Page 50 of The Sheriff's Baby

Maybe. But Duncan knew it was just as likely that Kate, Brad or Hamlin had found yet someone else to do their dirty work.

“Still no sign of Kate,” Slater went on. “The Texas Rangers you requested arrived, and they’re coordinating the search.”

Good. Duncan figured if the woman could be found, the Rangers were his best shot at making that happen. Especially since Kate could be anywhere right now. She hadn’t taken her phone with her, but she could have arranged for someone to meet her in the parking lot and take her to heavens knew where.

“Luca just filed yours and Joelle’s statements on the attack at the hospital,” Slater added a moment later.

No surprise there. Luca had been the one to take those statements shortly after they’d come to his place. Both Joelle’s and Duncan’s primary weapons and clothes had also been taken into evidence. All standard procedure. So was counseling, but that was going to have to wait.

“Any updates on Brad and Hamlin?” Duncan said to Slater.

Duncan already knew both men had made bail and the interviews had been rescheduled for late afternoon. Not with Joelle and him doing them, either. Going with standard procedure again, neither of them would be doing interviews and such until there’d been a review of how they’d handled Arlo’s attack.

“Nothing new,” Slater said. “Well, nothing other than both men’s lawyers are clamoring about their clients being innocent and harassed by the cops. Same ol’, same ol’,” he muttered. Then, paused. “How’s Joelle? And, yes, I’m asking you, Duncan, because my sister might not tell me the truth.”

“I’m okay,” she insisted. “Okay-ish,” Joelle amended when Slater huffed and Duncan gave her a flat stare. “You should be asking about Duncan. He’s the one beating himself up over what happened. I’m not. We did what we had to do to stay alive and keep our baby safe.”

Duncan continued to study her, to see if she’d said that to ease her brother’s mind. And his. But Joelle seemed to have processed this and just might actually be okay-ish.

“I’ll keep an eye on Joelle,” Duncan told Slater, not only because it was true but because he also wanted to relieve Slater’s worries. It would relieve Duncan’s worries about her, too.

He ended the call, and when he went to put his phone away, he saw the blood smears on the back of his hand. His own blood from the cut on his head. It was a reminder that unlike Joelle, he hadn’t showered.

“Shower,” he muttered when he saw that her attention, too, had landed on the blood, and Duncan decided it was time to remedy that.

Time to remedy something else, too.

Duncan pulled Joelle to him and kissed her. Really kissed her. Yeah, it was a stupid thing to do, but it was necessary. He needed to have her close, this close, if only for a moment or two.

He didn’t deepen the kiss. Didn’t move them body to body, even though a certain part of him immediately started urging him to do just that. Duncan just kept the kiss gentle and hopefully comforting. Because he was damn sure they both needed that right now.

When he finally eased back, he stared down into her eyes and braced himself for her to warn him they were playing with fire. Which they were. But she simply smiled.

“Shower,” she muttered. “Then, we can...talk.”

That idiot part of him got all excited that sex might happen. It didn’t matter that it would be a bad idea.

At least, it probably would be.

Joelle likely wasn’t thinking straight and didn’t need to land in bed with him. But her mention oftalkhad nixed the bed thing, and unlike sex, that was probably a good thing. She no doubt had things she needed to say about the attack. Maybe things about all this kissing they’d been doing.

Duncan headed to his bedroom for that shower, but he stopped by the office to check on Luca. He was still typing up reports. “Statements from the people interviewed at the hospital,” Luca muttered without taking his attention off the screen.

A necessary pain in the butt. And something might be in those statements they could use. It was a serious long shot, though.

Duncan was thankful that Joelle followed him to his bedroom. Not because of the possibility of that sex happening, but because he didn’t want her too far away from him. The security system was on, and two of Slater’s ranch hands were outside in a truck, watching the place—something they’d been doing since he and Joelle had arrived from the hospital. A lot of avenues had been covered, but Duncan still wanted Joelle close so he’d be able to get to her fast if there was another attack.

Joelle sat on the foot of his bed while he headed to the shower. He didn’t close the bathroom door between them. Another precaution, in case she called out to him for help. He hoped like hell there wouldn’t be any such need for that.

Duncan turned on the shower, and stripped while he waiting for the water to reach the right temperature. The moment it was warm enough, he stepped in so he could do this fast and minimize the time Joelle was out of his sight. He had barely gotten started on it, though, when the shower door opened, and Joelle was standing there.

Joelle, who slid her gaze down the entire length of his body.

Duncan’s gaze did some sliding as well. Looking at every inch of her. Man, she was beautiful. Always had been. But the baby bump actually added to that beauty.

He went hard as stone.

“I haven’t been with anyone else but you since, well, in a very long time,” she said.

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