“When we get home, we’ll have dinner and free time for Avery since there’s no homework with school out. Lights out for her is at eight, and we can work from the house after that if you want to.”

  “Sounds fine,” she said and didn’t dispute that she would be staying with him again. If she secured other arrangements, she could tell him then.

  He arched a brow and kept looking at her.

  “What?”

  “The Ryleigh I knew lived for her work.”

  “Yeah, well, the Ryleigh you knew has changed.” A major hurt like you inflicted can do that.

  He opened his mouth as if he planned to reply but turned the key instead. The big engine rumbled to life, and he pulled onto the road.

  She sat back, but she wanted to continue the conversation. Obviously, he didn’t. Too bad. She was a big girl and had moved on from him.

  Right?

  Ryleigh ignored Finn and got out her phone. She stared at the black screen for a moment. Which sister did she call to bring her clothing? Mackenzie or Teagan? Only Mac knew about Finn, and they’d kept it between them, sparing Ryleigh an inevitable review of the breakup by her family.

  The question was, which one would be the least nosy about him?

  Likely Mackenzie. If Teagan got a hint of Ryleigh’s attraction for Finn, she would press and press until she got the info she wanted, where Mac would be more patient.

  She punched Mac’s contact number, and her sister answered right away.

  Ryleigh quickly explained her need and asked her sister to help.

  “Glad to do it, but if I leave now,” Mac said. “I won’t get there for hours, and I’ll have to spend the night. I can hit Ryan up for a room. Where are you staying?”

  “Not sure yet.” If Ryleigh did stay with Finn and had a working vehicle, she could meet Mackenzie at Ryan’s cabin, and her sister wouldn’t even have to know about Finn. “Text me once you get to Ryan’s place, and I’ll come get my things.”

  Ryleigh thanked her sister and ended the call before Mac could ask additional questions. She looked at Finn. “Are there any car rental places nearby?”

  “You can use my truck if you need it after work hours. Otherwise, during the day, I can drive you.”

  “I have to meet Mackenzie at Ryan’s tonight.”

  He cast her a suspicious glance. “It’s none of my business but why can’t she drop your things at my place?”

  “Because,” she said and left it at that to look out the window.

  “Because you don’t want her to know we’re working together after the way I bailed on you,” he said, his tone deep and emotionless.

  “Yeah.”

  “She’d give me a piece of her mind, I’m sure.”

  “And then some.”

  “I can handle it, if it’s easier for you.”

  “It’s easier for her not to know.”

  “Then take my truck if your vehicle isn’t fixed.”

  “Okay,” she said, more to silence him than anything. She would ask Russ about rental cars. If she decided to stay with Finn, she didn’t want her every move controlled by him. By any man. By anyone. She liked to be free to do her own thing when the mood struck.

  He drove them to a well-maintained garage painted a bright green and white on the edge of town. He parked and held out his hand. “If you give me your keys I can arrange for the tow and repair.”

  “I can take care of my own car.”

  He let out a long breath. “Is this the way it’s going to be between us? Everything a fight?”

  “No, I…” No point in arguing. She got out her keys and dropped them on his palm.

  “Be right back.” He exited his truck at top speed, likely thinking she might change her mind and snatch her keys back.

  What was the big deal for him to arrange for her tow and repair? He knew the mechanic, and it would be faster and easier for him to handle it. So why be disagreeable?

  Because Finn had hurt her, that’s why! Big time hurt her. And she didn’t want his help with anything. Not now anyway. Maybe after they hashed out their differences she would change her mind, but she just couldn’t see that happening.

  Petty of her when he was simply being kind. But feelings had a way of taking over. Especially hurt feelings. And they colored everything in sight. Everything, until she let them go and reason returned.

  Right now the only way to do that was give this whole situation to God. She should’ve done that the minute she clapped eyes on the infuriating man.

