I went to work, helped in the field, but Brock also gave me a huge book. He pointed at it as he walked by. “You gotta learn all of that before you take your test.”

My test. I needed to pass a test before I was an official bounty hunter? Seems like I actually was a student.

After work a few times, I met Cross at his school’s library for a study session.

Okay, I lied. I was trying to make myself sound like a better student than I was. The study session happened one time, and never again. A college library, or a library of any sorts, was not a place I wanted to be in unless I was going in wearing a vest, my Taser gun at the ready, and a radio clipped to my shoulder. The rest of the week, I went to work.

I went on bail jumps. I helped where I could, stood back when I was told.

I came home.

I ate or met Cross and Jordan for dinner.

After that, Cross and I studied. In the bedroom. Our living room. Outside. A diner. Anywhere except at a library.

Cross liked the downtime, even though I learned that he actually didn’t need to study that much. He was ‘going through the motions.’ I asked about it, and he sighed with a shy little smile that made my knees melt.

“I like the normalcy.”

“What?”

He shifted, looking a little uncomfortable. “You know, we’re just studying. Normal. We’re not fighting or searching for a drug dealer I want to kill, or your drug dealer ex. No one’s being taken to the hospital. You know, normal. Quiet.”

“You like the quiet?”

He nodded, his eyes shifting to the floor for a beat. “Yeah. I feel settled. I’m not worried that someone I love is going to be taken away from me.”

Right.

I was rocked, rocked, but right.

That made sense.

“Okay,” I whispered. “You like the normalcy.”

Another nod from him. “I like it when you’re next to me.”

Well.

Then.

Warmth spread through me at that last statement.

My throat swelled up, but I didn’t know why, and I didn’t have the words, so I went back to studying. Normal. Quiet.

Guess I’d be studying more from now on.

And those nights when it was just Cross and me at the house, I felt the quiet. I was okay with the quiet. And knowing how Cross felt about it, I was really okay with it now. I could do that.

That was the goal until Jordan came home. Two out of the four nights, he had a girl with him.

I saw both of his guests. I didn’t know either of them.