In the Line of Duty by Ami Weaver Page A

stops enough that it’s safe to go outside.”
    She took a deep breath and let it out in a shuddering exhalation. She stepped back, but Matt kept his arms around her loosely. She couldn’t make herself pull away and break the connection that she desperately needed. He was right. Depending on where the tree had landed, there was a chance her house wasn’t even habitable. “Okay. We’ll stay here.” A thought struck her and she turned to look again. “Matt. Is it on Colleen’s, too?” She knew her neighbor wasn’t home. She and her family had left on a vacation a few hours ago.
    “I don’t think so. It’s hard to tell from this angle, though.”
    Callie pulled away this time and he let her go, his hands grazing her hips as she moved away. She turned to look back at the broken tree, and squeezed her eyes shut tight, trying to stop a new flood of tears from breaking free. Crying would get her absolutely nowhere. She refocused on the issue at hand.
    There was a change of clothes for both boys in the bag. Hopefully, a nighttime diaper for Liam, too. But nothing for her.
    Though clearly, she couldn’t go home yet.
    “Thanks for letting us stay,” she said, and her voice shook only a little.
    Matt squeezed her shoulders, then let go. “You’re welcome. I’ll go check as soon as the lightning lets up.”
    She thought of the rain pouring into her little house, if there were holes. Tears pricked her eyes and she tried very hard to keep them in. She didn’t want the boys to see her cry, and get worried.
    Matt lifted her chin with a finger and that was all it took. “Oh, Callie. Come here.” He pulled her in and she leaned on his solid chest, taking in his scent, once again feeling the steady beat of his heart under her cheek. It’d been so long since she’d just—just been held. She couldn’t stop the seep of tears, but managed to swallow back any embarrassing sobs. She trembled from the effort and his arms tightened around her.
    * * *
    He was a total heel.
    Here Callie was, all upset and emotional and worried, and he had her in his arms and was responding to her in the most inappropriate way.
    It wasn’t okay at any point. But now, when she was so upset? That made it worse. He tried not to think of her, not to breathe in her scent, not to notice the crush of her breasts against his chest. Again.
    She stepped back and he let her go, far too reluctantly. “It’ll be okay,” he said. “We’ll get through tonight and deal with the whole thing in the morning.”
    She sniffled a little, swiped her eyes and almost smiled. “Gosh. Sorry for all the waterworks.” She took a shuddering breath.
    “You’ve got reason,” he said simply.
    “Boys,” she said as she went back over to them. “We’re going to stay here tonight. Since we’re already here.” Her tone was mostly light and both kids cheered.
    “Can we sleep with Aldo?” Eli asked, and Matt saw Callie shake her head.
    “I don’t know about that,” she said. “We are guests and Aldo belongs to Matt.”
    “When he comes out, he might come find you,” Matt said. “But it takes him a bit to settle down after a storm.”
    “It’s dark,” whimpered Liam, and Callie lifted him in her arms.
    “It is,” she agreed. “But you guys have your glow sticks. These big ones will stay lit all night. We’ll put one in the bathroom, too, if that’s okay?” She turned to face Matt.
    “Of course,” he said. Candles obviously wouldn’t be a good plan with little kids, though he’d light some for the kitchen counter and other places that were elevated and out of the reach of little hands. He gave her major props for thinking of the glow sticks.
    “Prepared for anything?” he asked, nodding at the package of them she’d fished out of the seemingly bottomless bag. She gave him a sheepish little smile.
    “Yeah. I learned a while ago that these work well in the dark. Enough light they can see, but not so much they’ll stay awake. And the novelty is a