Page 89 of Hidden Nature

“Oh God. I’ve been trying to convince myself if I didn’t get it, it wouldn’t matter.”

Laughing, he hugged her again. “How’d that work?”

“Not even a little. Thanks, Cap. Thank you.”

“You did the work. And starting tomorrow, you’ll do more of it. Full duty, including supervisory duties. I’d like you to report a half hour earlier so we can go over all those duties. I lean hard on my sergeant.”

“I’ll be here.”

“Now go home. Celebrate. Dean and Elsie are going to be over the moon. My family’s going to jump over it right behind them when I give them the news.”

“I’m already celebrating. In here?” She pointed to her heart. “Champagne’s popping.”

She let out a happy sigh.

“You’re a big reason I’m wearing this uniform, doing this job. I grew up listening to your stories, what you did, how you did it, what you saw, how you felt.”

“Stories? I got a million of ’em.”

“And I loved every one.”

As she drove home she remembered her parents planned to go out to dinner. And Drea had a date. She didn’t want to tell them the news over the phone. No, she wanted to see their faces.

So she’d go over later. Her parents should be home by nine, since it was just dinner. She’d wait, tell them face-to-face.

Meanwhile, she had to do something to celebrate.

She could buy that champagne, but who wanted to drink champagne alone? She could turn on the music and dance in her own house.

Then it struck her.

Or she could start getting herself a new, up-to-date bathroom. One where she didn’t smack her elbows whenever she washed her hair.

A bathroom with good lighting, with a floor that didn’t hurt her eyes and sensibilities, with a toilet that didn’t threaten to buck her off.

She’d already decided not to ask her father and Jonah on this one. This wouldn’t be a couple-hour project, or a weekend job. They had enough going without her poking every time she wanted something done.

This would be her personal celebration. One she wanted and could afford. She could afford it because her parents had helped with the down payment, because her father had negotiated a deal below what she’d expected to pay.

And because she’d just gotten a promotion.

She drove past her own bumpy drive—a project for the spring—and up to the old Parker house.

She’d already pulled up and parked when she remembered Theo—the brother she’d actually met—was out somewhere with her sister.

If the other one wasn’t home, she’d just contact the Fix-It Brothers later.

She got out, approving the fact they’d cleared snow—falling again—from the walkway, the drive. She noted the vast improvement of new windows, and the smoke curling out of both chimneys.

When she knocked, she heard the yip-yip-yip and remembered Theo saying his brother had gotten him a puppy for Christmas.

That single fact made her disposed to like him, at least a little.

When he opened the door, her first thought was he didn’t look much like Theo. A little taller, more muscular. His hair and eyes hit a few shades darker, his face more sharply angled.

He had a few days’ worth of stubble going where she’d only seen Theo clean-shaven.

“Mr. Littlefield?”

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