Page 53 of Full Coverage (Boys of Fall)

“No. I figured it out when they started talking about making out with you in high school,” Nolan said, drily.

“So you were out here, yakking and drinking coffee and screwing around, knowing we were in there in the dark, sweating our asses off?”

“We thought the sweating part was over,” Carter said.

“Notthatsweating part,” Randi said. “It’s hotter than hell in there.”

“Good reason to get naked,” Carter told her with a shrug.

“ But you saw us break in?” Randi asked him with a frown.

“Give me some credit. I’m a good cop.” He gave her a big grin.

“You mean you were waiting for your root beer float at Dixie’s,” Randi said. Carter loved the root beer floats at the little drive-in across the highway from the high school.

“But I noticed and followed up,” Carter said, still grinning, unaffected by her critique of his detective skills.

“And you didn’t come in and stop us right away?” Randi asked him.

“Bro code,” Carter said, shooting a grin at Nolan. “Had to give Winters some time.”

“And he had to wait for me to get here anyway,” Jackson said.

“Why didyouneed to be here?” Randi asked.

“Because I’m enjoying this immensely.”

She huffed out a breath. “We almost sweated to death in there.”

“Good for you,” Carter said, grinning at Nolan again.

“Not because—never mind,” she said. “Are you going to escort us out?”

“Nah, you can find your way,” Carter said, setting his coffee cup on Jackson’s desk. “Let’s go, Brady.”

“’K.” Jackson pushed away from the wall. “Be sure you turn the lights off.” He ambled toward the door.

“Really? You just came in here to give us a hard time?” Randi asked.

“Yeah,” Carter said with a shrug.

“And because I now know something about you that Annabelle doesn’t know,” Jackson said. “I love that.”

Randi sighed. She was going to get called for a girls’ night soon, where Annabelle, Lela, Lorelei, Paige and the others were going to want to know everything about her and Nolan. Not that she minded. She had listened to many of them talk about their guys and falling in love and the confusing feelings that went with it. And now she knew how hard it was to put all of it into words.

Jackson and Carter headed into the hallway outside of Jackson’s office. “Oh, hey,” Jackson said, turning back. “Don’t leave any condoms or wrappers laying around. These are impressionable kids.”

“And they’ll think they’re yours?” Nolan asked.

Jackson faked looking affronted. “I would never.”

“You would never get caught, maybe,” Nolan said.

Jackson had been a wild child, but he’d been impressively good at getting out of things.

Jackson chuckled. “I meant I would never use that tiny office. Annabelle and I need more room than that. We stick tomydesk.”

He left the office, pulling the door shut behind him.

---