Page 69 of Hidden Nature

He smiled at her. “Can’t stop, can you?”

“I guess not. And it happened when I was down. It keeps pulling at me.”

“Nothing that hits the notes, no. As it happens, I came to see you, and also to talk to you about work.”

“Oh? Something I can help with while I’m on the DL?”

“No, but something maybe when you’re off it. I understand why you went where you went, and I know you’ve done good work there. If you’d consider a change, I could use you.”

“Oh. Cap.”

He held up a hand. “I don’t want to pressure you, and I won’t. I will ask you to think about it. You know Sergeant Masters.”

“Sure.”

“He put in his papers. He’s got thirty in, and he’s buying an RV. He and he wife want to hit the road, travel the country.”

“Really?”

“Their kids are grown. One out in Montana, another up in Michigan. They plan to take off, head south for a long vacation starting the first of February. I need another good officer. I need another sergeant.”

“I’m a corporal.”

“I can offer you your next chevron. You’ve earned it. It’s a big change. I just want you to think about it. You decide you’re not interested, no harm, no foul. I don’t need to know either way until after the first of the year.”

“The first of the year,” she murmured. Everything was next year. “You really caught me off guard with this.”

“I expect I did. I haven’t said anything to your dad about it. This is just you and me. Mull it over.”

“I will. Of course I will.”

“I’m not offering this because you’re family to me, I want that clear between us. I’ve kept tabs on you since you joined the department—because you’re family. You’re good police. Smart, capable, and damn well dedicated. I wouldn’t make this offer to anyone who didn’t meet those standards.”

He pushed to his feet. “Now, I’ve got to get back. If you have any questions about this, you just give me a call.”

“I’m so thrown off, I can’t think of any.”

“I bet you will,” he said, and when she rose, hugged her again. “It’s good to see you looking more like Sloan, even with the new hair.”

He gave her a light pat, then got his coat, fit on his hat. “No pressure. I mean that.”

“Okay, and I will mull it over. It’s a lot to take in.”

Since she couldn’t think of anything else, Sloan sat down and let it all roll over her.

Normally, she’d take a long walk to think it through, but that was too big a physical push. Instead, she went with another of her go-to methods. She opened her laptop and began lists pros and cons.

Number one pro, the promotion. Who knew how long it mighttake her to make sergeant in her current unit after two months’ medical leave?

Number one con, leaving her current unit—and most especially Joel.

The lists grew on both sides until she realized she’d started to argue with herself.

Putting that aside, she texted Travis.

I do have some questions. If it’s all right with you, I’ll write them out in an email so you can answer when you’ve got the time.

His answer came back in under two minutes. (Another on the pro side.)

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