"What about Jeff?" she asked glumly and he rolled his eyes.

"Nobody understands Jeff. I've been trying to get through to that kid for months. There's something cruel in him. Unfortunately, he's one of the brightest kids I've met."

Brooke blinked. "Jeff?"

"Yeah. Kid's a math whiz. If he weren't in juvie, he'd be getting scholarships."

Something inside Brooke rallied. "His record will be sealed when he's eighteen. None of this should affect his chances for getting into a good school."

"Doesn't matter. That kid'll be arrested within a month of getting out of Hope."

Brooke felt her temper flare. "How can you say that? How can you give up on him?"

Devin signaled the waitress for another beer, then looked back at her, regret in his eyes. "I didn't give up on him. He's the one giving up on himself. I'd give my eyeteeth to change it, but I've seen it too many times. So will yon "

"I don't want to become jaded like…" She brought her temper to heel.

"Like me? Good. But be careful, Brooke. These boys are dangerous." He lifted his eyes to the television mounted over the bar. "Looks like they're calling for snow."

It was an abrupt topic change, but effective. Brooke gathered her purse and coat. "I'm sorry, Devin. I was out of line."

He looked sad. "No, you're right. I am jaded. Unfortunately you have to be or they get to you. I find myself torn between wanting to save them and wanting to lock them all up forever. Sometimes they scare the hell out of me." He eyed her coat. "You're not staying for the game?"

She was starving, but Christmas shopping had taken a big bite out of her budget. No eating out until January. "Nope. Gotta get home and prepare tomorrow's lesson."

To her surprise he came to his feet and helped her with her coat. "It's dark outside and the neighborhood's not the best. I'll walk you to your car."

Monday, November 27, 7:45 P.M.

Reed grunted at the sudden sharp elbow in his gut. He glared down at his sister who glared up with equal fervor. He dropped the plate back in the sink. 'That hurt."

"It was meant to. Sit down before I really get mean." Lauren gave him a mock glare. "We have an agreement. You don't keep up your end very well. Sit down, Reed."

Reed sat. "You pay the rent on time and take care of Beth. That's enough."

"The deal was cheap rent for babysitting and cleaning. Shut up, Reed."

The cheap rent on the other side of Reed's duplex allowed Lauren to work part-time while she took classes at the university. Her flexible schedule meant Reed never had to worry about who was watching Beth when he had to work. In his mind, it was more than a win-win. Still, Lauren had her pride. "Did Beth ask you to take her shopping?"

Lauren laughed. "She did. Big man like you afraid of a few racks of clothes?"

"You see racks of clothes. I see monsters with price tags for fangs. So will you?"

"Of course. If you want, I'll even pick up a few things you can put under the tree."

Christmas. "I've never waited so long to do my shopping before. I just don't know what she likes anymore." And the knowledge left him… bereft somehow.

"She's not a little girl anymore, Reed."

"So you keep telling me." He cast a wistful look up at the ceiling. Just a few months before, nothing could have pried Beth from the Monday night game. But now she always excused herself after dinner, saying she had studying to do.

"I never thought growing up meant she"d start disliking all the things we used to like."

Lauren shot him a sympathetic look. "You've had it easy. A girl who could tackle, jump, and check as well as any boy. But tomboys grow up and start liking frilly stuff."

"Tomboy" made him think of Mia Mitchell and her "comfy" hat. "Not all tomboys. You should meet my new partner."

Lauren eyes widened with surprise. "You hired a woman down at OFI?"

"No, she's a homicide detective."

She grimaced. "Ooh. Nasty."

Reed thought about Caitlin Burnette. lying in the morgue. "You have no idea."

"So tell me more. What's the new chick like?"

Reed gave her a censorious look. "If I called her a chick, you'd hit me."

Lauren grinned. "That's what I love about you. You're such a smart man. So dish."

"She's an athletic kind of woman." Who'd been able to respond to every challenge thrown her way that day, whether it was a grieving father, a two-hundred pound crackhead, or an arrogant baby lawyer. She'd dealt. Very capably, in fact. "That's all."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "That's all. So what's her name?"

"Mitchell."

Again her eyes rolled. "Herfirst name."

"Mia." And he found he liked the sound of it. It suited her. "She's a real pistol."

"And? Is she a blonde, brunette, redhead? Short, tall?"

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "A blonde. And small." The top of her head barely reached his shoulder. His shoulder twitched as the image flashed into his mind of her blond head resting there. Like that would ever happen. Somehow he couldn't see Mia Mitchell leaning on anyone. That the thought had even crossed his mind was disturbing in and of itself. Don't even consider going there, Solliday. She's not for you.

Lauren had sobered. "Too small to watch your back?"

In his mind he saw her taking down DuPree. "She'll be fine."

Lauren was watching him carefully. "She obviously made an impression on you."

"She's my partner, Lauren. That's all."

"That's all," she mimicked. "I'm never going to have any more nieces and nephews."

Now his mouth dropped open. "What? Whatever made you think you would?" He shook his head. "Have your own babies. Not me. Not again. I'm too old."

"You are not old. You just act like it. When was the last time you were out on a real date? And not a meeting with one of Beth's teachers or a visit to the dental hygienist."

"Thanks for reminding me. I need to schedule a teeth cleaning."

Her fist shot out of the suds to sock his arm. "I'm serious."

He rubbed his arm. "Ow. You keep hurting me tonight."

"Well, you keep pissing me off. When, Reed? When was your last date?"

That he'd entered into willingly? Sixteen years ago when he'd taken Christine out for coffee after the classical poetry class he'd dreaded until the night he'd met her. Afterward she'd read her own poetry, just to him, and he'd lost his heart right then and there. "Lauren, I'm tired. I've had a long day. Leave me alone."

She was undeterred. "You haven't had a date since… Christmas three years ago."

He shuddered. "Don't remind me. Beth hated her." So did I.

"Beth's support is important. But you're a young man. One of these days Beth will be grown and you'll be alone." Her mouth drooped. "I don't want you to be alone."

Her words hit him hard, the picture of Beth grown and gone too real in his mind. But Lauren cared. So Reed swallowed back a curt command for her to mind her own business and kissed the top of her head. "I like my life, Lauren. Get Beth some jeans that don't make her look twenty-five, okay?" He retreated, her glare boring into his back.

Upstairs, the loud pounding of Beth's music assaulted his ears through her bedroom door. This, he supposed, along with everything else, was part of her growing up. Still, he wished it weren't happening so fast. He knocked on the door, hard. "Beth?"

The music abruptly stopped and the puppy yapped. "Yeah?"

"I just wanted to talk to you, honey."

The door opened and her dark head poked out high, the puppy's low. "Yeah?"

Reed blinked and suddenly had no idea of what to say. Her brows went up, then back down, bunching in a frown. "You okay, Dad?"

"I was just thinking that we hadn't done anything together in a while. Maybe this weekend we can go… to the movies or something."