Lawfully Treasured

by Jenna Brandt

  The team made their way over to a canopy area with some benches underneath it. There were two vending machines along a half-wall with a bulletin board listing different range opportunities for the department.

  “Fabio, why don’t you grab us all some sodas,” Jim ordered.

  Connor nodded as he pulled out a few dollar bills and moved towards the machines. “What kind does everyone want?”

  “Rookie’s choice,” Troy said with a grin. “While we’re hanging out, why don’t you tell us if you’ve hooked up with that hot brown-haired girl from the SWAT standoff out in Clear Mountain?”

  “That’s not really my style,” Connor stated as he brought the sodas over to the table and handed them out.

  “Oh, that’s right; you’re religious,” Jim mocked, popping the top of his drink and taking a swig before adding, “I’m guessing bedding then leaving a chick isn’t really your jam?”

  “No, I don’t do that,” Connor stated firmly.

  “But I heard you made plans with her,” Troy objected.

  “That doesn’t mean what you guys are implying is my intent. I asked her out to coffee so we can catch up. We went to high school together.”

  “Right, and her good-looks had nothing to do with that offer,” Jim stated sarcastically.

  “I didn’t say that. Yes, I find her attractive, but she already told me she’s only staying in Clear Mountain temporarily.”

  “Then that settles that,” Troy said, slamming his hand on the table. “A hook up is in order.”

  Jim and Troy both started slamming their fists on the metal table and chanting, “hook up, hook up,” over and over.

  “Okay, guys, that’s enough. Give Bishop a break,” Ben stated with a shake of his head. Gesturing toward the firing range, he suggested, “Why don’t you see if they need any help.”

  “Will do, Ben,” he said, grateful to get away from the other guys who were getting on his nerves. He threw away his drink as he headed out.

  Though Jim and Troy irritated him, their teasing brought Hayley to the forefront of his thoughts. It was time he made good on his offer to contact her.

  He pulled out his phone and punched in her number into his message section of the phone.

  Hi, Hayley,

  It’s Connor Bishop.

  Wanted to see if you are still up for going out for coffee to catch up.

  I’m free this week on Wednesday or Thursday or in the evenings as long as I don’t get called out.

  As he made his way up the hill to the range, he stared at his phone, waiting for her to respond. Nothing. Maybe she’s not interested. Connor told himself in disappointment.

  He placed his phone back in his pocket as he reached the top of the hill and made his way over to the range instructors. “Need any help?”

  “Thanks, but we got it,” the senior instructor stated as he finished sending out the last set of targets.

  “Okay, I’ll just wait here for the rest of my team.”

  A buzz in his pocket alerted him someone was texting. He pulled his phone back out and looked at the screen.

  I can fit you in on Thursday.

  We can meet at two if that works for you.

  Superior Coffee on First Street.

  Connor texted back:

  Sounds good.

  See you then.

  A giant grin formed on Connor’s face as the rest of his team showed up and prepared to practice their sharpshooting skills. He fought the urge to shout the good news, knowing they would only tease him for sharing the information. Instead, he forced himself to get ready to fire his weapon and try to block out his excitement for Thursday.

  Eight

  Hayley pulled up in front of Superior Coffee at five minutes until two. She watched through the window as Connor sat at a table tapping his fingers.

  He looked good with his brown hair gelled and spiked, along with a thin layer of stubble on his cheeks and chin. He was wearing a blue button-up shirt along with a pair of dark denim jeans.

  Should she go in? It was only coffee. She could tell herself it was just business for the Gazette or old friends catching up. If she were honest with herself, however, it went beyond both those reasons. She wanted to get to know him because part of her was attracted to him. She might even like him if she let herself. That was the problem. She didn’t want to.

  Hayley turned the key in the ignition, and checked her rearview mirrors, getting ready to leave. It was better if she didn’t go in. She backed up, but a car horn honked at her, causing her to slam her foot on the brake.

  She glanced over at the coffee shop. Connor was looking out the window at her with a grin on his face as he waved to her.

  Well, I don’t have a choice now. He saw me. Guess I need to go in there and get this over with as quickly as possible. One hour and I can put Connor Bishop behind me.

  After putting her car back in its space, she gathered up her purse and jacket, got out of her car and locked it. She made her way inside and over to Connor.

  He stood up from the table, helped Hayley out of her coat, then pulled out her chair for her.

  How long had it been since a man made such a gentlemanly gesture towards her? College. Even then, she only dated two guys that didn’t last long. Being ungentlemanly was the least of their problems.

  Connor smiled, causing his eyes to gleam with warmth. “Do you want a coffee?

  “Sure. I’d love a cup. Black with two sugars.”

  Connor raised his hand, and a server came over and took the order.

  Once they were alone, Connor turned his attention back to Hayley. “Glad you came in.”

  Her eyes darted over to him, growing round with shock. “How did you know I was debating whether to do so?”

  “I’m a cop. It’s kind of my job to pay attention to my surroundings,” he stated with a wink. “I noticed you were out there for a good ten minutes before you came in.”

