Free Officer on Duty (Lock and Key Book 4) by Ranae Rose

beneath his left boot.
    The dog was lucky to be alive and headed for a ten-day quarantine.
    “That looks bad,” Richardson said.
    Jeremy looked down. Half a dozen tears in his pant leg allowed slick, blood-red skin to peek through.
    Before he could say a word, a white Ford Focus pulled into the driveway. Gravel crunched beneath its tires, and the blonde woman let out a gasp.
    A teenage girl climbed out of the passenger seat, the halter strap of a bathing suit top sticking out above the collar of her t-shirt.
    “Rachel!”
    “Hey, mom.”
    “You were supposed to be home hours ago!”
    “We went to see a movie. We would’ve gone later, but we wanted to get the matinee price.” She gaped at Jeremy and Richardson. “What’s the big deal?”

CHAPTER 8
     
    “It’s not the end of the world,” Jeremy said, flattening a hand on the kitchen table top.
    “The hell it isn’t!” His mother stood by the sink, eyes flashing.
    He’d known she’d freak out when she found out about his injury. It’d been unavoidable – he’d gotten home an hour and a half early, and that’d tipped her off. After getting some stitches and an antibiotic prescription at the emergency room, he hadn’t been given the option to finish his shift.
    “There are worse fates than being bitten by a dog. All in all, I’m lucky it wasn’t worse.”
    He was sore, but the wounds would heal and all he’d be left with was a scar.
    “How many stitches did you get?”
    “Twenty-three.”
    Meredith sucked in an audible breath and tsked . “Where’s the dog?”
    “Animal control’s got it. It’s in for a ten-day quarantine.”
    “What if it’s rabid?”
    “Then I’ll have to get the vaccinations.”
    She made a strangled sound, and he sighed.
    “It’s not rabid, mom. Don’t get so worked up.”
    “You know I can’t help it.”
    He glanced at Paige, who stood leaning against the kitchen counter. There was a little dent in her lower lip, where she was biting it. Her gaze rested on his pant leg.
    “I’ll be fine,” he said to both of them. “Why don’t you two go out tonight and see a movie?”
    A pang of irritation hit him as his mind flashed back to the careless teenager who’d run off to the theater and worried her mother.
    Kids just didn’t realize how dangerous the world was. They thought they were invincible. It was especially worrying now, considering that two young Cypress women had just died.
    “Are you sure you’re up for that?” Meredith asked.
    “I’ll stay here. You two go ahead and have a girls’ night out.”
    “And abandon you?”
    “There’s nothing you can do for me, and it’s not like I’m an invalid. I won’t let you baby me.”
    He gave her the sternest look he could muster, hoping against hope it’d land. He wasn’t about to sit around on his ass while she waited on him hand and foot because of some stitches.
    “Fine, but don’t you dare think about cooking. We’ll pick up some dinner for you afterward.”
    “Great.” He held back a sigh of relief. “Make sure you park close to the theater, in a well-lit area. No loitering or unnecessary walking.”
    “Now who’s babying who?”
    “I mean it, mom.” His pulse picked up speed as he imagined her ignoring his warnings. “Don’t either of you dare be careless.”
    “We won’t, dad,” Paige spoke up. “Don’t worry.”
    He smiled. She was a good kid. Thinking back to earlier that day, he felt especially lucky to have her.
    “Have fun,” he said. “And text me when you’re on your way back. Forget to do that and I’ll come looking for you. I’ll bring the cavalry, too.”
    Paige grinned. “What if we stopped for ice cream? We might be a little late.”
    He grabbed his wallet from the table and opened it, pulling out a bill despite his mother’s protests. “That should be enough for a movie and ice cream.”
    He slipped Paige another bill when his mother wasn’t looking. “For dinner.”
    Paige gave him a hug before they left,