Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Black and Kelly walked steadily toward the cruiser. When Kelly tried to run, Black caught her by the arm and soothingly said, “Don’t appear as quarry. It’ll spark his prey drive.”
Neo stalked them to the cruiser and continued his growling.
Gentry appeared moments later on the top of the hill, took one look at the cruiser still there, and whistled before turning around again.
I snorted.
Neo looked from the cruiser, where Black was calmly waiting, to me, then to where Gentry had disappeared.
He took off over the hill, disappearing again.
Black rolled his window down and said, “I was coming out here to discuss a case with him.”
My eyes went to his passenger.
“She’s here to hand off the case files.”
“I didn’t see any case files,” I pointed out.
Kelly blushed.
“Where are they?” Black turned to her.
“In my car at the gate,” she answered.
Black looked back at me. “I’ll go drop her off and come back.”
I nodded.
When he disappeared, I went back into the house and put some coffee on.
By the time I’d poured myself a mug, Black was back and ringing the doorbell.
I opened it for him and gestured for him to come inside.
“I’m sorry that she came like that,” he admitted as he swept past me.
“She’s a bitch,” I pointed out. “And Gentry literally ran for the hills.”
Black snorted. “I figured. It’s nice to officially meet you. I’m Black.”
He held out his large palm to me, and I slipped my much smaller hand into his.
He gave it a solid squeeze, not hard, but not soft either, and let me go.
I gestured toward the coffee and said, “Help yourself.”
He poured himself a mug of coffee and took a seat at Gentry’s table like he’d done it a million times.
His gaze caught on my discarded sweatpants and I flushed. “I was in a rush. I wanted her to think that there’s more here. So she’ll leave him alone.”
A single brow rose. “And you think that appearing happily married will matter to her? I swear she thinks it’s fun to ruin relationships.”
I scowled. “Then why do you retain her services?”
Black scrubbed at his face.
But it was Gentry’s voice that answered from behind me. “Black can’t fire her because she’s his brother’s daughter.”
“That would be niece…” I pointed out. “Why not refer to her as that?”
“Being a niece means they would have a relationship. They don’t. Black can’t stand her.”
“Just Black?” I teased.
Gentry reached the kitchen sink and he bent over it and washed his face and chest in the water before using a kitchen towel to dry off.
I watched as a rivulet of sweat or water ran down the length of his throat and across his bare chest.
His very defined, bare chest.
His bare chest that had my name on it, as well as Dean’s.
On one side of his heart was the word ‘Dean’ in calligraphy.
On the other side of his heart read ‘Herb.’
My heart lurched into my throat.
He caught me looking and smiled sheepishly. “I never want to forget.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant.
He didn’t want to forget that I was the reason for all his troubles?
That made more sense than the alternative—that he actually liked me and never wanted to forget me.
I was too scared to ask him to clarify why.
Instead, I looked at Black and said, “Do I need to leave?”
Black looked at Gentry.
Gentry shrugged. “It’s not like she knows anyone to tell.”
That was true.
I only knew very few people in town. At least well.
I knew of a lot of people.
I’d met a ton of the Dixie Wardens and their wives.
Quite a few of them had come through the hospital that I was working at.
I’d also met quite a few people socially through the SAR club that Mable had encouraged me to join. Though, at the time, she’d encouraged me to join with Neo, but now I wasn’t so sure that he could help in any way.
A few of the Dixie Wardens also helped with the SAR—search and rescue—team. As well as quite a few firefighters for the area.
I’d also met the mechanic in town, Courtland, who also happened to be a part of the club.
But most of them were just acquaintances. Someone I’d say hi to if I saw them, but other than that…
Black cleared his throat and opened the case file.
My heart sank.
A little boy’s face peered up at me.
He was around two or three with a mop of brown curls around his face, blue eyes and porcelain white skin.
“This him?” Gentry asked.
“Calen Wains. Two and a half. Missing for six weeks.”
My stomach sank.
“His parents, Lynda and Chris, have been cleared. They’re distraught parents. There’s no faking that,” Black said. “So have the grandparents.”
I reached for my sweatpants on the floor and pulled them on, no longer comfortable being without pants near the two men.
This didn’t seem like the type of thing to be so flippant about.