Page 12 of Tactical Revival

I steal one of Jaxson’s fries from his plate. “Someone has a crush on you.”

“I don’t even know how to stop it,” he replies. The man looks genuinely distressed which, of course, only amuses me further.

“It’ll pass. Just give it time. You’re the cute new guy in town, and she’s a single girl in her mid-twenties who is looking for her white knight.”

“You think I’m cute?” He grins at me, so I roll my eyes.

“Of course that would be what you zero in on.” I steal another fry. “Anyway, good things. Tell them to me.”

“We went out to investigate a missing girl, and I found her passed out in bushes.”

“Drunk?”

“No. Hypoglycemic. She’d headed out for a run in the morning, then passed out.”

“Oh, man. Is she okay?”

“Going to be just fine.”

“That is good news.” I steal another fry, so Jaxson pushes his plate into the center of the table.

“I thought so. How was your day? Other than Chad showing up.”

“Not too bad. The B&B is booked solid for the next three weeks, so that’s good for business.”

“Maybe you’ll be able to hire some additional help,” he replies. “I know you’re tired.”

“Maybe,” I reply, not mentioning the fact that the money will barely be enough to cover some of the bills piling up.

“That’s great.” He looks genuinely happy for me, and seeing his interest makes my stomach twist into knots. Why couldn’t Chad have been like this? Supportive, interested, faithful. Why did my marriage have to go down in flames and leave me terrified of risking another burn?

“It will be. Thanks again for grabbing that paint, by the way.”

“No problem. I plan to search for the areas you need touched up when I get back. Unless, of course, you marked them for me before you left.”

I eye him with fake annoyance. “You are not doing the labor.”

“I like to paint.”

“No one likes to paint that much.”

“I do,” he replies. “And this is me asking if you want my help.”

Knowing that I really could use the hand, I take another fry. “Then I guess this is me accepting said help.” I smile at him, and our gazes hold. I’m captivated by his hazel eyes, and my breath catches. Oh, God, why does he have to be so beautiful?

A bell dings in the distance. “Your husband is here,” Lanetti says as she stops by the table.

I blink quickly, trying to clear the desire I feel for the former detective from my system. “Ex-husband,” I correct. “Thanks, Netti.”

“Uh-huh.” She beams at Jaxson again, then walks away.

I glance back at Chad, who has clearly not noticed me as he slides into a booth a few down from ours, his back to us.

“You going to be okay?” Jaxson asks.

“Fine. If I yell strawberry, that’s my ‘I need help’ word. Come rescue me.”

He laughs. “Done. You got this. If you want me to stay until he leaves?—”

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