Nick about the complaint by Dean Barton. Nick leaned next to her, his hip touching hers, and listened.
“When it rains, it pours.” He took her hand and pulled her toward the shop. “Let’s go in and get something to eat. We’ll both probably think clearer about all this with some food in us.”
He smiled and she squeezed his hand, feeling slightly better and all of a sudden hungry. Now that she’d told him the bad news, excitement from the good news of the task force offer bubbled up. She’d tell him about that over breakfast.
Inside, the coffee shop was bustling. Nick took a number and placed their order while Carly found a table for two near the counter. The food would be delivered to them whenready. She could see Londy working busily in the coffee and baked goods area and Erika doing likewise in the kitchen. Carly also saw Mary Ellen following Jinx around, apparently learning to deliver food and bus tables. Carly knew Mary Ellen had applied, but she hadn’t realized that the girl would be working so soon. Like Londy, Mary Ellen had a checkered past. She’d run away from a foster home and even committed a kidnap, snatching Joe’s son, A.J., from the hospital about a year ago. But she’d brought the baby back unharmed and later saved Carly’s life. When Carly, Joe, and his wife, Christy, went to bat for her, the justice system was lenient. She ended up staying in the juvenile justice system and not moving to adult court.
Mary Ellen had also done a lot for her own cause by buckling down and catching up on missed schoolwork. She completed her high school diploma while in state custody, completing one year’s work in four months. Now, while still on probation—the juvenile system would have jurisdiction over her until she turned twenty-five—she was a ward of her uncle, Jonah Rawlings, who also happened to be Carly and Nick’s pastor.
In spite of the crowd, their food was delivered quickly. Nick had ordered veggie omelets and large coffees for them both, plus a huge cinnamon roll to share. It was the type of meal they’d share together on a day off. Carly felt her aggravation fade with each bite.
“Why are you always right?” she asked Nick after half of her meal had disappeared.
“Hmm?” he mumbled with his mouth full.
“I do feel better, at least about the bogus complaint. But I’m so bummed about losing Joe. You know how tough it is to find someone you can work with for ten hours in a black-and-white.”
Nick swallowed and nodded. “I do. I’m sorry he got hurt. You were safe with him; he has a good head on his shoulders.”
Carly knew he meant physically safe. More than anything, a cop wanted a partner who would always have their back. Joe was that type of partner; she could trust him and they meshed. She took a few more bites of her omelet and then cut into the cinnamon roll.
“Is anyone on your watch looking for a partner?” Nick asked.
Carly shook her head, enjoying the taste of cinnamon and gooey icing. “I would have asked Kyle, but he’s retiring soon and has been taking a lot of time off.” An old-timer and a good friend, Kyle Corley wouldn’t be inclined to be a hard charger, but he wasn’t lazy, and he would back her up.
“But I did get an interesting offer.”
Nick’s eyebrows arched with curiosity as he sipped his coffee. “Yeah,
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