Page 278 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What?”

“That you and Austin aren’t an item.”

“How did you know that?”

“He isn’t here.” He pulled her the tiniest bit closer. “And you’re willingly dancing with me.”

“There is that.”

“Besides, the whole world knows. You told everyone on the six o’clock news.”

“I did, didn’t I?” She sighed.

“For what it’s worth, I’m relieved and glad I can stop feeling like I’m betraying Austin every time I glance in your direction. He seems like a great guy, but I was struggling to keep a professional distance from you.”

“Is that what you were doing?” She looked away. “It bothered me that I hadn’t heard from you. When you collected that note, you seemed so concerned. I’d convinced myself you still had feelings for me, but then you disappeared from my life again.”

“It was torture, but I couldn’t be around you without wanting more than was appropriate while you were dating another man.”

She rested her head on his shoulder. “I didn’t want to seem pathetic and single when I ran into you again after all these years, and then I didn’t know how to tell you the truth.”

“You deserve credit for inventiveness. Not many people would have broken the news on national television.” She felt him stiffen beneath her touch, but he didn’t pull away.

She raised her head to make eye contact. “It wasn’t intentional. Candi asked a direct question, and I knew Austin would be livid if I lied. He’d already demanded I tell you the truth. Twice.”

The music changed to something faster, so they moved off the dance floor. “Want to take a walk around the gardens?” Wade asked.

“I’d love to.”

The feel of Wade’s hand on the small of her back set the butterflies in her stomach to flight. If his words could be believed, his feelings for her were more than friendly ones. She wasn’t sure if the risk to her heart was worth the reward, but she wanted to find out. And did it matter? If he left now, she’d be crushed whether she gave in to her desires or not. There was no turning back. Her treacherous heart had already betrayed her.

Wade slowed his steps as they rounded a corner in the gardens that would take them out of sight. Bending down, he pulled her into his arms until his lips were close to her ear. “You lied to me.” He whispered the accusation.

She nodded against him. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re forgiven.” He pulled her closer, and she melted against him. In his arms she felt safe for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. When he held her close, only the two of them existed. His heartbeat was steady beneath her ear. Her arms wound around his neck of their own volition. His gaze took in her lips before traveling back to her eyes to search for permission. She leaned closer in response.

“There you guys are!” Jamie’s eyes twinkled with understanding. Emily wasn’t sure if the emotion bubbling up from within was relief, disappointment, or a combination of both. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but we’re going to be cutting the cake, and then I’ll toss the bouquet, so I didn’t want you to miss that, Emily.”

“We’ll be there in a sec,” Wade said. Once Jamie disappeared from sight, he took Emily’s hand in his. A jolt of electricity shot from her fingers all the way to her heart. “Saved by the bride.”

She nodded and took a step back.

“You heard the lady, we can’t allow you to miss your chance to catch her bouquet,” he said.

Emily spentthe ride home obsessing over every word she and Wade had spoken that evening. She wished she hadn’t made herself so vulnerable. Maybe she shouldn’t have told him she’d been hurt when he hadn’t called. If she hadn’t misled him, he might’ve been there for her.

But he hadn’t been her rock when Nora went missing. He was gone by the time the initial shock of losing her sister wore off. When she was at her lowest point, he was overseas fighting a war instead of by her side fighting the demons tearing her apart. It had made her even angrier that she couldn’t express her feelings about his departure without sounding like a selfish narcissist who cared more about herself than her country. Forgiving him had helped, but the pain never completely dissipated.

She’d believed she was over it. They were kids. Neither one of them handled things well. She’d closed herself off from him weeks before he’d enlisted, so she shouldn’t have expected him to stay. She still hadn’t forgiven herself for that.

Now Wade knew how strongly he affected her, and he could use it against her. She wanted to trust him. And wanted to trust herself. But she didn’t know how to do either of those things.

As she wound her way through her development, she pushed thoughts of Wade firmly from her mind. It was time to focus on something else. Anything else. Her neighbor was outside on hisporch, so she parked and waved to him. He hurried across the lawn to meet her.

“Hi, Bob.”

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