Page 21 of Some Like It Hot

“Serious enough to fly out.”

“Who?”

He met her eyes, shook his head.

And for a second, Riley was in her arms, shaking, his eyes holding onto her.No.

Because she simply could not—would not—care that much.

Aw, shoot. Her voice turned soft, broken. “Don’t say it’s—”

“Sorry, honey. It doesn’t sound life-threatening, but when we drop off the team, we’re supposed to pick up Riley and bring him out.”

She sank onto a stool, her hands on her knees. Nodded. “Okay. I’m going with you.”

“Larke—”

“I’m going with you!” She stood up. “You need a copilot anyway.”

His mouth pinched tight. Because no, he hardly needed help.

Something she should have admitted long ago, maybe. Still.

He set his cup down, his thumb drawing down the handle. “I saw you two together a couple nights ago…”

Oh. “It wasn’t anything, Dad.” She shook her head. “Don’t worry. We watched the sunset.”

“The sunset takes a long time out here.” He wasn’t smiling.

“I don’t have room for anyone else in my life right now. Especially for a bad boy with a dark past.”

“That’s not what I want to hear.”

“Hear this. I just want him—all of them—safe, that’s all. There’s nothing else.”

He took a sip of his coffee, examined it. “And if there was, well…” He met her eyes. “Someday you have to turn the page, honey. Let God walk you into new paths, new pastures. Not with this guy, but with someone good. Honorable.”

She gave him a wry smile. “I’m still in the valley, Dad. And I’m not sure how to get out. And I certainly don’t want to be trapped there with anybody else.”

“A blind person can’t lead themselves out of the darkness. You have to ask for help.”

“I’m not blind, Dad. I’m just…still stuck outside the fence, I think.” Her mouth tightened. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

She took the stairs fast, grabbed her shoes, a jacket, a hat, and by the time she returned, her father had finished his coffee, was washing his mug in the sink.

She dumped hers and followed him outside. Cast a glance at the haze of smoke in the distance.

Stay alive.

Really, she should stop asking if she didn’t want to get hurt.

Four

Everybody just needed to take a breath.

Just clear their heads.

But yeah, strike three. Or maybe four, five, and six, because their entire callout had gone south.