KCPD Protector by Julie Miller Page B

hair, finally relaxing a bit, and grinned. “I think I’ve had more conversations with you on this couch, waiting for the commish to talk negotiation strategies, than I have with my wife the past couple of weeks.”
    Elise smiled at the joke. “Budget time does that, I think. Lots of meetings, lots of waiting.”
    “You’re easy to talk to, I guess.”
    “Thanks.”
    “I bet you’re putting in extra hours, too. What does your boyfriend think of that?”
    “My boyfriend?”
    “A pretty lady like you must be taken.” He took another drink before pointing to her. “I didn’t see a ring, though.”
    Although she smiled, Elise suddenly wasn’t feeling as welcoming as she had a moment earlier. “No boyfriend. Never married.”
    “That’s a shame.” A split second later, Officer Hale’s cheeks reddened and he put up an apologetic hand. “Wait. Girlfriend?”
    Shaking her head, Elise stood and checked her watch. She had no problem with small talk to make a visitor more comfortable about waiting for the deputy commissioner. But today wasn’t a good day for her to be the main topic. “If you’ll excuse me a moment, I’ll remind Mr. Madigan that you’re here.”
    She picked up the negotiations file from her desk and knocked softly on the black door.
    “Come in.”
    As soon as George responded, Elise nudged open the door. He was sitting on the front edge of his desk, holding a box of tissues for his ex-wife, who was dabbing at tears. Despite a tug of sympathy, Elise quickly quashed any urge to ask if everything was okay. “Your two o’clock is here, sir. Denton Hale from the officers’ union?” She handed him the file. “Here are the transcripts you wanted.”
    George opened the file and stood, flipping through the pages. He frowned. “You have to go now, Court. I have work to do.”
    “What else is new?” With another sniffle, she apologized for her sarcasm. “I’m sorry. Of course, you do. You’re an important man.” Courtney rose, tossed the soiled tissues into the trash and smoothed her blond hair into place. She smoothed the skirt and blouse she wore, too, before tilting her red-rimmed eyes up to George. “You’re okay with this? You promise you’ll help me?”
    “It doesn’t make much sense to me, but...” He closed the folder and nodded. “I promise. But this is it, Court. I haven’t been your husband for a long time now. You’ve got to learn to stand on your own two feet.”
    “I will.” Courtney Reiter stretched up onto her toes and kissed his cheek. She would have kissed his mouth if he hadn’t turned his head at the last moment. “Thank you.”
    George groaned as if he’d heard that promise before, and wiped the pink lipstick from his skin as Courtney breezed past Elise and out the door. “We need to talk,” he said to Elise, reaching around her shoulder to push the door shut behind her. He held up the folder between them. “This is the wrong file.”
    “What? No, I’m sure I...” She pulled it from his grip and read the label. Budget Notes. “I’m sorry. I must have grabbed the wrong one. It’s a simple mistake.”
    “If you made mistakes, it would be. But you don’t.” He held the door firmly in place when she reached down to open it.
    Elise held her breath, thinking it was an accident that she’d been caught in the space between the door and George’s chest.
    But there were no accidents with this man. He flattened his palm on the wood beside her head and leaned closer, dropping his gaze to match hers. “Talk to me. You’re scaring me, Elise. I don’t like it when I don’t have the answers I need. Tell me what’s going on. Did something else happen?.”
    “Something else? No, I... No.” Her breath rushed out as she braced her hand on his chest to push him away. “Denton Hale is waiting. I think he’s on a shift break, so I’m sure he doesn’t have long. And I need to...get the transcripts.”
    George’s skin was warm, his muscles firm beneath the