WINSLOW
“Are you coming over tonight?” Griffin was barefoot, one step down from where I stood on the top stair of his porch. He was
still taller, but it gave me easier access to his mouth.
“Maybe.” I leaned in and pressed my lips to his stubbled cheek.
His hair was disheveled, the strands sticking up at all angles from where my fingers had combed it earlier.
Griffin had woken up first and come to the kitchen to make coffee. Instead of eating breakfast, he’d hoisted me onto the counter and devoured me instead.
My man knew how to use his tongue.
“Want me to come to your place instead?” he asked.
“Let’s see how the day goes.” My own bed had been deserted for a week. I loved my little house, but I loved Griffin’s too.
It was relaxing out here on the ranch. Serene. I hadn’t realized just how loud my thoughts were, how loud my life was—even the solitary moments
—until I’d come here and spent a few hours in a rocking chair and cleared my mind.
My head was full of cases and stress from the station. Despite my best efforts to smother those feelings, I worried about fitting in and my reputation.
The moment I pulled onto the Eden ranch, the noise dulled. The worries faded. Or maybe it didn’t have a damn thing to do with the property but with the man standing one step below me.
“Have a good day.” I kissed him goodbye.
“You too.” He propped a hip against the railing, his arms crossing over that broad chest as he watched me descend the stairs and head for my car.
It was early, the morning air fresh. The weather forecast promised it would be a scorcher, and as I started the Durango, I wished I had taken another day to enjoy the summer sunshine.
But there was work to be done, so I shoved the key into the ignition and headed into town.
Griffin had washed my clothes yesterday, and though I doubted anyone would notice I was in the same apparel as I’d worn on the Fourth, I made a quick pitstop home to ensure the place hadn’t flooded and swap out my clothes for something fresh.
The shift change was over by the time I arrived at the station. The night- shift crew were likely in their beds while I filled a coffee cup and surveyed the quiet bullpen. Now that the Fourth was over, we were trimmed down for a few days to give everyone some added rest.
Except for me. I stifled a groan at the files scattered on my desk when I settled into my office. I hadn’t earned vacation yet.
One file always seemed to rise to the top of the stack.
Lily Green.
I flipped it open, a photograph of her death on top. A month ago, this picture had made me cringe. But I’d stared at it long enough that now the only emotion I felt was soul-deep sadness.
“Oh, Lily.” I turned the gruesome photo on its face, then skimmed the edge of the one beneath. It was the last selfie she’d posted on Instagram for Memorial Day.
Lily Green was a beauty, her blond hair like strands of spun sunshine. Her smile was as bright as the stars. Maybe it was all an illusion. Maybe the smile and the sparkling eyes had been the façade she’d put on for the world.
It was easy to force smiles. It was simple to lie and tell people you were doing great when the truth was that every heartbeat caused you pain.
I’d spent a month searching for signs that Lily might have been depressed. I’d questioned friends and family. I’d gone on an unsuccessful quest to find a boyfriend. I’d dug into all of her social media accounts and even pulled her text records and credit card statements.
But there’d been nothing to find.
Maybe because there was nothing to find.
There were no hidden confessions or secret boyfriends. Chances were, she’d gone out with friends for a good time and ended up hooking up with someone. Considering I’d done the same with Griffin on my first night in town, it wasn’t out of the question.
Maybe he had left, and she’d stayed behind, struggling alone.
Until it all became too much.
I traced the edge of her photo one last time before closing the folder.
Obsessing over Lily’s suicide wasn’t getting me anywhere. Given their ages, I was reluctant to probe too deeply into the other suicides. My role wasn’t to reopen wounds unless absolutely necessary. If parents, friends, and loved ones were finding their way through healing, I respected that process.
I was living that process myself.
Some of my worst moments over the past year had been in Bozeman when someone would approach me on the street and offer their condolences. Even with the best intentions, each encounter felt like a fresh wound.
People deal with grief differently. Some welcome the outpouring of sympathy and support, while others, like me, keep it close and reveal only what they’re ready to share.
Yesterday, telling Griffin about Mom’s and Dad’s deaths, I’d let a piece
go.
Lily Green deserved as much energy as I could give her. But Melina
Green deserved space to heal. Today, that meant giving the case some room to breathe.
So I tucked the file into my desk drawer, adding the other suicides beside it, and I went about clearing my desk.
By the time I left the station at six, my inbox was nearly empty, I’d had three meetings, and every report that I’d needed to review and approve was finished. The officers had taken my critiques of their reports better than expected. The lack of detail was less noticeable now, though there was still room for improvement.
Two of the files I’d been given, both having to do with incidents on the Fourth, needed some revisions, so I left them with notes on the officers’ respective desks. The bullpen was quiet again. The evening shift had clocked in, and besides the dispatcher at the phones, the other officers were out on patrol.
I had collected my purse and walked out, keys in hand to lock my office door, when I nearly collided with Officer Smith coming down the hallway.
