Page 23 of Hidden Hero

Jeremy’s mouth curved into a faint grin, though his gaze held hers with an intensity she couldn’t quite read. “I would’ve said hello earlier,” he said, leaning back slightly, his voice casual, “but I saw you were with a group and didn’t want to intrude.”

Cora blinked. His words didn’t match her impression of him at all. Jeremy Pickett didn’t strike her as the type to avoid doing something simply to be polite, especially if it was something he wanted to do. And besides, it wasn’t as though they were close enough to warrant a greeting in the first place. “One of the hospital administrators is retiring,” she explained, determined to keep the exchange brief.

The blonde shifted in her seat, perfectly manicured fingers tapping the edge of her wineglass before she cleared her throat. Cora’s gaze flicked to her, catching the woman throwing an exaggerated, saccharine smile in Jeremy’s direction.

But it wasn’t the blonde who caught her attention next—it was Jeremy’s response. His expression darkened, his jaw tightening as he leveled the woman with a pointed glare. No smile. No warmth. Just a hard glint in his eyes that spoke volumes without a word.

The air thickened with tension, and Cora didn’t have the energy for an awkward conversation, especially with Jeremy’s date bristling under the surface. It was time to bow out gracefully, but before she had a chance, it seemed Jeremy had other ideas.

10

Jeremy had been kicking himself for the past hour. He’d driven to Virginia Beach after receiving a call from a friend with the state police where he used to work. The friend said he was having a small engagement get-together at a popular restaurant. He’d been tempted to decline. Staying home and dwelling on thoughts of a particular captivating medical examiner wasn’t appealing, but neither was socializing with a crowd he barely remembered. Still, here he was, regretting his decision.

The “small gathering” was much larger than expected, with more strangers than familiar faces. One familiar face, though, had latched onto him immediately—Liz Parker, a former receptionist he’d hooked up with once, years ago. She’d maneuvered him into a booth after the initial group began to dwindle. Now, it was just the two of them, and Jeremy was counting the seconds until he could politely escape.

Liz was in no hurry. She lingered over dessert, ordered another glass of wine, and then decided on coffee. Jeremy bit back a sigh and plotted his exit. As soon as the server returned, he’d pay for her meal and leave. The thought of heading home alone sounded infinitely better than this.

A burst of laughter from a nearby table caught his attention. He glanced over—and froze. There she was. Cora Wadsworth, seated with a lively group, her smile lighting up the room.

He’d come to understand her well enough to know that crowds weren’t her preference. As an introvert, she thrived in quieter settings, but here she was, leaning into a conversation with the silver-haired woman beside her, gesturing animatedly, her whole face alight. It was captivating. Her energy wasn’t forced or awkward—it was natural and unguarded. The kind of beauty that didn’t just draw the eye but pulled something deeper within him.

He wanted to walk over to say hello but had hesitated. He shook his head because hesitation had never been a word to describe him. Something about her drew him in. She was unlike anyone he’d met—reserved but sharp, professional yet quietly warm. He thought of how her expression softened when she talked about her cats or the spark of curiosity when she asked why he’d named his cat Tommy Girl. Cora didn’t pretend. She didn’t play games. She didn’t even seem to realize just how striking she was.

A movement across the table snapped him out of his thoughts. Liz pulled out her cosmetic bag, reapplied lipstick, and fluffed her hair, her every action deliberate. Jeremy suppressed an eye roll. Thank God this would be over soon.

“I thought maybe we could take this back to my place—” Liz began, but her voice trailed off as Jeremy’s head snapped around.

There she was. Cora, weaving her way through the tables, her gaze focused ahead until he called out, “Dr. Wadsworth!”

Her head turned sharply, her wide eyes landing on him before flicking to Liz. Something shifted in her expression—an instant of openness shuttered by polite reserve.

She smiled slightly as she greeted him with the familiar, “Detective Pickett.” He loved hearing his name from her lips, although he desperately wanted to hear her call him Jeremy.

“I would’ve said hello earlier,” he said, scrambling for a casual tone, “but I saw you were with a group and didn’t want to intrude.”

She explained she was there for a retirement dinner, her words carrying that easy cadence that always drew him in.

Liz cleared her throat. Jeremy glanced at her, irritated by the exaggerated wide-eyed look she threw his way as if silently demanding an explanation.

Irritated, he forced out, “This is Liz Parker. I was here to meet up with a friend having an engagement party and had the opportunity to say hello to a few old coworkers.”

“Hello,” Cora said, her smile still pleasant.

“And you are?” Liz asked, a hint of an edge to her voice.

Jeremy’s irritation shot straight to pissed. If Liz thought she was anything more than a member of their party who had drinks and dinner, she was sorely mistaken. And if she attempted to intimate it was anything more, he would shut that shit down quickly. “This is Dr. Cora Wadsworth. She’s our medical examiner. And brilliant at her job, I might add.”

His introduction seemed to surprise Cora because a slight chuckle slipped out as her lips curled upward. “I’m not sure about the brilliant part, but it’s nice to know my autopsies are appreciated.”

Now, the chuckle rumbled from him. There it was… Cora’s sense of humor only came out at times, and he felt he’d won the lottery that she shared with him.

But before he could reply, Liz huffed. “Oh my God! I know your work is necessary, but I can’t imagine working with dead people all the time.” She gave a visible and very fake shudder, placing her hand on her chest with what he was sure was an attempt to draw his eye to her cleavage. All it did was piss him off more.

His gaze darted up to Cora’s, wanting to mitigate any unpleasantness. But he could’ve sworn her eyes twinkled.

Cora nodded. “That’s right, I do. I wastaggingpeople before it was cool.” She glanced over at him, her lips still twitching, and said, “Good night, Detective Pickett.”

He could have sworn she’d winked, and it was all Jeremy could do to keep from leaping from the table, pulling her in close, and kissing her until she felt him right down to her toes. Instead, his lips quirked up on one side, and he offered a chin lift. “Good night, Dr. Wadsworth.”

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