Page 237 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

She’d never expected to see him again. Never. Yet here he was in the flesh, and the grownup version of Wade Brunner was wreaking havoc on her composure.

“I take it you two know each other,” Austin said.

“We were high school sweethearts. Isn’t that right, Em?” Wade locked his gaze with hers again.

“Ancient history.” She swallowed and broke eye contact as another sedan drove up.

“It’s good to see you. Although I wish the circumstances were less grim,” Wade said.

She glanced over her shoulder. Austin took a step closer, and she looped her arm through his.

He freed his arm and draped it over her shoulder. “Are you going to introduce us, Emily?”

“Of course. Sorry.” She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. “Wade, this is Ranger Austin Crowley.”

Wade held out a hand to shake Austin’s. “Sergeant Brunner, but you can call me Wade.” He raised an eyebrow. “Are you two seeing each other?”

She elbowed Austin to keep him from answering. “That is not your business.” She straightened her spine and lifted her chin. “So, you’re a state cop?” Emily asked.

“I’m one of the detectives assigned to this case.”

“One of?” Austin asked.

“Sergeant Strauss will be working with me.”

Emily cleared her throat. “Why don’t we take you to the skull?”

Austin took a step backward. “I’ll hang here.”

CHAPTER TWO

The familiar scent of honeysuckle wafted through the air as Wade followed his former girlfriend down the narrow trail. His mind wandered back to senior year and the look on her face when he’d informed her he’d enlisted. He recalled the dagger she’d jabbed into his heart.

He’d loved her with every ounce of his being but hadn’t known how to help her through her grief, and his enlisting was the last straw as far as she was concerned. She told him she never wanted to see him again. Love wasn’t enough to make a relationship work. She’d taught him that lesson.

Voices farther down the trail cutoff his reflections. Emily slowed as they reached a curve in the trail. “We’re here.”

“Thanks, Em.”

“Sure.” She gestured back the way they’d come. “I’m going to head back.”

“You’re not sticking around?”

“I don’t think so.”

“So, you and Austin are an item?”

“He’s a nice guy.”

“In that case, I’m glad you found each other.” The thought stung. He wanted to be happy for her. But part of him wishedshe was alone. Like him. What a horrible person he must be. The notion discouraged any continuing conversation.

Emily took off down the trail, and he waved before turning back to greet the troopers and crime-scene investigators scattered about the area. “What have you found?”

Trooper Green lifted his notebook. “We didn’t want to disturb the scene before you arrived, but there appears to be an outline of a femur under the dirt, from the size it’s likely a woman, but could be a teen. Dental records might give us more.”

“We can hope.” He scratched his chin. “If we can’t get a dental match, perhaps they can extract DNA. It’s amazing what they can pull it from these days.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky, and our Jane Doe will be identified quickly,” Trooper Green said.

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