“Oh, sorry.”
“Watch it,” he muttered, giving me a wide berth.
This guy. “Officer Smith,” I called to his back as he walked by.
He huffed and turned, fisting his hands on his hips. He was in plain clothes, a pair of track pants and an athletic shirt. “What? I’m off shift. Just using the gym.”
I stared at him, his ruddy cheeks and sweaty hair. For the month that I’d been here, I’d been kind. I’d been polite and professional, hoping that in
time I’d win everyone over, including Tom.
Call it wishful thinking, but I’d been making progress with the staff. They didn’t need to treat me like a friend, and it would be better if they didn’t, but they were beginning to realize that I was the boss.
And I wasn’t going anywhere.
As I looked at Tom Smith and the snarl on his lip, I realized I wasn’t going to earn his respect. His loyalty. He’d made up his mind and it wouldn’t change.
“Your report from Saturday is lacking. You’ll find my notes on your desk. I’ll expect to see the corrected version tomorrow.”
His nostrils flared. “Whatever.”
“Chief. The correct response is, Yes, Chief.”
Another nostril flare. Another snarl. Then he was gone.
I waited until I heard the door slam open and close. Then I blew out the breath I’d been holding. Tomorrow, I’d make sure I had a decent job description drafted for his position in case he quit. Or he pushed me far enough that I’d let him go.
Digging my phone from my purse, I sent Griffin a text.
My place.
As much as I wanted a quiet night at the ranch, I had a bottle of wine at home and it was calling my name.
Downtown Quincy was swarmed with tourists walking up and down Main as I drove home. There’d been a shoplifter this morning at the kitchen goods store. Two speeding tickets, one a local and one from out of state. Otherwise, life in my new small town seemed wonderfully simple.
Tonight, it felt like mine.
I’d heard from long-time cops in Bozeman that it was easy to get jaded toward the bad. That you searched for crimes around every corner. Maybe it would happen to me. Or maybe this little town, even with its faults, would keep the jagged edges away.
Quincy was home.
I turned onto my street, a lightness to my heart. It vanished when I spotted a familiar truck parked against the curb. And a familiar blond reporter standing on my sidewalk, talking to my ex.
“Shit,” I muttered, pulling into the driveway. “Both of them? I should have gone to the ranch.”
Skyler met me at the driver’s side, opening the door for me.
“What do you want?” I asked, brushing past him and heading for the house.
I ignored Emily Nelsen completely. Griff had mentioned she lived in this neighborhood. Judging by the leggings and tank top, she’d been out for a jog and must have spotted Skyler. She was probably looking for gossip to spread in her precious paper. Maybe that I was cheating on Griffin.
“Winnie.” Skyler’s hand touched my elbow as we took the porch stairs. How ironic was it that just yesterday I’d told Griffin about Skyler?
“What?”
“Let’s talk. Please.”
“About the house? Sell it. I don’t care. But I don’t want it.” “No. Let’s talk about us.”
“There is no us.” From the corner of my eye I spotted Emily inch closer.
Nosy bitch.
“I’ve been worried about you. Yesterday especially.” “Yet here you are, a day late.”
“I figured you’d be busy yesterday and didn’t want to bother you.”
Or he’d had his own plans and hadn’t wanted to cancel. “If you actually cared about the anniversary of Mom and Dad’s accident, you wouldn’t have planned a golfing weekend last year over the Fourth. Or maybe that trip was just an excuse to fuck your side piece.”
He stiffened. “I’ve told you. That was just sex.” “Not to me.”
“It wasn’t a real affair.”
“Oh, so you didn’t really put your penis inside her vagina?” “Jesus, Winnie.” He flinched. “Do you have to say it like that?” “Yes. Go away, Skyler.” I leaned past him. “And you too.” Emily’s eyes widened.
“Did you need something? A new story?” I asked her. “Because there isn’t one here. Sorry to disappoint.”
“I was just passing by and saying hello,” she mumbled. I waved. “Hello.”
“Let’s talk inside, where it’s private.” Skyler dropped his voice.
“No. You’re not coming inside. We’re done. We’ve been done for months. I don’t understand why you’re here and what it’s going to take for you to disappear but—”
“Eight years. We were together for eight years. We had a house together.”
“A house you refuse to sell.”
“Because I can’t.” He tossed up his hands. “I walk through the door, and it still smells like you. I can still see you in the living room. I know I fucked up. I wasn’t there when I should have been. I didn’t realize it until I came home and it wasn’t home anymore because you were gone. Don’t we owe it to each other to try?”
“Try what? We wouldn’t have made it, Skyler. There’s a reason neither of us pushed for an actual wedding. There’s a reason we never made that commitment. We wouldn’t have made it.” That was the truth I hadn’t wanted to admit for those eight years.
