Full Disclosure (Nice Guys 2)

“Hey, man, ignore Jace. You’re coming here, right?” Colt asked, now on the phone in place of Jace.

“Yeah, just for a day. I might have time for a quick bite if things wrap up as quickly as I like. Are you two gonna be in town?” Mitch asked, anchoring the phone on his shoulder as he hoisted his duffel into an overhead compartment in the very back of the airplane.

“We’ll be here. Call and let us know if you want to have dinner. We’d really like to see you,” Colt added.

“Sounds like a plan. Hey, I gotta roll. I’m in the airplane.” He didn’t have time for pleasantries—the engines were starting, drowning everything out. Mitch ended the call and took his seat in the last row. The flight attendants were already strapping in behind him. The roar of the engines grew as the plane started down the runway.

Chapter 3

Cody Turner rolled the tight muscles in his shoulders and downed the Red Bull he’d picked up on his way in to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Travis County field office. Normally by now, he’d have completed his paperwork, turned in his patrol car, and already be heading out to enjoy his days off. While he’d completed two of those three things already, the last had been irritatingly delayed by this afternoon’s mandatory meeting in the chief’s office. After working the last nine nightshifts in a row, and following those up with a day shift, the time off was much needed.

He schooled his slightly bad attitude and put it off to being tired. Besides, this whole irritable thing he had going on was his own fault. He shouldn’t have picked up all those extra shifts. He’d worked back-to-back doubles over the last couple of days—but then it wasn’t in his nature to not lend a hand when needed. A fellow trooper’s wife gave birth unexpectedly, how could he have not taken those shifts to help the guy out? Just like agreeing to the three shifts earlier in the week to relieve another ailing officer. It was just the kind of thing he did.

The kink in the plan came with this meeting today. It was Friday afternoon. He had a scheduled two nights off, before he’d work a Sunday nightshift and then the official start of his use-it-or-lose-it vacation time. That would be two full weeks off, all in a row. He ignored the fact that his brother had claimed most of that time to help out on the family farm, because in the end, he figured he’d get a break from some of the monotony of day-to-day life as a state highway trooper. He’d come back to work stronger for it in the end.

Cody walked the long halls, rounding several corners until he came to the chief’s office that took up a large chunk of the rest of the building.

“Officer Turner, Chief Hicks is expecting you,” said a young man dressed in full uniform at the desk out front of the office. The guy never looked up. Cody was a little impressed with how he knew who stood before him. Since Cody had plans after work to go check out a horse just north of Dallas for his brother, he had changed into his traveling clothes—jeans, work boots, and a T-shirt. Now as he stood there, he wondered if he should have stayed dressed in his uniform.

“Can I just go in?” Cody asked, hesitating before he stepped around the desk to open the door unannounced. He’d been a trooper for four years, assigned to this location the entire time, but he’d only been in the chief’s office three times, ever—once when he was hired, once when interviewing for the mounted patrol, and now. This whole scene was a little intimidating, and he suddenly worried what he might have done wrong to have been called in like this.

“Sure. He’s waiting for you.”

“Can I throw this away?” Cody asked and finally the guy looked up, a prominent frown marring his face.

“If you must. Sure dressed up, didn’t you?” he said with more attitude than was really necessary. He produced the trash can from under his desk for Cody to place the empty can inside. The assistant’s words made the nerves he had been fighting surface in full force as he knocked on the partially closed door and stuck his head inside.

“Can I come in, sir?”

“Sure. Thank you for being on time,” Chief Hicks greeted him. He rose and, with his long stride, stepped forward, meeting Cody in the middle of his office with a firm handshake. They were about the same size, save an inch or two on the chief’s part. At a little over six-four, Cody had earned the nickname of Biggin’ around the precinct. The chief had to glance up slightly to look him in the eye. “Have a seat, Turner.”

The chief waved him into the chair directly in front of his desk before he shut the office door and went back around the desk to his seat. He moved some paperwork around until he found a file. Cody sat back and watched as the folder was brought to the top of the stack, his name scrawled across the front.

“Turner, I know it’s been a long wait, and I apologize for that. It’s just the higher up you go, the more red tape we have to get through, but if you’re still interested, we’d like to offer you the position with Mounted Patrol.” The chief looked straight at him. Cody digested the words and couldn’t hold in the smile that spread across his lips. The flush of adrenaline at that announcement did more to alleviate his tiredness than the recently chugged Red Bull.

“I just assumed the position had been filled,” Cody replied, sitting up straighter and grinning ear to ear.

“No, it’s just a slow process when every hand has to sign the papers before we can act. I’m guessing the smile means you’d still like the job?” The chief eyed him closely.