moment—with Jeremy there to help her through her times of panic. To make her see sense when everything else seemed to be falling in on her. They could have been each other’s everything.
Could they still?
No. That kiss had been a fluke. A man’s attempt to stop a woman from losing her cool. He was helping her in the only way he knew how. No doubt it meant nothing to him. He was far too guarded, too linear, to want to get involved in her life. He had his own in Missoula.
There was a tap on her window, and she opened her eyes. Jeremy stood on the other side of the glass, looking at her. “What’s up?” he asked with a slight tip of the head. “Did you find out something?”
She shook her head as she rolled down the window. “Hey, get in. I need to run to your brother’s place. Thought maybe you wanted to go with me,” she said.
He got in the car.
She wasted no time. “How do you feel about working as a consultant on your brother’s case?”
“I didn’t think that was a question.” Jeremy looked at her with a spark in his eye.
She wasn’t sure if it was excitement or something else, so she quickly glanced away. If it was something else, it would only complicate things. As much as she wanted to kiss him again, it couldn’t happen.
She clicked on the radio and let the country music fill the tense air between them as they bumped down the road.
She darted a glance his way. Some of the color had returned to his face, and he looked better, less in shock than last night.
“You doing okay?”
He nodded and looked out the window and away from her. “How long you been a deputy?” he asked, changing the subject.
Although he looked okay, he must have been wrestling with what had happened, and she wasn’t about to make him bring it back up.
“Just a few years. When were you promoted to detective?” Blake tried to ignore his cute half smile.
“I’m surprised that between my mother and your mother, you don’t know all about me. Every time I call I get a full report on you.”
He was right. Their mothers talked often and, until the last year or so, she had been given the details of his life...all the way down to how his daughter was doing in school. Yet, after a while, it hadn’t seemed right to be a passive bystander to his life, and she had asked her mother to stop telling her things.
“You don’t think our mothers would be crazy enough to try and set us up, do you?” he continued with a laugh.
The laugh chased away the little puff of excitement she was feeling. He wasn’t interested. And if he wasn’t, then neither was she—at least as far as he could know.
“My mother knows well enough that I’d never date another cop. And I’m not one for long-distance relationships. Tried that before.”
“Crashed and burned, huh?” he asked, a line of tension running through his voice, almost like he wanted to ask more.
“I’ve never been good at relationships. Long distance or otherwise.”
Not even next door.
“I get what you mean.” He looked away like he was drawing on a memory. “You ever think of getting married?”
Was he really grilling her on her thoughts on relationships because he cared, or was this just his awkward way of filling the time as they drove?
She pushed down the accelerator a little harder, forcing the patrol unit well past its comfort zone on the little dirt road that led out to the Foreman.
“I...uh...” she stammered, unsure how to answer his question.
“I get it. You are probably enjoying your single life.”
“Do you?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Some days. Some days I miss being married.”
The little wiggle of jealousy in her grew. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know about how much he missed his ex-wife. He’d had so much. Even though he was divorced, he’d been given a real chance at a relationship. He hadn’t been stuck in a nowhere town, without a spouse, and living with his mother.
She was thankful to see the cabin approaching as they
Could they still?
No. That kiss had been a fluke. A man’s attempt to stop a woman from losing her cool. He was helping her in the only way he knew how. No doubt it meant nothing to him. He was far too guarded, too linear, to want to get involved in her life. He had his own in Missoula.
There was a tap on her window, and she opened her eyes. Jeremy stood on the other side of the glass, looking at her. “What’s up?” he asked with a slight tip of the head. “Did you find out something?”
She shook her head as she rolled down the window. “Hey, get in. I need to run to your brother’s place. Thought maybe you wanted to go with me,” she said.
He got in the car.
She wasted no time. “How do you feel about working as a consultant on your brother’s case?”
“I didn’t think that was a question.” Jeremy looked at her with a spark in his eye.
She wasn’t sure if it was excitement or something else, so she quickly glanced away. If it was something else, it would only complicate things. As much as she wanted to kiss him again, it couldn’t happen.
She clicked on the radio and let the country music fill the tense air between them as they bumped down the road.
She darted a glance his way. Some of the color had returned to his face, and he looked better, less in shock than last night.
“You doing okay?”
He nodded and looked out the window and away from her. “How long you been a deputy?” he asked, changing the subject.
Although he looked okay, he must have been wrestling with what had happened, and she wasn’t about to make him bring it back up.
“Just a few years. When were you promoted to detective?” Blake tried to ignore his cute half smile.
“I’m surprised that between my mother and your mother, you don’t know all about me. Every time I call I get a full report on you.”
He was right. Their mothers talked often and, until the last year or so, she had been given the details of his life...all the way down to how his daughter was doing in school. Yet, after a while, it hadn’t seemed right to be a passive bystander to his life, and she had asked her mother to stop telling her things.
“You don’t think our mothers would be crazy enough to try and set us up, do you?” he continued with a laugh.
The laugh chased away the little puff of excitement she was feeling. He wasn’t interested. And if he wasn’t, then neither was she—at least as far as he could know.
“My mother knows well enough that I’d never date another cop. And I’m not one for long-distance relationships. Tried that before.”
“Crashed and burned, huh?” he asked, a line of tension running through his voice, almost like he wanted to ask more.
“I’ve never been good at relationships. Long distance or otherwise.”
Not even next door.
“I get what you mean.” He looked away like he was drawing on a memory. “You ever think of getting married?”
Was he really grilling her on her thoughts on relationships because he cared, or was this just his awkward way of filling the time as they drove?
She pushed down the accelerator a little harder, forcing the patrol unit well past its comfort zone on the little dirt road that led out to the Foreman.
“I...uh...” she stammered, unsure how to answer his question.
“I get it. You are probably enjoying your single life.”
“Do you?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Some days. Some days I miss being married.”
The little wiggle of jealousy in her grew. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know about how much he missed his ex-wife. He’d had so much. Even though he was divorced, he’d been given a real chance at a relationship. He hadn’t been stuck in a nowhere town, without a spouse, and living with his mother.
She was thankful to see the cabin approaching as they
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