Page 10 of Fierce-Colson

Maybe teasing her. Definitely testing.

She nodded. “Not much call for you to leave in the middle of the night with the fraud division now.”

“No. Lots more desk hours than I’m used to, but it’s fine. I get enough action at home with a teenager. I don’t remember so much drama during that time.”

“Oh, there was drama,” she said. “Remember, we were thirteen when we dated.”

“I remember,” he drawled out. “But you were nothing like Bella.”

“I think we just looked at life differently then. And remember it different now.”

“Most likely.” His phone buzzed on the table and he picked it up and groaned. “The school.” He slid his finger across. “Hello.” She could hear the voice but not the words. “Yeah, I’ll be there soon.”

“We’re done,” she whispered.

“I’ll be there in fifteen,” he said, then hung up.

“I hope it’s not a bad problem.”

“It’s the nurse. Bella had a stomachache this morning, but ate a good breakfast and was fine once I let her take her first iced coffee to school. Unless that did it. Shit, it was half milk. But maybe it didn’t sit well.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” she said.

“Me too. I almost thought she was trying to get out of going. Three weeks in and half the time I can barely get her out of bed, let alone motivated to go.”

“Doesn’t sound the least bit like you,” she said. “You loved school.”

She stood up and he did also. “Not for the same reason as you.”

“You loved the people.”

“And you loved to learn,” he said. “Guess not much has changed.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised how much has changed.” She opened the door and held it for him. “Have a good day and hope everything works out with Bella.”

He stopped at the doorway, his eyes on hers, sincere this time. “Thanks. I’m sure it will be fine.”

3

FIGURE IT OUT

Colson pulled in front of the school, not the middle school he’d gone to, then walked to the front door, pulled it open and gave his name at the desk.

Normally they just buzzed him in when they saw the badge. The last time the person did that he’d asked what if it was a fake badge? Did they let anyone in wearing a gun with a badge on?

The young woman had paled, but he got his point across.

Once he got on the other side, he said, “I need to pick up Bella Ryder in the nurse’s office. Not sure where it is.”

“Down the hall, last door on the left.”

“Thanks.”

He moved down the hall with purpose, praying the bell didn’t ring and he’d have to shuffle his way through the mob going from one class to the other, bumping into each other, laughing, joking, yelling.

Yeah, it was all coming back to him now.

Maybe it wasn’t that great of a time.