Page 3 of Keeping It Professional

“Nice one. Real smooth.”

“Isn’t your shift over?” I shot him a glare.

“Sandy’s picking me up. She’s not off till six.” He covered a yawn so wide his jaw cracked.

“Long shift?”

“The longest.” He pulled a sour face. “I know I say it every year, but no one knows how to?—”

“—drive in this weather.” I rolled my eyes. “We were posted last night near Morton and Harvard, and you should’ve seen this idiot came screaming through. He hit a patch of black ice and did a three-sixty, and I’m not even joking, he never slowed down.”

“They should make drivers ride with us before they get their license. Let them see how they end up when theydon’tget that lucky.”

“Right?” I wished Clive had gone on and made Jones my partner. He talked too much for my taste, but he followed directions. And he’d worked off the worst of his rookie bad habits.

“You should go easier on her,” he said.

I huffed. “Who, Reeves?”

“She was just being friendly. Getting to know you. You’ll be cooped up twelve hours together, five days a week. Got to talk aboutsomethingto pass the time.”

I pressed my lips together. Jones wasn’t wrong. Time stretched long between calls sometimes, and you couldn’t just sit. But, even still…

“Not about me.”

Jones cocked a brow. “What’d you and Burke talk about?”

I laughed. “Mostly sports.” My old partner had been many things, but never chatty. I sighed as I noticed Jones frowning at me. “Look, I know I was harsh with her, but it had to be said. There’s got to be boundaries. We’re not on a date.”

“A date, huh? You saw it too?”

I groaned. “Saw what?”

“How cute she is. And ithasbeen a while…”

I shoved him away from me. “Yeah, like you’d know. Go on, get lost. Get out of here.”

Jones smirked, flipped me off, and headed outside. Sophie came bouncing back, zipping her jacket. She was more than just cute, if I was honest. She had a face like a farm girl from a butter commercial, all round and fresh with pretty pink cheeks, and blue eyes to rival a clear August sky. She’d tied up her hair when she put on her sweater, but the way the light caught it still gave her a glow. Like a halo, almost. Like?—

“Okay, all ready!” She flashed me that smile again, full lips, perfect teeth, and I turned my back on her. Stupid damn Jones. She was my partner, no more, no less. My annoying new partner.

“All right. Come on, Reeves.”

CHAPTER 2

SOPHIE

My fingers kept drifting to my left wrist, where Mom’s charm bracelet would normally be. I’d slipped it off for my shift to keep it from catching, and it felt weird not having it there.

“You’re fidgeting,” said Miles.

“We’ve been sitting a while.”

He made the same sound my mom made when I was being a pain, kind of a hiss-snort. A loud gust of breath. I shifted, restless, and touched my wrist again.

“I have a sewing kit,” said Miles. “If you have a loose thread.”

I shook my head no, and he made that noise again.

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