When we’re halfway back to my place, it starts to snow, graceful flakes of sparkle falling from the sky. Snow is nothing new in Minnesota, but it’s the first one of the year.
It drifts down and settles in the grass, the trees. The air is hushed, as if the world is in a lull, waiting for something new.
“It’s so pretty,” I muse, craning my neck to see out the window. We pass the town square and I squeal as I show Eric the tree they’ve put up. All the lights are gold and glittery.
“I’m happy Mom will be able to spend Christmas in a place like that,” I say.
He clears his throat. “Speaking of, what are you doing for the holidays?”
The semester ends on Friday, then we have the week of Christmas.
“Working a few days this week. We don’t get a lot of business the last two weeks of December, but Eddie said I can come in and bartend. Marcia gets the dance hours since she’s been there longer. I’ll spend several days with my mom.”
“Are you busy on the twenty-third?”
I give him a sideways glance. “Do you have something in mind?”
“Would you want to go to my parents’?”
“Really?” My stomach flip-flops.
“Sure,” he murmurs, yet tension radiates off him. “Don’t you want to see the house I grew up in?”
It’s a dating step.
Not that we’ve defined what we’re doing.
I nod. “Yeah, sure. I’d love to.”
The second I say it, nerves tighten.
He doesn’t get along with his parents, his father especially.
If he doesn’t like his father, does that mean his father won’t like me?
“Alright.” He doesn’t seem happy, though, and I get the feeling he’s dreading it.
And if he hates it, I probably will, too.
“It’ll be fun,” I add, trying to gauge his reaction.
His jaw sets. No, in his mind, it will not be fun at all.
He pulls up in front of my house. “I’ve got to go home this Friday. But I’ll come back and pick you up.” He rubs the pad of his thumb gently over my cheek, then leans in to kiss me. He stops as his eyes flicker past me. “What the . . .”
I whirl in my seat to see two policemen standing at my door. Not even campus police. Real, Sparrow Lake police officers.
Jumping out, I rush up the steps. “Hello. What’s this about?”
They meet me on the porch, eyes assessing. The younger one says, “I’m Officer Warren, this is Officer Thomas. We’re looking for Julia Lauren.”
Office Warren starts when he sees me. Pretty sure I recognize him from the club. He’s young, early twenties, with brown hair. A wholesome look about him. Nice smile. Blue eyes.
The other one, Officer Thomas, is older with a paunch, a mustache, and wire glasses.
“That’s me. Is there something I can help you with?”
The older policeman holds up a piece of paper. “I have a search warrant. We received a complaint that some items were stolen and might be here.”
“Stealing? I don’t—” I look over at Eric, who’s glaring at them.
“What was stolen?” he asks.
The older one flips through the papers in his hand. “An expensive camera and some accessories.”
“Channing,” I breathe. He couldn’t just come and ask me for them back. He had to involve the police.
I ease past them and go to the door. “I didn’t steal them. He was a friend and we had a falling out. He said it was his old camera and I could use it as long as I wanted. Time’s up, huh?”
The younger officer nods, a blush stealing up his face. “We’ll take that into consideration. Please open the door and stand back.”
I do as they say, feeling like a criminal.
I unlock the door and usher them inside. They ask me to go get the camera, and I dart up the stairs, grab it, and hurry back down.
Eric moves to stand next to me, his eyes flashing as he mutters. “It’s a hassle for anyone else to get a warrant, but not Kappa.”
He’s still upset that Boone reported the hazing incident to the dean and got nothing in return.
Pushing my nerves down—I’ve done nothing wrong—I hand over the camera bag to the nice officer, my chin tilted up. “If he wanted it back, all he had to do was ask.”
Officer Thomas glances at Eric. “How do you know Miss Lauren?”
Eric crosses his arms. “We’re dating. She’s my girlfriend.”
I start.
He flashes his eyes at me, shrugs, then grins.
Okay, then.
I ease the younger policeman away from Eric and the older man. “Do I know you?”
He sputters as his gaze darts from me to his superior. “No, ma’am.”
“I work at Platinum Nights. You ever come in?”
Eric grows still, his eyes cutting to us. Clearly, he’s eavesdropping.
I ignore it.
The young cop tugs at his shirt. “Hey, I’m, um, engaged to his daughter.” He nudges his head at the other cop. “Can you, um, pretend like you don’t know me?”