She spotted me as soon as I walked into the door, but she had her phone to her ear as she spoke quickly into it.
Normally, I would’ve backed out of the office, but I was in a hurry, needing to get to work in less than a half hour to finish up paperwork that I had to turn in for the training we’d done yesterday.
Walking in, I held out the new med to her and smiled, nodding my head.
“Mom, can I call you back after your treatment? I have someone in my office,” the woman said urgently.
After a few more nods, she murmured, “Love you. Call me if you need me.”
As she hung up, she smiled at me. “I’m sorry. My mom’s on her last round of chemotherapy, and I wanted to wish her luck.”
Tough.
I hadn’t known anybody, personally, who had cancer, but from what I’d observed over my thirty five years, it was a tough disease to conquer.
“Not a problem,” I murmured, mesmerized by her emerald green eyes.
They reminded me of my ex-girlfriend’s, which wasn’t a good thing.
I remembered those eyes as being annoyed that I’d choose my kid over her. Why that would be a surprise when I’d told her as much, was beyond me.
I also had a sneaking suspicion that her parents had a lot to do with the decision.
When I’d met Lydia Mooney, she’d been having lunch with my mother and father.
We’d started dating shortly after meeting, and I’d spent my Junior and Senior year with her.
Then we’d had a falling out because I’d joined the Marines, and she hadn’t wanted that life.
We’d broken it off.
A few years later, I’d rekindled my relationship with Lydia, but Katy, my one night stand baby, became a bone of contention between us.
Although we hadn’t gotten back together, officially, it wasn’t a solid ‘no’ either.
When I found out I had a child, I’d gotten out of the Marines, and started my relationship with Lydia back up again. At first, I thought it was because our relationship was so new, but then I started seeing how Lydia never wanted to be in the same room as Katy. Nor did she want to hold her.
After confronting Lydia about how she was acting, she admitted that she didn’t want to be with me if I was willing to keep another woman’s kid. A kid that I’d so carelessly made before we’d gotten back together. Not willing to choose her over my kid, I’d finally called it quits, and moved.
“Is that for me?” Reese asked, gesturing toward the medication.
I blinked, startled by the sharp turn my thoughts had taken just by seeing the woman’s eyes.
Green was fucking green. They didn’t determine a person’s demeanor.
I nodded and handed it over. “Yep. I didn’t want her to be without it in case she needed it again.”
She nodded and stood, walking over to the stack of paper holders on the counter behind her. Reaching forward, she took a sheet out of the top stack and handed it to me. “This is just the standard form: When I can give it. What I give it for. Although I already know the reasons, and I know how to use it, the school needs a record just in case.”
I nodded and started filling it out while she made herself busy across the room by opening a box that I saw was filled with paper that covered the exam tables.
Clicking the pen closed, I stood and took her in.
Today she was wearing her hair down.
It was thick and glossy, reminding me of the women in the shampoo commercial that shook it out in slow, exaggerated movements.
I hadn’t been aware that people in real life actually had hair like that.
It was beautiful, though.
Long and brown with reddish highlights, it reminded me of the sun shining off the lake’s surface right at sunset.
Today, she was wearing Transformer scrubs, which made me want to laugh.
What? Did this woman have a super hero obsession?
Tired of having her back to me, I walked to her side and laid the paper down on the counter before saying, “Where’s Mrs. Redden?”
I hadn’t meant it to come out sounding harsh or accusing, but it did.
“She’s actually retiring. She’s been spending more time in the office with her sister, as of late. If you need her, I can go find her for you,” she offered, not sounding offended in the least by my harsh question.
However her previously open body posture was now closed off, and as a cop for the last fifteen years, I knew when to back off. So I did.
“No, honey. I’m not looking for her. I was just wondering where she was. I do have to go, though. I have a mountain of paperwork to tackle before this afternoon when school lets out,” I said heading towards the door, not understanding why she was affecting me like she was.
“Have a good day,” she said softly.
I turned and nodded once at her, walking out shortly after.
I’d made it nearly all the way to the front doors when I turned back around and walked back to her office.
I found her standing beside the counter still, but her head was hung in what looked like defeat.
“Ms. Doherty?” I asked.
She looked up quickly, her hand going to her chest. “Yes?”
“Thank you for saving my girl.”
With that I left, going straight to the department.***Papers slammed down on my desk and I sighed, leaning back in my chair to study the asshole who’d been responsible.
“What the fuck?” I asked.
The blonde beauty, James if you wanted to be technical, smiled unrepentantly at me. “Got the papers in the mail today. It’s all yours.”
I sighed and rubbed my forehead, sick and fucking tired of all the paperwork I’d been doing lately. It was nearly suffocating.
If I’d known that being promoted to assistant chief was going to get me so much work, I’d have told the commissioner he could shove the promotion up his ass.
It’d originally been for a short time only, but had changed quickly when the old assistant chief, Briscoe Coolidge, had a setback with his multiple sclerosis. He’d been left with no other options but to retire.