Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“You’re not responsible for everybody in town,” May said. “She was with a bunch of friends at the bar.”
“I know.”
The plane circled again in the distance.
May squinted through the windshield. “I saw that plane earlier. Is that the Jackson boys?”
“I think so.” Ace lifted his chin toward the sky. “They’ve been running tourists up to Loon Pond.”
May frowned. “Where would they land in the middle of the mountains?”
Ace smirked. “It’s a pretty big lake between two mountains, and there’s plenty of room for a sea plane.”
“Then why call it a pond?”
He shrugged. “It’s Alaska. Everything’s smaller or bigger than it sounds.”
She chuckled softly and looked out the window again.
The road curved gently, trees pressing closer on both sides. Tall spruce and pine crowded the edges, while birch trees flashed pale trunks between the darker growth. The wilderness felt endless out there, and he loved it. Always had and always would.
“It’s a pretty night, isn’t it? Well, night that’s all lit up,” May said.
Ace glanced at her. She looked relaxed. More than she had all evening. The tension Kyle stirred in her had eased, though he could still see the faint tightness in her shoulders. He cleared his throat. “Do you want to come home with me tonight?”
She jolted, head snapping toward him. “Ace?”
“No. Not like that.” He shook his head quickly. “Though yeah, I’d love it if it were like that.”
Color bloomed along her cheekbones.
“I mean,” he continued, forcing his tone to remain steady and his intentions as pure as possible, “Kyle’s in town, and so is a murderer. I thought you’d like to have the spare room at my place.” He’d ended up with Hank’s cabin, which had plenty of room.
May stared at him. The truck filled with silence again, heavier this time. “That’s actually kind of you.” She sounded suspicious.
“I mean it. You could choose any room, and I wouldn’t make a move.” Ace paused. “Well, unless you made one.”
May’s brows lifted. “Then you’d say what?”
Ace turned his head, meeting her gaze fully. His hands stayed loose on the wheel. He knew this road better than he knew his own mind. Every bend. Every dip. Every place ice liked to linger too long into spring. “I’d definitely say yes.”
She laughed then, full out, and the sound slid straight through him. Warm. Bright. Alive. “At least you’re honest.”
Ace’s mouth curved. “Always.” He wanted to be true with her. She deserved the best of him. “Would you say yes?”
“No,” she said, turning toward the window.
But the pause before the word didn’t escape him. He clocked everything about her from the faint tension in her shoulders to the way her fingers toyed with the edge of the door. She hadn’t sounded a hundred percent certain. Not really.
He was smart enough not to push. “So,” he said easily, “what do you say? Spare room. No pressure.”
“No. I’m not going to hide from Kyle, and I’d assume whoever killed that poor young woman knew her.” She exhaled softly. “Strangulation is personal. My bet’s the boyfriend, considering how rude he was to her that day you needed to intervene.”
“He’s my bet, too.” Even so, unease crawled under Ace’s skin. “I don’t like you out there all by yourself.”
Her house sat miles from town, tucked down a long stretch of road where the wilderness swallowed sound and light. The nearest neighbor was several miles away. Too far for comfort.
“I can take care of myself, Osprey.”
“Yeah, but…” Ace glanced at her.
She was tiny. Strong, sure, but still small enough to make his protective instincts kick hard. She didn’t have Ophelia’s FBI training, and Brock had nearly lost his mind over Ophelia more than once.
For the first time, Ace understood why. “All right.” He pulled up to her house, gravel crunching beneath the tires, and cut the engine. Silence rushed in, thick and immediate. Then he hopped out and walked around to open her door.
“Well,” May said as she stepped down, “Hank really did teach you all manners.”
Ace chuckled. “Believe me, he was big on manners. Even while gruff and cranky, Hank was a gentleman at heart.” He walked her to the door, close enough to catch the faint scent of her shampoo. It was clean, soft, and distracting. He waited while she unlocked it, then opened the door for her.
“Well, thank you—”
“Hold on.” He stepped inside and did a quick sweep of the two-bedroom place. The house was neat, decorated exactly like her with clean lines and calm colors. The cute place was comfortable without trying too hard.
May lounged against the doorframe. “Did you want to check under the bed?”
“I did.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty secure here.”
“I know.” He’d already clocked the locks. Solid. Reinforced. Double security on the windows. “Have you expected Kyle to come after you for a while?”
May hesitated and then swallowed. “Sometimes, yeah. Other times I thought I was being ridiculous.” She shook her head. “He’s a U.S. senator. He’s not going to risk his career over a woman who’s not interested.”