Page 12 of Hidden Hero

Jeremy ducked his head, and to her astonishment, a faint blush crept over his cheeks. “I’m sorry about that, Dr. Wadsworth. I sometimes let my mouth run away from me.”

She raised a single brow but stayed silent, letting him squirm under the weight of his admission.

He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, okay. I often let my mouth run away from me.”

Cora tilted her head, genuinely surprised by his honesty. This was a side of him she hadn’t seen before—no smirk, no quips, just a straightforward apology. She gave him a slight nod, unsure of what to say. The shift in his demeanor unsettled her in a way she couldn’t quite name.

Before she could respond, the side door to the lab opened, and another mortuary technician stepped inside. “Dr. Wadsworth? Detective Sam Shackley is on the line. He has a question about the gunshot victim from last week—something about one of the labs.”

Cora straightened, the motion eliciting a small crack from her neck. She winced inwardly, making a mental note to book an appointment at one of the new massage therapy clinics in town. “Thank you. I’ll be right there.” She reached for her desk, picked up her coffee mug, and grimaced, remembering it had been sitting there for hours. Still desperate for the caffeine, she took a sip, the lukewarm liquid doing little to soothe her exhaustion.

Turning back to Jeremy, she offered him a brisk nod. “Goodbye, Detective Pickett. Let me know if you need anything else.”

His gaze flicked to the mug in her hand, and his eyes widened slightly before a grin tugged at his lips. His chuckle broke the brief silence as he turned toward the door. “Goodbye, Dr. Wadsworth,” he said, his tone lighter now. With that, he walked out, leaving her standing by the desk.

Cora frowned, glancing down at the mug in her hand, wondering what had amused him so much. Twisting it around, she read the bold lettering on the side.Rigor Mortis… the original yoga pose.

A smile crept onto her face before she could stop it. Shaking her head, she let out a quiet laugh, the tension in her shoulders easing for the first time that day. For all his faults—and there were plenty—Detective Pickett had a way of leaving an impression.

And for reasons she couldn’t quite explain, this one wasn’t so bad.

6

Jeremy was still laughing as he stepped out of the hospital and into the sunshine. After months of thinking that Cora had no sense of humor and possibly never smiled, the sight of her coffee mug proved him wrong. He couldn’t believe it when his gaze dropped to the large, oversized mug and read the words printed on the side.Rigor Mortis… the original yoga pose.

He climbed into his SUV and shook his head. He didn’t understand why it was vital for him to discover humor behind her owlish eyes, but for whatever reason, his mood lightened.

As soon as he walked into the ESDTF offices in a section of the North Heron County Sheriff’s Department, he was met by Pete, who immediately wanted to review the report.

“We’re working with Brad and Mark on this one. They’re waiting on the report you got from the medical examiner.” Pete halted and lifted a brow. “That is if you were able to deal with the formidable Dr. Wadsworth without suffering from her lack of interest in your charm.”

He bit back the snappy retort he usually offered. Instead, the thought of her handling the grieving family members with such care filled his mind. “We did just fine. She was good with Mr. Rudolph’s son and offered us a conference room for me to interview him.”

Now, both of Pete’s brows lifted. “Damn. You must be finally breaking down her iciness.”

“Who are you talking about?” Brad asked as he and Mark walked into the room.

Jeremy opened his mouth to deny they were discussing anyone when Pete jumped in. “Dr. Cora Wadsworth, the ME.”

“She’s good, isn’t she?” Brad asked, nodding. “Always so efficient and gets the reports to us before we have to ask for them.”

“Karen has met her a few times at the hospital when one of her patients died, but she’s really impressed with Cora,” Mark added.

Jeremy knew Mark’s wife, Karen, was a home health nurse, and her path would have reason to cross with Cora.

Pete laughed and shook his head. Before turning his attention back to Jeremy. “Seems like you’re the only one who thought she was the dragon lady with a stick up her ass.”

Once again, he opened his mouth to refute his partner when Brad and Mark looked at him in surprise.

“She’s just quiet,” Brad said. He then snorted and added, “Not exactlyyourtype, but she really is nice.”

“Karen mentioned Cora is very businesslike, but in her line of work, that’s probably best,” Mark added.

“Can we please get off the medical examiner and what I do or don’t think about her?” Jeremy grumbled.

It didn’t miss his attention that Brad, Mark, and Pete shared a look before all three nodded. Pete grinned as he waved his hand toward the hall. “Then let’s find a room and get to work.”

Soon, the four of them were sitting around the table, their tablets in front of them, reviewing Cora’s report.

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