Free Rookie Mistake (California Dreamers #4) by Dakota Madison

Cody and I make our way down the hallway a bell rings. The hallway is immediately flooded with students headed for their next classes.
    They look so young and I’m immediately reminded of how old I’m getting. When I was in high school I thought thirty was ancient. Now that I’m creeping towards my third decade, much more quickly than I’d like, thirty still seems young.
    “Hadley,” I call when I see my sister in the distance.
    She gives me a less than enthusiastic wave.
    Cody follows as I make my way over to her.
    “I don’t have much time to talk,” she says. “I’ve got to get to class.”
    “I just wanted to let you know that I talked with Mr. Duncan.”
    “Good. Now maybe he’ll get off my back about it.”
    “And you now have someone working with the string quartet.”
    She frowns. “Who?”
    I point to Cody. “Officer Jackson volunteered.”
    “A cop is going to direct the quartet?” She rolls her eyes. “Great.”
    “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” I tell her even though I’m not really sure at all.
    “Our performance is going to suck. Just like everything else about senior year.”
    Before I have a chance to respond Hadley disappears down the hallway.
    “Sorry about that,” I tell Cody.
    “Typical teenager.”
    When we get back to the patrol car I ask, “Why didn’t you tell me you got a degree in Music Education?”
    “You never asked.”
    “That’s not some random thing someone thinks to ask. You told me you were in the military.”
    He nods. “I was. For eight years. Then I put the GI Bill to good use and went to college.”
    “But you didn’t finish your student teaching? Did you just quit? Who does that?”
    He stares straight ahead and doesn’t respond.
    Typical.
    He clams up whenever the conversation gets difficult.
    Before I have a chance to probe any further we get a call on the radio. A shoplifter at the Mini-Market.
    By the time we arrive at the store there’s a small crowd gathered out front. It takes a few moments to determine exactly what’s going on.
    “I’m the manager,” a tall man with a bushy mustache says. He’s holding the arm of an old woman wearing a much heavier jacket than the weather requires.
    It’s not unusual for someone trying to steal merchandise to wear large sweatshirts or jackets even when it’s hot outside.
    “I saw her put a ham underneath that coat,” the manager says.
    The woman looks to be in her seventies. Her straggly grey hair frames a heavy wrinkled face. And she’s hunched over with age.
    “That’s no ham,” the old woman barks. “I’m pregnant.”
    “You’re pregnant?” I repeat. “Are you sure about that?” The woman looks old enough to have gone through menopause before I was born.
    “It’s a baby bump,” she insists.
    “That’s no baby bump,” the manager counters. “That’s a ham. And I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s got a loaf of bread and some mayonnaise in that jacket of hers as well.”
    “I’ll need for you to unzip your jacket for me please.”
    She scowls. “I told you I’m pregnant.”
    “I understand that. But I still need for you to unzip your jacket.”
    Her lips form an angry line.
    “Please unzip the jacket,” I repeat.
    “Fine,” she huffs. When she finally unzips her jacket there’s not just a ham hiding in there. The manager was half right. She’s got a small loaf of rye bread and some mustard.
    “I’m going to have to cite you for shoplifting,” I tell the woman.
    “Do I get to keep the stuff for lunch?” she asks.
    “I’m afraid not.”
    “He’s not going to resell it. He’ll probably just throw it away. And I’m hungry.”
    The woman probably did steal the stuff because she didn’t have anything to eat. I feel bad for her, but she did break the law. “There’s a place in town for seniors to sign up for free meals,” I tell her.
    She glares at me. “How old do you think I am?”
    “I was only trying to help.”
    “Officer Jackson,” I turn to Cody. “If