I’d be surprised if she didn’t have every hill and crevice memorized. She has a frickin’ map on her bedroom wall! She sleeps and rises to six red pins staring at her, reminding her that she survived.” Nick took a deep breath. “Seven. Seven pins now.”
Quinn glanced at Nick’s hard profile, but couldn’t miss the emotion tightening his expression. He didn’t know whether it was his naked emotions or the rawness in his voice, but Quinn knew with certainty that Nick was still in love with Miranda. He pictured Nick in Miranda’s bedroom staring at the map that had become such a focal point in her life. Nick would be wanting to help Miranda find peace, but unable to tear her away from her nightmares. Quinn shifted uncomfortably.
He’d heard about their relationship from his partner, Colleen Thorne, when she returned from investigating the Croft sisters’ murder. Years after Miranda stopped speaking to him, refused to see him, it still hurt to think about her with another man. Even one he liked and respected.
Damn, he’d loved her! Few women could compare to Miranda. Her intensity, her laugh, her strength, her strong sense of right and wrong. Everything about Miranda was passionate, from how she lived her life to her quest for justice.
That she’d turned to Nick when she was ready for another relationship irritated and hurt him. She’d forced him to give her space, and against his better judgment he did. But she never came back to Quantico, never returned his calls, never accepted that he’d made the only decision possible. Then, she started seeing Nick.
He didn’t want to know about their relationship, but he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “What happened?”
“What?”
“Why’d you two break up?”
Nick shrugged. “Lots of things. Mostly, I couldn’t stand not being able to protect her.”
“Hmm.” Miranda didn’t need protection, except from herself. What she needed was to get over the guilt. But she never recognized her obsession, let alone did anything to fix it.
“I think what did it was I wanted to take her away from
Montana
,” Nick said. “I could be a cop anywhere. I’d always thought
Texas
would be a good place to live. A helluva lot warmer than the
Gallatin
Valley
.”
“I can just picture you with a white ten-gallon hat,” Quinn said with a half-smile.
“Miranda wouldn’t leave. She’s determined to do what she can to protect the women of Bozeman. She teaches a self-defense class every week at the University. She heads up the search and rescue—not just when another co-ed turns up missing, but when hikers are lost, skiers disappear in an avalanche, anything. Last year two little girls wandered off from their campsite just this side of the
Wyoming
border, in Yellowstone. Miranda tracked them, found them, and brought them to safety.”
Quinn said nothing. What could he say? He had no claim to Miranda, no right to know anything about her. But dammit, he wanted to. He wanted to know everything that had happened in her life during the ten years since he’d last seen her.
“Thanks for coming, Quinn,” Nick said several moments later. “I know it’s not easy on you to work with her.”
As Nick stopped the truck behind Miranda’s red Jeep, Quinn said, “I have no problem working with Miranda, but if she crosses the line she has to be pulled.”
“Agreed.”
They got out of the SUV and the first thing Quinn noticed was Miranda standing up on a ledge, hands on her hips.
“Where have you been?” She bounded down the embankment and stood in front of them, jaw set. “You said two hours, it’s been nearly three!”
Though pale and thin, her deep blue eyes rimmed with fatigue, Miranda was a beautiful woman. A bundle of barely contained energy and strength Quinn had always admired.
“We went to interview the boys who found the body,” Nick said.
Quinn wanted to ask Miranda what business it was of hers, but bit his tongue. She was part of the
Quinn glanced at Nick’s hard profile, but couldn’t miss the emotion tightening his expression. He didn’t know whether it was his naked emotions or the rawness in his voice, but Quinn knew with certainty that Nick was still in love with Miranda. He pictured Nick in Miranda’s bedroom staring at the map that had become such a focal point in her life. Nick would be wanting to help Miranda find peace, but unable to tear her away from her nightmares. Quinn shifted uncomfortably.
He’d heard about their relationship from his partner, Colleen Thorne, when she returned from investigating the Croft sisters’ murder. Years after Miranda stopped speaking to him, refused to see him, it still hurt to think about her with another man. Even one he liked and respected.
Damn, he’d loved her! Few women could compare to Miranda. Her intensity, her laugh, her strength, her strong sense of right and wrong. Everything about Miranda was passionate, from how she lived her life to her quest for justice.
That she’d turned to Nick when she was ready for another relationship irritated and hurt him. She’d forced him to give her space, and against his better judgment he did. But she never came back to Quantico, never returned his calls, never accepted that he’d made the only decision possible. Then, she started seeing Nick.
He didn’t want to know about their relationship, but he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “What happened?”
“What?”
“Why’d you two break up?”
Nick shrugged. “Lots of things. Mostly, I couldn’t stand not being able to protect her.”
“Hmm.” Miranda didn’t need protection, except from herself. What she needed was to get over the guilt. But she never recognized her obsession, let alone did anything to fix it.
“I think what did it was I wanted to take her away from
Montana
,” Nick said. “I could be a cop anywhere. I’d always thought
Texas
would be a good place to live. A helluva lot warmer than the
Gallatin
Valley
.”
“I can just picture you with a white ten-gallon hat,” Quinn said with a half-smile.
“Miranda wouldn’t leave. She’s determined to do what she can to protect the women of Bozeman. She teaches a self-defense class every week at the University. She heads up the search and rescue—not just when another co-ed turns up missing, but when hikers are lost, skiers disappear in an avalanche, anything. Last year two little girls wandered off from their campsite just this side of the
Wyoming
border, in Yellowstone. Miranda tracked them, found them, and brought them to safety.”
Quinn said nothing. What could he say? He had no claim to Miranda, no right to know anything about her. But dammit, he wanted to. He wanted to know everything that had happened in her life during the ten years since he’d last seen her.
“Thanks for coming, Quinn,” Nick said several moments later. “I know it’s not easy on you to work with her.”
As Nick stopped the truck behind Miranda’s red Jeep, Quinn said, “I have no problem working with Miranda, but if she crosses the line she has to be pulled.”
“Agreed.”
They got out of the SUV and the first thing Quinn noticed was Miranda standing up on a ledge, hands on her hips.
“Where have you been?” She bounded down the embankment and stood in front of them, jaw set. “You said two hours, it’s been nearly three!”
Though pale and thin, her deep blue eyes rimmed with fatigue, Miranda was a beautiful woman. A bundle of barely contained energy and strength Quinn had always admired.
“We went to interview the boys who found the body,” Nick said.
Quinn wanted to ask Miranda what business it was of hers, but bit his tongue. She was part of the
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