Page 27 of When You Got a Good Thing (Misfit Inn 1)

Pru sank down onto the bare mattress beside her. “I always wondered what would happen when you two saw each other again.”

“I thought he’d hate me.”

“Mom and I had money on how long it would take you two to rip each other’s clothes off.”

Kennedy’s mouth fell open. “You did not!”

“Hand to God.”

Fire burned in her cheeks. “I don’t even want to think about you two discussing my sex life. I prefer to believe Mom didn’t know I had a sex life.”

“Oh please, like you were stealthy climbing up and down that bodock tree? Besides, back then the two of you threw off enough pheromones to choke a horse. Her biggest concern was that you were safe and that you loved each other.”

“You’re a cruel woman, Pru, taking away my delusions.”

Pru laughed and gave her a squeeze. “Same concerns still apply.” She sobered. “It must have been really hard for you to face him after all this time.”

“It was easier than facing all of you.”

Pru sighed and wrapped her in a tight hug. “I’m sorry about last night.”

Kennedy jerked her shoulders in a shrug. “I invited it.”

“Maybe so, but you still didn’t deserve that. You’re hurting as much as the rest of us.”

“I’ve been putting that confrontation off for years. I figured ripping the Band-aid off would be the way to go because I didn’t think I could possibly hurt any worse.” She flashed a humorless smile. “I forgot Athena likes to go for the jugular.”

“She’ll come around. They both will.”

“Hope springs eternal,” Kennedy muttered.

And if they didn’t, at least they’d both be heading back to the city soon enough.

~*~

How a department the size of theirs, in a county of only twenty-thousand people, continued to generate this much paperwork, Xander would never know. But for once he was glad of the distraction. He was staying away from Kennedy for the moment, both because he couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse for just popping in again and because he knew that, with Maggie and Athena leaving soon, she really would be busy. Plus, he wanted to see what she’d do. That hadn’t stopped him from thinking about her the past three days, so he’d buried himself in paperwork, something he usually avoided on pain of death.

“Do you have that file on the Pearson case?”

Without looking up, Xander shoved the relevant folder to the edge of his desk. Leanne picked it up but didn’t move.

“Something else you needed?” he asked, eyes firmly fixed on the ancient monitor.

The front door to the station opened.

At this point even old Mrs. Matisse, with her weekly complaint about Lettie Wardlaw’s latest supposed attempt to sabotage her prize roses, would be a welcome interruption. But it wasn’t old Mrs. Matisse standing awkwardly in the entryway. It was Kennedy.

The rush of pleasure was swift, and Xander had to fight the urge to leap out of his chair to greet her. He noted her stiff posture and the way her eyes darted around the bullpen, and it occurred to him maybe something was wrong. So he did rise and scoot out from behind his desk. “Hey Kennedy. Everything okay?”

“Hey. Everything’s fine.” More with the guilty fidgeting.

What on Earth did she have to be guilty about? Or maybe it wasn’t about guilt so much as being seen with him in public. There was no way people were going any easier on her than they had been on him, Joan’s death notwithstanding. The Ridge’s number one pastime was gossip, and respect for the grieving daughter would only go so far.

Her gaze landed on Leanne and lingered a moment before she gave an awkward little wave. “Hi.”

“Kennedy, this is Chief Investigator Leanne Hammond. She’s the new kid in town. Leanne, Kennedy Reynolds. ”

Something in her face relaxed. Had she been jealous there for a second? The thought shouldn’t please him so much.

---