Cold Dawn

by Susan Sleeman

  Griff shifted uncomfortably. “Easy to say. Not so easy to do.”

  “Oh, I get that. Trust me. It wasn’t an overnight change for me. Maybe you need some motivation.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like if you ever want to get back together with Sam, you have to put this behind you.”

  Griff eyed the man. “Never said I wanted to get back together with her.”

  “You don’t have to. You may try to play it cool, but I’ve seen the looks you give her. Do yourself a favor and admit that while you’re at it, too.”

  Sam sat on the floor in front of the Blackwell’s blazing fireplace. Pepper lay on her lap sound asleep. Dinner had passed pleasantly, and the kids had gone to bed. Hannah carried the conversation, but there was some sort of undercurrent between Gage and Griff, and Sam was dying to know what they’d talked about in their secret office meeting.

  Had they discussed her past with Griff? She doubted that Griff would open up about that to a stranger, even if he was a SEAL brother. So maybe they’d discussed why Griff left his team. She could see them talking about that, but why the undercurrent?

  She almost sighed, but she caught Hannah watching her and held it in. She smiled instead. Hannah gave Sam a nice try look. Sam’s and Gage’s phones dinged at the same time sparing her from any questions from Hannah.

  Sam looked at the message from Eryn.

  All 3 buildings owned by Freshest Seafood in Seaview Cove. 2 are canneries, 1 is a warehouse. Owner, Walter Nobles, having financial difficulties. Could be after insurance money. Found no plans for redevelopment of the properties.

  Sam looked up at Gage. “Interesting.”

  “What?” Hannah and Griff asked at the same time.

  Gage read the message aloud. “Maybe Andy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They torched the building and didn’t know he was there.”

  “But why was he there?” Griff’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “And that doesn’t explain why the fire was started when Sam was in the building, either.”

  “Except if the owner thought I was on to him and wanted to stop me,” Sam replied.

  Hannah sat forward. “I just don’t see someone who’s trying to get insurance money suddenly turning into a killer. It’s a big stretch.”

  “I can.” Griff planted his hands on his knees. “Especially since he’d already killed Andy.”

  Hannah firmed her shoulders. “But like you say. That might’ve been an accident.”

  “Still, if he thought he was going away for murder, what’s one more count?” Gage asked.

  “Because it’s still taking a life, and you have to be pretty desperate to do that,” Hannah said.

  “I agree.” Sam shifted her gaze to Griff. “I’d say yesterday’s fire was accidental, too, but the arsonist had to know I was there when he closed the door on me.”

  “We need to question Nobles.” Griff curled his fingers into his palm. “Seaview Cove is just an hour away. We can talk to Andy’s parents and still have time to head there after our trip to Portland tomorrow.”

  Sam agreed and didn’t want to wait. She wished they could be in three places at one time in the morning. “We’ll just show up. Surprise the guy and see if we can get him to confess.”

  Eager to get a good night’s sleep so she was rested for their work tomorrow, Sam woke Pepper up and set her on the floor before getting up. “We have an early morning. Thanks for dinner and your company.”

  Hannah got up and drew Sam in for a hug. “Don’t think you’re going to get away with not talking about Griff,” she whispered. “Won’t happen tonight, but we are so talking.”

  Sam resisted groaning and pushed back. Why did everyone want to analyze the past? It was over and done with. She’d moved on. Had her own wonderful life. She was fulfilled.

  “Mommy.” Mia came running into the room, crying and rubbing her eyes. “I had a bad dream.”

  Hannah dropped to her knees and embraced her step-daughter. “It’s okay, sweetie.”

  Gage stroked Mia’s head. “Everything will be fine, baby.”

  Fulfilled. Right. You’ve cut yourself off from this. From having children and a loving family.

  She had the team. And their families. That was enough. It had to be. She couldn’t have anything else.

  Pepper trotted over to Mia and licked her fingers. Mia perked up and plopped down to hug the puppy who licked her with abandon. Mia giggled.

