Page 34 of Scorched Secrets

“Good.” Mitch grinned again. “You know, if you ever decide to go the investigator route, I’ll put in a good word for you.”

Colin chuckled at that. “I have no plans to give up my position, Callahan. But thanks for the suggestion and support.”

“Suit yourself.” Mitch shot her a curious glance, making her wonder if her complicated feelings for Colin were obvious, before turning to head out the motel room door.

Resisting the urge to cover her warm cheeks flush with embarrassment, she turned back to the computer. Mitch wanted her top three patient complaints checked out, so that’s what she’d do.

“We can do that after dinner,” Colin pointed out.

“Just give me a few minutes.” She didn’t look up at him, lest he notice her feelings too. “This won’t take long.”

“Okay.” He crowded close. Too close. After seeing how Mitch and Colin had used Jayson’s social media site, she did the same with the first name on her list, Martin and Lavone Steele. Lavone had a page; Martin didn’t. She was able to find several family photos, and it was clear their children were too large to be the suspect on the videotape.

“One down, two to go.” She typed in the next name. That suspect was also just as quickly ruled out, at least in her humble opinion. After searching the third name, she found one son who fit the description. But when she dug deeper, she discovered the guy was currently living in Kentucky.

“He could be here visiting,” she said to Colin. “But I doubt it. Looks like he has a full-time job in accounting. Not exactly the type to start fires.”

“We’ll jot his name down as a possible.” Colin took the pad of paper and made a note. “I agree with you, though. I don’t see this guy as our suspect.”

Sitting back in the chair, she stared at the screen. It was looking more and more likely that Jayson and Daniel were responsible. With a grimace, she closed the laptop. “We should grab dinner.”

“Yes, let’s.” Colin stood. “I searched for nearby restaurants while you were poking through social media sites. There’s a Mexican place three miles from here.”

“Yum.” She liked all different types of food. Especially if she didn’t have to cook it. “I’m ready.”

He surprised her by taking her hand. He’d grabbed the laptop, too, maybe planning to do more searches. They walked around the corner of the building to reach the back where he’d left Mitch’s SUV. Mitch had borrowed his brother’s vehicle, who was now driving Colin’s Jeep. It was like musical SUVs around here.

Colin drove while keeping one eye glued to the rearview mirror. She appreciated his intense scrutiny but felt safe here with him. They’d taken every precaution possible. If they weren’t safe here, she wasn’t sure they’d be safe anywhere.

She tried not to dwell on the grim thought.

The three-mile drive took longer than normal because Colin backtracked several times. His actions, and the weapon strapped to his ankle, made him come across as a keen-eyed cop.

When he’d parked near the exit of the restaurant, she put a hand on his arm. “You’re not going to wear the gun inside, are you?”

“Oh, yeah. I am.” He didn’t smile.

“I can tell you’re not comfortable with it,” she protested. “No need to take it inside.”

“How I feel doesn’t matter. Anything that keeps you from being hurt is worth it. Besides, it’s well hidden under my jeans at my ankle.” He pushed open his door. “Let’s go.”

She sighed and slid out of the vehicle. Colin held the door open for her, taking one last look over his shoulder before following her inside.

They were seated at a small booth in the corner. Colin took the seat facing the door.

“You really have a concealed carry permit?” She eyed him over the rim of their plastic menu.

“I do. And I’m okay at hitting my target.” The corner of his mouth lifted in a rueful smile. “Not as good as my sister Kyleigh, though. She’s crazy accurate. As are my brothers, Rhy, Tarin, Brady, Quinn, and Aiden. They used to tease me that I inherited my lack of skill in target practice from our mother.”

She smiled. “I’m sure you’re skilled enough. But seriously, please don’t use the gun unless you really have to.” She paused, then added, “I admire your career choice of being a firefighter. It doesn’t matter to me if you can shoot like your brothers and sister.”

“Trust me, I won’t use it unless absolutely necessary.” Colin looked up as their server approached. They gave their orders, sticking with soft drinks rather than one of their blended margaritas.

She toyed with her water glass. “It’s hard to believe we’ve only reconnected this morning. It’s been a really long day.”

“Hey, I’m here for you.” He reached across the table to take her hand. “We’re going to get through this, Faye. You’ll be safe, I promise. I don’t think it will be long now before Mitch gets Jayson and Daniel in custody.”

“I know.” She stared at their clasped hands, realizing the hours she’d spent with Colin only reinforced how bad her marriage to Rory had been, even before she’d caught him cheating. Colin was an honorable man.

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