by Elle Gray
“You want a cup?” Brock asked as he prepared his own coffee. Olivia leaned against the counter, raising her eyebrows.
“You feel pretty at home here, don’t you? Barging in here and stealing all my coffee.”
Brock grinned at her. “Pretty much. It’s a home away from home?”
Olivia forced her smile to stay on her face. “Are you looking forward to going back to DC?”
Brock shrugged. “I guess. I’ve missed being able to eat in more than one diner, for sure. There’s more to do in the city, it’s a little more lively... but I think I might miss it here. I’ve met some great people during my time here. Others? Not so great. In other words, Susan.”
Olivia allowed him a small chuckle. She didn’t really feel like joking about what had happened, though. It still felt raw. Brock noticed her moment of quietness and cocked his head to the side.
“What are you thinking about?”
Olivia sighed. “Susan. Just everything that happened to her... I feel almost sorry for her.”
“You’re too nice for this job, Knight.”
“I know, I know. I’m being sentimental about someone who doesn’t really deserve any sympathy. I know she’s the villain of the piece. But I truly believe that she would’ve been a good person if things had gone differently for her.”
“Wouldn’t we all be better people if we didn’t suffer,” Brock said, cocking an eyebrow. “It’s the curse of being human. We either let our pasts destroy us or build us into better people. She didn’t learn from her mistakes. That’s the difference between her and us. Don’t dwell on it too long, Olivia. It’s not worth it.”
Olivia nodded, saying nothing. But in the back of her mind, she was still comparing herself to Susan. She thought about how devastated she was when her sister died, and how hollow she felt after her mother disappeared. If she’d let that grief take over her, then what kind of person would she have become? If she lost a child of her own, even if only in a legal sense, would she be tipped over the edge as well? She knew that people inherently liked to consider themselves as good, but that most of them had demons of their own. After everything Susan had gone through, it made sense to Olivia that she’d crumbled. She’d been close to doing the same several times.
But of course, it was their choices that set them apart. Olivia chose to continue fighting through her agony, and Susan succumbed to it. And seeing what had become of Susan, Olivia felt even more determined that she wouldn’t end up that way, no matter what happened in her life.
“What’s next for you?” Brock asked Olivia, sipping his coffee. “Are you finally going to un-tense your shoulders? Maybe take a few days off?”
“Maybe,” Olivia shrugged. “I don’t know. I always get a weird feeling at the end of a case. Almost like Spring Break has arrived, but it’s forecast to rain the whole time. Does that make sense?”
“Total sense,” Brock nodded with a sad smile. “I know these cases tend to linger on your mind, but this is in the past now. It’s not your responsibility anymore.”
“I know. I guess I just tend to overthink.”
“I know you do,” Brock said. His voice was gentle. Olivia noticed then how close together they were standing. Brock’s eye met hers for a split second, but then he averted his gaze like he’d said something awkward.
“Brock?”
“Mmm?”
“You never told me... you never told me which case stuck with you the most,” Olivia said. She recalled how he’d closed himself off to her the day she’d asked him that. She had hoped he’d open up to her before he left her forever, like a parting gift. Brock chewed his lip.
“I think that’s a tale for another time.”
“But we don’t have another day,” Olivia whispered. A smile formed on Brock’s face.
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, you’ll be going back to the city. We probably won’t see each other again.”
“Olivia, it’s Washington, DC, not Mars,” Brock laughed. “I’m only an hour away.”
“But are you seriously going to want to haul all the way down here to see me in your spare time? Or invite me to see you? We’re partners, but I’m sure you have plenty of friends that keep you occupied.”
Brock nudged Olivia with his elbow. “You’re going to miss me, aren’t you?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Didn’t need to. It’s written all over your face. Look at those puppy dog eyes!” Brock stuck out his bottom lip, pouting. “Please don’t leave, Brock, I’ll miss you so, so much…” he said in a girlish voice completely unlike Olivia’s. She folded her arms, a familiar mix of irritation and affection washing over her.
“You never stop, do you? You’re the most pompous man I’ve ever met.”
“Pompous? What an honor,” Brock cracked, winking at her as he sipped his coffee. “Pompous? You have gotta stop reading those dusty old British books. Who says pompous?” Olivia rolled her eyes but finally allowed him a smile.
He set his cup to one side and placed his hands on Olivia’s shoulders. “Look, I know it’s weird that I’m leaving and you’re going to be on your own here again... but we’re friends. You don’t need a reason to come and see me, and I definitely have a few reasons to come back here sometime. This isn’t the end of us, Olivia. And someday, I’ll tell you all my deepest darkest secrets. How about that?”
Olivia couldn’t help smiling. She had been so scared of Brock going away that she’d never really considered the idea that it might be okay if he did. They didn’t have to part ways just because he was leaving town. She was so used to the idea that everything good left her life for good that the thought of Brock being in arm’s reach seemed almost too good to be true. But she had to start believing that life wasn’t all bad, or she’d end up like Susan. She had to start looking for the bright side, the silver linings in life.
And Brock was a good place to start.
