Page 3 of Big Risks

Chapter 2

Walker

When my phone rings, the clock on my dashboard reads 1:47 p.m. The caller ID says Ridgeview Elementary. Great.

I answer while pulling into a client's driveway, where I'm supposed to be installing a new security system in exactly thirteen minutes. "Walker Ellison."

"Mr. Ellison, this is Mrs. Patel from the front office. Olivia had a fall at recess and—"

"Is she okay?" My grip tightens on the phone.

"Yes, just a scraped knee, but she's asking for you. Our policy requires—"

"I'll be there in ten." Hanging up, I reverse out of the driveway, mentally calculating how to reschedule the Johnson installation. I'll have to call Kyle to cover.

A scraped knee. Jesus. When I was Olivia's age, I once broke my arm climbing a tree and walked myself to the nurse's office. Different times, different parenting. Still, the school calling me in for every bump and bruise is getting old. This is the third time this month.

I park in the visitor's spot seven minutes later and jog to the front entrance, signing in at the security desk with a nod to Frank, the retired cop who mans it.

"Another battle wound for the little warrior?" he asks with a knowing smile.

"Apparently, the playground is a war zone today," I mutter, accepting the visitor's badge.

Mrs. Patel, a small woman with perpetually concerned eyes, meets me in the hallway. "She's in the clinic. We have a new nurse until the end of the year, and she's wonderful with the children."

I grunt in acknowledgment, following her down the familiar corridor. The walls are plastered with construction paper art projects, autumn trees with tissue paper leaves. Olivia's is probably up there somewhere.

The clinic door is propped open. Inside, I hear a soft laugh that doesn't belong to my daughter.

"... and then the octopus said, 'I need a hand!' But guess what? He already had eight!"

Olivia's giggle follows, bright and uninhibited. It's a sound I don't hear often enough.

When I step through the doorway, I freeze.

Olivia sits on the exam table, her right knee sporting a large Band-Aid with cartoon characters. She's swinging her legs, completely at ease. But it's the woman beside her that catches me off guard.

She's kneeling at eye level with Olivia, her dark hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, a few strands escaping to frame her face. Even though she’s wearing simple scrubs, somehow makes them look like they were tailored specifically for her.

"Daddy!" Olivia spots me, her face lighting up. "I fell, but I didn't cry. And Nurse Hailey gave me the best Band-Aid. It has Bluey on it!"

The woman, Nurse Hailey, stands and turns toward me. Her eyes are a bright blue, intelligent and direct. She smiles, and something in my chest shifts uncomfortably.

"Mr. Ellison? I'm Hailey Bennett, the new school nurse." She extends her hand. "Olivia was very brave. Just a minor scrape, but I cleaned it thoroughly."

When I briefly take her hand, I notice the firm grip and the absence of rings. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"I documented everything here." She hands me a slip of paper. "Just keep an eye on it tonight, and make sure it stays clean. She should be good as new by tomorrow."

There's something unsettlingly familiar about her. I can't place it, but it makes me want to get out of here faster.

"Ready to go, Liv?" I ask, already reaching for her backpack.

"Can I stay with Nurse Hailey? She was going to show me her stethoscope."

"Another time, honey," Hailey says before I can respond. "Your dad probably needs to get back to work. But you can visit me anytime—even without a scrape." She winks at Olivia, who beams.

"Thanks again," I say stiffly, helping Olivia down. "Come on, kiddo."

---