  She closed her eyes. Prayed. Sincerely. Earnestly. Asking God for the ability to trust His reason for putting Finn in her life again. To let down her carefully erected wall and be accepting.

  The door clicked, and her eyes startled open.

  “You okay?” Finn asked, sliding behind the wheel.

  “Just praying.”

  “Sorry to disturb. Go ahead and resume, and I’ll get us to the sheriff’s office.” He glanced at his watch. “We should arrive right on time.”

  She looked out the window but didn’t go back to prayer. Instead, she watched as they drove into the small town with narrow streets lined with small older houses at first and then turned into a commercial area. An ice cream shop, café, and stores with bright banners lined both sides of the streets. The sidewalks were filled with tourists buying souvenirs and antiques, laughing and enjoying themselves, oblivious to the recent bombing and murder not far away.

  Hopefully, when they heard the shocking news, it wouldn’t ruin their vacation. Days spent in town with her sisters and the Maddox brothers had always been a highlight of her summers. The lazy, idyllic sun-kissed days were different from life in the big city.

  Ah, simpler times. She longed for them. She sighed.

  Finn glanced at her.

  “Sorry. Just going down memory lane. Maybe I told you how I used to hang out in town a couple of days every summer with the Maddox brothers. Or we just came in to grab an ice cream cone.”

  “Did we pass their property on the way in?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Other side of town. About ten miles out. We rode bikes to get cones. We ate the ice cream and then rode back, but by the time we reached the resort, we had to jump in the lake to cool off.” She laughed.

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “It was. I had the best childhood.”

  “I wish I could say the same thing.”

  Her heart constricted. “I’m sorry, Finn. That’s the second time I was insensitive about the loss of your parents.”

  “No. Not at all.” He waved a hand. “You can’t downplay your life just because I had some hard times. I had ten great years and memories before my parents died. And the rest was okay too. Mostly thanks to Felicia’s friendship.”

  “That’s very mature of you.”

  “Not hardly.” He shook his head. “I figured God gave me a raw deal and had a chip on my shoulder for a long time. Wasn’t until I became a SEAL that I figured out life is better if you learn to live with your hurt instead of living in it.”

  He glanced at her. “I don’t know if that makes sense, but it’s what got me through BUDS to get my trident. I discovered if I focused on the pain, it won. If I put my focus on the prize, I won. Same in life now. Focus on God. I win. Focus on all the painful things. I lose.”

  “Makes perfect sense.” She let his comments settle in and looked out the window at the town receding and the highway ahead that led to the sheriff’s office and jail. She’d been living in the hurt of their breakup. Totally. She really hadn’t seen it until now. Running into him again told her that. She’d let it color so many parts of her life. Especially dating. Or more specifically—not dating for fear of being hurt again.

  Would a change of perspective help with that?

  Couldn’t hurt.

  She looked back at him. “That’s a great way to look at life.”

  “You’re way too quick with the compliments today,” he said. “I wish I could say I was living with things right now, but I’m not. Sometimes, maybe, but not all the time. This latest curveball has thrown me. Some days I succeed. A lot of them I don’t.”

  “I get that,” she said to reassure him. “Not long after we broke up, my cousin Thomas was murdered. That took a lot out of our family. In some respects, we’re all just coming out of the terrible loss.”

  “I’m real sorry that happened.” He cast her a sympathetic look. “Did they catch the person responsible?”

  “Yes, and he’s been convicted and is serving a life sentence.”

  “That’s something at least.”

  “Yeah, sure. It is.” She swallowed the pain down to continue without tearing up. “But honestly, we all thought the conviction would bring more peace. It didn’t. Just a sense of finality.” Tears won out and pricked her eyes. She had to change the subject. No way she would cry in front of Finn today.

  She pointed out the window. “There’s Russ’s office.”

  Finn turned into the parking lot for the single-story building that covered a city block and had been built since she’d last vacationed here, so sometime in the past ten years.

