Page 108 of Fire Dancer
I turned, clasping his hands. “You’re not obsessed. You’re highly principled.”
He looked rueful. “Probably a bit of both, to be honest.”
I gave his hands a little shake. “I chose to go in there, and I chose to stay after I got the camera set up. So, I get it now — why you do what you do. And I’m sorry — so sorry — for giving you such a hard time about that.”
He shook his head. “Well, I get it now, too — what you always said. Knowing you were in danger killed me.”
I wrapped him in a hug, then whispered in his ear. “Maybe we can find some kind of compromise.”
“We will.” He held me tighter, rocking from side to side. “I promise.”
* * *
I did sleep well that night. At least, what was left of the night after we stumbled home — my home — in the wee hours of the night. Ingo and I even slept in, though sleeping wasn’t all we did when the sun came up. But, hey. I’d survived an evening with a hoard of hungry vampires. I deserved it.
After dozing off, I woke up feeling dreamy, satisfied, and so proud of myself, it was practically criminal.
Leave it to reality to bring me down a few notches.
“Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauties.” Erin knocked on the frame of the stall that served as my bedroom.
The clock showed nine — which really wasn’tthatlate, considering.
“We have company,” she finished, keeping her eyes averted.
I cringed. “Is it Mom?”
“Even worse,” she said, dead serious.
Ingo groaned. “Captain Edwards?”
“Bingo,” Erin said. “He’s over at the main house, demanding to see Ingo, pronto.”
Ingo flipped the covers over our heads. “Leave it to Edwards to know where to find me.”
The question was, what else did Ingo’s boss know?
We washed and dressed quickly, then headed over to the main house, where a tank of a man sat on the porch, surrounded by Claire and her horses.
Abby winked as Ingo and I approached.I told him he’d have to wait, and he got all huffy. Then Claire worked her magic.
I grinned. Ah, to be a cute eight-year-old again. The things I’d gotten away with back then…
Ingo cleared his throat. “You wanted to see me, Captain?”
Edwards spun, his gaze going from soft to blistering. “You bet your ass, I did.” Then he froze and looked at Claire. “Er, I meant ass, as in donkey.”
Claire giggled, while Abby sent him a withering look that saidHow dare you use such language around my daughter?
Never mind that Claire had heard worse from Abby and the rest of us.
“Let’s go, sweetheart,” Abby snipped, gathering Claire and her toy horses.
“Bye, Mr. Eddie,” Claire called sweetly. “Say bye, Seabiscuit.”
She made a nickering sound, and Captain Edwards waggled his fingers. The minute she left, he transformed back into a hard-nosed law enforcement officer.
A very hot, silver fox of a law enforcement officer. Not my type, but still.