Page 111 of Obsession

She’d been surprised Sam hadn’t tried to defend himself on the way home. “You’re probably right.”

He cleared his throat. “Thanks for making me go to the hospital tonight.”

That was the last thing she’d expected him to say. “You’re welcome, but I think you would have come to that decision without me.”

“Maybe,” he said. “Sit tight until I can come around.”

Silly her, thinking he would just let her get out and walk up to the apartment by herself. “Sure.”

He hovered close as they climbed the steps and she unlocked the back door. Once inside, he moved quickly through each room while she waited in the living room.

“All clear,” he said when he finished.

“Thank you.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, staring at the floor instead.

“Do you have any coffee?”

She jerked her head up. “You’re not leaving?”

“No. A good friend advised me earlier tonight not to let you cut and run, so we need to talk.”

Had to have been Brooke. Emma walked to the kitchen on wooden legs to make a pot of coffee. “Decaf?”

“Leaded if you don’t mind.”

She waited while the coffee brewed, then took a cup to him on the sofa before returning for her own. She waited for him to speak, but the silence grew until she couldn’t stand it. “Did you learn anything from Sheriff Carter?”

“Not a lot.” He related what the former sheriff had said. “And then something happened to his heart, and the nurse ran me off.”

Emma processed the information Sam had shared. “Do you think Trey could have killed Mary Jo and Ryan?”

“I don’t know. I want to question him, but it’ll be after I question the detectives. Are you going with me?”

She hadn’t thought that far ahead. It would mean spending at least four hours alone with Sam...

“I shouldn’t have let you believe a lie about what happened with Ryan at the Hideaway. I wanted to tell you the truth a long time ago, but I truly was going to tell you tonight.”

It was easy enough to say that. “Why tonight?”

“You’re not going to believe this, but I decided to tell you when I was talking to my father.”

“What do you mean?”

“I realized if I couldn’t forgive him, then I couldn’t expect you to forgive me if I told you the truth. And I knew then I couldn’t go another day without telling you the truth.”

“You’ve forgiven your father?”

Sam nodded. “I’m still angry, but I don’t hate him any longer. Do I want to hang out with him? No, but a very wise person once told me if I do the right thing even when I don’t feel like it, the feelings will follow.”

Now he was using her own words against her. But not really. “Even if I forgive you, it doesn’t mean I’ll want to hang out with you.”

“I’ll take that.” A grin pulled at his lips. “But unless you wantto hire a bodyguard, you’ll be stuck with me until this case is over.” Then he took a sip of his coffee. “And you do make good coffee, but I need to leave—we should be on the road by seven thirty in the morning.”

When he walked to the front door, she said, “Did you forget which way we came in?”

“No. I want to walk the perimeter before I leave. Be sure and deadbolt the door behind me.”

She followed him, but before she could close her door, the one at the end apartment opened, and Gordon Cole stepped into the hallway, followed by her neighbor, Taylor. He kissed her soundly and then turned around to leave. His eyes widened. “You two startled me,” he said. “I didn’t know anyone was within five miles of here.”

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