There hadn’t been enough loyalty, on either side. I hadn’t made our relationship a priority. It had always been an afterthought to what was happening with my career. There was a reason I’d been promoted so quickly through the ranks. I’d given my job ninety-nine percent of my heart. Skyler had only gotten fragments.
He’d been just as dedicated to his own career, and there were couples like that who made it work. But we hadn’t shared an urgency for one another.
I hadn’t even realized what we’d lacked until I’d met Griffin. I hadn’t understood what it was like to crave a person. To long for their voice, their scent, their taste.
Eight years with Skyler. One month with Griffin. I’d choose Griffin every time.
“There’s a reason you cheated,” I told Skyler. “Because we wouldn’t have made it.”
“Winnie.” He stepped closer, his hand moving from my elbow to my shoulder.
“If you want to keep that hand attached to your body, you’ll take it off of her right now.” The deep rumbling voice behind Skyler sent a shiver racing down my spine. The thud of boots echoed before Griffin stepped onto the porch and came to my side.
The glare he aimed Skyler’s way brought a smile to my lips. Jealousy on Griffin Eden looked incredibly sexy.
“I don’t know who you are or what you’re doing, but I’m having a conversation with Winnie,” Skyler said, standing taller.
“And I’m here to give her an orgasm before dinner. Let’s find out which one of us she’d rather have stick around.”
My jaw dropped.
Emily’s gasp was loud enough for us all to hear.
“Go home, Emily,” Griffin barked over Skyler’s shoulder. She tensed but didn’t move.
“There’s nothing for you here,” Griff told her. “Not a story. Not me. Go home.”
She swallowed hard, her pride visibly dinged. That might cost us later, but the sight of her scurrying down the sidewalk after he’d chosen me was
reward enough.
“You too,” I told Skyler. “Go home.”
He shook his head. “I get it. You wanted to screw this guy for a while and balance the scales. Fine. I can look past him if you can look past—”
“You lost her.” Griffin’s voice had an edge unlike anything I’d heard before. An edge that made me glad I was standing on his side, not the opposing. “You fucked up and lost her. She’s mine. And I won’t fuck it up.”
Mine. My heart melted into a puddle.
No man had ever claimed me before. Skyler, dressed in his signature black suit, had taken eight years and he’d never once said she’s mine.
My ex looked at me and I ignored him, too busy holding myself back from hugging the angry cowboy. “Griff . . .”
“Unlock the door, Winn.”
I fought a smile. And followed orders, but before I went inside, I gave Skyler one last glance. “Sell the house. Let it go. Let me go. Please.”
He swallowed hard. Then nodded.
“Thank you.” I took Griffin’s hand, tugging him into the house.
He slammed the door shut, dragging a hand through his hair. “I really want to punch him.”
“Don’t punch him.”
Skyler didn’t wait around this time. As quickly as Emily had vanished, so did he. For good, I suspected.
“So that was, um . . .” Awkward? Incredible? Enlightening? All of the above.
“Yeah.” Griff stalked my way, closing the distance between us in a single stride. Then his mouth was on mine, sending a flutter to my heart and a trembling to my knees.
He claimed me. One sweep of his tongue and those words he’d told Skyler raced through my body.
She’s mine.
He was mine too.
It was dark outside by the time we emerged from the bedroom. As promised, Griffin had delivered on his orgasm before dinner. Three, actually.
“Are we calling in for food?” I opened my fridge. “Or do you want cheese and crackers?”
“Pizza.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, his bare chest hot against my back. Then he closed the fridge. “Definitely pizza.”
I sagged against him. “Are we going to talk about earlier?” “Probably should,” he murmured against my hair.
“We’re not really casual, are we?”
He shifted, loosening his arm so he could turn me to face him. Those piercing blue eyes seared into mine. “No. We are not.”
“Okay.” That word seemed too small for this. I’d say okay to a latte. To a glass of champagne. Not to Griffin proposing, well . . . whatever it was he was proposing. Nothing at the moment. But the promise of a future needed more than a simple okay.
“You good with that?”
“Yes.” Another word, too small. Or maybe it was the perfect word.
The two of us had started with a yes, whispered into his ear as we’d come together in the back of his truck.
“I want to take you to dinner,” he declared. “On a date.” “All right.” My head was spinning. “Tonight?”
“No.” He grinned and dug his phone from his jeans pocket. After tapping the screen a few times, he pressed it to his ear.
My phone rang in the living room, so I brushed past Griffin as he ordered pizza and hurried to the floor where I’d dropped my purse earlier. I found my personal phone first, but it had been dead for days. I kept digging until I had my work phone in hand. The station’s number flashed.
Shit.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Hi, Chief,” Mitch said, his voice tight. There was no smile. “What’s going on?”
“Got a call from Frank Nigel.”
My heart galloped. Frank would only call if there was an emergency. He’d probably tried my personal phone, and when I hadn’t answered, he’d called the station. “What happened?”
“It’s Covie. He’s at the hospital.”
