Page 53 of Countdown

She let out a low sigh and Vince couldn’t tell what it meant. Finally, she nodded. “Okay, thank you.”

He raised a brow. That was it? He was making progress. “So, now that we’ve got business taken care of, I guess I should ask if you like the water.”

“The water how?”

“Like boating, fishing, swimming, Jet Skis, et cetera.”

“Sure. I love anything outdoors. Except the cold.” She eyedthe sky. “At least at the moment. When that storm rolls in, it’s going to be a bit colder than cold. Why?”

“I know a place by the lake. It’s peaceful. Quiet. Surrounded by woods and lots of wildlife. Want to swing through a drive-thru, grab some food, and go sit out on the dock? With someone on Harper’s tail, we should be able to have some time to decompress.”

“Decompress?”

“Some people call it relaxing, but after everything that’s happened, decompressing seems like a better description.”

She laughed. “True.” Then nodded. “Okay. I like that idea.”

“And I have blankets to ward off the chill if we need them.”

Thirty minutes later, with the delicious smell of burgers and fries filling the car and the sun beaming through slightly gray clouds, Vince wound them up Bald Mountain, then pulled into the driveway of a large lake house.

Raina gaped. “Is this yours?”

He laughed. “I wish, but no. It belongs to a good friend. We went through the academy together, then he inherited a small fortune from his grandparents when they passed away. This was a part of that inheritance, and I have an open invitation to stop by and use it whenever I can. I texted him and asked if it was available this afternoon and he told me to help myself.”

“Nice friend.”

“One of the best.” He grabbed the food. “Ready?”

“Absolutely.”

They climbed out of the car and he motioned to the side of the house. “We can use the kitchen table or sit in the gazebo at the end of the dock. What’s your preference?”

“The gazebo, definitely.” She cast a glance at the sky. “And we’d have cover if it rains.”

“Hopefully it’ll hold off. I have plans.”

“What kind of plans?”

“You’ll see.”

Vince led the way, following the stepping-stone path around the side of the two-story brick home and into a yard that sloped down to a wooden dock. A pontoon boat bobbed gently on the right side and a red ski boat did the same on the left.

“Nice,” she murmured, stopping at the edge of the back deck.

“Chip loves the water. His wife hates it, but she loves him, so...”

“The things we do for those we love, right? The sacrifices we make?”

The abrupt sadness in her voice jerked his gaze to her in time to see the grief etched on her features. Then she blinked and it was gone. He took her hand and squeezed. “You okay? What was that look all about?”

She shrugged. “The past.” Her lips curved upward, but he thought it looked forced. “And that’s where it needs to stay, although it appears that’s not going to happen.”

“Well, for now we can just relax and enjoy the rest of the day, right?”

“We can?”

“Why not?”

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