“How long do you think it will take to find out who she is?”
“Death was at least four to five weeks ago, so she’ll be on a missing persons’ report somewhere. And her dental work is extensive and expensive so records shouldn’t be hard to match.”
“You can’t really think Sunshine is involved with this, do you?”
Coop leaned his head back and rolled his head side-to-side. “No. Her finding both bodies is a strange coincidence but no, I don’t think she’s involved.”
“Me neither.”
The eastern sky showed the faintest tinge of pink as JD dropped Coop off at the house. Though it was Saturday, he would be back in the office as soon as he showered and changed.
Miss Eva wouldn’t be up yet, but she would have left the coffee pot ready to go, and food in the fridge, which gave him a small surge of energy.
Jack greeted him at the back door as did the smell of fresh-brewed coffee.
And Sam.
She stood at the sink, hands behind her back, dressed in sweat pants and a faded football jersey, her ebony mane pulled up in a haphazard ponytail that left several strands flying around her face. The deep shadows under her eyes and fatigue clouding her features said she hadn’t slept much.
But she was beautiful to him.
He stopped within arms-reach, and noted the rapid pulse at the base of her throat, the jerky rise and fall of her chest.
“Are you okay?” Her voice quivered as she searched his face.
He didn’t give himself time to second guess his decision. He stepped forward and pulled her into a gentle embrace. “I am now.”
She stiffened, then wound her arms tightly around his back, her breath warming more than his skin when she exhaled.
Sam relished the tenderness of the arms around her, amazed to realize something as simple as an embrace could be so satisfying.
He pulled her more snugly against him, her curves molding to the hard contours of his body.
“I’m sorry if I was hard on you yesterday,” he murmured against her ear, “but a second body…”
She rubbed her hands over the solid plane of his back, easily detecting the muscles tight with tension and weariness and knew, without a doubt, she was about to make a big mistake. Again. And didn’t care.
Whatever happened from now on happened, and she would deal with it. This was where she wanted to be. In his arms.
She rubbed her cheek against his chest, crinkling her nose at the light odor of antiseptic clinging to his shirt, then tilted her head back to look at him. “I’m liking this friend stuff.”
His smile developed slowly, but when it did, her heart turned over as certainty dawned.
Love at first sight was not a myth. It was real.
I’m in love with a man I just met. The chances of ending up hurt again, were high. Until then, she would cherish whatever time they were given.
“Me, too.” After a chaste kiss to the tip of her nose, he stepped back. “But I need to get a move on.”
She pulled his cup from the cabinet and filled it with coffee. “Take this with you. I’ll have something for you to eat when you come down.”
“Beautiful and cooks, too.”
“Yeah, well, it won’t be anywhere close to Eva’s efforts but I can scramble eggs with the best of them.”
He sipped his coffee as he turned to let Jack out.
“Oh, did anyone find my gold hair clip after I left?”
“Not that I know of. Why?”
“I had it on when I changed in the van. I guess I left it there.” She brushed her hands on her thighs.
“I’ll ask the trooper who took your clothes if she saw it.”
“It’s no big deal. Just a cheap hair clip I picked up somewhere.”
He nodded and headed for the door. “By the way, no running alone.”
She started to argue, but reconsidered. There were too many unknowns about this case, and the killer could still be around. “Do I need to come down and give another formal statement?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I’ll be there by ten.” She folded a towel and lay it on the counter. “Will you be able to come home and rest soon?”
“Not sure. Lots of paperwork yet.”