Some combinations were unexpectedly good, and didn’t that just make them even better? I thought so, at least.
Like Dean and me. He was a world traveler who’d bounced from seasonal gig to seasonal gig before arriving in Hartley to stay. I was a cop who’d been born here and rarely left the county. We might seem like unlikely friends, given all the ways we were different, but we both loved the outdoors. During the summer, we went hiking together almost every week.
Like a lot of Colorado natives, I’d never learned to ski—too expensive—but last winter Dean had started to teach me. He was obviously a super expert on both skis and a snowboard, but he was always patient, claiming he had as much fun as I did on the bunny slopes.
We found seats at one of the long tables on the deck. The view was spectacular as darkness settled over the mountains and valley. The live band had started playing just inside the dining room, which had all its doors thrown open to the outdoor space. They’d cleared away the tables in the tavern to allow for a dance floor, and we all cheered as Jessi and Aiden had their first dance.
When I looked over at Dean beside me, he was touching his necklace again, frowning slightly.
“You okay?” I whispered to him while everyone was clapping for Jessi and Aiden.
He seemed to snap out of wherever his thoughts had gone. “Yeah, all good. Just…” He glanced over at the dance floor, where other couples had started joining the bride and groom. “Would you like to dance?”
More fizzing in my stomach. I couldn’t blame the bubbly anymore since I’d finished my glass a while ago, and I never had more than one drink. In my opinion, a sheriff’s deputy was never a hundred percent off duty.
“Sure. Why not?”
As I took his hand and walked toward the dance floor, I told my hopes to settle back down.
Our friend Brynn was dancing with her boyfriend Cole, and she gave me a subtle thumbs up, eyes darting between me and Dean. I returned a quick shake of my head, because this wasnota thing. He’d made that very clear.
I knew wherehopealways led with this man. Exactly nowhere.
But the alcohol still sang in my bloodstream. Dean’s hands settled on my hips as we began to sway to the music. I placed mine on his shoulders. I was intensely aware of every point of contact between us. The warmth of his palms through the thin fabric of my dress. The solid feel of him, close enough that I could smell the crisp, fresh scent of his skin.
I let myself sink into the moment. Let myself stare back at him and look my fill.
What was my favorite thing about Dean? So hard to choose. There was his smile, always gentle at the edges. And those dimples. His dimples flashed when the faint lines around his eyes crinkled, just before he really grinned.
Since I’d met him, there’d been this aura of mystery about him. He could be deceptively quiet at times, like when he touched the leather cord on his neck. He always kept the pendant tucked inside his shirt, but I’d seen it a couple of times.
A rifle round.
Brynn had served as a Marine too, and she had all the bravado and swagger you’d expect to go along with it. Dean didn’t. Despite his history, or maybe because of it, he never touched weapons now.
But he didn’t seem to have an issue with the fact that I carried a gun for my job. As far as our friendship, I mean. Dean had helped with Protector missions too, though he stayed out of the fray himself.
“Did I tell you about the training I’ve been doing with Brynn?” I asked. “We’re working on my hand-to-hand combat skills. I’m getting a lot better.”
A line appeared between Dean’s eyebrows. “That’s…good. Sounds fun.”
My lips pressed tight. “It’s not forfun. You know that. Trace and Owen have told me no so far, but I’m not giving up.” I kept my voice down, even though we were at Last Refuge. There were plenty of people at the reception who had no idea the Last Refuge Protectors existed. “Brynn supports me, and I think River’s open to me joining too.”
“River rarely thinks about how dangerous something is. He jumps first and thinks later.”
“I’m aware of the danger. I’m a cop, Dean. Danger is part of the job description.”
“The Protectors are different.”
“Which is exactly why I want to be a real part of it.” Frustration made prickles of sweat break out over my skin. I didn’t want to watch from the sidelines while my friends put themselves at risk.
I respected Dean’s choices, but wasn’t I entitled to mine?
The song ended, and I went to step away, annoyed at myself for being annoyed at him. I really hated to argue with Dean.
But he grabbed my hand. “Hey, can I talk to you? Somewhere private?”
“About the Protectors? Because I don’t want to?—”
