Page 109 of One Last Chance

She leaned away and looked up. Gave a laugh.

“Right?”

“Oh wow, Axel.” She turned back to him, her eyes on his mouth. “I’ve never . . . I don’t normally . . . You are a good kisser.”

He laughed. “I haven’t had a ton of practice. You just bring out the best in me.”

She met his gaze then. “Really?”

Oh. But, “I think so. You see me, and it’s okay.” He swallowed, because it was more of a question, too.

“It is, Phoenix. It is.” She leaned close, brushed her lips against his, and his arms tightened around her as the fireworks burst overhead.

Barking jerked him back. He hit his head on the building.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Jericho came tromping into the space, scooping up Orlando’s lead. The dog sat, barking, then panting, as if smiling. “C’mon, buddy. This is not your show.”

Jericho held up a hand again. “Don’t know what his problem is—just took off on me, running after you.”

“Did you get him?”

The voice came from behind him, and Axel rolled his eyes as Sully appeared. “Oh. Hey. Oh. Wow.” Sully pointed at Axel. “I get it now.” He nodded, then followed Jericho away.

But Flynn pushed away and followed Jericho and Sully out onto the street. “Jericho.”

He turned, Orlando in hand. The dog sat and whined.

“Why did your dog run after me?”

“I don’t know. I was talking with Sully and he was petting him, and suddenly, he just acted like he scented something. I don’t know . . .”

Sully was frowning too. Then, “Oh, wait.” He knelt and held out a bandanna tied around his wrist. “This was Kennedy’s. She wore it in her hair and sometimes around her neck. Maybe he picked up your smell.”

“That’s a Hail Mary there,” Jericho said.

Sully brought the bandanna to his nose. “Nope, it’s hers. Seeing Flynn sort of . . . I don’t know, made me miss her. So I got out her box of stuff and found this. Been wearing it ever since. Cedar and pine. She got the soap from town, I think. But it was homemade.”

“There’s a booth in town selling soap,” Flynn said. She knelt in front of Orlando. “Good dog.” She looked at Jericho.

“Go ahead.”

She petted Orlando, rubbing him behind his ears. He groaned with it. Yeah, Axel knew how he felt.Jerk.

“We’re getting pizza—wanna join us?” Sully said. He was looking at Flynn, a sadness in his gaze.

“Yeah.” Flynn stood up.

“You’re hungry?” Axel asked.

She smiled and took his hand. “You can eat. Admit it.”

Fine.He followed Sully and Jericho to the pizza place and sat down, Orlando lying at Jericho’s feet.

Sully played with the bandanna around his wrist, looking at Flynn, something in his eyes. Any thought that maybe he might be a suspect seemed crazy, given the expression he wore. Sorrow, grief. Helplessness.

Axel got that. Because as Flynn sat there, smiling, her russet hair tossed by the wind, her hand trailing down to Orlando’s fur, he knew . . .

If Flynn went missing, he’d follow her. And he’d find her, no matter what it took.

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