Read Online Prince Charming Wears a Badge by Lisa Dyson - Free Book Online Page B

if considering his question. “If we get the same amount of people to help out as we did today, I think we have a good chance of finishing.”
    â€œGreat.” But he’d said it jokingly. “That means I’ll have to find something new for you to do after Friday’s soup kitchen.”
    â€œI’d prefer more work like at the soup kitchen, but I’m sure you’ll come up with something disgusting like picking up trash and cleaning out grease traps.” She sounded resigned to the fact.
    He chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.”
    She tucked her bare feet under her. “How was training? I think that’s what Poppy said you were doing tonight.”
    He nodded. “It went well. I inherited my three officers and decided they could use regular training. So we work on something different every week. Tonight we did target practice at the gun range over in Lewisburg.”
    â€œSeems more like playing than working.” She sounded as if she could use something like that.
    â€œThat’s how I’ve tried to structure the training so everyone wants to participate. How was your evening?” he asked. “I hope my girls haven’t been too annoying.”
    â€œThey’ve been fine. I didn’t really see them much after dinner.”
    â€œWere they playing outside or did Aunt Poppy take them out somewhere?”
    â€œI don’t know. I was in my room.” She paused. “I now have a standing appointment with my therapist on Wednesday evenings.”
    He was surprised at her admission, although he already knew from her therapist that she had court-ordered sessions. He didn’t know why and didn’t feel he should ask. Instead he said, “My daughters have been seeing their therapist for over a year now and they’ve gotten a lot out of it. I hope you get a similar result.”
    Callie didn’t say anything while she took a long drink of her beer and then set it back down. “I’m not sure what kind of results I’ll get since seeing the psychologist wasn’t my idea.”
    â€œYou’re not happy about having to talk to him?”
    Her head shot in his direction. “How did you know my therapist was a man and not a woman?”
    His beer was halfway to his mouth when his arm froze. “Because Dr. Hammond is the one who contacted me about your community service hours.”
    â€œOh. Sorry. I forgot that he would have been the one to speak to you.”
    He took a long swallow of beer. “He seems like a nice guy. Although I only spoke to him that one time.”
    â€œHe’s okay I guess. He just wants me to talk about stuff that I’d rather not relive.”
    He got the distinct feeling there was a lot more to Callie’s past than he knew. “I can’t say enough good things about the girls’ therapist. Believe it or not, when we first came back to Whittler’s Creek, Madison barely spoke.” His youngest daughter was making up for it now with her constant chatter.
    â€œI’m glad it worked out for them, but I was doing just fine without bringing up the past.”
    â€œAnd that had nothing to do with why you’re doing community service and forced to talk to a psychologist?” The words were out of his mouth before he thought them through. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be argumentative.”
    She took a long swallow of her beer, her head back and her neck elongated. “You’re right.” She uncurled her legs and stood. “If I hadn’t confided in a certain jackass, who then used my past against me, then I wouldn’t have been forced to do any of this.” She walked by him to the front door.
    He reached out to grab her arm to stop her. The look she gave him made him release her immediately.
    She continued to the front door, paused with one hand on the screen door and stared at him. “Thanks for the beer.” She lifted the beer bottle