Page 18 of Where You Belong

I sense there’s somethin’ he isn’t telling me, but whatever’s on his mind is dropped when he reaches for the stack of papers sitting on the desk, effectively ending the conversation.

I glance over at Alex, who shakes his head, seemingly as dumbfounded as I am.

I’ve tried several times to get Gage to talk to me, but he always shuts me down. I want to tell him to cut the bullshit already and tell me what his problem is, but that’s the thing about Gage—it’s always on his time.

If you try to push him, the harder he’ll push back.

I guess I’ll give it time and wait things out. He’ll come around and talk to me, eventually.

“I’m gonna dip out,” I mutter. My lunch is over anyway, and I need to get back to work.

Alex told me he’d hit me up later, and Gage left me with nothing but a head nod as I walked out the door.

The rest of the afternoon was much like the start of my shift. I stop down at the station to punch out for the day before I swing into my sergeant’s office to check in.

I knock on the doorframe and stick my head in. “It’s quittin’ time for me.”

“How was your shift?”

“Low key. Mostly traffic stops, although I did get a call from Danny up at Brodie’s asking me to swing by Sutton’s place. I guess he hasn’t been in all week.”

He chuckles, leaning forward to press his elbows against his desk.

“I had to remind him just because he hadn’t been into the bar isn’t cause for me to go peeking my head in on him, but I stopped by to check on him. I guess he’s been sick for a few days.”

“That’s Arbor Creek for ya,” he jokes.

Only in a small town would a call come in to the police to do a welfare check on someone simply for not coming into a bar for a few days. I understood Danny’s concern, though. Sutton is getting up there in age. His wife passed away last year, and his family lives out in California.

People around here look out for each other, which is a nice way of saying they like to stick their nose into everyone’s business. They have good intentions, though.

I tilt my head and flash him a wave, heading back out to my truck parked in the employee parking lot.

I haven’t spoken to Haelynn since our text exchange the night we went out to Brodie’s for Friends Night. I told her I was here if she needed me, and while I hoped she’d take me up on the offer, I also got the feeling she would hold me to it when I said I’d prove to her I wasn’t going anywhere.

I’d give her space, but I don’t plan to back down just because her piece of shit ex was trying to mark his territory.

In case he hadn’t remembered, they separated for a reason.

Me: Hope you’re having a good day. Tell Penny not to work you too hard.

It is still early in the day, and I know she has a couple of hours left before her shift ends.

Haelynn: Like a dog!

I hit the call button, and a second later, when the line connects, her soft voice filters through the phone.

“Are you trying to get me in trouble now?”

“I guess it depends. What sort of punishments are on the table?”

She giggles. “You sure are a handful, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told.” I chuckle, loving the sound of her laughter. “I won’t keep you too long, though. I just wanted to check in and see how you’ve been doing.”

She pauses. “I appreciate it. I’m doing okay, getting settled still. Huxton starts school in a couple of days. Easing us in with a half week. We have Back to School night tonight. I’m not sure who’s more nervous, though, me or him.”

“I can imagine, but it’ll be good for him. Get him out there and make new friends.”

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