Page 104 of Fierce-Colson

“Then talk to him,” her mother said simply. “But don’t decide for him. He’s a grown man. A detective. He understands scrutiny.”

“That’s different from politics. And we did talk. Before and after. I told him about the mayor the other day on top of the councilman before. He mentioned his father. That his father tried to get Colson to get him out of things.”

“I’m willing to bet Colson didn’t,” her mother said.

“He said no. And he told anyone who came to him the same thing. Not to let his father off.”

“So he laid that pattern. He protected himself as much as he protected his job.”

“I think it had more to do with just protecting himself.”

“Don’t be so sure of that,” her mother said. “And don’t let imaginary voices get louder than your own.”

The words settled deeper than anything else ever said.

“I just don’t want to lose this,” she said quietly. “Because I can feel it building. And it’s good. And I don’t want to crush it by moving too fast, or by overthinking it to death causing me to slow down.”

Her mother smiled gently. “You don’t have to rush to call it love. But it’s okay if it is.”

“I think it is. No, I know it is. But I’m just not ready to tell him.”

“And that is your choice. It’s okay to fall in love,” her mother continued. “You’ve built a beautiful career. You’ve proven yourself. You don’t have to keep proving that you’re strong by doing everything alone.”

That one hit really hard!

“I don’t know how to not do things alone,” she admitted.

“Yes, you do,” her mother said. “You just don’t practice it often. And now you are. Now you should.”

“Good advice.”

“So Sunday dinner?” her mother asked lightly. “Too soon?”

She hesitated, then smiled, small but real. “I’ll ask him. Not as pressure. Just an invitation.”

“That’s my girl.”

“What if he says he needs more time?”

“Then you respect that,” her mother said. “And you trust that the right man won’t run from you just because your life is visible.”

She nodded slowly.

For once, she wasn’t thinking about strategy. Or optics. Or headlines.

Just Colson.

And whether she was brave enough to let herself have it.

25

BETTER THAN NICE

“This worked out well,” Marly said on Sunday afternoon when she opened her door.

“I thought so,” he said, moving in to give her a kiss. “We’ve got ninety minutes. Less.” He looked at his watch. “The movie starts in five minutes, then I’ve got to go back for her.”

Bella had already made plans to go to the movies with Tiff when he was asked to go to dinner at Marly’s parents’ house.