Later that evening

Nigel was grateful that Mitch Smith, Jet’s father, had found cheap office space, because Nigel didn’t relish working out of his mother’s house over the winter. His mother’s hospital visit and recovery had put his entire family on edge. Nigel doubted his brother would recover, but to his surprise he did. John Appleton had been spending more time with his mother after her accident, and while she was on the mend, she had a long way to go before making a full recovery.

I didn’t want to leave Mother, but I’m eighteen now, and I want to start my life with Jet, Nigel reminded himself.

Nigel smiled at a recent memory of Jet trying to force a chicken out of its packaging. She had refused his help and was doing her best at setting the table and getting the food cooked.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

She is the one for me!

Nigel’s phone rang; it was Jet.

“Hey, you,” Nigel answered, “need any help with getting that fiber connection installed?”

“Nah,” she said, “I had to help the technician—he didn’t know how to program the router.”

“First day on the job?”

“You would think, but he kept going on about his first year on the job.”

“Not everyone is as good as you.”

“Are you flirting with me?”

“You bet!” Nigel laughed.

“Anyway, Dad got all the legal paperwork done, so as soon as we sign the papers in front of a notary, he will be part of N&J Investigations, Inc.”

“And I think I have our first significant customer,” Nigel said.

“Who?”

“Milford High School. They have a lot of incidents with sextortion cases this year.”

“From students?”

“Not sure yet, but Mr. Levinson thinks it might originate from the outside.”

“That’s bad, but the business will be good for us, I suppose,” Jet said.

“Yeah—we need as much as we can get.