Officer Evans 💙

Chapter 3

"Chris, you're late."

Chris laughed, kissing his mother on the cheek, "hello to you too mother." Lisa rolled her eyes as she gestured for him to go into the dining room. Chris sat next to his brother as Lisa followed closely behind him, "I'm sorry I'm late. I got caught up at the store this morning."

Scott laughed, "a girl?"

He shrugged, "I ran into Kara actually. We talked for a few minutes."

Scott groaned, "you should stay away from her Chris."

"Who is Kara?"

Scott answered their mother before Chris could, "a girl that he pulled over the other night. And then she came into the ER. She had some sort of domestic physical altercation that she didn't want to talk about. So of course Chris goes into saving mode automatically."

Chris rolled his eyes, "that's not true. I don't have a saving mode." He looked around the table as there were laughs, "whatever."

"You're literally a police officer because you have a savior complex. Just be careful with this one. She obviously has her own baggage, and you combine it with yours and it could be too heavy to carry, Chris."

He sighed, ignoring his brother as he began to eat, "I'm fine."

Carly broke the awkward silence after a few minutes, "anyway you could pick up Stella tomorrow after school? The boys will be fine, Ethan will be with a friend and I have to take Miles to a doctor's appointment."

Chris shrugged, "yeah. I have tomorrow off. It's no big deal."

"So have you started seeing anyone?"

Chris groaned, setting his fork on his plate as he looked at his mother, "I've been divorced for 2 months, come on mom."

"Yeah but, that was over way before you got divorced. That girl was always crazy."

"Can we please stop talking about my sex life, or lack thereof. Please."

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Kara sat in the office as she waited. She finally heard the door open behind her. She stood up, shaking the woman's hand, "Kara Montgomery."

"Liz Riley. It's nice to meet you. I'm so glad you were able to come in on such short notice."

Kara sat back down as Liz did, "I appreciate the opportunity." She handed her the resume, "I have a bachelors in education and worked as a second grade teacher at my last school."

Liz nodded, "right. In Maine? There a reason you left so suddenly?"

Kara groaned internally as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap, "personal reasons that had nothing to do with the school or teaching."

Liz gave her a small smile, "well for now we need you as a substitute teacher for a teacher that had to take some personal leave. It would be first grade. Are you interested in that? We would need you to start right away."

Kara grinned, "yes. Of course!"

Liz chuckled, "okay then. Can you come in tomorrow at 7?"

Kara stood up with Liz, shaking her hand, "I can. Thank you so much. Where do I go to pick up kids? My nephew, Spencer Thomas is a first grader here."

"Of course. Stand outside the door with the rest of the parents. They bring the kids out by each class."

"Great. Thanks." She gave her another small smile before following the corridors outside to stand with the rest of the parents that were starting to form. She felt someone place their hand on her lower back, making her recoil as she turned around to see Chris smiling down at her. "You can't sneak up on me. What are you doing here?"

"Sorry Kara. My niece goes here. I'm picking her up for my sister. You?"

She crossed her arms, turning away from him as he stood behind her, "same. But nephew." She sighed, "can you not stand behind me so closely?"

"Sorry." He moved to stand beside her instead as they started to release kids.

She watched Spencer come up to her with a little girl that Chris scooped up. "Come on bud."

"Wait." Chris stopped her, "do you want to take the kids to the park?"

She groaned as Spencer pulled on her hand in excitement.

"Please Auntie Kara?"

"Fine." She looked back up at Chris, "can I follow you? I don't know where I'm going."

"Yeah. Of course."

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Kara watched Spencer disappear with Stella as they arrived at the park, making her laugh. "I guess they're friends?"

Chris chuckled, sitting next to her on a bench to watch them, "guess so." He nudged her shoulder with his, "I'm sorry for crossing your boundary."

She nodded, "you seem to do it a lot. Not everyone likes people in their personal space."

"I know. I'm sorry." He sighed, "so are you from Maine?"

"No. From Pennsylvania originally. You?"

He smiled, turning towards her, "I"m from Boston. Any other siblings besides... Elisa, right?"

Kara nodded, "just her. Older sister. Likes to mother me."

Chris laughed, "I have an older sister too. I get it."

She smiled, turning to face him, bringing her knee up on the bench, "any other siblings? Besides the sister and Scott?"

"So I have an older sister, Carly. And Scott and another sister, Shanna are both younger than me."

"Big family."

He smiled, "yeah. Blessing and a curse I guess. Didn't grow up alone, but at the same time, I have three other people in my business at all times."

Kara laughed as she watched him grin at her, "I can imagine. Parents?"

"Alive but not together. You?"

She gave him a small smile, "our parents are passed."

He grabbed her hand, noticing she let him squeeze it before pulling it away, "I'm sorry Kara." He sighed, "well, if you'd like someone to show you around Boston sometime, you have my number."

She blushed slightly as she nodded, looking down. "I'm not sure it's a great idea Chris. I'm... damaged to say the least."

"I don't think so." He ran his fingers gently along her arm to make her look up at him, "take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

She smiled as he gave her a smirk. "I think you're sweet, I'm just a mess right now."

Before he could say something, they were interrupted by the kids coming up to them.

"Can I spend the night at Stella's this weekend?"

Kara chuckled, turning to her nephew, "that is something you have to talk to your mom about little man. And Stella is going to have to ask her mom. Come on, let's get you home. Your mom will be home soon." She heard Spencer groan as Chris stood up to grab Stella's hand too. "Come on you. You'll see Stella again."