  He parked in a visitor’s space, and they got out. The sun had dipped below a thick stand of trees, and a chill in the air sent a shiver over her arms. Or maybe the chill was from their mission.

  They were hunting down a bomber. A killer. And getting distracted for any reason and failing was not an option.

  6

  Finn held the door for Ryleigh to the wide lobby that served as a waiting area for the sheriff’s office. Large signs pointing to the right directed visitors to the jail. A hint of lemon cleaner lingered in the air, and the tile floors were spotless. Of course they were. The Russ that Finn was coming to know would insist his facility be tidy and clean.

  Ryleigh headed for the front desk. Finn wanted to brush past her and take charge, but he had to do a better job of letting her do her thing and resist taking over.

  The woman with silvery gray hair cut short and straight to her narrow chin looked up from behind the desk and flashed a smile. “Help you?”

  Ryleigh stepped forward. “Ryleigh Steele and Finn Durham to see Sheriff Maddox.”

  “Oh, you!” She stared past Ryleigh to Finn, and he didn’t like her over-the-top exclamation. “The SEAL who has every unmarried woman in town’s heart aflutter.”

  “Retired SEAL,” he said, but did so between clenched teeth.

  “Right. Well. Just the same to them.” She tsked. “Now I know you’re here to see Russ, but I can’t let you go without mentioning my niece. She’s just darling.”

  Finn flashed up a hand, hoping his expression would warn off even a charging bear, which was the way a lot of these women had attacked him. “Best not to keep the sheriff waiting.”

  “Oh, right. Right.” She picked up the handset. “I’ll let him know you’re here, and then we can continue our conversation.”

  “Sorry. I need to speak to Ms. Steele before we meet with Maddox.” He took Ryleigh’s elbow and nearly dragged her away from the window. “Now you see what I face.”

  She fought a grin but didn’t contain it.

  “It’s not funny.”

  “It is. Kind of. If you’d relax and go with it.”

  Easy for her to say. She didn’t have to deal with it. “If I’d been thinking, I’d have told Tobias to keep the fact that I was a SEAL private, but I never thought he’d blab it all over town.”

  “It’s a big deal to some people.”

  “But not to you.”

  She took a long moment before answering. “I’d never want to downplay what you achieved. Not many men can do it. Or downplay the danger you put yourself in for others, but a lot of men and women go into danger every day. That puts them on the same playing field for me.”

  He’d always admired her logical take on life. Or at least on this, even if it did make him work harder to have to meet her. “And well it should be.”

  “I always liked that about you,” she said, seeming happy to be remembering one of his good points. “You’re humble and never bragged or used your SEAL status to get anything.”

  Busted. “I did. Once. On the first date with you. Broke one of my rules. I was hooked and you were like, yawn, who is this guy—if you noticed me at all.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Was I that bad?”

  “My ego took a beating for sure.”

  “Sorry. We met at a time when I didn’t want a relationship to interfere with my job.”

  “And now? Are you in a relationship?” he asked, hating that he wanted to. No, needed to.

  “No.”

  “Looking to get involved?”

  “Hmm.” She tapped her chin. “I have to work longer hours to prove myself in the family business right now. But as long as the guy can accept that the job is a priority for me, then I’m okay with starting something up.”

  But not with him were the read-between-the-lines words she didn’t say.

  The door near the main desk opened, and Russ poked his head out. “Follow me.”

  Finn held the door again and trailed Ryleigh and Russ down the long hall painted a light beige. The sheriff passed his office, but Finn paused to take a look inside. The space fit the guy. Big desk to match the ego. Neat, organized, and dust free to match his orderliness. Shelves filled with legal books to match his by-the-book stance.

  Or none of Finn’s observations could relate to the guy’s personality. Hard to tell at this point.

  Sure, Finn had been taught to make snap impressions in his job as SEAL, but in the civilian world he usually had more time and needed to keep more of an open mind. After all, Ryleigh said the sheriff was a good guy and not as full of himself as he’d appeared.

