AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He flashed back to Becky sitting in his office, her hands trembling and her eyes widening as she asked him if he’d be able to arrest Reece. If he’d known more about the man at the time, he would’ve had him in cuffs and he would’ve called down the FBI to see if they wanted him. If not, he’d have handed him off to West Virginia, but he’d let him slip right through his fingers.
“You all right?” Kevin stopped at his desk.
He raked a hand through his hair. “I’m not thrilled that I let this guy get away.”
Kevin straightened his glasses. “You couldn’t have known.”
“I don’t know about that. If I’d enlisted your help sooner, we might’ve known before they split.”
“You’re kind of a lone wolf sometimes, but don’t beat yourself up. You did your best.”
“No, I didn’t, but thanks for your hard work. How late did you stay here digging into this?”
“A couple of hours.” Kevin gave him a pointed look. “I could show you how I do it, but then you wouldn’t need me.”
“Not true.” This wasn’t the first time he’d realized too late that he should’ve relied more on Kevin. His fellow park ranger might be younger, but he had skills Malachi lacked. They would complement each other if he allowed the younger ranger’s assistance more often. But right now, he needed to focus on the present problem. “How would you feel about taking care of Titan and Pixie while I take a little trip?”
Kevin shrugged. “Sure thing. I’ve got your back. Do what you need to do.”
West Virginia. He would follow the instructions in his mother’s message and uncover the roots of his past. Going back was the only way forward. He needed to find out how the Jade community wound up under the leadership of a killer. And in order to figure out where they were now, he needed to figure out where they’d been and had to try to put himself in the mind of a murderer.
Cate stared at Malachi’s contact information on her cell phone. She’d been wrestling with herself for ten minutes about whether or not to call him. No man in his right mind would want to see her again after being forced to endure Grayson’s questions. He’d been in good humor when he left. Had even gotten Gray to laugh when the conversation turned away from her and toward spring training. She was glad they could talk baseball. It wasn’t a subject that interested her in the slightest, but if it gave them a safe topic to discuss, she was all for it.
She sucked in a breath for courage and hit the call button.
Malachi picked up on the first ring. “Hi, Cate.”
“Hi.” She looked out her bedroom window and focused her attention on the tree line. The trees were starting to bud. Spring was around the corner. “I’m sorry about Gray.”
“Unless you called him and set the whole thing up, there is nothing to apologize for. He’s a grown man and made his own decision to show up at your place.”
“Nonetheless, I know it was awkward and weird.”
“It was.”
She blinked back tears. This was it. Where he would tell her that he couldn’t deal with her family. It happened every time she met someone she thought was a decent guy.
“Your brothers aren’t going to scare me away that easily. I have to take a trip to West Virginia, but when I return, I’d love to take you out again. If you’re game?”
Her eyes closed, and she sent up a silent prayer of thanksgiving. “I’d like that. Why are you going to West Virginia?”
“Let’s make a deal. I’ll tell you all about my trip after you tell me a few things about yourself. You’ve been holding back, and if we’re going to get to know each other, it’s a two-way street.”
“What if I came with you?” The words came out before she had time to think them through. She had a job to do. Taking time off without any notice was crazy. Yet, if she was going to take a chance on this man, what better way to do it than to spend a few days together.
“I don’t plan overnights with a woman I just started dating.”
“I wasn’t suggesting we stay in the same room.”
“Are you serious? You would drop everything and join me?”
“Yes. I’ll get my own room, obviously, but it’ll be a chance for us to spend time together.”
“Leave the booking to me,” he said.
“I promise not to tell my brothers where I am.” She wouldn’t mention that Grayson lived and worked in Virginia. That fact would not help her case.
“I wouldn’t put it past Grayson to show up.”
