“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Unfortunately, I am.” He wasn’t sure he wanted to go down this road, but here they were and for some reason he felt the need to tell her. “My last serious relationship ended on a very sour note.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she murmured. “Did she break your heart?”
“Not only my heart but the law,” he replied. The old anger tinged his tone. He’d been so blinded by his love for Rebecca. A fate he swore to himself he’d never allow again. “She was dealing drugs right under my nose.”
“Whoa.”
“Yeah. Whoa.” A shudder worked over him. “I had to arrest her and now she’s doing time.”
“That’s rough. And I thought my love life was dismal,” Maren stated with a grim tone.
He gave her a questioning glance, inviting her to speak further. But she remained quiet.
Apparently, she wouldn’t be sharing.
An awkward tension settled over the cab and he wasn’t sure what to say next. Finally, she broke the silence. “Well, you know about me and Opal. What’s your family like?”
That was a safer topic. “I come from a big clan of includers. It wouldn’t be a gathering at my parents’ without a slew of guests we’ve all collected. I’m a middle child. Two older siblings, one sister and one brother. And two younger siblings, also a brother and sister. Comes with a lot of drama, a lot of laughter and a lot of tears.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Her wistful note had his heart contracting.
“Hey, you’ll have a niece or nephew to love on soon,” he told her. “I have twin nieces. And a couple of nephews who are rowdy with a capitalR.”
They shared a smile. A dimple winked at him from one corner of her mouth. His heart did a little thump. So pretty.
Warmth gathered in his chest. Unnerved by his attraction to Maren, who was impressive while drawing him in at the same time, Colt concentrated on the road.
The woman next to him was equal parts tough cop and loving sister. But his trust level was low ever since he was betrayed by a woman who turned out to be in the drug trade. He still beat himself up that he hadn’t known until the day he’d had to arrest her. She’d broken his faith and his heart.
His faith was slowly being restored, but his heart—not so much.
And if he wasn’t careful, this woman beside him could work her way through the cracks of the barricades he’d erected to keep from ever experiencing the kind of pain he had with Rebecca.
If he were to let Maren in, would there be healing? Or just more heartache in store for him?
Not questions he wanted to spend any energy on finding the answers to.
Two hours later, Colt brought his truck to a halt in the parking lot of the Colorado K-9 Unit task force headquarters building. A two story-brick building with lots of windows.
“The bottom floor is our training center,” Maren said. “Upstairs are the offices.”
Curious to see the task force’s digs, Colt jumped out and released Rusk from the back of the truck. Once the dog was leashed and Maren had Haven on a lead, Colt and Rusk walked next to Maren and Haven toward to the building. Maren led them around to the back to a lawn surrounded by a short fence. Once inside the gated area, Maren removed Haven’s lead. Colt followed suit.
“Playtime,” Maren said with a smile.
The dogs hesitated, then slowly walked in opposite directions before circling back to sniff each other.
Haven bowed, the signal for play. Then she and Rusk were running around the grassy space, taking turns chasing each other.
“I think they’ll get along,” Colt said.
“Agreed.” She whistled.
Haven immediately veered in an arc and ran back to Maren’s side.
