Page 6 of Critical Doubt

He gave her a thoughtful look. "What about what you wanted?"

"I got what I wanted, Ryker. We had a good time. I didn’t have any regrets. Did you?"

"Only one. I wished I'd gotten your name. I would have liked to see you again."

"I suspect you only wanted to see me again, because I left before you did. You like to control the timeline."

"Possibly," he admitted. "Why did you run away?"

"I didn't run away. The night was over. That's all we'd promised each other."

"It could have been more than that."

"But it wasn't." She paused. "You look like you've had a rough year, Ryker. Abby told me you were injured and that you couldn’t go back to active duty. I'm sorry."

A shadow fell over his eyes. "I'm fine now."

She wondered about that. There was no visible sign of injury but there was something about the way he moved that felt a little stiff and not like the powerful, athletic man she'd met five years ago. "What do you do for work?"

"I run fishing charters on the Chesapeake Bay. That's where I live now."

"That sounds relaxing."

He shrugged. "I suppose. It's quiet. I need that."

"You—the life of the party—now likes quiet?"

Something passed through his gaze. "You have no idea how much I appreciate silence."

His words were odd. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing. You should go find Abby."

Now that he wanted her to leave, she felt inclined to stay. "When you first saw me, you had a deadly look in your eyes, as if you thought I was going to attack you."

He gave her an awkward nod. "Sorry about that. I'm a little on edge."

"Are you okay, Ryker? I know this must be awful for you. Paul considered every man on his team his brother. I loved him, too, but I didn't spend as much time with him as you did."

He gazed back at her, a look of pain in his dark eyes. "It's worse than awful. But it is what it is."

She glanced toward the church as the door opened, and Todd Davis stepped onto the patio. Todd's expression turned grim as he realized he wasn't alone. She could feel the tension in Ryker's body as he met Todd's gaze. She didn't know what was between them, but she had a feeling these two men had a lot to discuss, and she did not need to be in the middle of any more drama. "I'll let you and Todd talk."

"You don't have to leave."

"It's fine. I need to get back to Abby." As she moved past Todd, she gave him a brief smile. "I'm so sorry," she said.

He gave her a tight nod, his eyes strained. "Me, too. I'm glad you're here for Abby, Savannah. She needs you."

"Then I better get inside."

When she walked into the auditorium, she realized the crowd had grown. While some people had missed the service, they had come for the reception. And one of those people was a tall, older man in an army dress uniform. He had a strong build, and an imposing presence. His light-brown hair was now peppered with gray, but he looked every bit as stern and intimidating as he always had.

She felt a turbulent mix of emotions: love, hate, and everything in between. For the last five years, she'd been able to keep her past and her present apart, but they were getting closer by the minute.

Chapter Two

Ryker staredat Todd as he slowly made his way across the patio, each step appearing more reluctant than the last. Apparently, Todd wasn't that interested in talking to him, either. He was probably angry. He had a right to be.

---