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Rachel smiled and looked down at her dirty jeans and torn shirt. “I need one, too. We could stop by my apartment before we go to the coffee shop. I have coffee there, but that’s about all. I haven’t been grocery shopping for a while.”
“We can accomplish a lot after a shower,” he said.
“Agreed.” Rachel tamped down the butterflies beating against the inside of her stomach at the thought of Griff naked in her shower. She was a job to him, not her boyfriend and certainly not her fiancé.
“Since I’ll be tagging along with you, and we’ve already established our relationship with the hospital staff, what do you think about continuing to tell folks we’re engaged? It might help keep any questions at bay.”
Her stomach turned a somersault. “Okay. It’s easier to stick to one story than to have to remember who we’ve said what to.”
He nodded. “How do you feel this morning?”
She smiled. “Better than I expected. Some bruising, but nothing I can’t handle. I’m ready to get to work and use my time off to really dig into this case. Something has to surface. I refuse to give up.”
“And if the killer’s your stalker,” Griff said, “the sooner we find him, the better.”
Rachel nodded. “We must find him before he makes another move.” She smiled. “I’m glad you’ll be with me. I’m confident in my ability to take care of myself, but I can’t always be looking behind me.”
“That’s where I come in,” Griff said.
The door opened, and the doctor entered. “Ms. West, the night shift nurses don’t want you to leave.” His brow wrinkled. “Something about sharing pizza?” He nodded toward the bed. “If you could take a seat, I’ll check you out and sign your discharge papers. I don’t have a medical code for sharing pizza that would keep you here longer when you’re perfectly fine.” He winked.
Rachel perched on the edge of the bed.
The doctor shined a light into each eye and asked a few questions, and then the exam was over. “Try to keep the wheels on the ground from now on. We can’t afford to lose our law enforcement officers.” As he left, the nurse came in with her discharge instructions and went over what she should do and when to seek medical attention should her condition change.
A few short minutes later, Rachel and Griff opted to take the stairs to the first floor and left the small hospital.
She sighed. “I guess we have to stick together. I’m down a vehicle.”
“And I have one.” Griff held the passenger door for her. “But if you feel the need to drive, just ask. I’m not holding you accountable for flipping your vehicle. You did good not to hit the guy on the ATV when he deserved it.”
“Thank you for offering.” She climbed up into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt securely. “After last night’s crash landing, I’m fine with letting you man the steering wheel.”
“Deal,” he said and got into the driver’s seat. “Where to?”
“My apartment is around the corner,” Rachel said. “We could probably have walked, but I figure you don’t want to leave your truck sitting in the hospital parking lot.”
She directed him down the street to her apartment, the bright blue Colorado sky making her feel hopeful and happier than she’d been in the six months since her last conversation with her sister.
Rachel had survived a crash that could have taken her life. She was riding in a truck with the man who’d saved her from the wreckage. And he was the Navy SEAL she’d been well on her way to falling in love with back in San Diego and thought she’d never see again.
Yeah, life was pretty good at that moment. Her medical leave from patrol duty would give her the time to dig into the data and really focus. And having Griff to bounce ideas off would be an advantage. With Swede up in Montana working the case from a different angle, they had a chance of nailing the bastard.
After Griff parked in the apartment complex's parking lot, Rachel dropped down from her seat before Griff could come around to open her door. She wasn’t used to being treated like a lady. She’d spent so many years trying to be “one of the guys” as a police officer and deputy, she wasn’t comfortable with the niceties of good old-fashioned chivalry.
Griff grinned as he pulled a duffel bag out of the back seat and slung it over his shoulder.
Rachel could swear he could read her mind. Heat spread up her neck into her cheeks. She hoped he couldn’t. If he knew she’d pictured him naked in her shower, she’d curl up and die of embarrassment. The tough she-cop lusting after the Navy SEAL, who was now her bodyguard, seemed silly, even to her.
But there she was, breathing hard going up the stairs to her apartment. Her breathing had nothing to do with what kind of shape she was in and everything to do with what kind of shape was underneath Griff’s jeans and T-shirt.
At the top of the stairs, she stopped short. “Damn.”
“What?”
“Keys.” She shook her head. “The key to my apartment is on the keyring in my SUV.”
“Can we get a spare key from the apartment manager?” Griff asked.
