Out for Dinner

Spencer checked his phone, finding he'd spent 10 minutes waiting by Evelyn's door. As much as he knew that the likelihood of Evelyn working overtime was high, he couldn't help feeling anxious, especially when she didn't reply to his texts.

Out by the hotel, Evelyn looked to the tourist who'd gotten herself lost on the Carter Trail, hugging a loved one. The sight never failed to make her smile, even if such events occurred every few months. After receiving one more "Thank you," Evelyn went back to her cruiser, sipping on the coffee they had gotten on the way. As she neared her cruiser, she pulled out her phone, that told her she'd received some texts from Spencer. Rather than text back, she decided to call him.

"Hey Evie."

"Hey Spence. Sorry I'm late I just had a long day."

"Of course, I was just checking up. I probably shouldn't have sent that many texts."

"No need to apologize for caring Spence."

"Right."

"So I'm almost home. See you soon?"

"Uhh, actually it's almost time for me to pick up Amy."

"Oh shit, of course... sorry Spence."

"Hey you couldn't have helped it. How about you come over tonight?"

"Someone ready to impress with their cooking?"

"Uhh, maybe we should pay someone else for that."

Evelyn laughed for a second. "Sounds like a plan Spence. I'll head to your place now."

"Sure. I'll leave the front door unlocked for you."

"Thanks. See you soon."

"See you."

Spencer pulled up by Carter JHS, where Amy got into the car. "Hey Dad."

"Hey sweetie. Have a good day?"

"Yeah pretty good."

"Evelyn's coming over tonight, and we're going out for dinner."

"Oh cool."

Spencer pulled up by his house, where Amy saw Evelyn's cruiser. The two left the SUV as Evelyn did the same, showing off the casual attire she was wearing.

"Hey guys." Evelyn said.

"Hey."

"You drive here in your patrol car?" Amy asked.

"Yep. I'm borrowing it for now."

"Cool. Can I sit in it?"

"Sure, wanna play with the sirens?"

"Can I?"

"Why not." Spencer shrugged. "Not like there are any neighbors to annoy."

"Cool."

Amy got into the front seat, where Evelyn showed her how the sirens worked. Despite knowing it was coming, Spencer still jolted when the sirens blared. After turning them off, Amy turned to Evelyn asked "You ever use them?"

"A few times when I've needed to get to an emergency."

"Okay." Amy decided to leave it at that, with Spencer having lectured her about asking about incidents Evelyn might have dealt with during her work.

"Wanna take a look what's in the trunk?"

"Yeah, sure."

After popping the boot, Evelyn went through her inventory, happy to keep Amy entertained. Once done, Spencer invited Evelyn in, where the two sat down for a coffee, where Spencer said "So can I ask what happened?"

"Just some tourists lost on the Carter Trail."

"Jeez, the way it's going there they might need to rename it the Drama Trail."

"What, and this is Dad Joke House?"

"Yes." Amy called out, causing the two to laugh.

The two continued to talk about their day before Spencer drove the two to Thuong Thien. After ordering, Evelyn looked to Amy and said "So has Dad been practicing his cooking skills."

"Why do you think we're here?"

The two girls laughed as Spencer said "Well if you wanna start cooking, you're more than welcome."

His statement cut Amy's laughter short. Evelyn then asked "So what do you wanna do when you're older Amy?"

"I dunno really."

"Fair enough."

"What's it like being a cop?"

"Well, it's challenging. I mean today I had to look for a person on the Carter Trail. The next I might have the day mostly to myself, and then on Friday I might be standing over a dead body before being told I now have the night shift."

"Guess that keeps you on your toes?"

"It can, but it can be boring. Very dynamic, and there's always different career opportunities. Patrol, detective, K-9, and so on."

As the two continued to talk about a potential career in law enforcement, Spencer couldn't help but feel concerned. He'd already lost his wife, and he couldn't imagine having his little angel put her life on the line every day. His worries even took center stage to the fact the two were getting along so well.