Page 16 of Counter Attack

“Just the poplar. But come mid to late October, the other hardwoods will turn and we’ll get all the traffic from sightseers.”

“Maybe I’ll get to see the colors this year.”

“Only if you make time for it.”

She gritted her teeth instead of snapping back at him. Nathan was only trying to make conversation, not criticizing her. Or maybe he was, but it pleased her that she hadn’t jumped to the bait. Surely she could refrain from being churlish for a couple of weeks until she could get back to her job and Chattanooga. After all, he’d been nothing but helpful since she was shot. And she needed to remember that.

They entered a stretch of highway that had deep drop-offs with little or no shoulder. Alex kept her gaze straight ahead and forced herself to breathe in and out.Think of something else.“You still go caving?”

“Sometimes,” he said. “Where’d that come from?”

“I don’t know.” Maybe she’d caught a glimpse of a cave. There were enough in Russell County, which probably had more caves than any of the counties surrounding it. Whatever the reason, yearning for those carefree days before responsibility took over stirred Alex.

“You know if my parents and your grandparents had known we were exploring the caves, they would’ve grounded us for life.”

“You better know it. We were lucky we didn’t kill ourselves.”

Nathan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “How long do you think you’ll stay at your grandparents’?”

“A week, tops.” His laughter startled her, then she laughed along with him. “Okay, maybe Gram will let me go after two weeks.”

“How about your job? Any word when you can go back to work?”

Another sore spot. “The department psychologist came by while I was in the hospital. I guess I didn’t answer some of her questions the way she wanted—she let me know it wouldn’t be anytime soon. She wants me to call and set up an appointment with her once I get back on my feet.”

“It’s probably better if you don’t rush it.”

They rounded a curve in the highway, and she caught her breath as the afternoon sun lit up the trees. It was after dark most of the times she drove this route or the one on US 27 to check on her grandparents and usually just as dark when she returned home. “I definitely need to get out of town more often while it’s daylight.”

“Yeah, Carson said you usually arrived late and left late.” Nathan glanced over at her. “Maybe now that you’ll be here longer, you can go to church with them.”

Guilt stabbed her. Again. The weekends she visited, Alex usually managed to convince her grandparents she needed to sleep in, and that might work for this Sunday. But once Gram thought she was well enough ... “I’ll go with them before I return home, but not this Sunday—right now there’d be too many questions from the LOL at church.”

“What? LOL?” He shot a frown at her.

“Little old ladies I told you about.”

He grinned. “Gotcha.”

A few miles down the road, he tapped the steering wheel. “When was the last time you did something for fun? And I’m not talking about visiting your grandparents.”

“I don’t know—haven’t given it much thought.” Who hadtime for fun, anyway? After making detective by the time she was twenty-six, she’d spent the last eight years working her way through the different departments. Her goal was to become lieutenant by the time she was thirty-seven—in three years. Then captain and finally police commissioner while she was still young enough to enjoy the job.

As they crossed the Pearl River, she stared up the river that divided Russell County in half. Wouldn’t be long until they were in Pearl Springs.

“Once you’re feeling stronger, would you consider a trip to Ruby Falls with me?”

She turned and stared at him. Then she touched her chest before she pointed at him. “You want us, as in you and me, to go to Ruby Falls. Together?”

He nodded. “When you’re stronger, of course.”

Thoughts of their near-kiss flooded her mind. Surely he didn’t mean ... “As in a date?”

“I think it’s time we buried the hatchet. I don’t even remember what broke us up.”

“Youarekidding—right?”

He shook his head. “Why would I do that?”

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