Page 17 of Clumsy in Love

The police helped her move her things to the new hotel and brought her food, which she devoured instantly. Now, two uniformed officers stood outside her room while she tried to nap. She’d gotten exactly no sleep in the tree last night. Her ankle hurt. And she was already getting hungry again.

There was a knock at the door. It was the detectives from the park.

“Hello,” she said. “Come in. Did you need something else from me?”

“No, actually,” Detective Flanigan said. “We want to do something for you. Obviously, Cruz knows who you are and where you live. What you can testify to will put him away for life, and we’re very worried about your safety.”

Holly sat down hard on the bed. She knew all this of course, but hearing him say it out loud still stung. “What should I do?”

“Well, we were hoping you could stay in New York, where we can protect you until we catch Cruz.”

“I really can’t. I’ve gotta get back to work.”

“What if we call your boss and explain the situation? I’m sure he or she would be reasonable.”

She huffed out a nervous laugh. “I’m not on the best terms with my boss right now. I’m a park ranger, and summer is our busy season. Plus, I don’t have the funds to stay indefinitely. I mean, you don’t know when—or if—you’ll catch him, right?”

The detective hummed. “That’s true. We’re doing everything we can, but he’s in the wind.”

“I have to go home, but I’ll be super careful. I can stay with a friend instead of at my house. Do you really think he’d go all the way to New Hampshire?”

“His freedom is at stake, so we’re not ruling anything out. We do have a plan B.”

“Which is?”

“We send a police officer with you.”

“You mean like a bodyguard?”

“Just until we arrest Cruz.”

Holly frowned. What had she gotten herself into? How would that look? She goes away on her honeymoon solo and comes back with some guy in tow? The town would have a field day with that. And what would Rick think? “I’d rather not—”

Another knock interrupted her, and Detective Espinoza went to open it. Officer Robinson sulked in, looking like someone killed his puppy.

“You remember Officer Robinson?”

“Hard to forget,” Holly said dryly.

“His first name’s Cole. He’s got some time off and volunteered to watch over you.”

Cole coughed over the word voluntold.

“Do I have a choice?” Holly asked, feeling like it was a rhetorical question.

“Well, yes. But we’d feel much better knowing you were safe. Cruz is a cold-blooded killer and not to be taken lightly. Please let us do this.”

She couldn’t argue about the cold-blooded part. Having a surly cop follow her around sounded miserable, but not half as bad as eating bullets.

“Fine,” Holly said. “But I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon on my scheduled flight. Plane departs at two-thirty.”

“All right. Cole? Pick her up at noon?”

Cole nodded briskly.

“Until then, if you go out, one of the officers guarding the door will accompany you.”

“All right.” Holly sighed. “Thank you.”

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