Page 26 of Abandoned

“What’d you pick him up for?”

“I can’t even remember. I think there were various charges at different times.”

“Did he ever threaten you before this?”

“Just sleazy comments like the other night.”

“What was his exact threat yesterday morning?”

“‘I will find you.’ That was it. And I guess he did.”

“We’ll have to pull up his arrest records and see what he’s been charged with before. That may give us some insight as to what he’s thinking.”

Zara chuckled.

“What?”

“All right, Detective Cooper.”

He shook his head. “I’m no detective. But a little investigating is always fun.”

“I’ll give you that.”

The front door of the diner opened, and Logan walked in, looked around, and as soon as he spotted Will, waved.

“So much for our one-on-one date.”

“Is that what this is, a date?”

“Maybe. But we’ve got a third wheel now.”

Pulling her hand from his, Zara turned and waved to Logan. “Yeah, but at least the three of us make a good trike.”

Logan came around the corner and slid into the booth next to Zara, wrapping his arm across her shoulders. “Why didn’t you two call me? I would have come helped kick some butt.” After a quick squeeze, he pulled his arm away from Zara.

Will said, “There were no butts to kick, not yet anyway. We’ve got a solid suspect though.”

They filled Logan in regarding Ernie.

Their meal arrived, and Logan ordered some food too. Will really didn’t mind having his friend here at all. Anyone else, and he’d tell them to get lost. Zara was right about the three of them being a good fit.

The banter and camaraderie that flowed between the three of them was priceless. As hesitant as Zara seemed to be to connect with people, she had fallen into sync with them from day one. But Will now wondered how deep she’d be able to go with him. Could they move past the friendship level? It seemed like they were headed there, but something nagged at Will’s spirit—the idea there would be a battle for her heart to be truly united to his.

And could he stick with it if it was difficult? It didn’t take a genius to recognize that he struggled with stick-with-it-ness. That’s why he loved being a uniformed officer. It was reactive. He did reactive well. But relationships required fortitude and being proactive. He wanted to see those qualities in himself, but he’d be lying if he claimed them.

Is that what God wanted to teach him though? Could he really grow in that area? He had to if he ever wanted to get married and have a family. And that he knew he wanted more than anything.

Zara chatted with Logan while they ate, but Will had become quiet, deep in thought. He wasn’t ignoring them but was definitely preoccupied with his thoughts. Had her detective comment hit wrong? She’d said it to test the waters and see where he was with the idea. Did he simply need a little pushing in that direction? He would make a great investigator if he applied himself.

He glanced up, and she caught his eye. His smile nearly made her melt into the vinyl seat cover that her thighs were already good and stuck to.

Had he told Logan what was going on between the two of them? Of course, Logan wasn’t an idiot. He probably saw it, but had Will admitted it?

Once her omelet was gone, she extended her hand across the table like it had been before Logan had arrived.

Will eyed her hand and raised an eyebrow.

She sent him an expression to say, “Are you ready to show affection in front of our friend?”