The fire crackled, and Hannah extended her legs to the warmth, wiggling her toes in her boots. “Autumn snuck in here and knocked summer right off her throne.”
Jed dragged his chair next to hers, cupping his mug of coffee. “Almost time for me to start the academy.”
“We’re excited to have you, Jed. Although why they hold an academy right during one of the worst times for fire out here is beyond me.” Tate clapped Jed on the back. “You sure you wanna give up your PI work? You’re a natural.”
“I’ll keep my license handy.” He squeezed Hannah’s knee. “I have to try to keep this one out of trouble.”
“I wouldn’t have been in trouble if you hadn’t dragged me into your investigation.”
“Is that what I did? Seems to me you’re the natural.”
Hannah brought his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. She’d told him about finding the tape recording his alibi among her father’s things. He’d always known her father had set him up, and now he knew how he’d done it.
Astrid tugged on her son’s sleeve. “Go get your uncle some water.”
“I don’t need...” Tate stopped when he saw his sister’s face. “Grab me a bottle from the fridge, Olly.”
When Olly disappeared into the house, Astrid hugged her jacket to her body and gave an exaggerated shiver. “To think that Mr. Lamar went to the trouble of getting Olly’s phone number to involve him in his sick games makes me ill.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think Lamar had you in his sights as a victim. He’d already picked out Vera Allende.” Hannah shook her hair back from her face. “Not that that’s a good thing. It astounds me that a fifteen-year-old boy was able to kill his whole family and pass it off as a murder-suicide.”
Tate spread his hands. “Because who’s going to suspect a scared teenaged foster kid of those brutal murders. And the kids.”
Astrid covered her face with her hands. “So horrible. How are Sheldon and Chrissy?”
“Sheldon’s grandparents are going to take him to Bend, and Chrissy is going to stay with her grandmother. Poor babies. They never did see Lamar, and they’re lucky they didn’t.”
Olly returned outside with Tate’s bottle of water and tossed it to him.
As Tate caught the bottle, he said, “I’m heading inside. I have some work to do. Good night, Hannah.”
Astrid jumped from her chair. “You’re not going to stick around for my world-famous s’mores?”
Tate patted his flat stomach. “I don’t need any s’mores, world-famous or not.”
“Come and help me.” She grabbed Olly’s hand and they trailed after Tate into the cabin.
The fire popped, and Hannah shivered.
“Are you cold?” Jed tugged on her arm, pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. “After what happened at the falls, I don’t feel like I ever want to let you go.”
“Please don’t.” She snuggled against his chest. “I am so happy you looked at my phone when you got to my office—and remembered the pass code.”
“How could I forget the pass code?” He wedged a finger beneath her chin and kissed her. “I’m just glad that tracker app popped up on your phone when I got into it. I’m not sure I would’ve known where to look for that or would have even known you had that tag on you.”
“It was just by chance that I slipped it into the pocket of my skirt that afternoon. When I discovered it on that path with Lamar, I hoped and prayed that you’d come to my office, find my phone and find me.”
“Prayers answered.” He nuzzled her neck. “I’ve had a lot of prayers answered lately. I’m on a lucky streak.”
“I just—” she sniffed and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye “—I just can’t believe what my father did to you. I’m so sorry.”
“He must’ve set things up with Zoey in advance. I don’t believe she was even raped. Do you think—” he sucked in his bottom lip “—do you think Zoey and your father were involved? Did he give her his watch as a gift, or was it payment for setting me up?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t even want to think about that. Did the police ever find out where Zoey’s money came from? Did she really steal that drug money from Chase?”
“If they did find out, they didn’t tell me. If she did steal it from Chase Thompson, she was playing a dangerous game.”
“It seems as if she enjoyed dangerous games.” Another tear rolled down her cheek. “I should’ve seen something, done something.”
He caught the tear with the pad of his thumb. “We’ve been over this before. You couldn’t have known and there’s nothing you could’ve done about it, anyway. It’s in the past, Hannah. Let’s put it in the past. Can you do that and move into the future...with me?”
She threw her arms around his neck and rested her cheek against his hair, as black as a raven’s wing. “That’s the only future I can see—one with you in it.”
And when he kissed her this time, there were no bars between them, real or imagined.
Carol Ericson’s miniseries,
A Discovery Bay Novel,
continues with Point of Discovery,
available next month!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Always Watching by Julie Anne Lindsey