Page 94 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

There’d also been those headlights rushing up behind her.

That car forcing her off the road. The snow. The tree. The cliff.

“You’ll come with me to your house tomorrow morning,” he said. “If we stay together?—”

“There are things I need to do.”

“Then I’ll come with you.”

She would like that. She wouldlovethat. But…

But.

“Whoever ran me off the road… He’s not going to come after me in broad daylight in the middle of town.”

“You don’t have a car.”

“I could borrow your truck.” She tossed the words out, adding a flirty tone that sounded foreign to her ears.

His grimace told her he wasn’t impressed. “I can’t tell you what to do, but I’m not going to help you put yourself in danger. Either I come with you, or?—”

“There are deliveries coming to the house tomorrow. One of us needs to be there.”

“Or both of us could be there.”

Was he right? Was she foolish to keep trying to dig up information alone? Maybe.

Though the police chief hadn’t said so, she’d had the feeling he wanted to tell her something. But he hadn’t, and she assumed that he’d held back because Garrett had been there.

“If I leave Grace’s, I’ll get a ride, or I’ll use a ride-sharing app. I’ll always be with somebody. Okay?”

Based on the set of Garrett’s lips and his narrowed eyes, it wasn’t okay.

But he didn’t argue. After another kiss, this one too brief, he knocked on the door behind her. Only after Grace had ushered Aspen inside did Garrett make the short, cold walk home.

She’d fallen asleep with the memory of his lips on hers.

And then she’d had nightmares about the rest.

A strange night indeed. She checked the time on her phone, not shocked to see she’d slept until after nine. She wasn’t an early riser anyway, and years in the restaurant business had trained her to stay up late and sleep in.

The night before, when they’d chatted a few minutes before bed, Grace had told her she had to work this morning and would be leaving early, so Aspen wasn’t surprised when she heard no noises coming from within the condo.

She showered, changed into something warm, and helped herself to coffee and breakfast, thankful that Grace had insisted she make herself at home. It wasn’t hard to do. Unlike the giant house on the mountain, Grace’s condo felt cozy. It was compact, nestled between other homes. She heard car doors slamming, voices, children’s laughter. She wasn’t alone here.

She liked it.

Beautiful as the house on the mountain was, she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel comfortable living in a place like that. She needed to be part of a community, and this little condo development felt like it might be just that.

After she finished her toast, she pulled out the list she’d made the night before and started working through it, beginning with a call to the insurance company. They assured her an adjuster would be looking at the car that afternoon. She should get a call back by the following day or Monday. Next, she called the rental car company, secured a sedan, and arranged to pick it up on Friday. Grace had already offered to drive her if Garrett couldn’t.

Next, she located the business card Chief Cote had given her the day before and dialed.

He answered on the second ring with, “How you holding up?” The older man’s voice was somehow both gruff and comforting.

“How’d you know it was me?”

“I’m a detective, Miss Kincaid. I have years of investigative experience under my belt.” There was a short pause. “Plus, you’re the only person I know with a Hawaii area code.” Humor filled his voice.

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