  Hayley felt her face flush with mortification. She had no idea he had been observing her contemplation over meeting him. “Noted. You’re always watching,” she said with a smirk. “Guess that means there’s no point in trying to surprise you.”

  “It’s not a good idea unless you want a gun pointed in your direction. Hazard of being friends with a cop.”

  She laughed as she shook her head. “Never knew it would be that dangerous. Good thing I’m used to being in dangerous situations, considering my real job.”

  Connor’s eyebrows raised in curiosity. “Oh, and what job might that be?”

  “I’m an archaeological photographer.”

  He tilted his head with a puzzled look on his face. “What does that mean?”

  “I take pictures of historical artifacts and discoveries. I get paid to travel the world, but sometimes that puts me in precarious situations.”

  “Sounds like an interesting job.”

  Hayley nodded. “I love it. For the past two years, I’ve had a great boss who has hired me to help him find early Christian artifacts and lost churches.”

  “Wow, that sounds amazing. Have you ever stepped foot in a church mentioned from the Bible? One that Paul sent a letter to?”

  “Not yet,” Hayley stated with a frown. “The earliest church we’ve found so far is a third century church.”

  “Still, that’s incredible.”

  “I take it from your comment, you must be religious?” Hayley asked hesitantly, not sure she wanted to hear the answer. “Only other archaeologists and Christians get so excited about my recent work.”

  He shrugged. “I wouldn’t say I’m religious. That word makes me think of rules and judgment. I am, however, a Christian.”

  “Really? I kind of find that surprising, considering how you were in high school,” Hayley stated.

  “It’s understandable you thinking so. I was a real jerk back then. Even though I was raised in church, I rebelled against it when I entered high school. I thought I knew better, and walked away from my relationship with God. One night whil
e I was working, dispatch assigned a domestic violence call to me along with my partner, Bradley. Though I nearly got shot, I managed to subdue the suspect and keep the family safe. About two hours after the incident happened, I got a call from my parents. They told me God woke them up in the middle of the night and they prayed for me. The exact moment God woke them up was when I got the call. Their prayers saved my life that night. In that moment, I realized I made a mistake walking away from my faith. I rededicated my life to God and have been serving Him ever since.”

  “Sounds like it turned your life around. Religion helps many people. I’m glad it did for you.”

  Connor shook his head. “It’s not the religion that helped me, it was my parents’ faith in God that saved me. When I found my way back to God, it changed my life. How about you? If you’re tracking down Christian artifacts and churches, you must find it important.”

  She shrugged. “I’m not religious, if that’s what you’re asking. I do respect the importance it’s played in history.”

  “If you ever change your mind, we could always go to church together.”

  “Not sure it matters since I’m not staying long in Clear Mountain. I left right as we found a church in Sicily. I want to get back there and finish my work.”

  He gave her a lopsided smile as he said, “I still can’t believe I don’t remember you from high school. Did we have any classes together?”

  Hayley nodded. “Several, actually. We were in the same graduating class, too. But I was super shy, and you were… popular.”

  Connor’s eyes dropped to the table as his hands tightened on the mug of coffee in front of him. “I’m sorry for how I was in high school. I can only imagine how awful I was to you.”

  “Not awful as much as just unobservant. I was never even on your radar.”

  His blue eyes moved up to meet hers. “That was a mistake on my part. I should have noticed you. You were—and are—worth noticing.”

  Even though she didn’t want it to happen, Hayley’s heart raced with excitement at Connor’s revealing compliment.

  Connor’s phone buzzed on the table. He clicked the button and looked down at the screen. Disappointment settled on his face as he looked up. “I’m sorry. I have to go. It’s work. They need my SWAT team to serve a warrant.”

  He stood up, pulled out his wallet, and placed a twenty on the table. “I was wondering if you would be interested in spending more time with me? Maybe over dinner this time?”

  Part of her wanted to say ‘yes,’ but the other part was scared. Connor wasn’t like the obnoxiously self-centered guy she remembered from high school. He was kind, considerate, and genuine.

  “I’ll think about it.” The words slipped from her lips before she knew she decided to say them. She realized after they were spoken, she meant them.

  She watched as he exited the coffee shop and hopped into his black Toyota Tacoma truck. What was she going to do about Officer Connor Bishop?

  Nine

  Domenico’s Italian Restaurant was brimming with people as Connor entered the establishment. He had offered to pick up Hayley for their date, but she had insisted on meeting him there.

  “Do you have a reservation?” the brunette hostess asked as he took off his scarf and jacket.

  “I do. It’s under Bishop, for a party of two.”

  A look of disappointment crossed the woman’s face for a split second as she flipped open the reservation book and scanned it.

  “All right, Mr. Bishop. Would you like to wait for your dinner companion?”

  Connor glanced at his phone. “Sure, she should be here any minute.”

  He moved out of the way letting a family pass to check-in with the hostess.

