Page 24 of High Frequency

“Here you are.”

The waitress slides a discreet leather folder on the table, and I use the fact Sloane has her hands full with Aspen to claim the bill. Ignoring her glare, I pull a few bills from my wallet and get to my feet.

“Ready?”

She nods and swings the diaper bag over her shoulder, as I reach for the baby seat.

Weaving through the restaurant to the exit, I notice there’s a family sitting at the table Shelby and her friend vacated. I didn’t see them leave, but I knew she was gone when I no longer felt her eyes burning holes in my back.

What a clusterfuck. She’d been primed to make a scene, and if not for her friend unexpectedly jumping to my aid, I don’t think I could’ve done anything to stop it. It was a good reminder why I don’t do relationships, especially in a small town like Libby. It gets messy.

“What do I owe you?” Sloane asks when we get to her Jeep.

I don’t bother responding and shoot her a look instead. Her lips press together in a thin line intended to show me her displeasure. Like water off a duck’s back to me. I may not have had my father around to teach me to be a gentleman, but my mother made sure certain values were instilled in me.

Aspen remains sleeping as I place her in the car.

“Are you gonna have to wake her up to get her ready for bed?” I ask when I get behind the wheel.

“No, that’s why I put on her pajamas when I changed her diaper earlier. I can slip her right in her crib.”

“Will she wake up during the night?”

“Once or twice. If I’m lucky.”

I glance over and for the first time notice the lines of fatigue in her face.

“Which means you’re not getting a whole lot of rest,” I observe out loud.

She simply shrugs.

“Goes with the job.”

“Speaking of which,” I latch on right away. “I know you mentioned the sperm donor bailing, but why did you leave Billings? I got the impression from Sully you loved your job.”

“You asked Sully about me?”

Just like that, the tables are turned and I find myself on the spot.

“Not sure how we got on the subject, but he must’ve mentioned it at some point.”

It’s a blatant lie. I hounded him for information, especially the first months after she left. After that I grabbed any opportunity I could get to find out how she was doing.

“But you’re avoiding my question,” I point out.

“Fine,” she concedes after a lengthy pause, during which I’m sure she hoped I’d back off.

Fat chance.

“Jeff was an aspiring musician working as a bartender at a bar not far from the precinct. It was nothing serious.” She turns and throws me a pointed look. “Much like your arrangement with Shelby. No strings, occasional. Anyway…” She waves her hand. “Long story short, I was already in my fourth month when I found out I was pregnant with Aspen. I’d been too busy to pay much attention to what should’ve been signs. I informed Jeff, he seemed excited at the prospect, and we actually tried to make something of the relationship. Reality was not so fun, I guess, and as I mentioned, he bailed a month after I went back to work. I tried for a couple of weeks with the help of babysitters while I worked, but my focus wasn’t where it should’ve been. After having a bit of a public meltdown that almost blew a case my partner and I had been working on for nearly a year, I realized I couldn’t do it on my own.”

“So you came here? Isn’t your mom somewhere in Utah?” I probe.

“Actually, Mom and Steve moved to Panama last year, and until last week she didn’t know.”

I glance over at her and catch a sheepish look on her face. “Didn’t know what?”

Then she blows me away with the answer.

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