by Nat Burns
A breeze snuck in and lifted a tendril of her unbound ruddy hair. The teasing caress lingered, then ceased abruptly. Peaches, panting lightly, pressed against Shay’s leg and she bent absently to caress the long, fuzzy ears.
The three stood together at the northern edge of Dooley’s Folly. The peaceful water showed none of the trauma from yesterday’s events, except in its disturbed, murky undertones. The salvage crew had come earlier that morning and removed the truck wreckage. The only evidence that something tragic had occurred here could be found in the flattened, muddy foliage and skid marks embedded in the dirt banks.
Pepper’s body had been recovered after the accident, and both women felt an enormous sense of guilty relief that the threat of her had been taken from their lives. It was sad that Pepper had chosen death to future incarceration, but Shay, who had known her best, was not surprised.
Liza shifted her weight from one foot to the other, eyes never leaving the water. She was groggy from the pain medication the hospital had given her. “It’s no excuse. There is no excuse for what she did to you.”
Shay sighed heavily. “I know. And she was Chris, from the shelter, the homeless woman who lived at the mission?”
“Yes. I had no clue. I feel like such a fool… She had this all planned out, even traveling with a man.”
Liza had been relieved that Shay understood her earlier apology about unknowingly leading Pepper to her, but guilt lingered.
“There’s no way you could have known, honey. No way. I didn’t even recognize her.”
Liza stirred impatiently. “But still, she was new to the area. That should have set off alarm bells, but here I was, working right alongside the enemy, for Pete’s sake.”
Shay laid a calming hand on Liza’s shoulder. “It happened and it’s over. Let it go. I’m not sorry she’s gone. I have to say that.”
Liza studied Shay, eyes fixing on the bright white bandages that peppered her lover’s face and arms. “Me too, honey. No matter what, we would have always had that fear in the back of our minds. That she was out there somewhere and could harm us. Yet again.”
Shay smiled hesitantly, catching and connecting Liza’s gaze. “Us? Have we become an us, you and me?”
Liza pulled Shay close with her good arm, her gaze holding Shay captive. “You know I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Peaches insinuated her body between the two, tail wagging and slamming against their legs. She appeared to have recovered completely from the trauma of the day before, having been left with only a small gash on one flank. Both women laughed at her intrusion. Shay took Liza’s hand.
“Come to the house?” The request was coy and unbearably enticing to Liza. “I’ll put an ice pack on your cast.”
“I bet you will,” Liza said pointedly.
Shay laughed lightly and her voice grew soft. “You know I’ll always take care of you, don’t you?”
“Yes, and you know I’ll always take care of you, right?”
Shay nodded and leaned up for a quick kiss. Their eyes met, gazes lingering.
“Lead the way, sweetheart, and I’ll follow,” Liza said, her voice low and full of promise.
Women.Books. Even Better Together.
www.bellabooks.com
Table of Contents
Other Bella Books by Nat Burns
About the Author
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
Table of Contents
Other Bella Books by Nat Burns
About the Author
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY