Page 9 of Falling For You

Of all the ways today could have gone. Stuck in an elevator, calling dispatch for a rescue, and the crew they were sending was the one crew in Las Vegas I did not want to owe a favor to.

I looked at Doug. He was holding it together, but we were still in the box. I shoved the annoyance down.

"Fire department's coming. They'll get us out of here soon."

The voice came through the doors about ten minutes later.

"Officer Walsh, is that you in there?"

Of course it was him.

"Elevator's stuck between four and three. I've got an officer in here with claustrophobia. How fast can you get the doors open?"

"Working on it now."

I could hear the scrape of the elevator key sliding into the lock on the other side, then a pause. The key didn't work. The mechanism was jammed.

"We're going to use the spreader," Wyatt called through the doors. "Sit tight. It's going to be loud."

The hydraulic spreader hit the seam of the doors. The sound of metal grinding against metal filled the shaft. Doug pressed himself against the back wall. I put my hand on his arm and kept it there.

The doors opened inch by inch. Through the gap, I could see that the elevator had stopped a few feet below the fourth-floor landing. Wyatt Brooks crouched down at the edge with Knox Sullivan standing behind him.

"Ladies first." Wyatt stretched his hand out. I waved it off, gripped the edge of the floor above, and pulled myself through the opening.

I got to my feet and straightened my uniform.

Wyatt was watching me with that insufferable grin.

"You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Not a chance."

"Delightful." I gave him the most sarcastic smile.

Behind him, Doug climbed out with Knox's help, shaky but upright. He put his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath. "I'm never taking an elevator again." He looked up at Knox. "Thanks, guys. God, rescued by the fire department. That's going to be an embarrassing story to tell the guys at the precinct."

"Don't worry about it." Knox clapped him on the shoulder. "We look out for each other."

My radio crackled. "Officers, are you out?"

"Copy, dispatch. We're out."

"10-4. Got a noise complaint for you at Sahara and Maryland Parkway when you're clear."

I looked at Doug. "You good to go?"

He straightened up. "Yeah. Let's go."

I turned to Wyatt. "Thank you, Brooks. Sullivan."

"It was great to see you today, Officer Walsh!"

I rolled my eyes and kept walking.

It's not about the gesture. She needs to know I wish I was there.

I'd been thinking about what Doug said all afternoon. Maybe that was all Elliot needed too. Maybe I just hadn't been reaching for him the way I should have been.