Page 11 of Off the Rails
Maria’s stomach clenched with regret. “I’m so sorry, Ian.”
He tightened his hands around the wheel. “So am I.”
“Can you work somewhere else?”
“I don’t know. Right now I’m on a temporary assignment with ICE, which is part of Homeland Security. The DEA is investigating the incident at the hotel. If I’m found liable, I can’t transfer to another agency. I’ll have to start over.”
Maria nibbled the edge of her thumbnail. She knew all about starting over. She’d started over in Tijuana, after her first failed attempt to cross the border. Her second try had been successful, but the time she’d spent in the United States had been a disaster. So she’d gone back to Mezcala to start over again. She’d been hoping to go home and forget Ian.
Now she realized it was impossible. She couldn’t erase her memories or change her heart. Seeing him in her mother’s store had forced her to face that harsh reality.
She could start over, but she couldn’t move on.
