Page 22 of Scorched Secrets

“Me?” She gaped. “Hardly.”

“You run toward injured patients, which is the same thing.” He remembered how quickly she’d responded to the injured firefighters.

“I guess.” She didn’t look convinced.

Colin half expected to see Bax, but there was no sign of his brother-in-law at the café. Spying an empty table, he hustled over to nab it. “Sit here. I’ll get our food.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he held up his hand. “How about you just stop arguing for once? This is my treat. I insist.”

“Me argue? That should be your middle name.” Her words were tart, but she dropped into the chair, a sign of giving in.

He suppressed the urge to laugh. If she only knew how much his mother had drilled manners into them as kids, she would realize she was fighting a losing battle.

“I’ll have the turkey wrap, please,” she finally said. “And a water.”

“Great. I’ll be back soon.”

It didn’t take long for their sandwiches to be ready. Colin brought their meals over and took the seat across from hers. Reaching for her hand, he said, “I’d like to say grace.”

“Of course.” Faye bowed her head.

“Lord Jesus, we thank You for keeping us safe. Please continue to watch over us and those helping to seek justice. Amen.”

“And we thank You for this food. Amen,” Faye added.

Touched by her prayer, he reluctantly released her. “That was nice, thanks.”

“I’m impressed by your faith, and that of your family.” Faye opened her water bottle and took a sip. “I can’t say I meet many people who pray like you do.”

“It was always a practice in our family while growing up. I give Rhy credit for keeping the family traditions going after we lost our parents. He set a good example for us.”

“My dad stopped attending church after my mother died.” She toyed with her water bottle for a moment before unwrapping her sandwich. “I guess I did the same thing.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” He smiled and reached for his sandwich. “God is always there, waiting for you.”

She nodded, her expression thoughtful. They ate in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the sunshine pouring through the window. When his phone buzzed, he glanced at the text message from Mitch.

“What is it?” Faye leaned forward to see the screen, reading the message upside down. “Mitch has the list?”

“He does. He’ll meet us back at the hotel in thirty minutes.” He was relieved to have something tangible to work on. Being alone in the suite with Faye made him slightly uncomfortable. It was almost—too much togetherness. Not to mention too much downtime. Normally, he’d be at the gym working out, not sitting around chitchatting.

He wasn’t sure why he was so hyperaware of her. Granted, she was beautiful, smart, and compassionate...

Well, maybe he did know. He’d always admired Faye, especially when they were in high school. She probably didn’t remember that they’d had a physics class together. One he wouldn’t have passed without her help on their team project.

He’d wanted to ask her to prom. Then he’d heard she was leaving school early to attend college, which put a crimp in that plan. She probably wouldn’t have gone with him anyway. He couldn’t remember seeing her at one of their school dances.

And why was he thinking about stuff that happened more than twelve years ago? They were both thirty years old. Well past high school drama.

She finished her meal, wrapping the garbage into a small ball. “I’m ready to go when you are.”

“Okay.” He wasn’t in a hurry to get back to the hotel, and they had plenty of time until their meeting with Mitch, so he took his time finishing his roast beef sandwich. “Do you always eat so fast?”

She flushed and shrugged. “Job hazard. We don’t get much time for meal breaks. Especially since we’re often short-staffed.”

“I thought my brother Rhy had logged the world’s record for devouring food.” He shot her a teasing smile. “You give him a run for his money.”

She rolled her eyes. “Thanks, I’ll make a note to slow down so I don’t steal his record.”

That made him laugh. “You’re a good sport, Faye. You fit right in with the rest of the Finnegans.” As soon as the comment left his mouth, he wished it back. “I, uh, didn’t mean you’d have to keep hanging around us or anything. Just that it’s nice you don’t take offense.”

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