Page 21 of Cold Case Discovery

Chloe smiled at that too, as he’d been hoping she would. “Well, he’s in good hands, then.”

“So, run?”

Her smile died and she sighed. “You hate running, Jack.”

“I don’t hate it.”

“Youhateit, and I think your family would find it a little weird you’re doing something you hate with me at the butt crack of dawn. I don’t need a bodyguard.”

Which was probably true, and maybe he should just let this go. But he didn’t. “I didn’t realize you were an expert on the layout of the Hudson Ranch.”

She rolled her eyes. “Jack.”

“Chloe.”

Something in her expression hardened. “I think you’re supposed to call me Deputy Brink here.”

He didn’t know what this was about, but he could admit that something about beingheremade him a whole lot less interested in ignoring any tension there was between them. “Do you want to have a fight about it?”

She huffed out a breath. “No.”

“Then let’s go run.”

“Fine,” she muttered.

He led her outside, pointed to the fence line. “We can follow this out toward the highway, then turn back. Should be about two and a half miles.”

“I usually do five.”

Jack tried not to pull a face. “We can do it twice, then.” What a waste of time.

But then she laughed and slapped him gently in the chest. “Messing with you. One round is fine. Think you can beat me?”

“My legs are longer.”

“Is that a yes?” she returned, eyebrows raised.

But he only shrugged. She shook her head. “All right, buddy. Ready, set, go.” Then she took off. Too fast to start a two-and-a-half-mile run. Or so he thought in the beginning. He assumed he’d catch up to her, but she always maintained a distance. It got slimmer the longer they ran, but even when he began to pour it on, she kept ahead of him.

When the house came back into view, he ran as hard as he could manage. He made it close, but she still beat him. And they both ended in the front yard, bent over hands on their knees, panting.

And laughing. He didn’t know why she was laughing. Maybe because she’d won. He was laughing because it was ridiculous, when he very rarely got prodded into the ridiculous. He was laughing because it didn’t seem to matter what they did or why—just being around her lifted all those weights on his shoulders he’d thought were permanent.

The way she laughed, smiled, enjoyed the smallest things.

“You’re going to have to run with me all the time now,” she said, wiping her forehead with her forearm. “Beating you is my best time in a while.”

All the time. He tried not to think about it, because their jobs made it impossible, but he wondered if she knew how little he’d mindall the time. Forever.

When she looked over at him, gave him a little chest pat he figured was supposed to be a friendly,good game–type gesture, he couldn’t help himself. He held her by the wrist, pulled her in.

She didn’t resist, but she did look up at him warily. “Anyone could see us, Jack.”

“Yeah.” But he didn’t move, and neither did she.

Chapter Seven

Chloe did not understand what was happening between them. For an entireyear, the lines had been very clear, and both of them had been dedicated to keeping it that way.

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