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Alex Mercer took another swig of his double-shot peppermint mocha, hoping it would help him keep his eyes open long enough to get home. 

He questioned his sanity for staying in the police academy. Two more guys had bailed this week. Were they the smart ones, or was he?

Alex was in the police academy full time, and he had the option of staying on site in the sleeping quarters. Sometimes he did, but he’d promised Ariana he’d spend some time with her after school, so he was going to keep his word to his daughter.

His exit came into view. Not much farther now. He took another drink of his coffee. Now it was empty. Hopefully, the caffeine would keep him going until he reached his future in-laws’ home. 

Kenji and Valerie Nakano were Ariana’s adoptive parents since Alex and Zoey had been so young when Ariana was born.

Alex pulled off the freeway and fought his heavy eyelids. He blared the radio and sang along with the music, but it turned off and moved to talking. 

He was about to switch to a different station when he heard Nick’s voice over the speakers. On the radio?

That was enough to wake him up. 

Alex listened to his friend carefully, shocked to hear about the possibility of another serial killer in town. Just thinking about it made him drive faster because the last serial killer had taken Ariana from right under Alex’s nose just over a year and a half earlier. 

She’d been so close to being his next victim. 

Alex sped through town, paying close attention to his radar detector. Not surprisingly, there was no activity. With a serial killer just discovered, all resources were clearly focused there.

Time seemed to stand still until he finally made it to the neighborhood he’d grown up in, then to the Nakano house. His tires screeched as he pulled up to the curb and practically flew out of the car.

The door opened before Alex had a chance to ring the bell. Ariana threw her arms around him and squeezed. Alex held her even tighter, relieved to see her alive and well with another serial killer on the loose.

“I missed you so much, but can you let me breathe, Dad?” 

Alex released his hold on her, but not completely. “Sorry. I missed you too, angel. I hate being away so much.”

“You aren’t going to have to work so much when you become a police officer, are you?”

He yawned. “No, I’ll actually be here in town. This is more like boot camp, more than fifty miles away.”

“How much longer?”

“A couple months, sorry.”

“Don’t keep him outside,” Kenji called from in the house. “He’s probably exhausted.”

“That I am.” Alex stifled another yawn.

Ariana grabbed Alex’s arm and pulled him inside. “Come and see the project I’m working on. It’s my end of the year science experiment and is half my grade. Can you believe it? Half!”

Kenji waved from the living room as Ariana pulled Alex toward the stairs, telling him all about her project. 

Alex tried to keep up with what she said, but had a hard time, fatigued as he was. He was just glad to see her.

In her room, she pulled out some papers and a magnifying lens. “This is titled Magnifying Power and Focal Length of a Lens.” She went on to explain it in more detail, showing him charts and graphs.

It all made Alex’s mind spin, but he was sure it’d have made a lot more sense if he hadn’t spent six hours in the classroom followed by two hours of physical training. The hardest part was staying awake during lectures. He and his fellow cadets would slap each other when someone nodded off. They had each other’s backs—they had to, or they’d never survive.

“Are you listening?” Ariana gave him an accusatory look.

Guilt stung. “I’m sorry, Ari. I swear I’m trying.”

“It’s okay. Mom, Mimi, and Papi all zone out when I explain it to them, too. And they’re not dealing with boot camp. Are we going to go get dinner somewhere, or do you just wanna stay here?”

The thought of going anywhere made every one of his muscles ache even more, but he couldn’t say no to her pleading eyes. “I did promise you a meal out.”

Ariana clapped. “Thanks, Dad! Can I just fix my hair?”

He kissed the top of her head. She was almost as tall as her mom now. “Sure. I’ll meet you in the living room.”

Alex plodded down the stairs, half-tempted to lean against the railing and catch a few minutes of sleep there.

Life would be so good once the academy was done.

Downstairs, conversation drifted from the kitchen. Alex forced himself to keep walking. 

Zoey and Valerie were at the table, discussing the wedding. Zoey held up a tablet and was swiping her finger across the screen.

Alex leaned against the doorway and took in her beauty. As always, she was gorgeous. He had known her for his entire life, and somehow Zoey managed to grow more beautiful every day. 

And in just over a few months, they would be married. His heart raced at the thought, despite the exhaustion. It was definitely Zoey and Ariana who kept him going through the insanity of the academy. Those two had him wrapped around their little fingers.

Zoey glanced up at him, and her eyes widened. “How long have you been standing there? Some of this is a surprise, you know.” She put the tablet face-down on the table.

Alex walked over, cupped her chin, and kissed her, taking in her fruity perfume. “I didn’t hear a word. I was too captivated by your beauty.”

“Oh, stop.” But her grin told him she wanted him to keep going.

He sat in the next seat and scooted closer to her. “It’s true. I don’t know how I think of anything when you’re around. Everyone else pales in comparison to you.” Alex glanced at Valerie. “No offense.”

The corners of her mouth twitched. “None taken. Excuse me.” She smiled at them before heading for the living room.

Alex leaned over and kissed Zoey deeply. He had missed her so much. If only the academy was done with already.

He wrapped his arm around her. She snuggled against him for a minute, then pulled away and went over to the fridge. “Are you hungry? There’s some leftover casserole.”

“Actually, I promised Ari I’d take her out for dinner. Want to join us?”

“Oh, I don’t want to interrupt your daddy-daughter date.”

“You won’t interrupt anything. Ari’s always thrilled when we’re all together.”

Zoey rested her palm on her stomach for a moment before quickly removing it. “I’m not really hungry.”

“Are you sure? We can go anywhere you want.”

“Nah. I’m about ready to fall asleep, anyway. Next time you make it this way, we’ll all go out for something. Sound good?”

Alex studied her. Something seemed off, but he couldn’t put his finger on what, exactly. Maybe it was just him. He had been ready to fall asleep in the middle of the staircase, after all.

Ariana bounced into the kitchen, her hair now in a twisty braid. “Mom! Are you coming with us?”

Zoey kissed Ari’s cheek. “Next time, baby doll. I promise.”

Ari frowned. “You’re both always so tired these days.”

“Don’t exaggerate.” Zoey’s eyes widened and she turned to Alex. “Don’t listen to her. Work’s just been extra busy. That’s all. Plus, planning the wedding is more work than I realized. Everything’s fine.”

Alex put an arm around his fiancée. “Of course it is. Go home and get some rest, and we’ll plan dinner in a few days.”

“Thanks.” She gave him a quick peck, then hugged them both before heading out of the kitchen. 

He studied her as she trudged away. Was it just his imagination, or was she actually acting strange?