“I’m going to miss you, Agent Knight,” Brock said with a smile, reaching out and ruffling her hair. Olivia ducked away from his hand with a laugh, but unintentionally, she moved closer to him as she did. Their eyes locked for a moment and Olivia held her breath. Was his heart racing as hard as hers was? Was he thinking of kissing her as much as she was thinking of kissing him? She wanted to reach out, to pull him closer to her and feel his lips against hers. She’d been thinking about it for a long time, but now, they were closer than ever to it actually happening.
The moment seemed to last a lifetime, but when Brock smiled at her and took a step back, Olivia knew it wasn’t going to happen. He skirted around the edge of the kitchen toward the front door.
“Come on. Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“I’m sure I promised you and Maggie a round of drinks when we finished up with the case, didn’t I?”
“It’s not even ten A.M. yet!”
“So? Time waits for no one,” Brock replied with a wolfish smile. “Let me get you a beer, Olivia. We deserve it.”
Olivia tutted. “Alright. Just for you then.”
As Brock let out a whoop and headed out the front door, Olivia allowed herself a second to let the heaviness of the moment sit on her chest. She felt like she’d been rejected, and it sucked. But the sun outside was shining, she had someone new to call a friend, and she’d just solved the hardest case of her career so far. Life was good, and she had to remember that.
Life was better than it had been in a very long time.
Epilogue
It was a quiet Sunday morning, and Olivia was sitting alone on her porch, reading Wuthering Heights. She’d had a lot more time to read since the kidnapping case had ended. It felt strange to be so relaxed, even two weeks later—but she had to admit, she could get used to long warm mornings on her patio.
She’d never read Wuthering Heights until then, but it seemed like the perfect book to follow up her case. The descriptions of the wild moors reminded her of her time in the forest, and she wasn’t qu
ite ready to leave the case behind yet. She’d learned a lot from it, and she wanted to remember the mistakes she’d made. She was glad it was over, but as more time passed, she felt herself itching for something new to sink her teeth into.
It didn’t help that she’d spent the past few weeks mostly alone. She’d updated Paxton and Blake about the case on a video call, managed a phone call with her father, and visited some friends in DC. She’d posted about her visit on social media, hoping that perhaps Brock would see it and try to see her while she was in the city, but if he saw it, he didn’t mention it.
Olivia hadn’t heard from him since he left town. She was starting to think that maybe he hadn’t meant it when he said they’d stay in touch. Maybe she and her small town were just more easily forgotten than he’d imagined. Perhaps he was already on a new case with a new partner. Perhaps he simply just wasn’t interested in seeing her again.
She worried that maybe she’d messed it up during their moment in the kitchen when she was certain they’d kiss. She knew that it was a mistake straight away, trying to mix business with pleasure. Trying to start a romantic relationship with a co-worker was never a good idea, especially if you had to work on an important case together. But then again, that was in the past now. They weren’t partners anymore, so what was stopping them?
Perhaps the fact that he isn’t interested, Olivia thought.
She closed her book with a sigh. Her thoughts always seemed to circle back to the things she couldn’t have. Brock. Answers to her questions about her mother’s disappearance and her sister’s death. Peace.
She closed her eyes and tuned into the forest. At least it couldn’t scare her anymore. She’d faced the scariest thing the woods had to offer and came out okay. Susan was due to stand trial soon. Three families had been glued back together after the end of the case. Olivia often saw Hayleigh and Sophia walking around town together, their arms linked as they giggled together, managing to return to normal life. She envied them. At least they had each other.
Most days, Olivia still felt like she was on her own. She drank coffee each day at the diner without Brock to keep her company. She made small talk in the streets with the locals, and occasionally chatted to Maggie when she passed the police station. But she kept thinking about what Susan had told her.
“I’m not a bad person, Olivia. I’m just lonely. So lonely…”
Olivia shuddered at the memory. Was loneliness the thing that tipped so many people over the edge, onto the path toward chaos? Olivia didn’t want to think about that. She didn’t want to believe that this was her life now. That she’d simply wander alone, feeling useless, feeling like everyone she came to care for was still being held at arm’s length.
The loneliness she felt was painful, like a stitch in her side. She wanted to feel like she had someone close by. She scanned the forest, knowing that there was nothing but wilderness out there anymore. She never imagined that would make her feel so isolated, but she might as well have been the last person on Earth at that moment.
That was until she heard the sound of a car trundling up toward the cabin. Olivia stood, peering to see who was arriving. She still didn’t get many visitors. Her first thought was that it might be Brock—it would be typical of him to just show up out of the blue—but it wasn’t his car, it was Maggie’s. She waved cheerily out of her open window as she approached the cabin. Olivia waved back, glad of a distraction from her own thoughts.
“Hey!” Maggie called out. “How are you, Olivia?”
“Good! The weather helps,” Olivia said a little stiffly. She’d never been good at small talk. “How are you?”
