Page 96 of Last Chance

Sawyer took a quick shower, put on fresh clothes in case they had an interrupted night, and stretched out across the bed. Between one breath and the next, he was asleep.

At the three-hour mark, Sawyer’s internal alarm woke him. Slipping his feet into tactical boots, Sawyer left the room and came to an abrupt stop when he saw Janie’s door standing open.

He peered into her room. The bed was empty and made. Sawyer heard her soft laugh downstairs.

He followed the sound of her voice to the kitchen. She was sitting at the breakfast bar with a mug of tea. Logan leaned against the counter, cradling a mug of coffee.

His teammate gave him a chin lift. “You look better.” He picked up another mug and handed it to Sawyer. “Strong enough to cure anything that ails you.”

He sipped, his brows knitting. “What did you do, double the amount of coffee?”

A slow smile from his friend. “You’re tough. You can handle it.”

Maybe. Wow. Had to admit, though, the caffeine would push back brain fog and fatigue for several hours.

Sawyer sat beside Janie and leaned over to kiss her. “I’m surprised you’re up. Everything okay?”

“I woke a few minutes ago and couldn’t go back to sleep. Do you mind if I help you keep watch until it’s time to leave for the shop?”

Although concerned she’d be exhausted, he knew how it was to have worries chasing away sleep. He reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’ll be glad to have your company.”

His statement made her cheeks turn pink and her eyes sparkle. Score one for him. He glanced at Logan. “Who’s on watch with me?”

“Jesse volunteered to take the next shift in case you need him.”

Sawyer’s watch vibrated. He checked the readout. “Jesse’s here. Tell Poppy thanks for loaning you to us for a few hours.”

A slight smile curved Logan’s mouth. “Will do. Let me know if you need me.” After finishing the last sip of his coffee, Logan turned off the alarm and went out the back door.

Within seconds, Jesse stepped into the kitchen. His eyebrows soared when he saw Janie at the breakfast bar. “Hey, sugar. Why are you awake at this hour?”

“Couldn’t sleep. Sawyer is going to teach me how to keep watch.”

“Good idea. You two can watch the monitors. I’ll handle the perimeter until we leave for the shop.”

“Aren’t you going home to sleep?” she asked.

“Brody will take over at seven. I’ll go to the coffee shop and get breakfast and drinks for everyone.”

“What about Simone?”

“She’ll get her treat after I’m off duty. I’ll take her coffee and breakfast, and pick up Goose.”

“I can’t wait to meet your dog,” Janie said. “He sounds like a delightful companion.”

Jesse chuckled. “He thinks he’s a big dog. We have to watch him like a hawk when we take him for walks. Otherwise, he’ll take on neighborhood dogs ten times his size.”

The medic poured coffee into a mug and headed for the back door. “I’ll check the perimeter and return in a few minutes.”

“Come on.” Sawyer held out his hand to Janie. “Let’s watch his progress on the monitors.”

In the security room, he seated Janie at the console and sat beside her. He pointed to the screen. “There’s Jesse. Do you recognize where he is?”

She studied the monitor a moment. Her face lit up. “The back fence.”

“He’ll come around the left side of the house soon.”

Sawyer pointed out landmarks and matched them up with the terrain until the medic returned to the safe house.

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