Page 71 of Tactical Revival

“Deal.” I remove my arm from around his shoulders and offer him my hand.

He shakes it, then we turn to look back out over the quiet neighborhood. “I’m worried about my mom.”

“She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met,” I tell him. “You don’t need to worry about her.”

“You look after us too, right? I mean, I know that you’re not going to be living at the B&B anymore?—”

“Who said that?”

He stares at me like I’m supposed to know why he came to that conclusion. “The place burned to a crisp!”

“We’ll get it back. Then I fully intend on moving back in. If your mom will let me.” Truth be told, I’d live in a tent in the backyard just to be close to them.

“Really?” His entire expression lights up, and I get a heavy dose of instant regret because I’m worried I’ve crossed a line and promised something I shouldn’t have.

“I—”

The door opens, and Margot steps out onto the porch with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She’s breathtaking in a violet sundress, her hair loose around her face. “Hey, Matty, your grandmother is asking for help with the mashed potatoes. Think you can lend her a hand?”

“For sure.” He jumps up, then drops back down and wraps his arms around me in a quick hug that manages to catch me by surprise and completely fill my heart all at the same time. “Thanks for the talk, Jaxson. You’re the best.”

“Anytime, kid.” I pat him on the back, and he heads inside.

“Care for a walk?”

“Sure.” Nerves dancing in my gut, I follow her down a small path that leads through the houses down to the beach. It’s rockier here, meant more for strolling than sandcastles, but that doesn’t stop Margot from removing her sandals. “Is everything okay?” I ask after we’ve been walking in silence for a few minutes.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

She stops walking, so I move in front and face her. “You comforted him.”

“Matty? Of course. Why wouldn’t I have?”

“I heard what he told you. That he saw—” She closes her eyes and swallows hard. “I didn’t think he did.”

“It’s not your fault any more than it was his responsibility to protect you, Margot. You both deserved—deserve—so much better than that. Matty is a great kid, and you—” I stop speaking, completely unsure if I’m crossing a line here, but then instantly realizing that I honestly don’t care. “You are strong. Beautiful. Kind. And you’ve captivated me from the moment I first laid eyes on you.”

Her lips part, her gaze locked on mine. “I care about you,” she says softly. “And so does my son. He’s my priority, Jaxson. I have to know that you won’t hurt him.”

“Never,” he replies. “I will never hurt either of you.”

Margot takes a step closer, and I reach out, cupping her cheek. I rub my thumb over her soft skin, and she leans into my touch. Every single moment I spend with her, I find myself even more captivated than in the last.

I thought I’d loved before.

But even that love pales in comparison to the affection I feel for this woman. “I’ve been dreaming about kissing you since we met.”

She tilts her face up and opens those gorgeous almond eyes. “Then do something about it, Detective.”

I smile, then lean in. We’re a breath away when my phone rings. If I weren’t in the middle of a case where a girl is missing, I might have ignored it. But I am, so I don’t. “I’m sorry,” I mutter.

She laughs. “It’s fine. We seem to have terrible timing.”

“We’re going to change that,” I reply, then note the unknown flashing across the screen. “Hello?”

“I give the girl a riddle to tell you and you’re playing date night on the beach?” The voice is disguised using some kind of device, so it’s robotic and I can’t tell whether it’s male or female.

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