Page 23 of Gunn's Mission

“They’re not too big.”

“How do you know?” he said with a little growl.

Which caught her attention. He liked the blush that flooded her cheeks.

“I’m pretty sure you’re good at working with…large things.”

Gunn chuckled softly, then stuck the curved hook into another loop, pulled the yarn through, looped some more thread over the hook, and tried not to pull too hard because he’d need more room when he turned and started on the next row. He’d completed three rows so far. He might finish this thing in a year. But then, who would he give it to? She’d given him a pink ball of yarn.

While she worked on her scarf, which was already a foot long, and he pretended to be engrossed in creating his next row, he kept track of where everyone was inside the building. Nate, Eric, Perry, and Hanna were playing poker in the kitchen. Em had disappeared down the hallway, saying she was tired. When she’d made that announcement, Maddie had given her a sympathetic look and wished her a good night’s sleep. The others had looked sad and uncomfortable.

Gunn had studied Em’s expression, and as far as he could tell, she looked genuinely sad. Like the girlfriend of a man who’d died only days ago would. The others seemed… He didn’t know. Watching the group in the kitchen, he noted they were very competitive. Even though they were playing for matchsticks, which was a rule Maddie had put into place because she wouldn’t tolerate issues arising among them regarding money, there was tension in their shoulders. Cards slapped the table when someone triumphed. The groans were loud when someone lost.

He shook his head. They were no different from SEALs he’d known who’d played for money. He was trying to see problems where there weren’t any.

But someone had murdered Mateo.

“Did you give up?”

Maddie’s soft voice drew his gaze. “Just trying to figure it out,” he said softly.

“It’s going to drive me nuts, too,” she whispered. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

Something banged from the direction of the roof.

“It’s the wind,” Maddie said. “It’s picking up. Sometimes, a panel lifts a bit.”

“Are you talking about the roof?”

“Yeah. It happens.”

“Do you lose sections of the roof?”

She shrugged. “One bent last year, and we had to get up there to screw it back down.”

“Think we’ve got snow?”

She glanced across at him and smiled. “Want to go see?”

They pushed up from the sofa, stuffed their scarves and yarn balls into the bag Maddie had set between them, and headed to the mudroom to don their outerwear. Gunn placed his Glock in his pocket, just in case.

When they stepped outside, Gunn raised his head to the sky.

Snow shone in the light from the floodlight attached to the edge of the roof. He smiled down at Maddie, who stood beside him. She stepped off the single-step porch and stood on the ground to turn in circles, opening her mouth and sticking out her tongue to catch flakes.

“It’s effing cold,” Gunn said, raising his neck cover over his nose.

She laughed. “So, the Minnesota boy thinks this is cold.”

He chuckled, enjoying watching her turn, her arms outspread. The woman knew how to enjoy the small things.

Behind them, the door opened. The rest of the team, minus Em, tumbled outside in their heavy jackets.

Nate grinned. “The fun begins,” he said.

Eric laughed. “Fuck. Tomorrow’s going to be bitch.”

“I’ll keep an eye on the forecast,” Maddie said. “Hopefully, we’ll get a break in the snow so we can go out to the sites.”

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