I kneel and wrap my arms around him, resting my face against his soft fur while he stands there patiently, letting me hold onto him for a moment.
When I stand again, I wipe the last of the tears from my face.
George rests a steady hand on my shoulder.
“Come on. Let’s go talk to Lieutenant Mercer.”
Nathan gives one final nod before turning toward his car.
I watch him go for a moment before following George inside the station.
The atmosphere inside is tense. Radios crackle across the room while Coast Guard members move quickly between desks and equipment.
A tall officer steps toward us within moments.
Lieutenant Mercer.
George greets him briefly before gesturing toward me.
“This is May Moreira. Do we have any news on Holloway?”
Chapter 40
The helicopter door slides shut behind me as the blades gather speed overhead.
A deep vibration hums through the metal floor beneath my feet while the aircraft lifts slowly into the air. Wind tears across the harbor parking lot, sending loose gravel and salt spray skittering across the pavement as we rise into the gray afternoon sky.
I grip the overhead strap and glance down toward the edge of the dock as the helicopter climbs.
May is still standing exactly where I left her.
She hasn’t moved an inch.
Even from up here, I can see the tension in her shoulders, the way her arms wrap around herself like she’s trying to hold something together inside her chest that’s threatening to come apart.
Christ.
The realization settles quietly in my gut as the helicopter banks toward the harbor mouth.
The way she looked when she realized what had happened… the way she clung to the front of my suit like I was the last bit of ground beneath her feet.
I don’t need anyone spelling it out for me.
May Moreira is gone for the man.
And Holloway, the stubborn fecker that he is, probably hasn’t the faintest idea just how lucky he’s managed to get.
For a moment, I let myself sit with it.
Not exactly jealousy, because that’s not quite what it is, more like the quiet sting of something that never had the chance to become anything real. I’d be lying if I said the thought of her hadn’t crossed my mind more than once over the last few weeks. A woman like that is hard not to notice, especially when being near her leaves you feeling a bit lighter than you were before.
But some things aren’t meant to be yours.
The helicopter banks again as we clear the breakwater, and the view of the harbor slips away behind us.
That’s that then.
I take a slow breath and push the thought aside, letting it settle somewhere quiet where it won’t get in the way.
