In Safe Hands (Search and Rescue #4)(141)

Theo eyed them, a frown firmly in place, long enough for Jules’s panic to start bubbling over again. She bit the inside of her lip hard to keep from filling the silence. “Looks like a false alarm,” Theo finally answered. “We get those a lot. Kids trying to get a day off of school.”

False alarm, Jules repeated in her head, confused until she remembered what Viggy’s job was. “A bomb threat?” Her voice went a little shrill on the last word. Once again, her paranoia had made her forget that there were other dangers in the world, and she needed to protect her siblings. After all, they were her kids now.

“Happens a lot.” Theo seemed awfully casual for a conversation involving a threat of a bomb. “It’s usually some kid who’s pissed at a teacher or wants a free day.”

Jules’s brain seized on what she saw as the most important word in that sentence. “Usually? Shouldn’t you have evacuated the school, just in case?”

“We try to keep it low-key unless we believe it’s a legitimate threat. Otherwise, we’re just giving the kid who called it in what he—or she—wants,” Theo explained. “If I thought there was a chance there really was a bomb, Viggy and I wouldn’t be in here. We’d call the bomb squad in Denver and get everybody out of the building.”

Although his words were reassuring, Jules still felt jumpy. She glanced around, trying not to think of all the possible hiding spots—that locker, that recycling bin with the lid, that janitor’s closet. She nibbled on the inside of her lip as she forced herself to quit looking and focus on Theo’s face. If she was honest, that last part wasn’t a hardship.

“Jules.” Tio tipped his head toward the office. The flow of students had increased, although most of them were making a wide berth around the cop and his dog, and Jules wasn’t sure how long it would take to complete the admissions paperwork. She’d hate if the kids had to walk in late to their first class. Being the new kids was bad enough without drawing extra attention. There was already a lot of staring going on, although Jules wasn’t sure if that was due to them being strangers or the K-9 cop in their midst.

Taking a step toward the office, she said, “I need to get the kids registered.”

His nod was just a short dip of his chin. “I’ll wait.”

Jules stopped and blinked at him. Why was he going to wait? The usual tendril of panic curled its way around her lungs, but there was another emotion there, as well, that she didn’t want to examine too closely. It might have been excitement, if that hadn’t been so self-destructive and stupid.

“C’mon, Jules!” Tio began nudging her in the direction of the office.

“I’m coming!” As she walked, keeping a firm hold on Dez just in case her sister decided to bolt for the dog, she refused to glance behind her, refused to check if he was keeping his word and waiting. She definitely didn’t want him to wait. There was no way her nerves could survive having a cop—a hot, hot cop—in her life. Theo was trouble. Jules needed to shut him down immediately…or at least after she found out what he wanted to talk to her about.

As she completed the necessary paperwork, she mentally thanked Dennis. Everything was perfect. There were immunization records and transcripts and custody papers. The administrative assistant—who had severe glasses and not a hair out of place—even gave her an approving look, murmuring, “Very organized.”

They managed to get all three boys registered and sent off with a student “buddy” to find their lockers. Jules watched them go, feeling a little scared and helpless. She hadn’t realized that having them out of sight would be so hard. It was reassuring to have them within reach, so she could whisk them away to safety at the first sign of trouble.

A squeeze on her hand brought Jules out of her distracted worry. “They’ll be okay,” Dez said quietly.

“I know.” Giving her sister a small grin—the best she could manage—Jules added, “I just like to keep them close.”

Looking much older than eleven, Dez tightened her grip again. “They’re used to taking care of themselves.”

That made Jules frown as they left the office. “They shouldn’t be.”

“Right. That’s why you stole us.”

Even though Dez had used her quietest voice, Jules still bugged her eyes out at her. “Ix-nay on the ole-stay alk-tay.”

“Orry-say!” Dez whispered, making a zipping motion over her lips.

“Done?” The deep voice made her jump, and Jules barely held back a startled shriek. When she turned to Theo, Jules couldn’t help but marvel at how he got better-looking every time she saw him. Despite his scowl—or maybe, a contrary part of her brain whispered, because of it—he really was the poster child of masculine beauty.

When his eyebrows unsnarled enough to lift in question, Jules realized he was waiting for an answer. “Um…yes. Well, except for D. The elementary school starts later than the high school, so we decided to come here first.” She was painfully aware that she was rambling, and that Theo and Dez and even the dog were staring at her like she’d lost her mind, but Jules couldn’t manage to stop the flow of words. “Yeah. So, anyway…did you need to talk to me?”

He stayed silent just long enough for her hands to start to sweat. “I’ll walk you out.”