Page 370 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

“Very well.”

Jacob figured he’d be on the other side of the door, which McCauley would leave open just in case he had to rush back in and save Addie.

She walked to him but stopped several feet away. The couch between them might as well have been as wide as the Atlantic.

“I didn’t kill that girl.”

She nodded. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”

“But you’re still wary of me because I might be a murderer. So you’ll stay over there just in case I did kill that girl.”

“I’m not exactly supposed to get close to a suspect or person of interest.”

“But you want to?”

Addie shook her head, the ghost of a smile on her face.

That was all the answer he needed.

“You’ve made a nice life for yourself.” She glanced around, her cheeks pink.

He shrugged.

“I’ve seen that book. It’s amazing. I didn’t realize it was you.”

“Thank you.”

“I should go.”

He nodded.

“You’re very talented.” Addie crossed to him, hesitating a fraction. As though she might kiss his cheek or offer her hand to shake. Instead, she did neither. Just headed to the door and slipped out. He heard the murmur of conversation, and the door clicked shut.

Now he knew how it felt.

After the hospital. The reporters. The recovery. That conversation they’d had in the hospital, where her mother had screamed and wailed in the hall and Jacob had snuck into her room during the drama. They’d been talking when her mom interrupted, and their breakup had been inevitable after that. Neither had wanted to admit they were in pain. They just tookit out on each other in the moment—with her mom adding her opinion.

When it had all died down, somewhere between Christmas and the new year, he’d shown up at her house. Half drunk, the only way he’d gathered the courage to talk to her. Tell her he couldn’t see her anymore. They were over. After being all either of them had during that time, he just hadn’t been able to do it again. Be alone with her. Find comfort after all the pain.

He’d walked out of Russ’s house and never looked back. Before the door shut, he’d heard her start crying.

“Goodbye, Addie.”

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there before his feet numbed on the tile floor, and he remembered how much work there was to do. Jacob winced as he walked sensation back into the soles of his feet.

He found his phone and sent a text to Hank asking why he never got that heads-up.

Hank didn’t reply.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“I’m done.”

Addie gripped the phone. “That was fast.”

“Yeah, well,” Dr. Carlton said. “Maybe I’m trying to impress the new fed in town. What can I say? I work long hours, and I don’t have time for Bunko group even if I wanted to play games.”

Addie felt the amusement bubble up. “What about a book club?”

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