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Of course, it would’ve been hard. Him dealing with what’d happened to Linley. Her guilt and grief over her husband... But they would’ve gotten through it. They would’ve found a way to make it work. Together. As partners.
Baker slipped his hand into his uniform slacks and produced what he’d hoped to hand Jocelyn herself. “Can you give her something for me?”
“What am I? The post office?” Jones asked.
“You’re a lot more reliable in my experience.” He handed off the collar and new set of tags he’d had made for Maverick. He wasn’t much of a dog person, but Jocelyn was worth trying for. “Thanks.”
He stepped down off the wide stone steps and headed for his patrol car with the prepackaged meals in hand. There would be other chances to see her. When she was ready. Hell, he’d host an Alpine Valley bake-off if it got her to face him, but for now, he had to accept Jocelyn needed space. From him.
“Baker.” His name on her lips paralyzed him from taking another step.
He turned to put her in his sights, and damn, his entire body went into a frenzy. Though this time, he wasn’t scared of losing control. This time there was no disconnect. Just Jocelyn.
She stood there covered in patches of flour down her front with a bit of egg sticking to the ends of her hair. White frosting grazed one corner of her mouth. It was obvious she’d been hard at work since they’d walked out of the cartel’s headquarters. Had most likely forgone sleep and taking care of herself to process everything they’d been through with hundreds of cookies, and hell, she could probably make a few hundred more and take on the entire cartel given the determination in her expression.
“Why did you do this?” She flipped the collar over her uninjured hand, running her thumb along the strands.
“Maverick’s tags didn’t have an updated address on them. I figured if he gets lost or separated from you like he did after...” The bag in his hand got heavier every second this distance stayed between them. That was what she did to him. Made everything feel lighter. At first, he’d resented her attempt to bring any kind of lightness into his life, even if it’d been in the shape of a cookie. But now, he couldn’t go another minute with this impossible weight. “Anyway, I thought it’d be easier for someone to make sure he got home.”
“That’s sweet. Thank you.” Her voice remained even, but there was no enthusiasm to go with it. Tucking the collar into her cargo pants, she ducked her chin to her chest. Pulling away.
And he couldn’t take it anymore. Couldn’t let what they had slip through his fingers like he had the past two years. Baker took a step forward. “I love you.”
“What?” Her gaze snapped to his, lit up by the sunset striking her head-on. The brown of her eyes turned iridescent, otherworldly and compelling in a way he’d never seen in anyone else before. Because Jocelyn Carville wasn’t like anyone else.
“I wanted to say it earlier, when we were coming back from the cartel headquarters, and then I accidentally said it to Jones a few minutes ago.” He was getting off track, and his nerves were about to toss him behind the wheel and launch him back to Alpine Valley, but he wasn’t going anywhere. Not without her. He was done running. Done not letting himself feel. Done with trying to burn the world and everyone in it. “My point is I love you, Joce.”
Her mouth quirked to one side. “Does Jones feel the same way about you? Because I’m not sure how I feel having to compete against someone on my team.”
“No. Not even a little bit.” The pull they’d shared throughout the investigation took hold, and Baker dared that next step toward her. “Jocelyn, I was nothing but a ghost living in this body before you barged into my station with a plate full of cookies. I’d lost everything I thought I cared about to Sangre por Sangre, and all I wanted was to stop feeling. For people to leave me the hell alone so I could find the bomber responsible for my sister’s murder. I took the chief of police job to protect the town I love from the cartel, but after everything that’s happened, I realize I was just like him. Trevino. I let myself become consumed to the point I forgot what it felt like to be happy. Until you gave me a reason to look for silver linings.”
Her smile was gone. Instead, a deep sadness had taken hold. Jocelyn swiped at her face, then stared into the setting sun cresting the mountains in the west.
It wasn’t enough. What he’d said wasn’t enough. The realization constricted his heart, and Baker tried to block the emotional response lodged in his throat, but there was no use. He was going to lose her. He understood that now. “I know I hurt you. The things I said... I wish I could take them back, but I can’t. All I can say is I’m sorry, and if you give me the chance, I will spend every day of the rest of my life proving that I believe in you and that I truly love you.”
She took a step down, then another. Jocelyn closed the distance between them, sliding her palm over his chest. His heart beat so hard, he swore the damn thing was trying to reach her. Problem was it already belonged to her. Every inch of him was hers. He wasn’t sure when it’d happened, but there was no denying it now.
“I need a partner, Baker,” she said. “Someone who knows me inside and out, who’s willing to talk to me when this demon tries to take over. Because it will. I need someone who doesn’t just love and accept the person I am now, but all the different versions of myself. Past and future. Who’s willing to work on his own pain while doing the best he can for the people he cares about.”
“I want to be that someone.” Baker dropped the bag of food at his feet, threading his hands around her waist and pulling her against him. Right where she belonged. “Whatever it takes. Forever.”
“Good. Because I love you, too. More than anything.” The smile he’d come to love stretched her mouth wide as Jocelyn leaned in to kiss him.
A tritone sounded a split second before a frenzy of paws, fur and slobber slammed into him. Baker lost his hold on Jocelyn as Maverick tackled him to the ground. The German shepherd licked at his face and neck, settling all one hundred pounds on Baker’s chest. Low playful groans accompanied Jocelyn’s laugh.
She stood over him, unwilling to help as the dog wrestled him into the dirt. “I forgot to tell you. You’ll have to fight Maverick for the other side of the bed.”
