Before.
25
Cole hadn’t slept last night and was feeling it this morning. He’d been tortured by Jo’s response to his inability to effectively communicate. If he was a quitting man, he would just give up. But letting go now that he was here and had seen her again, kissed her again, would be harder than he could have imagined.
So much for his grand entrance back into her life. Who did he think he was, trying to save her from the demons that had sent her into hiding?
Any minute now, Sheriff Thatcher and Detective Sanders were due to arrive. At least Sheriff Thatcher had been able to learn more about Naomi Bancroft for Cole. She remained in critical condition. He wanted to ask about those incoherent words, but she was fighting for her life, and that didn’t seem important or appropriate. They would keep moving forward with the information on hand.
Cole chugged another cup of black coffee. He groused that Hawk had arranged the meeting without consulting him first. Hawk had assisted Cole when he’d asked, but he wasn’t running things and should stop acting like he was onthe PSD—protection security detail. But to be fair, Hawk had facilitated a meeting that needed to happen, and Cole was running on fumes. To say he was grumpy this morning was an understatement.
That was mostly because of his messing things up with Jo.
“I don’t like this,” Cole said.
“I heard you the first ninety-nine times you said it,” Hawk said. “What more do you want from me?”
“I fixed it!” Jo stepped from the hallway, grime on her forehead. The heating system had been malfunctioning all night, leaving them a little too cold. That seemed to underscore Cole’s last words with Jo.
But the unit kicked on.
She appeared chipper and not at all like a woman who hadn’t slept, so he figured their last conversation of the night hadn’t bothered her at all. She’d been the one to leave without letting him finish. Well, honestly, he couldn’t finish. He couldn’t tell her what he’d wanted to tell her. Because he stunk at relationships. He might have pursued her, but sometimes, you just had to let a person fume on their own. When Jo needed her space, she needed it. End of story.
And now, she appeared to be right as rain, but that was because she’d woken up with a problem to solve. Cole could probably have managed, but Jo insisted. He loved seeing how putting her hands to use had set her firmly back in her element. Though the trauma of the last few days lingered in her gaze, a spark of life—the fight—still remained.
He’d spent the rest of the evening talking to his brother about his talent for ruining relationships. He’d actually asked Hawk for his advice, to which Hawk had replied that Cole was brave and could face bullets head-on, but when it came to love and commitment, he was a big fat chicken.
Thanks a lot,Hawk.I feel so much better.
Jo didn’t look at him. Smiling, she ambled toward the kitchen and tripped on the Persian rug. Stumbling forward, she caught herself. She lifted her chin in a nonchalant air, then shoved hair from her face and set her wrench—Little Jo—on the counter.
Finally, she flicked her gaze to him, and a spark of defiance flashed in her eyes.
This woman. He adored her so much. “Um, Jo. You know the sheriff is coming.”
“I know.”
“You have a smudge on your forehead. Here, let me...” He dampened a paper towel and then dabbed at the smudge.
“Well, how does the rest of me look?”
Good. Better than anyone had a right to look. “Ready to face the world.”
“Lucky for me, I don’t need to face the world. I only need to face the demons of my parents’ past.”
“That’s kind of a tall order for anybody,” Hawk said.
And Jo pulled her attention from Cole to Hawk, just when Cole thought things might be okay. Now he couldn’t be sure.
Looking incredulous, she shrugged. “Who would have thought?”
“I hope the sheriff has some information for us,” Remi said.
The doorbell rang.
“It’s them.” Hawk opened the door and invited the sheriff in.
Sheriff Thatcher introduced Detective Braden Sanders. So this guy had been DSS. Cole flicked a quick look at Hawk before zeroing in on the two law enforcement officers.