“Another lovely day in Belle Grove, thank you! Are you busy today? There’s a new tenant moving into town. I tend to go and introduce myself when we get someone new, just to make them feel at home! Make people feel like they can trust their local police force, you know? Anyway, I thought you could come too! Especially now that you’re sort of a local celebrity…”
Olivia blushed. It was true, she’d definitely gotten a lot more attention since she’d managed to catch Susan. She was probably the most exciting new addition to Belle Grove in years—which wasn’t saying much, considering that nothing ever happened in Belle Grove. But she shook her head slowly.
“Oh, I don’t know. I doubt they’ll want me to be disturbing them as they’re getting settled in…”
“I insist, Olivia! It won’t take longer’n two shakes of a lamb’s tail!” Maggie said with a smile that told Olivia it was non-negotiable. Olivia forced a smile in return.
“I’ll just lock up.”
A few minutes later, the pair of them were cruising through the town, the windows down and the wind in their hair. It did lift Olivia’s spirits a little, too. When Maggie parked in the lot beside the diner, she nodded to the building.
“Our new resident moved into the apartment above the diner... not the hottest piece of real estate in town, but apparently, he knew what he was after. Come on. Let’s go say hello.”
Olivia followed Maggie around the back of the building and up the fire escape, trying to prepare her best smile and small talk for the new neighbor. She knew that at least it wouldn’t take long. Then she could head back to her book on the patio.
Maggie knocked on the door. Loud music was playing inside the apartment and Olivia wrinkled her nose at it. It reminded her of the day she met Brock and the loud music playing from his car radio…
And that’s when the door swung open.
“Glad you could make it, ladies,” Brock said with a grin, opening his arms in a grand gesture. “Welcome to my humble abode!”
Olivia’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe he was there.
“Wh—what are you doing here?” she exclaimed. He grinned back at her.
“Couldn’t stay away. I saw an opening on the market a few weeks ago and I couldn’t resist. Now you’ll never get rid of me.”
Olivia couldn’t hold back her excitement. She rushed forward and threw her arms around Brock, feeling his chest rising and falling as he laughed at her. It was so unlike her to be that affectionate, but all of the gloominess inside her had disappeared the moment she saw him.
“I’ll leave you two to catch up,” Maggie said with a knowing look in their direction. “And for this little stunt, I’ll be expecting another drink, Tanner.”
“You got it,” Brock chuckled.
As she left, Olivia composed herself, pulling away from Brock. Her cheeks were flushed as she looked him up and down.
“I can’t believe you’re here.”
Brock shrugged, his face split into a grin. “Well, I was driving back to the city three weeks ago... and I don’t know what happened. It felt like I was leaving a piece of my soul here. Even after everything that happened, even after the hardest case ever, I just wanted to be in Belle Grove. Don’t ask me why, I couldn’t tell you.”
“You missed me,” Olivia teased, pretending to punch his arm. Brock rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling.
“Well, I couldn’t leave you here alone. You’d fall apart without me. But I’m here to stay. At least for a while. I’ve got nowhere else I want to be.”
“You won’t miss DC? You don’t want to be in the thick of it all?”
“I guess I didn’t love it as much as I thought I did. Maybe I’m getting old. Maybe I need the snoozy small-town feeling back. Although I’ve yet to have a dull day here, let’s be honest. And I’ll admit, I’ll miss the city coffee. But it’s free when I have it at your place. Oh, and that reminds me…”
He darted back to the kitchen and returned with a coffee maker and a bag of coffee grounds in his hands. “This is for you. I can’t believe someone who guzzles down a whole pot a day sticks to instant. Friends don’t let friends drink bad coffee.”
Olivia blushed at the thought of Brock standing in her kitchen as he had so many times before, complaining about the standard of her coffee and teasing her endlessly. She imagined having that feeling indefinitely—b
ut hopefully, with better coffee, thanks to his wonderful thoughtfulness. It felt impossibly good. She took a deep breath, her cheeks hurting as she smiled at him.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
Brock’s eyes crinkled in the corner as his smile widened. “Me too, Knight. And hey, I guess we’ll be partners again, now that we’re both living in this neck of the woods. Though it’s all been pretty quiet on Jonathan’s end. Nice to know all the criminals are on vacation.”
As if on cue, Olivia’s phone began to vibrate in her pocket. When she checked the screen, it was none other than their boss. She hadn’t heard much from him in weeks, but she sensed that she was about to receive her next mission. Brock’s eyes glinted with excitement. He was ready for anything.
“Well, you’d better get that. It’s about time we get the team back together.”
Olivia took a deep breath and picked up the phone.
Note From Elle Gray
Thank you for reading New Girl in Town!
I hope you enjoyed the first book in the Olivia Knight FBI Series.
My intention is to give you thrilling adventures and an entertaining escape with each and every book.
However, I need your help to continue writing this new series.
Being a new indie writer is tough.
I don’t have a large budget, huge following, or any of the cutting edge marketing techniques.
So, all I kindly ask is that if you enjoyed this first book in the Olivia Knight series, please take a moment of your time and leave me a review and maybe recommend the book to a fellow book lover or two.
This way I can continue to write all day and night and bring you more books in the Olivia Knight series.