We all showed up in the high school gym the next morning to watch Jonah struggle through a boot camp hangover. Even Gibs was here, peopling on purpose. Of course, Gibson was never hungover. He never drank. Our father drank, therefore Gibs never did.

I admired his fortitude but sometimes wondered if not doing something because someone else did it was as bad as doing something just because someone else did it.

“Okay, let’s get started with some high knee jogs,” Jonah rasped, gesturing at us to split into lines. He looked a little green around the gills.

Truth be told, most of us did. There were thirty of us, a range of ages, sizes, and shapes. I’d be willing to bet that a good fifty percent was hungover.

As if the universe bade it, Cassidy lined up next to me and we jogged down the gym floor to half court together. She’d insisted on coming alone and being aloof.

“How are you feelin’ today?” I asked, trying not to huff and puff. Maybe I needed to give Jonah a little bit more of my time.

She didn’t look at me. “Fine.”

She’d given me a cursory peck on the cheek last night and gone right on inside, shutting the door behind her.

I could take a hint.

This relationship thing was new. We were both bound to make some missteps. It wasn’t fair of me to ask her to share confidential information. Somewhere around the middle of the night while I was staring up at my ceiling, I realized that what bothered me most was that she hadn’t wanted to share anything. The DNA results, the photos of Callie’s wounds. It hadn’t even occurred to her that I’d want to know. There’d been no internal moral battle between her loyalty to her job and her loyalty to me.

Her job, the law, had always been there for her. And I hadn’t.

Of course, it hadn’t occurred to Cassidy to want to share. She was a rule-follower, a by-the-booker, and that was part of what I loved about her. That steadiness. That constancy. I could depend on her to be solid. Unlike my mother, who changed moods quicker than a spring breeze.

I’d debated for a good hour before falling asleep whether or not I should call Jayme and let her know about the pictures. I finally decided to leave it be for now. If our attorney started asking Connelly questions about those pictures, he’d know exactly where the information came from. I needed to trust the law. For now.

“Cass,” I said when we hit half court. What was Jonah trying to do? Kill us with the warm-up? “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have expected you to break your code. That wasn’t fair.”

She tripped and recovered, catching up with me.

“I don’t know what to say,” she admitted.

“How about, ‘You sure look handsome this morning, Bowie,’” I suggested.

She shot me a look that ended with a small smile. “I’m not really upset with you,” she said.

We made it back to our starting point, and I stepped across the line, not ready to be done with the conversation.

“Bowie,” she hissed warningly, glancing around us at the sweaty, hungover crowd.

“Cass, we’ve had nine million conversations over the years. It’s only weird now if we make it weird.”

She took her time retying her ponytail. “I’m mad at myself. My job is the one on the line. I should be taking better precautions. Hell, I shouldn’t even be mixing it up with you.”

I didn’t like that. “Don’t you think we’ve let enough people come between us?”

She hit me in the chest and then glanced around making sure no one was paying attention. “You’re only saying it because it’s not you and my dad causing the problem this time around!”

I rubbed absently at the spot she’d slapped. She may have had the slimmest of points.

The woman had reluctantly cut me eight years of slack. I had a responsibility to be patient.

“Let’s talk later,” she suggested, eyes flicking to a pretty brunette nearby that I’d never seen before. She, unlike most of the rest of us, was perky and eager to follow Jonah’s pained instructions.

“Later,” I agreed.

“Well, that was horrible.” Gibson was guzzling water while I bent in half and sucked wind.

“I took it easy on everyone,” Jonah said, opening his bottle and chugging something green and lumpy.

“That’s not your magic hangover cure, is it?” I asked, eyeing it with suspicion.

“Nope, rebalancing shake,” he wheezed.

“Looks like most of the town could use some rebalancing,” Cassidy said, joining us.

There were bodies everywhere. Some curled in the fetal position. Some flat on their backs staring up at the gym ceiling.

