catch the person responsible.”
“Damn straight,” he replied in a clipped tone while he took her offering. Downing the water in one swift gulp, he handed her the cup. “Which is why I’m going back with the inspector and we’re jumping right on this.”
He was leaving her?
As if he read her mind, Jonas jerked his head back toward the police cars in the background, their blue and white lights still flashing. “Don’t worry. I’m posting an officer to sit outside until further notice.”
But that wasn’t what she was thinking. He was leaving her. Despite the destruction she’d witnessed tonight, she wasn’t worried the person or persons would come back. They’d done their damage. Or maybe the complete sense of calm that seemed to steal over her was because Jonas was so confident he’d catch the guilty party.
All she knew was…damn it…he was leaving!
Before she could utter a word, Jonas waved over one of his officers. “Jeff, I want you to stay here and watch the house tonight.”
“Will do.” The short, stocky deputy touched his hat and acknowledged Deidre with a respectful nod.
Jonas clapped the inspector on the shoulder. “Let’s go, Edward. You can give me a ride. We’ve got some work ahead of us.”
“Thanks for the water.” Edward handed her the cup then led Jonas over to his truck.
“What about Admiral?” Deidre called after Jonas.
“I’ve phoned my foreman, Harrison. He’ll stop by and pick him up in the next half hour.”
While disappointment rushed through her at the realization Jonas wouldn’t be returning tonight, she worked hard to keep her expression neutral. Damn it, how had she quickly become so desperate to spend as much time as she could with the man?
Anticipation
Chapter Five
“Hey.” Jonas’ tired voice spoke next to her ear at the same time he pulled her back against his hard chest.
Deidre awoke with a surprised gasp, her heart pounding. But the sensation of Jonas’ hard, naked chest sliding against her back while he climbed into bed with her turned her gasp into a sigh of contentment. She gave a sleepy smile and snuggled closer to his warm frame.
After staying outside until the last fireman and police officer left, she cleaned the entire house, took a shower and crawled into bed. She’d lain there for a few hours before sheer exhaustion had finally caused her eyes to close. Glancing at the clock, she blinked at the time—three a.m.—and murmured, “I was so wired I finally fell asleep thirty minutes ago.”
When Jonas let out a heavy sigh, she glanced at him over her shoulder. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
He kissed her shoulder, but she could tell he was thinking about something. “My brother informed me today he’d made his decision to put our ranch and the property on the market.”
“What?” Deidre rolled onto her back. “But that property has been in your family for decades. You told me your parents worked so hard to leave a legacy for you and your brother.”
Jonas shrugged. “Noah’s getting married. He wants to build a house in town.”
At the frustration in Jonas’ eyes, she felt as if a weight was pushing on her chest. This had to be part of the underlying tension she’d noticed in Jonas the past couple of days. “Then buy him out.”
He ran a finger down the side of her face and gave a half smile. “I offered, but my brother wants top dollar and I can’t afford that.”
The idea that everything Jonas’ parents and Jonas had worked for would be all for nothing made her stomach knot. It wasn’t right. And their idyllic spot in the woods, the place they’d connected, would belong to someone else. It felt so very wrong. She placed her hand on his cheek as tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
He smiled and brushed away a tear that rolled down her temple. “No worries. Life happens.”
She noticed his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, but Jonas quickly kissed the palm of her hand and changed the subject. “I do
“Damn straight,” he replied in a clipped tone while he took her offering. Downing the water in one swift gulp, he handed her the cup. “Which is why I’m going back with the inspector and we’re jumping right on this.”
He was leaving her?
As if he read her mind, Jonas jerked his head back toward the police cars in the background, their blue and white lights still flashing. “Don’t worry. I’m posting an officer to sit outside until further notice.”
But that wasn’t what she was thinking. He was leaving her. Despite the destruction she’d witnessed tonight, she wasn’t worried the person or persons would come back. They’d done their damage. Or maybe the complete sense of calm that seemed to steal over her was because Jonas was so confident he’d catch the guilty party.
All she knew was…damn it…he was leaving!
Before she could utter a word, Jonas waved over one of his officers. “Jeff, I want you to stay here and watch the house tonight.”
“Will do.” The short, stocky deputy touched his hat and acknowledged Deidre with a respectful nod.
Jonas clapped the inspector on the shoulder. “Let’s go, Edward. You can give me a ride. We’ve got some work ahead of us.”
“Thanks for the water.” Edward handed her the cup then led Jonas over to his truck.
“What about Admiral?” Deidre called after Jonas.
“I’ve phoned my foreman, Harrison. He’ll stop by and pick him up in the next half hour.”
While disappointment rushed through her at the realization Jonas wouldn’t be returning tonight, she worked hard to keep her expression neutral. Damn it, how had she quickly become so desperate to spend as much time as she could with the man?
Anticipation
Chapter Five
“Hey.” Jonas’ tired voice spoke next to her ear at the same time he pulled her back against his hard chest.
Deidre awoke with a surprised gasp, her heart pounding. But the sensation of Jonas’ hard, naked chest sliding against her back while he climbed into bed with her turned her gasp into a sigh of contentment. She gave a sleepy smile and snuggled closer to his warm frame.
After staying outside until the last fireman and police officer left, she cleaned the entire house, took a shower and crawled into bed. She’d lain there for a few hours before sheer exhaustion had finally caused her eyes to close. Glancing at the clock, she blinked at the time—three a.m.—and murmured, “I was so wired I finally fell asleep thirty minutes ago.”
When Jonas let out a heavy sigh, she glanced at him over her shoulder. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
He kissed her shoulder, but she could tell he was thinking about something. “My brother informed me today he’d made his decision to put our ranch and the property on the market.”
“What?” Deidre rolled onto her back. “But that property has been in your family for decades. You told me your parents worked so hard to leave a legacy for you and your brother.”
Jonas shrugged. “Noah’s getting married. He wants to build a house in town.”
At the frustration in Jonas’ eyes, she felt as if a weight was pushing on her chest. This had to be part of the underlying tension she’d noticed in Jonas the past couple of days. “Then buy him out.”
He ran a finger down the side of her face and gave a half smile. “I offered, but my brother wants top dollar and I can’t afford that.”
The idea that everything Jonas’ parents and Jonas had worked for would be all for nothing made her stomach knot. It wasn’t right. And their idyllic spot in the woods, the place they’d connected, would belong to someone else. It felt so very wrong. She placed her hand on his cheek as tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
He smiled and brushed away a tear that rolled down her temple. “No worries. Life happens.”
She noticed his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, but Jonas quickly kissed the palm of her hand and changed the subject. “I do
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