Page 124 of Winter Vows

“Just their feelings,” Justin said wryly. “He thought he was in the clear.”

“Nice work. By the way, we’ll talk about that clever little stunt you pulled with me later.”

Justin laughed. “I thought you might have something to say about that. Over and out, pal.”

Dylan glanced into the back seat and caught Kelsey’s puzzled expression. An exhausted Bobby was sound asleep in her lap. Her hand rested protectively against his cheek as if she needed the contact to prove to herself he was with her again.

“What stunt?” she asked quietly.

“Your buddy the sheriff had me pulled over about ten miles from here so I’d stay out of the way,” he responded with a touch of indignation. “I’ve got to admit it was a slick maneuver, though at the time I had a few choice words to say to him. Still, I wouldn’t mind working for a man that devious.”

Kelsey laughed, her expression finally relaxing. “Justin? Devious? Dylan, you’ve got to be kidding. He’s a total straight-arrow.”

“That’s what he wants you to think, but believe me, darlin’, I know a sneaky scoundrel when I meet one.”

“It takes one to know one, I imagine.”

Dylan turned and pinned her with a look. “You’ve got that right.” He nodded toward Bobby. “Think he’ll be okay?”

“Time will tell. So far, it seems he genuinely believes he was just on a big adventure with his daddy and he’s not completely happy about it being over. We’ll have to wait and see if he starts having nightmares.”

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think Paul mistreated him,” Dylan said. “When I found him in that motel, he was more scared of me busting in there than he was of his dad. He even stood up to him, when Paul was tying me up. He told him I was Mommy’s friend and he shouldn’t do that.”

“That’s my boy,” she said with evident pride. “Quite a tough guy.”

“Like his mama,” Dylan noted, then asked sympathetically, “Reality setting in yet?”

“My knees haven’t stopped knocking for the past ten minutes,” she admitted.

“Then let’s get home and get you something to eat and drink,” he said as he started the car. “You’ll need something to fortify you for all Justin’s questions. This may be over, but there will be a ton of paperwork.”

She chuckled lightly. “You’re talking to a doctor, remember? The concept of paperwork is not alien to me. I can spend an hour pulling a kid through a medical crisis and another six hours filling out all the forms to justify the treatment. Does that make any sense?”

“It probably does if you’re an insurance company, but to me, no. Paperwork is just one of the things that kept me out of the Houston police department.”

“And the others?” she asked, studying him curiously.

“Rules,” he said at once. “And more rules.”

“I think I get the picture.”

She fell silent and for a moment Dylan thought she, too, might have fallen asleep. A glance in the rearview mirror told him otherwise. She was staring at the passing scenery, though he doubted she was actually seeing it.

“Kelsey? What’s up?”

“I was thinking,” she said. “About?”

“You, actually. We’ve just been through the most traumatic days of my life together. I feel closer to you than almost anyone else I can think of, and I don’t really know you at all.”

Dylan recognized the feeling. It had swept over him from time to time in the last few days. “How do you feel about changing that? Starting from scratch?”

“I don’t think that’s possible. We can’t go back and pretend this didn’t happen.”

“No,” he agreed. “But we can move on, fill in the blanks.” He hesitated, then asked, “Or will I just be a reminder of everything that’s gone on?”

“Absolutely not,” she said fiercely. “How could I blame you for any of this?”

“I wasn’t suggesting you’d blame me, just that you’d always link me to a bad time in your life, a time you’d rather not relive.”

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