Page 52 of Jolene's Justice

“What was that about?” she asked as they came back down to earth. With her hands in tight fists against the wall, she leaned into him, tilting her head back on his shoulder. His hand left the cold wall and found hers, linking their fingers together when, without hesitation, she let go of the tight fist she had been holding and clasped his hand. She held on as though she never wanted to release him.

He removed his hand from between her legs and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her closer while he kissed the side of her head. “I missed you.”

“It’s only been like six hours since you last saw me.”

“That’s five hours and fifty-nine minutes too long.”

“You’re crazy,” she said, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice. She liked that he’d missed her.

“Crazy for you,” he whispered in her ear. He could tell she liked that, too, even if it was a cheesy line.

With a sigh, she straightened away from him and pulled her pants back into place. “I should get back to the kitchen,” she bemoaned as she situated her bra back into place. After he tucked himself back into his pants, he bent over and grabbed her shirt. He held it out for her to slip her arms into, then pushed her hands away to do the buttons up himself. He noticed the redness on her neck and smiled. A reminder of the passion they had just shared. He felt a perverse sense of joy at seeing his mark on her skin.

He was captivated as he watched her redo her ponytail, marveling at the many facets of colors in her hair. He couldn’t resist the temptation and ran his hand down the tail, feeling the soft and silky texture.

She grinned up at him. “You like my hair, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” he answered simply.

She flicked at an errant curl on his forehead. “I like yours, too. Especially when I can pull at it when you go down on me.”

He flared his nostrils. “Fuck, Jolie. You can’t put that image in my head. Now I want to drop to my knees in front of you and eat you out until you scream. But I have to meet Brodhi. We gotta get the helicopter ready in case evacuations are needed.”

She gave him an impish grin and a shrug. “Sorry.” He saw right through the fake apology. But he didn’t care. He loved that they were back to where they were before. They were now better than ever, having overcome so much together and grown even closer. The gap between them had been bridged, and their relationship had deepened. He loved her more than he ever thought possible but couldn’t tell her yet. It felt too soon, even though he’d loved her from afar for a long time. For her, they were new. He could wait. Nothing would change how he felt about her.

Hand in hand, they walked back to the cafeteria. Brodhi was there talking with Grady. Brodhi’s search and rescue K9, Sorcha, was quick to welcome them with her tail wagging. Jolene dropped to her knees, laughing at Sorcha’s enthusiastic greeting. Finch shook Brodhi’s hand and thanked him for coming.

“Chief Smith was just telling me about a mudslide on a mountain road.”

“Oh no,” Jolene cried, coming to her feet.

Grady stepped closer. “Yeah, we just got word. Several families have been cut off and are asking for rescue.”

“We’re at your disposal,” Finch offered. Thankfully, Matt had completed the repairs the day before. “We’ll get the helicopter ready and be in the air in no time.”

Grady looked at him skeptically. “You can fly in this weather?”

Both Finch and Brodhi laughed. “I’ve flown in worse,” Finch said. “Although my bird isn’t that big. If we’re talking families, I won’t have enough room for all of them.”

“Take the police chopper. If you’re familiar with a Bell Huey. Our usual pilot is unfortunately away for a family emergency.”

“That would be a more sturdy aircraft for the conditions. I could do it with mine, but I’d much prefer the powerhouse of the Bell.”

In no time, he was saying goodbye to Jolene and promising her he’d be careful. He and Brodhi followed Grady to the hangar where they kept the Bell. Despite his familiarity with the model, Finch carefully reviewed the safety checks of the helo he was unacquainted with while it was being fueled.

He, Brodhi, and Sorcha set off to rescue the stranded residents, the rain showing no signs of letting up.

Chapter 22

Twodayslater,exhaustionwas setting in for everybody. Jolene worked on feeding the displaced families three healthy meals a day, with supplies donated by area businesses. It was amazing to see the community come together to help one another.

Ever since their first trip out after the mudslide, Finch and Brodhi had been working relentlessly. Jolene had barely seen him over the last two days. He’d breeze in for a kiss and food, then head right back out. She couldn’t help but admire his dedication in saving the people of her hometown.

She missed him, but she knew there would be plenty of time for them when the crisis was over.

She’d kept in touch with her father, reassuring him that she was safe. The threatening texts were still coming but less frequently. She was grateful that the number of messages she received had dwindled down to just one or two per day. The decrease was a welcome relief, and she finally felt like she had some breathing room.

Brodhi came into the kitchen with Sorcha on his heel as she was pulling a pan of lasagna out of the oven. It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria would soon be full of families.

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