Page 38 of Target Acquired
Melissa clutched the envelope to her chest. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re the best.”
NINE
The next morning, Kenzie rolled over in bed to stare at the ceiling, her mind replaying the events of yesterday, but mostly she couldn’t get the look in Micah’s mother’s eyes out of her head.
Gratitude. Surprise. Relief. Resignation. Grief. Guilt. Weariness. A bone-deep tired that all the sleep in the world wouldn’t be able to dispel. The one thing Kenzie didn’t remember seeing was hope.
And that bothered her.
Everyone needed hope.
It took her thirty minutes to dress for her day of . . . what? Some days she hated not being on the schedule. Technically, she was on call 24/7, but when it was her day off and no calls came in . . .
Okay, no calls was a good thing. She climbed out of bed and walked to the window to peer through the blinds. Yep, her “bodyguards” were still there. She itched to take a run or hop on her bike and get in a few miles on her favorite trails around Lake City, but the fact that Cole thought she needed security held her back. He had called in a few favors, and officers and the other off-duty unit members had stayed on her home.
The clock said she’d actually slept for seven solid hours, and that spoke volumes as to how tired she’d been.
Cole had offered to stay on her couch once more last night and she’d refused. She had protection on her home, her gun on her end table, and her alarm armed. Having Cole in her home would rattle her too much to relax. That very fact bothered her on so many levels. Why was she attracted to him all of a sudden?
She snorted. If she were honest, it wasn’t all of a sudden. She’d always thought Cole was good-looking but had considered him so far out of her league she hadn’t allowed herself to crush on him. So why did her attraction meter go off every time he walked in the room?
It was ridiculous and she needed to get over it.
Her phone buzzed on the pillow, and she unplugged it from the charger to see a text from Cole.
I know today is your day off, but you up to trying to track down the guy who set us up yesterday?
More than up to it.
I figured. I thought we’d head to the farmers’ market and see what kind of fruit that label belongs to.
Pick you up in 30?
You really think that label is going to tell us anything?
No idea, but figured it wouldn’t hurt to try. You game?
I’ll be ready.
Kenzie set her phone aside and frowned. Why was he being so chummy with her lately? Was it really because he was trying to get the other guys to warm up to her? Maybe. Or maybe he had another motive.
Like what?
No idea.
Not that she wasn’t grateful for the change, but it was . . . unnerving. Weird. Just like her stupid attraction to him. He was still out of her league, and the quicker she got that through her head, the better off she’d be.
Her phone buzzed again. This time with a call from her father. Great. Ignore or answer? She swiped the screen. “Hey, Dad.”
“I need you to take me to the cemetery today.”
Kenzie froze. “Why?” The word slipped out even though she already knew the answer.
“Why?” He snorted. “To visit your mom, of course.”
“I didn’t know we were doing that today. No one told me.” He went a couple of times a week, but it was usually one of her brothers who took him.
He swore and she grimaced. Her mother’s death, his injuries from the wreck, the rumors swirling about him being a dirty cop, and his subsequent “forced” retirement from the force had turned him into a very bitter man. Being around his abrasive bad attitude was like fingernails on a chalkboard to her nerves. And it hurt, as it seemed to be reserved mostly for her. She loved him but spent as little time as possible with him for her own mental health.