  “Crisis averted.” Hannah rose.

  “You go ahead and get Mia to bed, and we’ll let ourselves out.” Sam went to the entryway and grabbed her jacket.

  Griff took it out of her hands and helped her into it. He lifted her hair from the collar, his fingers brushing against her skin, sending shivers over her body. He let his hand linger on her shoulder before releasing her hair. She turned to tell him to cool it, but the yearning in his eyes stopped her, and she could only stare into those sapphire eyes calling her closer.

  “Oh, yeah, we’ll be talking.” Hannah grinned as she passed by with Mia.

  Sam finally let out that groan and stepped outside. Pepper bolted past her and danced in the crystal-clear night with stars illuminating every inch of the sky. A soft breeze came from the ocean, the salty fish smell reminding her of home.

  “Pepper,” Griff called. “Come here, girl.”

  She trotted over to him, and he attached her leash. “Wouldn’t want to lose you, baby girl.”

  There he goes again. Saying “baby.”

  Enough already. Or is that you, God? A not-so-subtle hint that it reminds me of all that I’m missing in life.

  “I like your friends,” Griff said. “Nice family.”

  “Yeah. They’re a great role model for a happy family. Now anyway. But they’ve both been through a lot. Lost their first spouses. Went through some serious trials. But it made them so much stronger, and they appreciate life so much more.”

  Griff stared at her.

  “What?”

  “Gage said something similar to me tonight.”

  “Guess it’s something you needed to hear then,” she said and ignored the many thoughts she’d been having about babies and family. “Is this connected to leaving the team?”

  He nodded.

  “But you still don’t want to tell me about it.”

  “Not tonight, okay?” He searched her gaze. “Gage gave me some things to think about first.”

  “Okay,” she replied, barely able to pull her focus from his compelling eyes, but she did and nearly bolted to her cabin before she gave in to her desire to stand on her tiptoes to kiss away the sadness in his expression.

  She squatted outside her door to snuggle Pepper. “’Night, sweet little thing.”

  Pepper wagged her tiny black-tipped tail and licked Sam’s hand. She laughed over the joy of such unconditional acceptance and stood.

  “What about me?” Griff asked, a mischievous gleam in his eyes that she found so attractive. “Don’t I get a good night snuggle?”

  “I’m sure Pepper has one planned.” She winked and started to bolt, but he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her into his arms. They tightened around her, and she didn’t fight.

  Why, when it was where she really wanted to be? It was where she belonged. She knew that. Had always known that. She just couldn’t trust herself enough to stay for longer than this moment.

  For now, she rested her face against his strong chest. Listened to his life blood pound through his heart. Heard it pick up speed like hers was doing. She was just torturing herself, but oh, it felt wonderful to be held by him again.

  “Sam,” he whispered into her hair. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I missed you, too,” she admitted but then pushed free before she did something she would regret when the feelings of love abated in the cold of night, and her common sense returned. “Good night, Griff. Thanks for all of your help today. See you for breakfast at zero-dark-thirty.”

  She laughed and backed to her doo
r. She slipped inside and was instantly alone. All alone. The way she wanted it. So why did it trouble her so much tonight?

  11

  The solid thump of the helo’s rotors made Griff feel right at home as they took the short flight to Portland. Coop flew the top-of-the-line aircraft, and he did so with precision. He was obviously a very skilled pilot as he smoothly set the helo down in a postage-stamp sized clearing on a wooded lot near Portland.

  Griff hopped down and took in the landing pad, which looked even smaller from the ground. “Who in the world thought this was a good place for a helipad?”

  “Gage’s friend Lee,” Sam said. “He says it discourages novice pilots from wanting to land here. Keeps the traffic down.”

  Griff shook his head. “Guy’s missing a screw if you ask me.”

  “That, too.” Sam laughed.

