Page 37 of Hot Pursuit
“You’re right, you know,” Nate said, hoping to bring her back in. Because shewasright. In the back of his mind, Nate tried to imagine his life without his brother and sister, without the stress of worrying about them, yes, but without the laughter their antics supplied, the joy their love brought him. One of the happiest days of his life had been standing by his brother’s side as he married the woman of his dreams. A close second was sitting in the stands as his sister accepted her diploma, pride a swelling bubble in his chest. He wouldn’t trade them for anything. Not even to have his father back. “Typical is nothing to be snide about.”
In fact, he really did owe his mom a phone call.
It had been ages since he’d heard the sound of her voice, of any of their voices. Life in the bureau didn’t leave much room for anything else.
Jo nudged him with her elbow.
Nate tossed her a wry glance.
They locked eyes and came to a standstill, too focused on one another to move. His feet were heavy, trapped in place by the intensity of her gaze. Deep in the centers of those emerald irises, he could almost see the dream playing through her thoughts, the dream he was too afraid to dare imagine for himself. Of a white picket fence. And children running around a freshly mowed backyard. And a woman by his side, her smooth hand wrapped in his, her head on his shoulder, his arm around her waist, as they watched, at peace, at home.
And thenbam!
Just like that, a memory invaded.
The same one as always.
Screeching tires. A high-pitched shriek. An inhuman scream crawling its way up his throat. The burn of asphalt scraping against his knees. His hands pressed to a twitching chest. The blood spilling over his fingers, more and more and more, dripping down his arms and onto the driveway, spreading wider and wider and—
Nate lurched his eyes away from Jo, breaking the contact, breaking the memory. He couldn’t think about it. Didn’t want to. That dream wasn’t part of his future. Not with this life. This job. This past. He would never risk doing that to a child, to his child. Never.
“Nate?” Jo asked softly, her voice cautious, maybe the least bit concerned.
He shook his head.
Fingers encircled his, petite and dainty, yet strong enough to squeeze so tight he could feel her touch all the way to his core, a warm embrace.
“Look!” Her voice shifted completely.
Nate groaned, already knowing he didn’t like the overly gleeful and enthusiastic tone. “What?”
Jo lifted both of their hands, pointed to a spot in the distance. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
Nate zeroed in on the spot, then proceeded to hang his head in disdain. “Unfortunately, I am.”
“A carousel!” Jo exclaimed, even though he could see it same as her and knew exactly what it was.
“A kiddie ride,” he grumbled.
“Oh, let’s go,” she pleaded, dragging him forward as he dug his heels into the pavement. “Come on, I used to love them as a little girl. I haven’t even seen one in ages.”
“Jo.”
That was it. That was all he had.
Clearly, it did nothing.
“Nathaniel Parker, are you really going to deny me the joy of a ride on a carousel? I thought you agreed to play by my rules today. And my rules say age is just a number.”
“Can I watch?” He tried a different approach.
Jo rolled her big green eyes in his direction. “Don’t be such a grump.”
His mouth fell open in mock horror.
Jo grinned. “You’re too young and too handsome to be an old curmudgeon.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult,” he teased but let her pull him forward with a sigh.
