Page 34 of What We May Be

“Thanks again for coming in,” Sean said as he and Annie trailed behind. “If you hear from Trevor, you’ll let us know?”

“Sure thing.”

“Everything will be okay. Your sister’s on the case.”

“I know,” she said with a small smile.

“Everything good with you two?”

“It will be,” she said with a nod. “It’s good seeing you again, but I need to go. I’m supposed to be at HU Med in an hour to read to the children’s ward.”

He gave her a half hug before she turned on her heel and hurried out.

Charlie strode back into the conference room less than a minute later. “Jaylen and Diego are headed to campus to find Ms. Barnett, a rising sophomore.”

He rested against the windowsill and whistled. “Julian liked ’em young?”

“Julian liked them all.”

“Are you talking from experience? He ever try anything with you?”

She grimaced, causing him a momentary flare of anger. First Craig Rowan and now Julian Hirsch.

“Once. Hit on both me and Rachel the same night. We were out with Trevor, Cal, and Annie at Pier Point. Julian made certain overtures. Trevor decked him.”

“Sounds familiar.”

She laughed and rested back against the window ledge. “I’m just glad Trevor’s okay.”

“Me too.” He debated his next question, ultimately deciding to ask what had been on his mind all morning. “You want to tell me about you and Tracy? Seemed like you were the last person she wanted to see this morning and not just because her husband was murdered.”

Her gaze drifted out the window. “I was always the last person Tracy wanted to see.”

“You want to talk about it?” He told himself he was asking as a friend and investigator, not as the man who desperately wanted to know if there was still something between Charlie and Trevor, something Tracy couldn’t accept. Something Sean could pin his hopes on if not for himself then at least for them. Charlie looked at him like he was crazy for wanting to wade into the middle of it. He laughed, a hand raised. “I unloaded some heavy stuff on you last night. Just returning the favor.”

She smiled, tension easing from her shoulders. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine. Nothing I haven’t dealt with for years.” She pushed off the windowsill and moved directly in front of him, reexamining his face. “I’d stay out of Craig’s way unless you want to add more bruises.”

“You want to talk about that?”

“Fuck no.” She handled his face the same as she’d done that morning at the crime scene, and her fingers were just as scorching now. He held his breath and curbed his impulse to reach for her. “You are quite the rainbow.”

“Seems maybe Hanover isn’t good for my health.”

“You’re still breathing,” she said with a wink and a gentle pat to his jaw.

Sean rapped his knuckles on the closest piece of wood.

---