Page 40 of Billionaire Protector

He continued to look at her. Oh yeah, thoseotherkisses. “Fine, a three-time thing, but that’s all over. Let’s just act like we’re two colleagues grabbing a meal, okay?”

“Do you really think it’s over?” he said softly. “That whatever this is will simply disappear?”

The words elicited a shiver, and a singular response:No.

Thankfully, he said nothing more, and neither did she. She picked up the menu, but the words danced before her, and she put it down. Minutes of silence passed, before Cole lowered his own. “What are you going to order?”

She was far too worked up to eat, especially in the presence of the overbearing man. Plus, she was going home as soon as she picked up her patrol car. “A cup of coffee will be fine. I’ll eat at home.”

Cole frowned. “But you hardly ate all day.”

She managed to hide her surprise that he’d noticed. She was normally a very hearty eater, but with the hectic day, she’d skipped lunch. “I have some sandwiches in the fridge.” Before he could protest, Johnny returned, and she rose. “Will you excuse me?” She didn’t need another disastrous encounter that would be shared with Bobbie, Angie, Shannon, etc.

She dashed away to the one place Cole couldn’t follow, exhaling pure relief as the ladies’ room door slammed behind her, leaving her alone in a quiet space at complete contrast with her stormy emotions. She strode to the sink and turned the faucet to a cool stream, splashing water on her face. For a few minutes, she just stood there, contemplating the day, and in the end could only come to one conclusion:

She’d lost control.

If she wanted to succeed as the town’s sheriff, she had to get along with all her deputies, even the ones who sent her senses on a trip around the galaxy. She’d endured life-changing challenges to get here, and no way was she giving it up. She should go back and order the lasagna she loved so much, and who cared how long the meal took or who saw them eating it? Newfound resolve buoying her strength, she turned to leave when a movement caught the corner of her eye. She peered out the window to the dark alleyway behind the restaurant. Drenched in shadows,it contained overflow parking for the restaurant, so seeing a person wasn’t unusual.

Seeing someone holding alittorch was.

Cole considered himself a patient man. Well, perhaps not patient, but reasonable. So he waited five minutes and then another ten after he’d ordered thembothlasagna in the rapidly filling restaurant. Obviously, Sarah was avoiding him. He should let her spend the entire meal in the bathroom, but then annoyance changed to concern and concern to worry. What if there was a reason she wasn’t returning? What if she was unwell? That concern finally propelled him to rise and stride toward the back.

Annie, the restaurant’s owner, was exiting the restroom just as he reached the door. “Hi Cole!” The handsome older woman smiled brightly. “How are you doing?”

“Great.” Cole smiled back. “I just wanted to make sure Sarah was okay in there.”

“The sheriff is here?” The proprietress frowned as she looked at the door behind her. She shook her head. “There’s no one else in there.”

He stiffened. Somethinghadhappened. Something urgent and something important, enough to set off every instinct honed from years of action. Sarah might avoid him in the restaurant, but fleeing the entire building? That wasn’t her style.

“I did notice the back door open a few minutes ago.” Annie gazed past him. “I figured it was Johnny, but it could have been her.”

“I’ll check it out.” Cole stepped forward, senses urging him not to waste another moment. Perhaps Sarah left to avoid him, but his gut said something different. If she wasn’t running from him, what was she doing? Running from something? Runningtosomething? He emerged into the dark, cool alley, and a frisson of fear tickled its way down his spine. Instincts screamed grave warning. And that’s when he smelled it…

The acrid scent of fire.

He took off at a run. The scent grew stronger and stronger as he reached the end of the alley and a fork in the path. He followed the smoke, turning down a smaller road to his left, then rounding another corner and stopping short. Sarah stood silhouetted in front of smoldering remains, covered in soot from head to toe. She had her back to him, her torso heaving as she fought to breathe. She leaned down, coughed heavily.

Fear as he’d never known it seized him.

Then suddenly, everything changed. He was no longer in the deep, dark alley, no longer before an extinguished fire, no longer in Harmony Creek. The world disappeared, replaced by another no less frightening, no less dangerous. Sarah disappeared, as well, and soldiers took her place, only they were not standing. They had fallen, every single one of them.

Cole gritted his teeth, fighting himself, fighting the vision, fighting for reality. With his effort, came some success, for although he still saw the vision, at least he knew it for what it was. But it wasn’t enough, not when everything hinged on one goal:

He had to save Sarah.

CHAPTER 9

Sarah Sloan’s Review

Scoring the position of Sheriff:5 stars

I’ve waited my whole life to make a difference, to fight for the town that always saw me as a criminal. Yet how can I redeem myself if I cannot stop the arsonist? This job is my dream, but if things don’t turn around soon, it may just turn into a nightmare.

The past moments replayed in Sarah’s mind like an old-time horror show.

She had bolted after the arsonist through the back door, navigating the labyrinth of alleys like a video game action star. She arrived at a courtyard just in time to lock eyes with the disguised man, as the seconds slowed to a crawl. He heaved the torch at a wooded shed and then…

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