Page 75 of Cold Light of Day

Family secrets could shatter a person. Autumn stood and stepped closer to the water, but not so close that the waves soaked her shoes.

Grier sidled next to her, turned her to face him, and loosely gripped her arms. “You refused to let what happened in the past destroy you, and you won’t let this news take you down either. You’re the strongest person I know.”

He offered a tenuous smile. And while she understood he struggled to know how to comfort her, the depth of emotion in his eyes told her how much he cared—and that smoothed away the pain wrinkling across her heart, her thoughts. She was glad he was here with her, because he was the only person who could truly comfort her at this moment.

Grier and, well, God.

For the life of her, Autumn wasn’t sure God could fix this, if he even wanted to. She hung her head and listened to the rhythmic lap of the waves, a train running somewhere nearby, and the planes taking off. At this moment, she was glad she lived in Southeast Alaska in a veritable crook in the mountains, away from all the noise and chaos. And she understood Dad’s choices a lot better now. He had wanted that quiet and solitude too.

Finally, she looked at Grier. “Thanks for your vote of confidence. I still have so many questions.” At least one of her questions might have been answered—now she thought she understood what had driven Dad to drink, but there had to be a better way for him to work through his grief and find comfort. To find closure.

She didn’t have time to waste on past regrets—not until they were no longer in danger. Autumn or Grier. She shrugged out of his grip and crossed her arms. “Now I want to hearyourstory, Grier Brenner. All of it.”

He glanced at his cell. “You will, but right now we need to get to the airport so we don’t miss our flight.”

After the flight to Juneau, Carrie delivered Autumn and Grier to Skagway. She and Grier agreed that going back to Shadow Gap now was too dangerous. They booked two rooms at a hotel in downtown Skagway using cash and would be ready to meet Sarah in the morning, or rather, let Sarah find them.

Exhaustion weighed on her, but so did the questions. Autumn suggested dinner at the small hotel restaurant and then an early night. They were seated at the back of the room in the shadows where they could look out across the room. One small candle lit up the table.

Autumn yawned, then glanced across at Grier, who stared at the menu.

“I’m putting a lot of trust in you, Grier. I...I’d planned to run a background check on you when we got back, but we’re already thick into this. Still, I want to know.”

He glanced up from the menu. “I’m surprised you haven’t done that already.”

“I didn’t have a legitimate reason, except now you’ve told me you’re a fugitive. But I don’t want to give Wally another tally on the scoresheet he’s keeping on me. He could think I’mchecking into you for...other reasons. The system is tracked, and I wouldn’t put it past Craig to keep tabs.” She could be criminally charged, in fact. Wally would use it if he could.

Grier set his menu on the table. “I know what I want, Chief. What about you?”

“And that’s another thing. Haven’t I already told you to call me Autumn?” She glanced at the menu, her appetite gone. But she needed to eat to keep up her strength. “I’m just having a burger.”

“Same,” Grier said. He sipped from the glass of water the waiter had already delivered.

The waiter returned and took their orders, then left them to stare at each other over the candle. The ambiance was romantic. Grier might be everything she wanted in a man...under different circumstances. She was attracted to him in every way, not just physically. And maybe, if she were honest with herself—brutally honest, that was—the fact that he remained a mystery intrigued her, drew her in and kept her there.

“I think it’s time for you to come clean.”

He grinned, and that alone charmed her. Disarmed her. Autumn had never been one to fall for good looks or charm, so maybe that’s why she hadn’t been guarding herself against the likes of him. Throw in all his heroics and the danger factor, and she’d walked onto the pages of a romantic thriller novel.

Thrills aside, this wasn’t fiction. It was real, and their lives were on the line.

“What are you smiling for? This isn’t funny.”

“You want me to come clean. Your choice of words makes it sound like you believe I’m guilty.”

“I’m counting on you being innocent.” She leaned in and kept her voice low. “But the fact that you’ve successfully avoided telling me your story concerns me.”

“I don’t want to tell you because that would put you in more danger.”

“Whatever is going on with you, the people after you, you can assume they believe I know everything.”

“And that’s on me.” Grier stared at the flickering candle as if unwilling to look her in the eyes. “That’s why I think your mother did the right thing. She protected you. Me? I was supposed to stay invisible in Shadow Gap. Not get close to anyone. Not draw attention. Not make friends. Or care.”

Then he chose to look up, and the longing that stirred in his eyes seized her heart. She could barely breathe. “Grier, I...”

“I let myself care about you. Get involved in your life. And I wanted to protect you, but now with the trouble that followed me here, I see my mistake.”

“Please don’t talk to me like you’re making a deathbed confession.”

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