Page 49 of Sadie's Guarded Harbor

The silence spurred him on. “I can be there for you whether it’s listening to you talk on your living room couch or holding your hand in the hospital. You aren’t alone. Never again. I understand that’s all it is, and I won’t put you in a shitty situation again. Scout’s honor.” Tommy held up his hand in the Boy Scout salute he’d learned as a kid.

“That’s not what I want.” She spoke the words so softly, he swore he didn’t hear her correctly.

All the moisture evaporated from his mouth. She pinned him to the spot with her eyes, full of hope and nerves. “I’m really doubting my ability to read you right now, so I need you to spell it out for me.”

She grinned. “Don’t all men?”

He hooked up the corner of his mouth. “Don’t really want to hear about what you’ve had to do for other men.”

She laughed then sucked in a deep breath, all amusement fleeing from her face. “I panicked last night. Telling you what happened in Iraq was something I never intended to do—never intended to tell anyone. But in that moment, a little bit of the weight I’ve carried so long was lifted.”

“I’m glad. You shouldn’t have to shoulder that burden alone.”

“Then you kissed me, and I swear to God the world tilted. That’s never happened before, and it scared the hell out of me. I mean, how is it possible that in a few days you’ve gone from this cocky, carefree playboy to a genuine, kind man who rocked my world with a simple kiss?”

“Rocked your world, huh?” he asked, purposefully overlooking the less than flattering opinion she’d carried around of him.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m being serious. I never want to make you feel bad. Or make you think you’ve made me uncomfortable.”

“So I didn’t push you too far?”

“You pushed me, but in a good way. You made me see how much I’ve held back—from you and everybody in this town. I’ve kept people from getting close to me. I don’t want to do that anymore. It stops now.” Stretching onto her tip toes, she pressed her lips to his.

As much as he longed to hold her against him and take this kiss to a more comfortable spot than the hallway, now wasn’t the time. Now was the time for sweet promises and showing Sadieshe could depend on him. That he’d be there for her and her daughter no matter what.

Breaking the contact, he smiled down at her. “I’m glad we got this cleared up, but you really stink.”

She threw back her head and laughed. “How on earth did I ever think you were a womanizer with smooth words like that?”

“I’ve been a lot of things in my life, but a womanizer has never been one of them. Go on and get cleaned up. I’ll be out here waiting.”

She pressed a quick peck to his cheek. “Make yourself comfortable. Food’s in the kitchen if you’re hungry. I won’t be long.”

He watched her hurry down the hall and disappear into the bathroom before he fell into the soft sofa with his phone in hand. A lightness settled over him, despite the situation he’d stumbled into. A situation that had led danger to him and Sadie.

But for one small moment, his world was perfectly centered. A hope for a future with someone he could really care about dangled before him. He just needed to make sure he didn’t mess it up….and that they solved this case with both of them making it out alive.

Vanity hadSadie adding a touch of concealer to hide the bags growing under her eyes and swiping gloss over her lips. Her hair, however, was useless. Not that it mattered. She had a job to do, and that job required her hair to be pulled back. Not long and loose where it’d just get in her way. But the look of appreciation shining from Tommy’s eyes when she emerged made her forget any insecurities regarding her unruly hair and freckles.

“You ready?” She forced out the words. Going back into the freezing cold to track down a killer who’d just locked her into a burning room was about as tempting as sticking her head in the oven. Especially when she and Tommy seemed to have reached an understanding. Staying in her nice warm house, losing herself in his arms, sounded so much better.

Shooing Mittens from his lap, Tommy stood. “Sure thing. You sure you’re up for talking with Curtis again? No one would think twice if you took the rest of the day off.”

As tempting as the thought was, she couldn’t. “I need to be there. Need to see his eyes, watch his body language when we confront him. Something’s not right. I wasn’t convinced he was our guy, but now I’m not so sure.”

“Let me know if you need a break, okay?” He dipped his chin, leveling her with his stare.

“Fine.” She grabbed the keys Tommy had left in her white dish by the door. “You want to drive?”

“Sure.”

She tossed him the keys and grabbed a coat from the closet. “Let’s go.”

The sun hung low in the sky as late afternoon crept in. The gray clouds had lifted, letting shafts of golden rays highlight the sparkling crystals casing the ground. Snow covered her walkway, erasing their footprints from earlier. She trudged a path to the car and settled into the passenger seat. Her lungs burned and the migraine she’d predicted beat behind her eye.

Tommy started the engine, cranked up the heat, and pulled onto the country road that led straight into town.

“Did you get any useful information from your phone calls? Maybe get some answers on that damn key we found?” Resting her head against the back of the seat, she turned her neck to take in the view of his strong profile.

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