Page 31 of Twice Missing
Callie sighed, finally turning to face him. "Bottomshelf. Not interested. The usual banter I hear between male cops in here. Don't worry, Noah, it's run-of-the-mill stuff," she said as the microwave dinged. She took out her food, the steam rising from the container.
"McKenzie was just being an ass," Noah offered, feeling the need to explain.
"Again, it doesn't matter," Callie insisted, her patience wearing thin.
"I just didn't want you to get the wrong idea."
"And what would that be?" She raised an eyebrow, challenging him.
"You know..." he trailed off, taking his coffee and running a finger around the rim of it. "That..."
Right then, Sheriff Rivera walked into the room, her presence immediately commanding attention. "Noah."
"Sheriff," he nodded, grateful for the interruption.
"Oh, Thorne," Rivera addressed Callie, "I need to see you in my office after you've had dinner."
"Will do," Callie replied, her demeanor shifting to professional mode.
"Today was a real mess," Rivera commented, her tone weary.
"Uh-huh," Callie agreed noncommittally.
The sheriff took some food from the fridge, glanced at Noah with an unreadable expression, then exited.
Noah turned to Callie. "Don't worry. She'll grill you. Give you the rundown. It's protocol. Savannah does it all the time."
Callie nodded. He felt increasingly out of place.
Callie set her plastic fork down, her patience visibly wearing thin. "Noah, is there something you want?"
"I... I just came in to get coffee," he stammered. Desperate to change the subject, he asked, "Look, how are things with Jake?"
"Good. He's dropping by shortly," she said before filling her mouth with food, clearly indicating she didn't want to talk any further.
"Right. Well. I'll be seeing you around," Noah said, walking out feeling every bit a fool. He paused outside the door, his thoughts in turmoil. What was he trying to do? Callie was seeing someone else. He was seeing Natalie. At least, he thought he was. As of now, he wasn't sure what the hell they had. Was she using him? Was he using her? And where did Callie fit into all of this? Besides an awkward moment he'd had with her at her apartment a few months back, after drinking one too many, there was nothing between them. Or was there?
Almost on cue, he turned to see Jake entering the office, sweet-talking Maisie Callaway at the front desk. Jake nodded to a few deputies as if he was a permanent fixture around here and they all knew him. That's when they locked eyes.
"Jake," Noah acknowledged, trying to keep his voice neutral.
"Noah. Good to see you. How are those burn injuries coming along?" Jake's genuine concern only made Noah feel worse.
It was hard to dislike the man. There wasn't anythingabout him to dislike. Good-natured, polite, an asset to the Adirondack community as a forest ranger, it was easy to see why Callie had taken a liking to him.
"Healing. Thank you," Noah managed. "Callie's in there."
"There she is! My gal," Jake said, entering the break room. "I got you a dessert," he added, his voice full of affection.
Noah stood by the door, unable to tear himself away as Callie rose and greeted Jake with a kiss and a hug. She noticed Noah was still there, her expression a mix of confusion and something else he couldn't quite read. He looked away and walked off, his chest tight.
Get your head in the game, he thought as he was heading out.
"Heading home already?" Maisie called out, her voice tinged with concern.
"Yeah. Have a good night," he said, not looking back, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the station and his own conflicted emotions.
As Noah pushed through the station doors into the cool night air, he took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. The events of the day, the awkward encounter with Callie, and the sight of her with Jake all swirled in his mind. He knew he had to focus on the case, on his job, but his personal life seemed to be interfering more and more. With a sigh, he headed to his car, knowing that sleep would likely elude him tonight as he grappled with his feelings and the complexities of the case ahead.
