Page 68 of Target Acquired

“Hence the stupid dare.”

“At least it’s not snowing this time.” She shuddered. “I can’t believe I did that one last year. Are you going in?”

“What do you think?”

“I think you picked working with fire for a reason.”

Jesslyn laughed. “You got that right, but I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” She glanced at Kenzie. “Unless I had a wound that could get infected.”

Kenzie smirked. “I’ll be honest. I’m just using that as an excuse to stay warm.”

“I don’t blame you.”

“But why don’t you go show that hunky new detective what you’re made of?”

Jesslyn simply raised a brow and shot Kenzie a mysterious smile before walking over to stand between Nathan and Lainie. Then she turned back to Kenzie and winked.

“One, two, three, go!”

The splashes and shrieks echoed, and Kenzie laughed like she hadn’t in a very long time. When Cole hauled himself out of the water and onto the dock, shivering, his eyes connected with hers and he shot her a tentative smile.

She smiled back.

ONCE THEY WERE IN his 4Runner and heading back to Kenzie’s home, Cole glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. You thawed out yet?”

He shuddered. “I may never be warm again.” He cranked the heat up a notch for good measure.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know. Jump in. That’s crazy stuff.”

He was glad she was at least talking to him. It helped open the door to the apology he still owed her. There’d been no chance earlier when she was surrounded by friends right up to the end. “Who you calling crazy? You did it when it was snowing last year.”

She chuckled. “I know. I’m teasing.” Her phone pinged and she glanced at it. “Logan’s texting. My grandma Betsy’s birthday is next week.”

“Man, how old is she now?”

“Ninety-seven and still pretty sharp.” She glanced at him. “She doesn’t talk much about the past but does mention your grandmother, Eliza, and how she used to visit her at the psychiatric hospital.”

He laughed. “I can’t believe Betsy met your grandfather there. Can you imagine what they used to say to the question, ‘So, how did y’all meet?’”

Kenzie grinned. “Oh yes, she had fun with that one. And she also had stories about some guy who worked with my grandfather who used to hit on her.”

“What? Who?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. She just called him Dr. Stephen. He was the director back then before my grandfather took over. He had a crush on her that turned into something of a stalking situation. Apparently, she had to really put him in his place and let him know she was in love with my grandfather and to leave her alone.”

“Ouch. Poor guy. That had to hurt.” Probably almost as bad as Tracy dumping him. “What happened after that?”

“I’m not exactly sure. Grandma Betsy kind of clams up after that. I don’t think she likes to remember those days. She did ask me one time if I’d found the journal.”

“What journal?”

“I don’t know, and when I pressed her for more details, she just shrugged and said never mind, that it was probably lost.”

“Interesting.”

“I thought so, but I’ve been so busy working on renovating the house and pushing hard career-wise that I haven’t had much time to think about it.”