“Oh, I remember. I’ll keep you updated then.”
“Sounds good.”
Jesse hung up, the first real smile stretching his mouth since leaving The Tea House.
Even though he’d been close to his entire Ghost Ops team, he and Holden had always been closest. It would be good to have him here.
He logged on to his computer to see what he’d missed from the night shift. A couple of noise complaints. A domestic dispute. That was it.
He spent the next hour trying to concentrate and get his head into what he was doing. It didn’t work. All he could think about was Aspen. About that text she’d received about Dylan. A text she wouldn’t read to him.
Ten more minutes, and he still couldn’t get his head into work.
Fuck it.
He lifted his phone and sent a text to Aspen.
Jesse: What’s his last name?
The three dots appeared almost immediately, then her text.
Aspen: What are you talking about? Did that coffee mess with your brain cells?
Jesse: Dylan. What’s his last name?
There was a pause. Then the three dots popped up and disappeared. Then they popped up again and disappeared. That happened three times before her text finally came through.
Aspen: Why?
Jesse: Because I want to do a background check on him.
Aspen: Are you allowed to do that?
Jesse: Just tell me his last name. Please.
Aspen: No.
Jesse: Why?
Aspen: Because he’s on the other side of the country, so there’s no point.
Jesse: It doesn’t matter if I look into him then.
Another pause in replies.
Jesse: Please. I promise, all I’m going to do is a background check.
Aspen: Will he know?
Why did she care about that? What did she think he’d do if he found out?
Jesse: No.
Aspen: Bollard. His name is Dylan Bollard.
Jesse: Thank you. Now go back to your writing.
Aspen: And you go back to sheriffing this town instead of looking up random guys.
