trouble?â
He snapped his attention to her. âYouâre conscious.â
âDisappointed, huh?â she teased.
Nate ripped his gaze from her adorable face. âThis isnât funny.â
âNo, it most certainly is not. I was just doing my job and found a body. Is she dead? Please tell me sheâs not dead. At first I thought maybe she just collapsed and hit her head. Iâve passed out before from not remembering to eat.â
Her nonstop chatter convinced Nate she was okay. âCassie, take a breath.â
Cassie and Nate couldnât be more different. While many thought of Nate as a reserved enigma, Cassie was bubbly and upbeat. Her brother, Nateâs friend Aiden, said sheâd drive any man crazy with her constant questions and observations about life, especially a man like Nate.
Drive him crazy? Sometimes, yet other times he enjoyed the pleasant sound of her voice.
âYouâre angry with me,â she said.
âIâm not angry.â
âYou seem angry. Why, because Iâm down here? I was only trying to get away.â She hesitated. âThat man, there was a man.â
âItâs okay, heâs not here now. Youâre safe.â
âHe was carrying a shovel and broke into the house andââ
âCassie.â He placed a hand on her shoulder. âYouâre okay. Iâm here and your brotherâs on his way with rescue gear.â
She sighed. âGreat, Aiden and his lectures. Look, Iâm fine.â She sat up and winced, gripping her head. âThis must be what a hangover feels like.â
Of course, she wouldnât know firsthand because she never drank, unlike Nate, who at one point found himself using alcohol to ease the sting of grief and the bitter taste of shame.
That was another reason he didnât like spending too much time around Cassieâhe worried heâd somehow sully her goodness.
âIâm glad youâre here,â she said.
He snapped his attention to her, trying to read her expression. Was she teasing? Because he knew he often came off like a jerk, abrupt and cold.
She watched him, as if waiting for him to respond to her comment.
He had no response, fearing if he opened his mouth heâd give her a lecture about being out so late alone.
âAre you okay?â she said.
Something snapped.
âAm I okay?â
The dog jumped into her lap, and she stroked its fur. âYeah, you look more worried than usual, and your shirtâs torn and youâre clenching your fist like you want to hit a punching bag at Brackenâs Gym. So itâs logical to ask if youâre okay, not that you consider my questions logical butââ
âNo, Cassie, Iâm not okay,â he interrupted. âWhat were you thinking coming out here so late?â
âItâs only eight oâclock.â
âBut by yourself without protection?â
âWhat, like a bodyguard?â She smiled.
Which only frustrated him more.
âItâs Echo Mountain,â she said. âBesides, I have pepper spray in my bag, not that I could get to it because it was on the counter and I was hiding in the front hallway.â
âPepper spray?â he said.
âYeah.â
âYou think pepper spray is going to protect you from guys like this?â
âGuys like what? I donât even know who he was.â
âWell, he knows you.â He immediately regretted his words when her face went white.
âHow is that possible?â she said.
âDidnât you hear him calling your name from above?â
She shook her head. âHow did you hear him?â
âYou left your phone on. Dispatch put it through. Speaking of which, give me your phone.â He stuck out his hand.
The dog dived between Nate and Cassie, frantically barking.
âItâs okay, Dasher,â Cassie said. âHeâs not really angry. Thatâs just Chief Walsh.â
JJ Carlson, George Bunescu, Sylvia Carlson