Page 51 of Everyone Loved Her

Its headlights clicked on, blinding Blaze momentarily. He blinked as he straightened up the wheel of his own vehicle and put it in drive. The blue truck roared out of the parking lot, cutting him off and speeding down the main road.

Don’t follow it,an inner voice chimed. But Blaze eased his foot down on the gas anyway, exiting the parking lot and turning in the same direction. He had learned over the years of being a paranoid drifter to listen to his gut, but…

Who was behind that wheel?A knot formed in his throat ashe followed, searching for the taillights. However, it was like the moment the truck had taken off, it had disappeared. The old thing was nowhere to be seen, not even down the side roads or alleys. Giving up, he reached for his phone, dialing Agent Malone’s number again.

“What do you want?” he answered on the second ring, but then continued before Blaze could say anything. “This is thethirdtime we’ve talked in twenty-four hours, afteryearsof silence. I wouldn’t have broken the streak had I known?—”

“I need you to do me another favor.”

“No,” he snapped. “Absolutely not.”

Blaze ignored him. “I need you to speed up the processing on a firearm I submitted to the state for testing in regard to the Armitage case. It’s really important. I need to know that’s not the gun that killed her.”

Daniel was silent for a few beats. “You got the autopsy report already? Seemed like I just got the preliminary over to you… Was there anything found to even test it against?”

“I don’t have anything. We don’t have the full ME report back,” Blaze grumbled. “I know it’s a long shot to speed it up, but nothing gets done around here without someone pulling strings, and you’re the only string I have to pull—and the Sheriff is thankful for it.”

He let out a mix of a groan and sigh, his frustration clear. “Yeah, okay. You know what? I’ll see what I can do…Even if it’s just to make you go away.”

Chapter 24

“You’re good to go,”Garrett told me as he stepped back from the spare on the truck now. He gave me a half-hearted smile, popping open the driver’s side door.

I nodded. “I really don’t wanna go home.”

“Sounds familiar,” he chuckled, kicking some of the gravel with his boot as I climbed inside the truck. “But I think it’s best that we handle this thing we have with care.” He met my gaze. “We’re on the mend, but I think it’s still fragile—and after the stunt I pulled at the funeral…”

“Yeah, but it’ll blow over.”

He leaned against the door, his eyes alight under the moonlight. “Yeah, that’s what everyone always says, you know? But I don’t feel like that’s how it works. I’ve been waiting for it blow over for sixteen years, and here I am, still wondering if that’s ever gonna happen.”

“I guess we’ll just see,” I say, running my fingers around the leather on the steering wheel. “Take it one step at a time.”

He nodded, and then sighed. “I got my own loose ends Igotta tie up, too, Beth. My life right now just doesn’t make sense to have you in it. I’m not saying we can’t work toward?—”

“You can stop now,” I cut him off. “I never said that I wanted to explore anything romantic with you. We kissed. Maybe the flame is still there, but it makes no sense. I’m not staying.”

Garrett’s expression shifted. “You’re not staying? Still? Where’re you gonna go? Just keep trying to outrun us?”

“Youjustsaid you have no room for me,” I snapped, the sting of rejection evident in my voice.

“I’m not divorced yet,” he shot back at me. “And do you not see there’s a murder that everyone is trying to pin on me? You saw Ty Miller show up at my house. Yousawwhat happened. I’m a liability in your life right now, and that ain’t something I’m okay with. If I’m gonna try and do this, then I’m going to do it in the way you deserve. Period.”

I hated that I agreed with him. “Okay, I guess we’ll just see if I’m still around by the time all that works itself it out—ifit ever does.”

He flinched at the last few words, but that was the only outward reaction. “Get home, Beth, and stay safe.”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Goodnight.” I went to pull the door, but Garrett held it firm, his eyes locked with mine. My heart jumped to my throat as he stepped closer, closing the space between us.

He leaned in, trailing his fingers along my jaw and brushing a tear from my cheek I didn’t realize was there. “It’s not over between you and me, Beth. It’s not done. You could run away right now, fly a thousand miles across this country, find someone new, and try to forget, but you and I both know, it’ll never be over for us.”

I swallowed hard, closing my eyes as his lips met mine. The kiss was brief, sweet, and to the point, never deepening before he pulled away.

“I’ll iron myself out,” he said, giving me a half-hearted smile. “And if you’re not here when that happens, I’ll find you. I just can’t drag you any further into my mess.”

“Okay,” I choked out, sucking in a sharp breath.

“Love you, Elizabeth.”

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