Shielded In The Shadows

And quickly rephrased the thought in his mind. He wouldn’t be giving any. The gorgeous blonde, with her curly hair, looked tired, about as ready to fly as an ant.

“You had a rough one,” he said as pulled out a seat for her at the pagoda table on his way to the grill.

“When you get your thrills from work, days like today really suck.”

He might have thought she was leading him

to more...thrills...personal ones, but the way she sat there, staring out, sipping her wine, surveying his yard, not meeting his gaze, told him differently.

“Luke’s getting to you.”

“And Bill Heber,” she said. “I couldn’t get the man the last time, couldn’t protect Suzie, and it looks like he’s going to do it to me again.”

“Unless he didn’t do it.” It bothered him that she didn’t seem to give that option any consideration. For Bill’s sake, of course, but more for Suzie’s at this point. If they didn’t find the abuser, she was likely going to be hurt again.

“He did it.” She met his gaze then. “I know he did it. I just have to outsmart him. And believe me, I will.” She sipped.

He admired her bravado. The attitude it took to fight the kinds of fights she fought every single day.

Any chink at all could lose her this case. And police officers relied on their prosecutors. It was a heavy burden she bore.

“You aren’t drinking your wine.” She was looking at him now. “You don’t like it? I’m sorry, I should have asked what you preferred...”

He took a sip of wine. Found it...not bad. Not bad at all.

“I’m more of a beer man,” he told her. “But this is good.”

“It’s not going to hurt my feelings if you drink a beer.”

He shrugged.

“Seriously,” she said. And then, “Or are you out? I can go get some...”

Her desire to please was genuine and he realized how much he really just liked the woman. “I’ve got a six-pack in the fridge,” he told her. “I’m happy with this.”

He was just plain happier having her around.

* * *

Sitting in Jayden’s smallish, but nicely manicured backyard, Emma finally started to relax. The wine tasted good. The steaks cooking on the grill smelled good. And the man...

Every part of her approved of him.

Her ringing phone interrupted a feeling of contentment she hadn’t experienced in a while. It was Luke Lincoln’s arresting officer.

She listened, nodded, and hung up, noticing that Jayden had also taken a call.

“Luke?” she asked as he also disconnected.

“Son of a bitch.”

“You have to go?”

There’d been a miscommunication between court deputies and, instead of being taken to the holding cell to wait for a ride back to jail that afternoon, Luke had been released.

“No. Not yet, anyway. Officers have been sent to get him. Technically he hasn’t broken the law by leaving. He was told he could go. Might even think, with the win in court today, that he really is free.”

Technically. “I have to call up north again.” She was thinking aloud. “I know his wife and daughter are safe, but I need to let them know...”