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“They were the ones who asked me,” Clark said. “Well, Desrouleaux was. Chavez doesn’t know you. That reminds me, you should take her out to lunch sometime. She’s a good kid. She’d benefit from some advice from a seasoned veteran like yourself.”
“I’ll hit her up some time,” Faith said, her eyes still planted on the file.
She wasn’t sure if she wanted this anymore. On one hand, this was the case that had consumed her thoughts for months. On the other hand, her obsession had brought her nothing but pain or loss, chief of which was the loss that she had just been on her way to regain.
Then again, she wasn’t having nightmares anymore. She wasn’t moody or anxious anymore. Maybe she was ready.
Or maybe the reason her mind was healing was the fact that shewasn’tinvolved with the case.
“Hey, Faith,” Clark said gently. “Look, I’ll understand if you’re not up for this. I won’t be offended if you pass. I know this case caused you a lot of grief. I only wanted to give you first right of refusal since the case is so important to you. And I do think you’re ready, but if you don’t think that, just let me know, and I’ll ask someone else to take a look at it.”
“No,” she said, speaking almost before her mind caught up to her decision. “It’s all right. I’ll take it.”
His eyes brightened, and he smiled. “Wonderful,” he said. “Thank you, Faith. I appreciate the help.”
“No problem,” Faith said, forcing a return smile. “I’ll look it over and get back to you with my thoughts.”
He gave her a thumbs-up. “You’re the best, Faith.”
She stood and reached for the file. She half-expected a jolt of electricity to run through her when she touched it, but it felt the same as any other file. She smiled again at Clark, then left the office.
***
“Faith,” David said, frozen in shock. “What are you doing here?”
Faith didn’t answer right away, not because she didn’t have an answer but because she’d forgotten just how attractive David was. His light brown hair fell in soft waves nearly to his shoulders and his bright blue eyes shone like diamonds behind his glasses. His body looked like it belonged on a billboard, and his lips were full and soft, but still rugged and manly and—
She took a deep breath and smiled at him. “I came here to talk to you.”
“Oh,” he said. “I, uh, I wish you had called first.”
“Would you have answered if I did?”
He lowered his eyes and didn’t reply for a moment. Finally, he smiled and said, “It’s good to see you.”
He opened his arms and Faith embraced him. His smile stopped before reaching his eyes and his shoulders were tense under Faith’s embrace, but he was here, he was real, and for a moment, she was in his arms again. She closed her eyes and clung to the feel of him, the soft musky scent of his cologne, the rise and fall of his chest.
She released him after a moment and said, “Do you have a few minutes?”
He smiled wryly, and this smile, at least, reached his eyes. “Do I have a choice?”
“Yes,” she said. “If you tell me to leave, I will.”
She kept her eyes on him, heart pounding. She forced herself to stay calm as she waited for his response.
“I have a few minutes,” he finally said. “Coffee?”
“Of course!” she said. “I never say no to coffee.”
“I thought that was Michael,” he replied as they left the veterinary office.
“No, Michael says no to coffee all the time. If it’s not some heirloom varietal from the highlands of Ethiopia or Rwanda or some country or other, then he won’t drink it. Or he will, and he’ll just spend hours bitching about it.”
David laughed. “You know, I never got to meet him.”
“You didn’t?” she asked. “I thought we had dinner with him and Ellie.”
“No.” He shook his head. “We talked about it, but it never happened.”
