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Clare hauled up the suspect to his feet, hands cuffed behind his back. “I’m not really looking for a job.”
Gage figured from her face that she knew he was aware. Still, he said, “I know.” Mostly so Liam would get off this train. “Sergeant O’Connell, take this man to the living room. He’s under arrest for attempted murder of a police officer.”
“Yes, Lieutenant.” Liam took the cuffed man’s elbow and led him from the room.
“That isn’t the guy we came here to find. He could just be a squatter.” Clare kept talking while he crossed to her. “For all we know, he isn’t one of them.”
Gage tugged her in for a hug and wrapped his arms around her. Clare stiffened for a second, then sighed and wrapped her arms around him. “We make a pretty good team.”
“We always did,” she said. “That was never the problem.”
He leaned back. “You’re pretty amazing, and if you were a cop, I would force the paperwork through to get you transferred to my team.”
“If I was a cop—” She grinned. “Let’s face it. I’d beleadingyour team.”
Gage snorted. He wasn’t going to tell her, but she was probably right. The kind of woman Clare was, she’d probably be his superior. “You’d make all our lives miserable.”
She chuckled. “But I’d get results.”
He grinned. Having her in his arms, feeling the warmth of her up against him. He hadn’t been a Christian for long, but all those good ideals and principals for living seemed to fade from his mind along with Paul’s words about being single.
He’d been content. But now she was back in his life, he was rethinking his ideas. And maybe that was the whole point. He’d been focused.
Now he was focused onher.
He leaned down, realizing kissing sounded like an excellent idea he hadn’t had in a long time. He knew the truth of what they’d both lost. He’d found his father. The issues between him and Clare had come out, so now they could start to do the work of seeing if there was still something there.
Only, he already knew that answer, didn’t he?
Gage’s lips touched hers. The briefest of kisses. Adrenaline, good sense out the window—if this was even a bad idea, which he wasn’t sure was true.
Clare’s arms tightened around him, and she tucked her body closer to his.
It was familiar and new at the same time. Everything he’d had and wanted for his future. Someone to be close to, who loved him regardless of all the ways he didn’t measure up. Someone he could show the same love to.
His earpiece crackled in his ear. “Lieutenant.” It was Jasper. “I found something you’re gonna wanna see.”
Gage pulled his lips back from Clare’s and said, “I doubt it.”
She frowned. “What?”
He shifted so she’d know he wasn’t talking to her and said, “What is it, Hollingsworth?” Gage didn’t want to let Clare go. Not yet.
She stayed tucked up against him, so he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Both of them were sweaty in their rumpled protective gear, but it was a sweet moment anyway. A stolen minute of togetherness he’d missed.
Jasper said, “East side of the house. Second floor.”
“On our way.” Gage stepped back from Clare and immediately realized two things. He didn’t like being far from her, and the need to be close could get dangerous. If they were going to build something, it would end with an aisle and her wearing a ring. Not out of order like it would have been last time.
She didn’t say anything as they left the room and he tried to figure out which side of the house was east. Gage glanced back and saw the pink on her cheeks. She bit her lip.
He looked back where he was going so he didn’t trip over something. “So that wasn’t the guy we were looking for, Aaron Crenshaw.”
“That’s what I was saying.”
Before he’d kissed her. “But you’re right, I don’t think it’s a squatter. I think he’s one of our bank robbery suspects. Hopefully this one will talk.”
“One more to find, and we’re done, right?”