“Anyone want breakfast?” Devlin asked. He was sweaty, but in a healthy, used to it kind of way. Scarlett was sprawled at his feet muttering about oxygen and the lack of it.

“I could do breakfast,” I said. No school until next Wednesday. I was looking forward to the break.

Gibson grunted his assent.

“Can’t. I have work,” Cassidy said, mopping at her brow with the hem of her t-shirt. I was momentarily transfixed by the flash of her stomach, the peek of pink from her sports bra.

Down, boy. I was used to hiding my feelings for her. But now that I’d finally had a taste of her, I felt like my facade was crumbling.

“Don’t you know the boss man or something?” Scarlett teased from the floor, tugging on Cassidy’s shoelaces. “Can’t you ask him for an extra hour so you can fuel up for your day of crime-fightin’?”

“I don’t get special treatment because of who my father is,” Cassidy said, her jaw tight. “Y’all have a nice day.”

Scarlett clawed her way up Devlin’s leg until he leaned down to pick her up. “Geez. What crawled into her knickers?” she demanded.

“My guess is Bowie,” Gibson said.

Shit.

Jonah looked up at one of the lights hanging from the ceiling like it was absolutely fascinating.

I stared at the floor and scratched the back of my head. I couldn’t remember how I’d brushed off comments about Cassidy before. How had I played it off like there was nothing there? Like my feelings weren’t real? Right now I was standing here looking guilty.

“See?” Gibs said smugly. “Told you.”

Scarlett was working her way into an excited lather. “Oh. My. God.”

“Hold your horses,” I hissed. “Keep it down. No one’s supposed to know.”

“Why not?” Scarlett was bouncing on her toes.

“That Connelly character who’s investigating Dad thinks she’s too close to us. If he knew we were—” I looked left and right, making sure no one else was eavesdropping “—seein’ each other, he’d have her badge.”

Devlin frowned. “I don’t know if he can do that. I’d need to check on the jurisdictional—”

“I love it when you talk lawyerly,” Scarlett breathed, leaning into him.

“He’s already taken her off the investigation.” If I was gonna air Cassidy’s dirty laundry, then I was going to hang it all out to dry. “She’s only allowed to scan old files and drive patrol.”

“That’s bullshit!” Scarlett snapped. “Dev, I want you to sue him or disbar him or whatever.”

Gibson echoed her sentiment.

“Needless to say, none of you are allowed to breathe a word of this to anyone or I will sign y’all up as prom chaperones,” I threatened.

“What are you gonna do about it?” Jonah asked. He was warming up to the way things worked around here. Bootleg Justice had a special kind of appeal.

“Nothing right now. It’s better if she handles it,” I told them.

“Excuse me?” That brunette from earlier was poking her head into our circle. “Jonah, was it?”

Jonah looked mildly flustered, and I wondered if it was because she was inordinately pretty or just a stranger. We’d all been a little careful around strangers the past few weeks. Especially since the press had tip-toed back into town.

“Uh. Yeah. That’s me,” he said.

“It was a great class,” she said, beaming at him.

At least someone had enough energy to beam. The rest of us just got sweaty and wheezy.

“Thanks,” Jonah said, putting his hands on his hips then deciding to cross his arms over his chest.

Scarlett was watching with a twinkle in her eye, and I made a mental note to warn Jonah. When Scarlett got an idea, everyone generally got out of the way and let her have whatever she wanted. It was easier than trying to survive the consequences.

“I’m Shelby, by the way.” She held out a hand, and Jonah hesitated too long before finally shaking it.

“Are you new in town, Shelby?” Scarlett asked, the picture of innocence.

Gibson rolled his eyes. “Watch your back,” he whispered to Jonah out of the corner of his mouth.

“I’m in town for the holidays,” Shelby said, turning her warm smile on Scarlett.

“Well, you’ll probably see all us Bodines around,” Scarlett predicted.

“I bet I will.”