Another Love Another time

Chapter 19: He wants to meet me?

River

I've been Auggie's partner for about a week. He's changed. I can't really place it yet, but I can tell he doesn't want to make me mad. I can tell he's walking on eggshells around me. I don't want that. If we are going to be partners, we have to trust one another to tell each other how it is. I'm half tempted to push his buttons to see how far I can push him. I should, but I won't. I asked him to keep it professional at work and he has held up his end of the request.

Auggie and I are currently driving to follow up on a lead to one of our cases. I've gotten used to the comfortable silence when we get in the car. I'm grateful that he's giving me space and not forcing the conversation he knows I'm not ready for and if I'm honest, I don't think he will be ready for it either. I won't lie and not say it doesn't feel nice to hang out with him even if it's only in a professional manner. I feel my walls slowing coming down around him and that both excites me and scares me. I've only let one other person in since Auggie and that's my husband. I look over at Auggie and it reminds me of when we were younger right after he got his license and he drove me around in his truck. He catches me looking at him. He gives me his trademark smirk, "What?" My next thought was wondering how many times he did that same thing for Melissa. I can tell knows where my thoughts took me, and he clears his throat. I shake my head. Wanting to change the subject I start, "Your mom invited me to a family barbecue this Sunday. I guess they think I've been here long enough I need to face the firing squad." I chuckle steering my thoughts from our past.

"Yeah, I got the same invite, did you not tell them I was your partner?" I scoff.

"No, I don't want them knowing where I work."

"You didn't tell your mom where you work? Riv, she needs to know. What if something happens to you and they call her!  What does she think you do?", he scolds me.

"She thinks I work in an office. I told both of our mom's I didn't want them to know because I didn't need them showing up."

"You're right they would have shown up." He shakes his head with a smile.

"Have you told your mom?"

"No, but I haven't had a chance to talk to her. I've been busy. I got the invite through text, and I just responded with a thumbs up."

I sigh, "I really missed your mom's cooking. They don't serve food like that overseas." It has been a week since I started at the HPD so far, everything's going well. I love the team; they remind me of my last team. All of them have a sense of humor and they enjoy playing jokes on one another. You can tell they all have a tight bond and they have welcomed me into the fold seamlessly. This morning Mackey invited some of the team over to his house tonight to hang out and watch baseball. I decided to join everyone. My thoughts are interrupted, by my phone vibrating and see that it's Baxter.

"Hey do you mind if I get this? It won't take very long."

"Yeah go ahead. We have another ten minutes before we get there."

I hit the green circle to accept. I really don't want to have a conversation with Baxter in front of Auggie, but I don't really have an option. I don't know when I'll be able to speak with him again and I haven't been able to talk to him all week. He got special permission to text me the first day I was here to make sure I arrived safely.

"Hey Bax.", I say softly.

"Hey Rhondy!," he says a little too loudly. I have to pull my ear from my phone.

"Wow you're really loud today." Knowing Auggie can hear every word he's saying. I laugh a little bit.

"Sorry, I just missed you. I haven't had a chance to call all week and I don't have very long."