“Bullshit. You talked that guy down like it was nothing.” Riley glanced at Maddox. “She was impressive, right?”
Maddox’s eyes met Jade’s and held them for a beat longer than necessary. “She was.”
Two words, that was all, but something in Maddox’s voice made Jade’s stomach flip.Professional respect, she told herself.That’s all this is.
“I should finish packing up,” Jade said, suddenly aware of how close they were standing. “I’ll see you both later.”
She turned to go, but Maddox’s voice stopped her. “Jade.”
She looked back.
“Good work today.” Maddox’s expression was still guarded, but something had softened around the edges. “Robert was lucky you were here.”
The compliment lodged itself somewhere warm in Jade’s chest. “Thanks. You helped too. The quiet room, Zeus—it all made a difference.”
Maddox shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise. “I just did what made sense.”
Riley was watching them with undisguised interest, her grin widening. Jade felt suddenly exposed, like they were having a conversation on two levels, and Riley could hear both of them.
“Right. Well, see you around.” Jade fled before she could say something stupid, feeling Maddox’s gaze follow her across the room.
Back at her table, she busied herself with packing brochures into storage boxes, but her hands felt clumsy and her mind wouldn’t focus. She kept replaying the way Maddox had looked at her, the confidence in that “good work today,” and thesoftness that had crept into her expression when she thought Jade wasn’t looking.
Stop. This isn’t helpful.
But her brain wouldn’t stop cataloging details. Working with Maddox felt like working with someone who spoke the same language and understood the same things without needing them explained.
Jade had thought she’d left that kind of partnership—with unspoken communication and trust built through shared purpose—behind when she’d left the military. She hadn’t expected to find it again in a mid-sized coastal city doing trauma counseling work. Or with someone who made her stomach flip with two words of praise.
“You look like you’re thinking too hard.”
Jade jumped. Maddox had somehow crossed the room without her noticing, Zeus at her side. The dog’s tail gave a small wag when he saw her.
“Just organizing,” Jade said, aware of how defensive she sounded.
“Riley’s heading out.” Maddox shifted her weight, and Jade realized with surprise that she was uncomfortable. “I was thinking…there’s a coffee shop a few blocks from here. Not the usual place cops go to. Quieter.”
Jade’s heart kicked against her ribs. “Coffee?”
“Unless you need to get back. I just thought—” Maddox cut herself off, her jaw visibly tightening. “Never mind, stupid idea.”
“It’s not stupid.” The words came out too quick and eager. Jade tried to modulate her tone. “Coffee sounds good. I could use some caffeine before the drive home.”
Something in Maddox’s face eased. “The Daily Grind two blocks north. You know it?”
“I’ll find it.”
“Want to meet in fifteen minutes? I need to get Zeus settled in the truck.”
“Yeah, fifteen minutes.”
Maddox nodded, not quite a smile tugging on her lips but close, and Zeus loped beside her. Jade watched them go, then forced herself to finish packing up her table with hands that wanted to shake.
It’s just coffee, she thought, trying to convince herself.Completely professional after an event.
But the flutter in her stomach felt distinctly unprofessional, and the way her mind kept returning to Maddox’s expression suggested this was territory she needed to navigate carefully.
Very carefully.