  He led them into a brightly lit conference room smelling of fresh coffee and holding whiteboards on two walls. One of those long walls also contained a large window overlooking the rear of the property and a forest of tall evergreens. A large map of Emerson County was centered on the third wall, and a huge flat-screen TV on the fourth.

  “Grab some coffee if you want.” Russ waited by the door and closed it behind them.

  Finn nodded at the pot for Ryleigh, but she shook her head. He was still amped up from a soda at lunch and didn’t need any caffeine, so he scouted a place to land.

  Colin already sat in a chair facing the door, Ryan across the table. No way Finn would put his back to the door even in a secured sheriff’s office, so he rounded the table to claim the seat next to Colin. Ryleigh evened out the numbers and pulled out a chair next to Ryan. A young woman with an iPad and keyboard sat at the far end of the table.

  Ryan smiled at Ryleigh as she took a seat next to him.

  Would she look at Finn that way again after he explained tonight? He didn’t expect her to fall for him again. No matter how much he was still into her. Nah, that was a pipe dream. But they could be friends. Friends, ugh. So not where he wanted to go. No guy liked being put in the friend zone, but that would be better than her gut-wrenching dislike.

  Russ stood at the head of the table where a stack of stapled papers sat in a neat pile. “My assistant, Allison, will be recording details.” He gestured at the woman. “Allison, meet the team.” He went around the table and gave names and basic info. “Get your contact info to her before you leave. I’ll start a group for email and texts so we’re all in the loop. Don’t leave anyone out on important details.”

  He took a long breath. “Goes without saying that everything we discuss is confidential.” He ran his gaze over them, locking in place with each person to gain their agreement. Seeming satisfied, he picked up the stack of pages. “Copies of the official report. Likely nothing you don’t know other than the victim’s details, but read it over carefully right now and give me any corrections or feedback you have.”

  He slid the pages down the table. “You should know. My deputy who checked on Gates found the place ransacked, and you’ll see that reflected in the report too.”

  “Interesting,” Ryleigh said. “Could point more to Gates being a player in the bombing.”

  Finn studied the information and paused at the suspected victim section. Uri Francis Gates. Nickname Smokey. Single. Age thirty-six. Last known address before Oregon was Birmingham, Alabama. Oregon driver’s license and his truck was registered in the state.

  That was basically it, and Finn had items he wanted clarified. “I remember that Gates’s work application at Shadow Lake Logging doesn’t mention any jobs in Alabama. He listed his last employment here in Oregon. As far as I know, Tobias checked references, so was Gates a logger in Alabama too?”

  Russ went to the largest whiteboard and divided it into columns with the headings of Assignment and Responsible Person. “Ryleigh, follow up with Tobias. See if he confirmed Gates’s employment and if he was employed as a logger in Alabama. If so, why he omitted it on the application.”

  “Are odds good that he logged in Alabama?” Ryleigh asked. “I’ve never thought of them as a logging state.”

  “Alabama, Oregon, and Washington are the top three logging states in the country,” Finn said.

  “I knew Alabama was on that list from previous ecoterrorism activities. I’ll get the deep dive running on the day supervisor, Eckles, and Sovereign Earth, then I can do one on Gates. That might bring up details for Alabama.”

  “That’s your first task.” Russ wrote the assignment and Colin’s name on the board.

  Finn slid a business card to Colin. “Would you email a copy of your report to me as soon as it’s done, so we don’t repeat the work?”

  Russ frowned at Finn. “He’ll send it to everyone at once.”

  “Right.” Finn knew how to work as part of a team and could deal. He just didn’t remember how to work on a team where he wasn’t in charge. It had been far too long. Time to get with the program though, as his days of being the top dog were over. Long over.

  “Any other comments on the report?” Russ asked.

  He received a shake of heads in reply.

  Ryleigh’s phone rang from where she’d placed it on the table. “It’s my contact at the Veritas Center calling back. I should take his call.”