Page 34 of Her Wild Coast Promise

I jump to my feet. “Ready.”

Rosie rawrs at the ceiling, her eyes glued to Seth.

He slips a lightweight reflective vest over my head, his fingers brushing past my cheek. It’s huge on me, but he quickly tightens the webbing strap on the sides. Being this close to him right now, when he smells of fresh coffee and laundry detergent, his warmth radiating into the space between us, is jamming my brain with sensations I can’t make sense of this early in the morning.

“Wait, what are you going to wear?” I manage when he steps back, a tense look in his eyes. Is it because he felt the tremor racing over my skin? Or is he just feeling protective of me?

Reel it in, girl.

“Rosie’s collar is reflective, so as long as I stay between you two, I’ll be okay.” He clips a leash to her collar and they clamber through the door.

Outside, last night’s clouds have thinned to reveal patches of night sky bursting with bright stars. A nearly full moon casts a pearly glow over the trees and street. Unless the clouds move back in, the reflective vest won’t be necessary. But Seth is already bounding away. I slide my mittens on and follow, tapping the door shut with my heel.

In Montana, the winter air is so dry that it’s like trying to breathe razor blades. I don’t run as often then, and the season can feel very long without my favorite stress-relieving activity.

“I checked out our competition last night,” I say once we’re running side by side, Rosie trotting along, panting.

Seth shoots me a tense look. “Why?”

“Because I have to know who we’re fighting.”

He turns left at an intersection. The tap of our sneakers on the pavement fills the silence.

“This campaign is about keeping this valley safe,” Seth finally says. “Not winning some popularity contest.”

I don’t tell him that she’s likely going to win a lot of votes just because of her pedigree and her smile. “Why do you think she’s running?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I just hope it’s not personal.”

“Did you break her heart?”

The homes are farther apart in this area of the neighborhood, and it’s even more still. Under the bright moonlight, it’s like being in an enchanted forest.

“We weren’t serious, and we both knew it wouldn’t last.”

“Is this mansplaining, or would she tell me the same story?”

He laughs, but it’s more like a grunt. “She wanted it that way from the start, but when I ended it, she started talking shit about me.”

I send him a sympathetic glance. “I’m sorry, Seth.” Hopefully, the variety of shit Peyton doled out isn’t campaign-relevant. Last night, I friended her on her social channels, but I make a note to dig down and see if any of her or her close friends have posted rumors I need to squelch.

“I’ve been wondering if her father is behind it, or at least giving her a push.”

I pause to catch my breath before adding, “He’s surely funding her campaign.”

Seth is barely breathing hard. “Whenever we met, I had the feeling she was afraid he would find out.”

“Maybe her father doesn’t think highly of cops.” I may not be the fastest runner, but keeping up with 6’4” Seth is doing a number on my quads. How long is this run?

“More like he doesn’t think highly of my salary. Either way, he’s powerful and not someone to fuck with.”

“We’ll just need to find you an ally more powerful.”

From a perch in a giant fir, a giant creature swoops down, wings ghostly pale in the moonlight. A cry leaves my lips as Rosie lunges against her leash.

“It’s just an owl, you two,” Seth scolds, laughing.

The owl melts into the recesses of the forest.

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