Empty.
She made her way to the front door. To the edge of the porch. Peered around the heavy support column.
There he was. Tall, six feet or so. Wearing a gray hoodie with the hood up, jeans, and athletic shoes. Bolting down the sidewalk. Just reaching a corner. He barreled to the right.
She caught sight of her laptop and some file folders under his arm, but he was too far gone for an effective foot pursuit. Thankfully, a patrol car raced toward her from the opposite direction. She shoved her weapon in her waistband and rushed over the grass to the curb. The deputy stopped and lowered his window.
Good, Deputy Price.Someone I know.
“Intruder bailed,” she said, her voice shaking. “He’s on foot. Headed east from here. Turned south at the corner. Uncertain if he’s armed, but didn’t see a weapon.”
She described the suspect and backed away from the car to stop Price from wanting to talk further when he had all the information she could provide. He took the hint and floored the gas pedal, flew to the corner, then careened around it. She wished she could’ve ridden along with him, but she wasn’t on duty or in uniform. If something terrible happened, it would reflect poorly on not only herself, but Price, too. She wouldn’t do that to him.
Her nerves consumed her whole body, and continuing to stand seemed impossible. She dropped to the grass and breathed slowly as she’d told victims to do in the past. She’d handled many intruders and some home invasions and believed she’d understood what the victim was going through. Now she knew. She’d been wrong. Way wrong.
From the other direction, a black pickup flew down the street.Gabe.
His brakes squealed as he stopped on the other side of the road. He jumped out and raced across the street. She put the caring in his expression at the highest DEFCON number.
He reached her and looked down on her, that intensity still present, but he’d mixed caring and compassion in equal measures.
Her heart fluttered.
“Are you okay?” Sounded like anger tried to swallow his words.
“Fine. Intruder’s gone. Raced away on foot. Deputy Price went after him.” Tears pricked her eyes.
Stop it. You’re a detective. Be strong. She looked away, trying to stop herself from falling apart and letting the tears flow. She failed.
He dropped in front of her and enveloped her hands in his.
The warmth of his skin was bliss against hers, but even with his support, her hands shook uncontrollably.
“Aw, sweetheart, don’t cry.” He released her hands to draw her into his arms. “I’m here now. It’ll be okay.”
She reveled in his touch, loving that he thought if he came to her rescue, she should believe everything would be okay. And really, if he were by her side in life, wouldn’t everything be okay? Sure, they’d have problems. Maybe lots of problems. But with a strong, honorable Christian man like Gabe at her side, she had twice the strength of one human.
Couple that with God, and they couldn’t lose.
He continued to hold her, and she let him do so longer than a resilient detective should. But she was also a woman. Something she’d tried to ignore in life far too often.
She drank in the feel of his arms for one last moment, then pushed free. “I knew before I called you that you would come.”
“Well, yeah, I would’ve shown up for a stranger, but for you? I would’ve battled any natural disaster you can name to get here.”
“Makes me want to have you in my life all the time,” she said, and held her breath, unsure how he would take her comment.
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Same for me. Sometimes it takes something this terrifying to set priorities.”
“Without a doubt we need to pursue what’s going on between us after the investigation is over.”
“I can hardly wait, and I’m going to kiss you, if that’s all right.”
Oh yes, what she’d wanted for a long time.
She placed her hands on both sides of his face. “More than all right. In fact…” She couldn’t wait and drew his head down, pressing her lips against his before he had a chance to initiate the kiss.
He groaned and tightened his arms around her, pulling her even closer. The kiss started out tame at first, but he deepened it, and she relished every second. She wanted it to go on and on again. To be close to him. Dare she even think about being married to him?
