Page 73 of Time to Bounce

She answered it.

“911, what’s your emergency?” she asked in her professional voice.

It was hot as hell.

“No, sir.” She winced. “Does he for sure not have a pulse?” She paused. “Oh.”

She started typing on her computer, so fast that I could barely see her fingers zipping over the keyboard. When she was done, she said, “Just leave the car alone, sir. That’s a hearse. It’s likely the body is supposed to be there.”

I chuckled.

Looked like she dealt with as much bullshit as we did on a daily basis.

After a few more minutes, when units arrived at the scene, she hung up.

She looked back over at me, hurt still on her features, and my shoulders drooped.

“Callena means nothing to me, baby,” I promised. “She’s just a colleague. Nothing more.”

Athena looked away. “Y’all looked awfully cozy.”

“We weren’t,” I disagreed. “She’s just… I don’t know. I’d say clingy, but that would imply that she’s something more than she is. Overly affectionate, without the ability to understand I want nothing to do with her.”

“Oh,” she said. “Well…”

“Athena, I’m going to be very clear with you about something, okay?” I asked.

“Okay.”

“I’m into you,” I said. “I’ve been into you since the first time I saw you.”

Her eyes went downcast.

“I’ve tried so hard to stay away because the age gap is going to be a problem. Not to you, but to everyone else. And I will not ruin your reputation. The department already looks at you like a little sister since Gavrel passed. And I will try to be very respectful of that, but I’m done trying to stay away. I want you. I want what we can have. I want to find out where this can go.” I paused. “And I’m sorry for how I acted while I thought I was doing the right thing by staying away.”

She stood up, pressed a button on her phone, and then took off her headset.

She walked up to me, then stood directly in front of me, looking into my eyes, before saying, “I’m tired of people making decisions for me.”

“I can see that,” I agreed.

“My mom has been smothering me since my sister was taken,” she said. “My brother and father weren’t far behind her. Now that I confronted my mother yesterday, I realized a few things. One, I don’t want to be treated like I’m a delicate flower. Two, I want to be out in the open with you, not in hiding. And three, no more yelling at me when you’re scared. If you think there’s something that needs to be addressed, address it. But don’t push me away. Okay?”

I caught her hand in mine, waiting.

“And you’re right,” she said. “You are older. The department does love me. And they’ll get over it once they see that we’re serious about each other.”

I squeezed her hand.

“However,” she lifted her free hand and poked me in the chest with her finger. “I don’t like waking up to beautiful women hanging all over you.”

I leaned down and kissed her nose, causing her to scrunch it at me.

“I promise to never let another woman into that house that’s not you.” I paused. “Unless it’s one of my sisters-in-law or my mom. They don’t count.”

“Glad to hear that I don’t count as a woman,” my mom chirped from behind me. “What’s that box you have in your hand?”

“This is my apology pastry for being an ass to Athena,” I looked over my shoulder at my mom. “Dad has a ton of pastries in his office, though.”

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