Page 38 of Shadows of Before

“Call about the state exam. If I get lucky, there’ll be one offered soon. And I have fingerprints recorded in the national data base already.”

“Hmm. You’re probably overqualified for this.”

“Maybe a bit. But who can refuse an ex-Secret Service agent?”

She set the coffee cup away and stood. “I know I can’t. Come on, I’m not sore anymore. Let’s make love.”

He grinned at the termmakelove. “That sounds good to me.”

Will didn’t look up the exam times until much later. He sat in the kitchen with Katie. “There’s an exam in Syracuse tomorrow. It says spots are still available. You register the day of the exam.”

“Then you’re on your way.”

He grinned. “I think I’ll review the exam topics just to make sure I know everything.”

“I think I’ll go to my Dad’s after I shower.”

“He won’t be happy about what happened to you.”

“Yeah, neither am I.”

* * *

“Kate.”

Uh-oh. He never addressed her like that. So he’d heard.

She sat across from him at the kitchen counter. “You know about the ceiling.”

“Uh-huh. Too bad I had to hear you were taken to the hospital from my retired buddies and not you.”

“I came as soon as I felt good enough to drive.”

He said, “You could have called me.”

She grabbed a napkin. Twisted it for something to do with her hands. Shit. She’d spit it out. She raised her gaze. “There’s more, Daddy.”

“You haven’t called me that in forever.”

“I’m afraid of your reaction. I should have told you this sooner, too.”

He grabbed her hands. “What, honey?”

“First off, I was on reception one night and a couple of pros went at it.” She told him about the arresting officers not searching them and leaving them with her.

“Then somebody put a dead rooster in the front seat of my car.”

His face reddened.

“Then my tires got slashed.”

He swore, vehemently. “Did you report all this?” he asked tightly.

“The chief knew about the pros. And I reported the slashed tires.”

His jaw got tight and his hands fisted. He was trying to control himself. “Katie girl, why did you go through all this alone?”

“I, um, wasn’t alone. I’ve been seeing someone. I called him.”

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