Page 68 of Her Wild Coast Promise

“And that’s not…you know…selfish?”

He gives a rueful shake of his head. “Maybe.”

“How does Petra handle it?”

He stands up and grabs his bag from his locker, his eyes fixed on me. “She believes in me. I try to remember that. It also helps that I have my brothers for backup. If anything happens to me, they will be there for her and the kids.”

“That’s intense.”

“True, but if you hold yourself back, what do you gain?”

“Peace of mind.”

“That sounds lonely.”

“It’s safe, though.”

He grunts. “That’s true. Love and risk are a package deal.”

Hunter claps me on the shoulder before rising. He shuts his locker and heads for the door, leaving me in a wake of questions.

“Who said anything about love, damnit,” I grumble to my shoes.

I’m heading across the parking lot to my vehicle when my cell chirps. I drop my bag in my trunk and slide out my phone. It’s Deputy Lucas.

“Remember that footage from the storage unit?“ he asks. “The one we got from Teddy Malloy, the insurance fraud guy?”

I slide behind the wheel. “Yeah?”

“I got a hit. Well, two, actually.”

“Anyone we know?” I start my engine and back out of my parking spot.

“No positive ID, but they look a lot like the same two who abducted Terrilynn Silva.”

“How much alike?”

“I dunno, seventy percent? The woman is definitely a match. Same hair color, build. The guy’s face isn’t as clear.”

If we’d gotten the grant for the facial recognition software upgrade and training, I might have something I could actually run with. Lucas’s guesswork isn’t enough. And without a positive ID, it doesn’t move the needle.

“Good work. Keep digging,” I tell Lucas.

Because I’mon nights this rotation, for the next two weeks, I see Cora only in passing, or in advance of one of my campaign appearances. Each time we’re surrounded by other people, so there’s no chance to talk to her. Part of me is relieved. What would I say that doesn’t make me seem like an asshole?

The other part of me is suffocating, slowly and painfully. Being around her makes it impossible not to want her. It’s maddening.

It doesn’t help that Hunter seems to know I’m preoccupied. He says exactly nothing, but he doesn’t need to.

The morning I meet with Congressman White, I haven’t slept for more than four hours at a time in weeks. Cora has emailed me talking points that will hopefully convince him to support my run for sheriff.

I’m driving home to change clothes when my cell buzzes. It’s a local number but not one I recognize.

“This is Deputy Dalton,” I answer.

“Hey, it’s Brian. I’m calling from forensics. You busy?”

I’m about halfway home. “I’ve got a few minutes.”

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