Page 53 of One Last Promise

“And now she’s here, working with you.” Oaken took his own sip of coffee. Then, “I’m listening.”

Shep shook his head. “Nothing to tell. We were rescued and she went her way, I went mine, and . . .”

“And then she ended up in Alaska with you? C’mon, Shep?—”

Yeah, okay, even he wasn’t buying his flimsy story. “Okay, we sort of kept in touch. Texting now and again. I heard she was . . . between jobs. So I suggested she come here. She did. No biggie.”

Oaken had taken another bite and now nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

“Really. We’re colleagues,nothing more.”

Shep could choke on his own lies, but perhaps they were just lies from his viewpoint. Maybe that really was all London wanted.

A guy should probably pay attention to that, start feeding himself some honesty.

Silence, and finally Shep looked up to see Oaken studying him. “What?”

“You okay?”

“Yep.”Nope. He sighed. Because suddenly her words to him returned.“I don’t think I’m ready.”“Actually, London lost someone she loved in the avalanche. So I’m not sure she has any room in her heart for anyone else.”

Oaken said nothing, just nodded. “I get that. But the truth is, you think you don’t have room, and then, suddenly, the right person comes along, and you’ll do anything to make room for that person.”

Maybe he wasn’t the right person. But Shep didn’t say that. Still, it was time to put space between them.

He finished off his pie, then washed off his plate and put it in the dishwasher.

“Thanks,” Oaken said. “I’m taking off for a quick trip to Montana to meet with my producer, but I’ll be back in a couple days. You have the code for the door?”

“I do. Thanks.”

Oaken got up just as Shep’s phone buzzed on the counter.

Shep picked it up.

Of course—London.

London

I figured out the five-letter code. Meet me at the hospital.

He pocketed the phone. “I’m heading to meet London. I’ll see youwhen you get back.”

“Just friends, huh?” Oaken grinned, pointed at him.

Shep lifted a hand and headed for the door.Yes. Just friends.

Under an hour later, he pulled into the parking lot of Alaska Regional Hospital. The clouds had darkened over the far mountains, and a slight wind bullied him as he got out. Winter, pushing into the autumn already.

He found London in the lobby. She wore a pair of leggings, runners, and a pullover. “Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” he said. “What did you find?”

“I did some searching, and I think this is a badge number.” She held out her phone. “I finally tracked it down—it’s a number to a retired Miami police detective named Rosalind Turner.”

“Tillie’s friend.”

“Yeah. I got ahold of Axel, and he thought Roz was still in ICU, but when I got here and asked, she’d been moved. I got us passes.” She handed him a sticker with his name.

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