  The sun burst free of dark clouds and highlighted her hair, her face, and radiant smile. Griff froze in place taking in her beauty.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, her exquisite smile disappearing.

  “Nothing. You just looked amazing in that sunbreak.”

  “Oh…well…thanks.” She ran a hand over her hair. “Coop will stay with the chopper, and the truck is just down the way.”

  She blushed bright red and hurried off. She was such a beautiful woman, and she really didn’t believe it. Her sisters had called her a tomboy enough times that she usually dressed like one. But today she wore khaki pants that fit like a glove and a flowery blouse under a navy blazer. And heels. Very high heels that he could really get used to as they gave her walk a nice sway.

  He loved how she could be tough and one of the guys, and then turn around and be one of the girls. His teammates had always been jealous of that. It was rare to find a woman who could best him in a shooting match and the next moment put on a dress and dazzle everyone, including him. Not only with her looks, but her personality, too. Thoughtful. Caring. Fun-loving.

  How had he ever let her walk away? Why didn’t he fight for her? Try something—anything—instead of just slinking away to lick his wounds?

  “You coming?” she called out.

  Was it pride? Did he have a big head back then? An arrogant attitude that no woman turned their back on a SEAL? Maybe. But if so, losing Stretch changed that.

  He started off across the grassy field to an old fifties Ford pickup truck that didn’t look like it would make it down the hill, much less to Portland. Large rust spots covered much of the faded blue paint, and the vehicle was dented, looking like it came in last place in a demolition derby.

  He gave it another skeptical once-over. “You sure this thing is safe?”

  Sam chuckled. “Runs like a top. You’ll see.”

  “Mind if I drive?”

  “I figured you would.” She retrieved a key from a metal container under the front wheel well and handed it to him.

  “High-tech security.”

  “Hey,” she said as she climbed in. “Who’d want to steal it?”

  “Point taken.” He slid onto a cracked bench seat repaired with duct tape and quickly fired up the engine that started and purred just as Sam said it would.

  He shifted into gear. “You want to give me directions?”

  “Only one way out of here, then at the road turn right.” She held up her phone. “I’ll pull up Flint Accounting’s address in my GPS for additional directions.”

  He pointed the truck down the bumpy hill and turned onto the rural road. He loved Oregon’s Willamette Valley in May. The rolling gray clouds. Lush green grass. Majestic pines. Flowering shrubs. And hazy fog early in the morning that either turned into a drizzly day or the sun broke free and life was perfect.

  He honestly felt like things were perfect right now. Rolling down the road. Sam at his side. Sam anywhere nearby for that matter. He glanced at her. She concentrated on typing the address into her phone, her tongue peeking out the corner of her mouth. Just like Pepper. How he loved these two girls.

  He had Pepper’s love, but the situation with Sam was infinitely more complicated. And what was he going to do about that? Was Gage right? Could Griff let himself off the hook for Stretch’s death?

  It just wasn’t that easy. Gage wasn’t responsible for his wife’s death like Griff was for Stretch. Okay, fine. Gage was right. It wasn’t Griff’s fault, but he set the stage for it to happen. And if he could, he’d take it back in a heartbeat. His best friend died, and their last conversation wasn’t what Griff wanted Stretch to hear before dying.

  “Did you hear me, Griff?” Sam asked.

  “Sorry.”

  “Take the next left.”

  “Sure, okay.” Griff looked at the road ahead and knew he’d been driving in a fog matching the haze clinging to the road. Thankfully, there was no way the suspect who tried to kill Sam could know where they were located, so Griff’s guard didn’t need to be up.

  “You seem distracted,” she said. “Sure you don’t want me to drive?”

  “I’m good.”

  “Thinking about what Gage said last night?”

  “Yeah.”

