Page 45 of A Matter of Time

He smirked at me. “I thought you were going home.”

“I never said I was going home.”

“So what are you doing?”

“I told you. I’m thinking.”

“About what?”

“Who to call.”

“Who to call for what?”

“Company.”

He squinted at me. “Why call anyone? I’m offering you a ride home.”

“But I’m hungry.”

“I’ll feed you.”

I scoffed, smiling at him. “No wonder you wanted me to go into the witness protection program. Feeding us people has got to be expensive on a policeman’s salary.”

“You’re the only witness I’ve ever fed.”

I just looked at him.

“Don’t read anything into it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Detective.”

His brows furrowed as a muscle in his jaw twitched.

“I’m gonna let you get back to your friends.” I brushed past him, starting across the parking lot, heading toward the street.

He grabbed me fast, whirling me around to face him. “You’re tired, so you’re way oversensitive. Why don’t we eat and then I’ll drive you home?”

“No. I don’t need your⁠—”

“C’mon.” He smiled at me, slowly drawing me closer to him. “Please.”

“You just wanna make sure nobody shoots me in the head.”

He chuckled. “That would be correct.”

I let out a deep breath as he grabbed the front of my heavy wool fisherman’s sweater. “Okay.”

“Good,” he said softly, pulling me after him.

I was comfortable in his monster car; the smells, the dashboard, and the view from the top of the world were familiar.

“What about your friends?”

“Duty calls. They get that.”

I was a duty, then. How very flattering.

“Try and stay awake, okay?”