Page 51 of Rescued Faith

“I was with Izan Collins last night. His ex said there’s rumors that Sosa’s back from the dead. We went to see what all the fuss was about and wound up empty-handed.”

“Not exactly empty-handed,” Olivia said.

Penny’s back snapped rigid. What did that mean?

“Huh?” Bryce looked confused. Or was that guilt?

Not that it should even matter to her. They had no understanding. He could do whatever he wanted. If he went home with another woman on his arm…It. Didn’t. Matter.

“You said you took some video footage when you thought you saw someone thatlookedlike Sosa, didn’t you?” Olivia asked him.

Video footage? That’s what he’d had with him when he left? Tension in Penny’s middle melted away.

She really shouldn’t be so relieved by that. What was wrong with her?

“Yeah, but I don’t think it was anything. Besides, the lights were getting to me. I was probably just seeing things. Dead end.”

“Let me see the video.” She wasn’t likely to forget Diego Ruiz Sosa after all they’d gone through to find him.

Bryce sent it to Penny. With such a big file, it would take a while to download.

“Don’t start it without me, but I’m going to run and grab a drink,” Olivia said as she stood. “I’ll be right back.”

Jude, Allen, and Anthony all gathered on one side of the table and chatted baseball. Bryce scooted his office chair closer to her. She tried not to make it too obvious that she breathed a little deeper, wanting more of his ocean-inspired aroma. His gaze drew her in with its equally enticing spark.

“Hey, are you doing okay?” he asked.

“Of course. Why do you ask?” She broke eye contact, watching the bar on her phone showing the progress of the download.

“You look a little…tired. Or maybe you’re still sore from everything that happened?”

He always saw too much. “I’m fine. Still on a regimen of drug-store pain meds. But I was up all night doing surveillance.”

“Alone?” A muscle in his jaw twitched.

“I’m a big girl, Bryce.”

“Believe me, I know. But you’ve also been thrown in a closet, left to die, and almost mowed down with automatic weapons. A little concern isn’t completely unheard of.”

But Bryce Crawford didn’t do anything in “little.” He cared. Deeply. It was there in his gaze—steady, intense. In the energy and warmth always radiating outward from him.

She swallowed hard, lifted her chin. “I’m good. No need to worry.”

“But I do. Worry about you. Not because I think of you as incapable, but…uh…”

The wavering in his voice snagged her curiosity. Was he flushed?

She stayed quiet.

“I was…wondering if maybe we could spend some time together.”

Her heart swelled with warmth.

Stupid, stupid heart. Hadn’t it learned? She checked her phone again. Still over twenty-five percent to go. “We are. Spending time, I mean. Right now, for instance.” She sent him a brief smile.

“Yeah, but—” He grabbed the back of his neck. “I know you said we’ve both moved on. But we’ve both changed in the last year or so. And I’d like to get to know you more. Or again. Or…something.”

“So you want to spend time together doing that?”

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