Page 95 of Whispers of You
“Come in.”
Stepping inside, I shut the door behind me. “I didn’t know you were still here.” It was almost midnight, and Lawson liked to keep his nights free for the boys.
He grimaced. “Too much to look into. I asked the sitter to stay the night.”
The dark circles under his eyes looked even more pronounced than a few days ago. “Just make sure you get some sleep at some point.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “You mothering me, Wren?”
I crossed my arms. “Somebody needs to.”
“Trust me, Kerry Hartley does plenty of that.”
“But you’ve gotten too good at hiding how much stress you’re under from her.” Because Lawson didn’t want anyone to worry about him. He was always the one who assumed the role of caretaker.
His jaw tightened. “She doesn’t need anything else on her plate right now.”
I lowered myself to the chair opposite his desk. “It’s okay to ask for help now and again. You know that, right? We’d all love to help with the boys. And I know the other officers here would be happy to take some of your load.”
“I can handle my responsibilities,” Lawson said, an edge slipping into his tone.
I was treading into the no-go zone. “Okay. I’m just saying we’re here if you need us.”
His expression gentled. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Unfortunately, he would never take me up on the offered help.
Lawson leaned back in his chair. “I heard you and Amber had a little run-in.”
It was the last thing I’d expected to come out of his mouth. I’d thought Lawson might be updating me on the case or checking to see how I was holding up. “Run-in might be too strong a word.”
“Not from what I heard.”
My eyes narrowed. “Did Holt call you?”
“No, but he should’ve. I won’t have my officers being cruel to each other.”
“She’s been through a lot.”
Lawson sighed. “I know that. It’s why I’ve given her as much lenience as I have. But she’s about to cross a line that she can’t come back from, and she’s not getting the message.”
My teeth toyed with the corner of my lip. “She didn’t say anything that awful.”
Amber had been hurt, grieving, and had needed to let loose some of that pain. It might not have been fair, but I understood.
“Did she throw the shooting in your face?”
My mouth pressed into a hard line.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Don’t get her in trouble over this, Law. I don’t want it. And it’ll only make things worse between us.”
There was a brief moment of hesitation before Lawson shook his head. “I’ll make it clear that you didn’t want this and weren’t the person to report it. But Amber needs to realize the ramifications of her actions. There’s no way she’ll become the cop she’s capable of if she doesn’t.”
The twisting sensation was back in my stomach. Because I got his point. Lawson did everything he could to create a healthy environment for his officers and the town. He didn’t take the trust the town had put in us lightly. Anyone who put that in jeopardy by behaving badly was dealt with swiftly.
“I try to stay out of her way. I know I bring up bad memories for her, and it kills me that I’d cause someone else pain in that way. I know how it feels.”