  He waited for her to ask if he wanted to talk, but she fell silent. Griff was glad for the quiet, and he used the time in the sun’s gentle rays to pray for direction on how to handle losing Stretch. On what to do about his feelings for Sam. On how he should proceed in the future. On everything that had been bothering him. When he finished, he exhaled deeply and felt a hint of hope in his heart. He felt lighter inside…freer. Like he could fully breathe again. He owed Gage big time. Their talk might not resolve Griff’s issues, but it did point Griff in the right direction. A renewed conversation with God.

  Sam gave him the next directions, and he soon pulled into the parking lot of a two-story office building on the west side of Portland. He parked and looked at her across the small cab. “How do you want to handle this?”

  “Since I’ve had a good bit of practice questioning people, I’ll take charge, if that’s okay with you.”

  He nodded. He’d had a good deal of training in interviewing others, but not in criminal investigations. “Mind if I ask questions, though?”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” That radiant smile crossed her face again.

  He didn’t know how to take it, other than feel lighthearted inside. Something had changed in her overnight, but what? They were nearly late for their appointment, so now wasn’t the time to ask, but he would question her the first chance he got.

  Her phone dinged. She glanced at it, and her smile disappeared. “Fingerprints are a bust. Nothing turned up in AFIS.”

  Griff knew the Automated Fingerprint Identification System database managed by the FBI held prints for all convicted criminals and law enforcement personnel. “And Nick’s prints from the cup?”

  “They don’t match the other sets recovered at the cannery.”

  “So we struck out,” he said, though it really didn’t need saying.

  “At the moment, but if we can get Nobles’ prints when we interview him later, we can compare them.”

  “We’ll have to find a way to do that.”

  “Agreed.”

  He opened the door. As usual, she waited for him to open hers. But then she clipped across the lot in those impossibly high heels, the sharp reports of her heel strikes disturbing the quiet scene. He had to jog to catch up before she reached the building. He held the front door for her, and she went straight to the lobby desk to announce their presence to the petite brunette receptionist. After eyeballing Sam up and down, she smiled at Griff and picked up the phone.

  Griff noticed her nametag said April. She was staring at him while she talked to Flint. Not wanting to encourage her attention, Griff looked around the space with a soaring atrium, the sun glinting off glass furnishings. The pricey building and atmosphere were as far from Andy’s style as possible. He was a down-to-earth guy with simple tastes.

  As an account manager, Andy was already out of his comfort zone interacting with people
. Working with high-powered clients like it seemed this firm catered to, Griff knew Andy would have to work hard to enjoy his time here. Yet he stayed for years so maybe he did.

  April disconnected her call and smiled up at him. “Mr. Flint’s office is on the fifth floor. You can go on up, and he’ll meet you at the elevator.”

  Sam struck out across the lobby, and he had to hurry to catch up to her rapid departure again.

  “Eager much?” he asked.

  “I did it for April.” Sam stepped into the car.

  “What?” He punched the number five button, not surprised that the owner would have the penthouse floor.

  “Oh come on. Don’t tell me you didn’t see she was drooling all over you? I had to get you out of view to save her from herself.” That relaxed smile came out again.

  “I was too busy looking at the place.”

  Her smile evaporated. “I never really thought Andy would continue as an account manager. Not with so much people contact. And especially with the driven clients they must deal with here.”

  “And yet, he worked here for years.”

  “Surprising, for sure. But then we’ve been learning surprising things about him.”

  The car jerked to a stop, and the doors opened. A tall man in a custom gray suit stood waiting, a practiced smile on his face. His hair was buzzed short in a fashionable cut, the temples gray, the top black as coal. A good-looking guy if you liked the metro well-groomed kind of man.

  “Brad Flint.” He extended his hand to Sam. “You must be Samantha.”

  Sam shook hands and smiled, but it was tight, forced, and it said I’m in control. “This is my associate, Matt Griffin.”

  Flint faced Griff and sized him up in a single glance. His sniff and raise of his head told Griff he fell short, but he had no idea why. Maybe his tactical attire didn’t meet the exacting standards of the polished owner.