Connor considered that.“That almost sounded like praise.”
“It was praise.”
“I should mark the date.”
They stood in the sun-warmed quiet, the old awkwardness between them shifting into something less sharp.Not gone.Nothing that deep vanished because a case ended.But the shape of it had changed.
Selena held out her hand.“Congratulations on solving the case, Sheriff.”
Connor looked at her hand, then took it.His grip was warm, familiar in a way that hit harder than she expected.
“Wesolved it,” he said.
“Take the win, Connor.”She grinned.“Who knows how long it’ll be until the next one.”
Their hands remained joined a second too long.
Connor stepped forward slightly, not much, but enough for Selena to know what he was about to do.A hug, perhaps.Something careful.Something that would make leaving harder.
Selena drew her hand back.“I’d better go.”
Connor stopped at once and rubbed the back of his hair, nervously.“Yeah.Of course.Bye, Selena.”
“Bye, Connor.”
She opened the car door and slid behind the wheel.When the engine turned over, Connor stepped back onto the grass verge and lifted one hand.
Selena reversed down the drive.
Robert stood on the porch now.Arnold beside him.Connor is near the mailbox.Three figures in the mirror, all smaller with each yard she put between them and herself.
At the end of the road, she turned toward the highway.
Her phone rang before she reached the county line.
Meg Calloway’s name appeared on the display.
Selena answered on speaker.“Calloway.”
“Raven,” Meg said.“I read the preliminary.”
“That was fast.”
"A couple of slow days here for once.'Excellent job,' I suppose, is in order?"
Selena smiled despite herself.“Try not to sound surprised.”
“I’m not surprised.I’m relieved.Rural partner agency, serial pattern, local history, political sensitivity if the earlier death gets reclassified.Plenty of room for disaster.”
“Thanks for listing the ways it could’ve gone wrong after it didn’t.”
“That’s what supervisors are for.”
The road opened ahead, flanked by fields turning gold under the afternoon sun.Selena loosened her grip on the wheel.
Meg said, “You know, there’s an opening down there for a more permanent position.”
Selena’s smile faded.“You trying to get rid of me?”
