Page 23 of By the Book

“And when are you going to tell the other doctor—your son—that you had a heart attack?”

It occurred two years prior. Specifically, nine months after I had moved to New York City for my new job in publishing. I had rushed home to be by his side with Mom. Wes was gone at the time, and our dad believed that calling him that day would only do harm. Since then, his heart attack has stayed between the three of us.

“It wouldn’t be fair to make him carry that guilt. Wes would blame himself for not being here,” my father argues, dropping his eyes to the ground. He rubs his shoe along a new nick in the floor, from where the corner of the table had caught.

“I think he would feel worse being the only one in the family left in the dark.”

“I wanted to tell him. But he was only home for a week between trips last time. That’s not enough time to really talk through things.”

“And now?” I ask, resting my head on his shoulder.

“Let’s get through this first. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I agree. “Has he told you when the next assignment is?”

“Actually,” Dad starts optimistically, “He hasn’t mentioned leaving at all, yet.”

We make eye contact, excitement humming within both of us. In the past, Wes had always lined up his next assignment before the current one was even over.

“Do you think he’s staying?” I ask.

“Here’s hoping, sweetheart.”

Tripp

“Vanessa,” I smile broadly as she steps into the department lobby. “Let me help you with all of that.”

She smirks, passing me two trays of coffee and a paper carryout bag. I open the bag first, revealing the baked goods she gets from Poppy. I’m already three bites through a popover when Millie joins us.

“I think you get more excited by my visits than Millie does,” Vanessa teases.

“I resent that!”

“No, she may be right,” I point out through a mouth full of pastry. Dropping off the extra coffees for the team, we step through to my office and all take a seat.

“How is Ivy doing?” Nessa asks me, settling in.

“Good, actually. She’s tough.”

“And how are you doing?” Millie adds, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

“What does that mean?”

The pair exchange a look, apparently they think they know me pretty well.

“Tripp?” a gruff voice calls, entering our lobby. Saved by the crotchety old deputy, then. I rise and meet him at his desk while the ladies say their goodbyes.

Waiting at Chuck’s desk, I don’t say anything until Millie joins us. He, however, doesn’t give her that courtesy.

“What the hell man, leaving me in the dark?”

“I haven’t left you in the dark about anything,” I reply mildly. “Your shift started two minutes ago.”

“It doesn’t matter if I’m off duty when it’s something like this. It’sIvy.”

“You don’t need to explain to me who was attacked,” I growl at him. The chatter in the department silences, everyone in the room stilled by my outburst. Clearing my throat, I straighten my shoulders and regain my composure. “We will do a debrief as a team. Period.”

Millie steps over to join myself and her fellow deputies. But I take my time moving to the front of the room and beginning the briefing. Chuck doesn’t determine things around here and he could use a reminder of that.

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