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Jacquie stood abruptly, not wanting him to go like this, or be mad at her. “Chase, wait.”
He stopped and cast her a hurt glare over his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” Jacquie offered, holding eye contact and speaking plainly. Though that confrontation was long overdue, it didn’t help anyone to be cruel about it. “I was out of line. Please come back.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. You need to rest. I need to see to things.”
She walked toward him and took his arm. “Nothing that’s pressing. Let’s go see the horses. You always liked them.”
He stared at her for a long moment, then smiled as the tension seeped from his shoulders. “Yes. I’ve always loved the horses.”
“Do you get to ride much?”
“Not since I left.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.”
They walked in silence for a moment, then she paused, pulling on his hand so that he’d stop and look at her. “The truth is, I blamed your brother for your leaving without a word. I probably shouldn’t have done that, but it was easier to blame him than you. Some hurts are hard to get past. But, I need to. My distrust of him is on me, and I don’t want it to interfere with the case. I’m a better detective than that.”
He seemed frozen in place for a moment as he processed that, then rocked on his heels and blinked. “I… Thank you. I appreciate that. Maybe we both are too close to this case to be objective.”
“Then we’ll just have to keep the other in check.” She offered him a soft smile. “I’m game if you are.”
He shook his head and a grin brightened his face. “Why, Jacquie Halloway, I think you just said you trust me.”
She pinched her forefinger against her thumb. “Maybe just a smidge.”
He laughed. “I’ll take it.”
They walked without saying a word until they reached the barn and went inside. Most of the horses were in the corral but there were still three in the stables.
“You want to go for a ride?” she asked as they stepped in front of the first stall. She wanted to, more than she’d wanted anything in a long time, but she couldn’t. Her ribs were starting to ache. It must be time to take her medication.
Chase looked at her like she was crazy. “You just got out of the hospital. I am not going to let you ride a horse.”
She gave a heavy sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Wait, did you just tell me I’m right?”
“Maybe.”
“Can you say that again?”
She laughed and his eyes met hers and held her gaze for a long moment. She wanted to kiss him. What was wrong with her? She knew better—not only because of their past, but they were partners, working together. She took a quick step back and turned toward the brown mare in front of them. She reached out her hand and stroked the mare’s long neck, murmuring to the horse.
“I suppose I owe you an apology too.”
She turned to him, the depth and intentness in his gaze stole her breath. “You do?”
“I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I was too chicken to come tell you what was happening. I don’t know if I was more afraid of your tears, or that you would talk me out of it. So I took the coward’s way out and left you hanging with no explanation. I always thought I’d reach out once I got to Basic, but the more time passed, the harder it got. Then it just got to be too long. I was young and dumb.”
She smiled slightly. “Thank you. I appreciate the apology, but are you telling me you haven’t grown up in eight years?”
“Ha!” He barked a sheepish laugh and stared at his boots as he kicked a bale of hay. “Okay, you got me there. By the time I got out of the Army, I figured you wouldn’t want to talk to me anyway.”
“That’s fair. I wouldn’t have.”
The horse in the next stall over neighed.
