Page 9 of Return to Laurel Valley

“Just Colt,” he said. “What about you?”

“No,” she said softly. “I didn’t really have anyone to tell. It didn’t seem like a good conversation to have with my brother.”

“We’re going to have to talk about all this, you know,” he said, lathering up a second round for another scrubbing. “We’ve got to figure out logistics. I know we can do it if we put our heads together and compromise.”

She sighed. “We’ll figure out something. But not now. There’s no rush.”

“And you’ve got a skip to catch,” he said, wiping the water from his eyes so he could look at her. “Don’t think for a second I’m going to let you skip town with another fugitive again. I don’t care if I have to go all the way back to New York with you.”

“I have to do my job,” she said, coming to her feet. “It’s how I make a living.”

“I’ve never had an issue with your job. Only the leaving. I moved your bike over to the police garage, by the way. And I grabbed your backpack while I was at it. I figured you’d probably need a change of clothes. Though you might want to toss them in the dryer first as they’re a little damp.”

Lily’s heart did a small flip in her chest that he’d thought of her. It was the little things, her mother had always told her, that made a relationship last.

“Why does it smell like coffee in the shower?” he asked quizzically.

“Here.” She handed him the coffee mug and waited while he took a long, lukewarm sip.

“This is a little weird, as I’ve always been under the impression that coffee should be drunk while not naked and soaking wet.”

She gave him a half smile and said, “Well, I guess it’s my job to get you out of your rut and bring some excitement to your small-town life.”

He grunted. “Believe me. Small-town life is heaven compared to what I’ve been doing the past fifteen years. It’s funny because growing up I couldn’t wait to get out of this place. So I joined the army and I excelled quickly, thinking the harder I worked the less likely I’d have to come back. But after you experience a few things, you start to realize that living in peace instead of chaos and enjoying the simpler ways of life is the real adventure. Marriage, children—those are all things I thought would bore me to tears. But the older I get the more I look forward to those things.”

“It’s definitely an adjustment,” she said. “You’ve travelled all over just like I have. And there are not a lot of places like Laurel Valley. You can’t disappear here. Being nameless and faceless is an impossibility. I’ve always been anonymous. Had to be in my line of work. I don’t know my neighbors and they don’t know me. I don’t hang out with friends after work.”

“That’s a lonely life,” he said, turning off the water and taking the towel she handed him. “And one you won’t be able to sustain forever. The human species is built for relationships with other people. There have been people in your life. People you’ve been close to.”

“My parents,” she said softly. “My partner when I was a cop.”

“That’s the first time you’ve told me you were a cop,” he said.

Her gaze narrowed as she watched his expression. “But you somehow already knew I had been.”

“I did a background on you the first time you stepped foot in Laurel Valley. You rode in on that bike with nothing but attitude and a chip on your shoulder. I wanted to make sure the woman I had the hots for wasn’t a complete reprobate.”

She felt the tightness in her chest. How much did he find out about her in that background check? That was the real question.

“That’s very responsible of you,” she said. “I’m glad I passed the test.”

He just smiled at her, the devil in his eyes, not caring a bit that she was irritated.

“Laurel Valley is a good place with good people,” he said. “It’s a community that cares about each other. The people here just do things differently. But mostly it’s entertaining, unless you’re waist deep in raging waters, listening to people who should be tucked away safe in their homes while they yell out instructions.”

Lily snorted out a laugh. “I can only imagine the excitement. Sometimes I miss cop life.”

“Yeah, these are the days I wish I’d chosen any other profession,” he said, wrapping the towel around his waist. “After I got the power line guys taken care of, I drove out to help my deputies with the stranded kids. The road is completely washed out. There’s no way through from either side or around unless you go by boat, and the water is moving fast enough that it’s better you don’t try it unless it’s an emergency. People are going to be stuck in their houses for days until the water recedes, or until they get restless enough to unhitch their boats and go joyriding. So probably by noon.”

Lily smiled at the obvious affection he had for the people of Laurel Valley, even as the affection equaled the exasperation.

“Those kids were stuck on top of their car and it took all of us to get them down and to safe ground. Their car washed away about five minutes after we got them to safety.” He wiped a hand over the scruff on his face. “I’m too tired to shave. We’re working shifts so I can take a few hours to get some sleep. We’re going to be spread thin the next week or so.”

“Let’s get you to bed before you fall down where you stand,” she said.

“You shouldn’t have given me the coffee. I find I’m feeling very alert. Rejuvenated even.”

She laughed and pushed him into the bedroom. “I can see that.”

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