Free Scales: Of Justice (Broken But ... Mending Book 3) by Dale Mayer Page A

one the wiser.”
    “Like children playing hooky? There are evening sessions we’re supposed to do, aren’t there?”
    Paris nodded. “Every evening there is something going on with Jenna. Although many are one-on-one private sessions with her as she checks in on everyone’s progress.”
    A broken, painful sound escaped. “Right now there is no progress in my corner, just a horrible backward slide.”
    “And one you can change,” he said firmly. “So what if you met someone from your past? He’s in the past.”
    “Obviously not if he’s here in my present too,” she muttered. “I honestly never expected to see him again.”
    “That’s why the shock then?”
    Nodding, her stomach growled making the decision for her, she said, “I’ll grab a sweater and we can go.”
    “If you’re sure,” he said doubtfully.
    With a glare at his lack of support, she retorted. “It’s now or never. I won’t have the courage to go later.”
    “Now.” He waited while she grabbed her light plum cardigan from the bed and walked out in front of him. “I need my jacket in case of rain again.”
    She followed him to his room, standing in the doorway while he picked up his jacket from the back of his chair. It was the same layout as hers.
    With the hallway still empty but worried she couldn’t get out before that changed, she said, “It’s clear. Let’s go.”
    They walked quickly to the elevator and as he was going to push the button, she shook her head. “We’ll take the stairs.”
    *
    Used to her sudden requests, he shrugged and followed. Taking the stairs was no guarantee that they would miss the other man. Not when stairs were the healthy option these days. The stairwell was empty at the main floor, but she carried on to the parking garage level and walked out. Wow, she really meant to avoid this guy. Fair enough.
    Outside, a light drizzle had started. He stood on the main street and looked both ways. Downtown offered a lot of food options in the daytime, but in the evening it didn’t look as promising. “Any idea where to go?”
    “There was a place over a couple of blocks. I haven’t been there in years, but they used to have good food. Pizza was just one of the choices.”
    “Good enough.” He tucked her arm into his and said, “Which way?”
    She pointed left.
    The walk was brisk and cool. It was hard to tell if she was walking so fast to escape the hotel or if she was cold and wanted to get where she was going quickly. At least she wasn’t looking behind all the time to see if they were being followed. Afraid she was being chased.
    Or afraid of being caught.
    They were similar but also slightly different, and just different enough to make him ponder her actions.
    That it was the policeman she was afraid of made him think she’d been involved in something illegal. Possibly she’d skirted around a crime or seen something. He knew he could speculate endlessly and still not be correct given the myriad of possible circumstances, but he couldn’t stop his mind from working the issues.
    “What made you go into nursing?” Was that a neutral enough topic to be safe to bring up?
    “I love babies.”
    Good choice, as her voice softened as she answered.
    “What’s the hardest part of your job?” he asked again, hoping to keep her mind off the scenario back at the hotel.
    “Mothers who don’t appreciate what they have,” she answered shortly.
    He glanced over at her in surprise. “I thought it would be the sick babies or the ones that can’t be saved, or the disabilities…infant deaths.”
    She nodded. “Those are all hard to deal with. And there are so many in different situations that you never get used to it as each baby has its own personality. Each mother has her own story, her own personality as well.” She shrugged. “In a way, the babies are part of the circle of life. It’s terrible and heartbreaking but almost understandable.” Her voice hardened as she added, “But the mothers who