Chapter Sixty-Two

After Colton carefully spelled out all the dangers of target shooting, Kenny’s mother still gave her permission to take him to the range. Now they were all loaded up in Colton’s truck. His student was in the back seat with Pudge, while Angel sat in the passenger seat…wearing a disguise.

Or what she called a disguise. Colton called it a hat and a pair of sunglasses.

She’d simply pursed her lips when he’d pointed out the obvious.

Kenny was no help. He’d told her no one would know it was her because they only showed her face on television, and in real life guys would be looking at her— He’d gestured toward his chest, and Colton had knocked the boy in the back of the head while Angel just laughed.

The kid did have a point. Seeing her curves and other features was distracting.

No one else was at the outdoor range at eleven o’clock on a Tuesday morning, so they got out of the truck and set up their stuff.

Colton walked out to set up the targets with Pudge, while Angel went over all the parts of the gun in detail with the kid. They took it apart a few times, until Kenny could identify all the pieces and put it together himself.

They went over gun safety, and explained that a gun was never a solution to a problem.

When it was time to shoot, Colton instructed Kenny on the proper way to hold the pistol, and how to squeeze the trigger rather than jerk it back.

Only three shots later, he had one on the paper. Six more shots got it in the center.

“You’re a natural,” Angel told him, earning a big smile from Kenny.

“I am? Really? I’m not normally good at anything.”

Kenny was a mediocre student, but he could have been better if he’d actually tried.

Still, Colton could see how important this moment was for the kid. And he was playing a pivotal role in how Kenny’s life might turn out. Sure, it would be up to the boy to make it happen, but Colton had set things in motion. He hoped the kid would do well for himself.

“Kenny, I think you’d make a good cop. Though, you know, being a cop isn’t just about shooting a target.”

“Because I might be forced to shoot a real person.”

“You might. But they would train you so you know when you shoot to stop versus shoot to kill.”

“Have you ever had to shoot to kill?” Kenny asked, his gaze bouncing between both of them intently.

Colton and Angel both nodded slowly. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“Have you ever been shot?”

Colton briefly considered evading the question, but decided Kenny deserved the truth. So he gave the same reluctant reply.

Kenny’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not really a teacher, are you?”

For all his trouble with the bookcase, Kenny was proving to be a pretty sharp detective.

But before Colton could open his mouth to answer, Angel took over. “He is a teacher. He’s a very good teacher. That’s just not all he is. Do you understand?”

Kenny nodded, and his mouth pulled up in a smirk. “I knew I was right.” He pointed a finger at Colton and nodded again in satisfaction at his rightness. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone anything about either of you.”

“Thanks. We’re both trusting you with a pretty big secret,” she said calmly.

Colton was impressed she wasn’t upset at being identified. She probably knew he was prepared to discredit the boy if he went to the police. Kenny wasn’t a huge threat when his teacher could bring up the egg incident and convince the police he was just causing trouble in retaliation for his punishment.

“It’s okay. I won’t let you down,” Kenny assured them, looking ready for the next challenge.

Colton nodded and handed over another clip of ammunition. And realized his life still had a purpose and meaning, even if he wasn’t a DEA agent any longer.