  Several minutes passed and Connor wondered if she was getting cold feet again like she had at the coffee shop. He didn’t consider himself a paranoid man, but a pattern was forming. Is she going to ditch me?

  The door chimed behind him, and he heard Hayley’s familiar voice say, “You didn’t have to wait for me here. You could have been seated.”

  “I wanted to wait for you,” Connor stated as he turned to face her. “You look great in that red dress.”

  Hayley looked down at her outfit and shrugged. “My mother insisted I wear a dress when she found out I was meeting a man. It was easier to do her bidding than to argue.”

  Connor chuckled. “She sounds like a real pistol.”

  “You have no idea,” Hayley stated with a roll of her eyes. “But she’s the only family I have, so what am I going do?”

  The hostess made a hmm-hmm sound with her throat, bringing both of their attention to her. “If you will just follow me, I’ll take you to your table.”

  They made their way through the maze of tables until they arrived at an elegantly set one towards the back with gleaming white china and glistening silverware on a black tablecloth. In the middle of the table was a small vase of roses with votive candles on either side.

  Connor held out a chair for Hayley. She raised an eyebrow as she stated, “A little old-fashioned, don’t you think?”

  He gave her a playful grin as he took a seat across from her. “What can I say, I want to start our first date off right.”

  The server showed up next, took their drink orders and returned a few minutes later with two iced teas. Next, the server took their food orders.

  “Good evening, Connor. It’s great to see you,” Domenico De Luca, the restaurant owner and operator, stated as he came up to the table. He glanced over at Hayley and gave her a smile. “I see you brought a beautiful date with you tonight. Does your mother know about her?”

  Connor nodded. “She sure does, Mr. De Luca. You know I tell my mother everything.”

  The black-haired older man patted Connor on the back. “Of course you do, of course you do. Just like a good Italian boy should. Tell your parents ‘hello’ from me and I’ll see them at the Italian Hall in Boulder next week.”

  “Will do, Mr. De Luca.”

  The restaurant owner moved on to greet another table as Hayley edged closer in her seat. “Italian, huh? That explains a lot.” Her eyebrows creased together as she questioned further, “Bishop, though, isn’t an Italian surname.”

  “I’m full Italian on my mother’s side. Giuseppe is her maiden name, and my father is half-Italian. His mother—my grandmother—is full Italian, which makes me three-quarters.”

  “Ah, that makes more sense. I’m guessing that means you come from a big family then.”

  “Yes, I have five siblings, three brothers and two sisters.”

  “How did you end up with the name Connor, then? It’s not Italian; it’s Irish if I’m not mistaken.”

  “I’m the only one that didn’t end up with an Italian first name. My dad wanted me named after my Irish grandfather.”

  “Interesting,” Hayley said with a smile. “But it definitely explains your dark hair.”

  “How about you? Do you have a big family?”

  The smile faded from Hayley’s face as her eyes drifted to the table. “Not exactly. It’s just me and my mother.”

  “Always? What about your father?”

  “He’s gone,” Hayley said with a hint of pain in her voice. “He left when I was in high school.”

  “I’m sorry,” Connor stated, reaching out across the table and squeezing her hand. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  Her eyes flew to meet his, then fell to where his hand touched hers, then back up to his again. For a moment, he thought she might pull away, but instead, she left her hand under his.

  “It’s not your fault. That was just a difficult time in my life and I would rather not think about it.”

  “Noted,” Connor stated with a nod. “So, tell me about your last archaeological assignment before you came back to Clear Mountain.”

  “Victor Dulouge—that’s my boss—he was searching for pieces of history to prove the existence of Jesus Christ.”

  Connor’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as he lea
ned back with an amused smile on his face. He started to speak, but Hayley raised her hand to stop him.

  “Before you say it, I know it’s shocking that I would get involved in such a contrary expedition to my religious views, but history is history. Victor is well funded, which means his team can unearth a lot of historical treasures.”

  “You’re wrong, you know. I wasn‘t going to say that. I planned to comment on how amazing it must be to see physical proof of early Christianity.”

  “Oh,” her face scrunched up adorably before a look of confusion settled on it. “I guess I assumed wrong.”

  “You know what they say when you assume…” Connor teased.

  “I know, I know, but most people like to point out the irony of my working situation.”

  Connor shrugged. “Not me. Honestly, I think it’s God‘s way of preparing you for when you’re ready to accept the truth about Him.”

  “I’m not sure what to think of that,” Hayley admitted. “I was always so set on denying it as proof, I never thought about why it would matter.”

  “I mentioned going to church together sometime. I used to go to Clear Mountain Assembly until I moved to Boulder. I could always come back and we could go tomorrow.”

  “You’re the second person to invite me to that church. Deanna Harper invited me the other day.”

  “See, that means you need to go. Even if it’s just to check it out and see what you think of a contemporary church, one that isn’t filled with relics and skeletons.”

  A laugh escaped Hayley as she nodded in surrender. “Fine. I’ll go tomorrow with you—just one time to see what it’s all about.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” he said with a smile.