“Alice is a friend. You care about her. You must be worried.”
“I am.” She looked up at him but didn’t say a word for the longest time. “Ozzy or Jasper around?”
“They’re finishing sorting through all those boxes I had them stash at the other house. Why? Oh. Okay.”
He released one crutch as Frankie stood and walked over to him. She slipped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. He could feel her face tighten as she squeezed her eyes shut and a shudder went through her. “Frankie,” he murmured, and pressed his lips against the top of her head. “What is it?”
“Something your mother said. About life being so short. Alice has had a good life. And I know people die. It’s just the circle of things, isn’t it?”
Thinking of his father, he nodded. “Sometimes the circle is smaller than we’d like.”
“Yeah.” She inhaled and looked up at him. “How about dinner tonight? Thanks to my new schedule, I’ve got a few hours off. Ozzy can cover the station.”
“Are you asking me out, Captain Bettencourt?”
“I am.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. But it was enough. “You up for it?”
Because he couldn’t resist her, he brushed his lips against hers. “Only if we can take a walk and look at the Christmas lights after dinner.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “You and your Christmas. Fine. I’ll make a reservation at the Flutterby. Six thirty, okay?”
“I love a woman who takes charge.” He gave her a quick squeeze before she stepped away and headed back to her desk. He didn’t have time to miss her before his phone rang. The unfamiliar number on the screen had him frowning. Why did he know that area code? “Chief Salazar.”
“Chief, this is Constance Schumer with the federal fire investigators office. I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”
Roman’s heartbeat doubled against his ribs. “No, ma’am. What can I do for you?”
“It’s about the investigative agent position you applied for earlier this year. Our first choice for the position had some irregularities in his résumé we’ve only now become aware of. We’ve since rescinded our offer of employment to him. As you were next on the list, we’d like to offer you the position in our Seattle field office.”
“Oh. Really? Okay.” Was there something else he was supposed to say? There must have been something he was supposed to say. There must have been something he was supposed to feel other than panic. “Thank you so much. I’d love to say yes, but I’ve just started a six-month contract with the Butterfly Harbor department. I can’t break it.”
“You won’t have to. The next round of training doesn’t begin until mid-May. That gives you plenty of time to fulfill your current contract. Can I take that to mean you are interested in the position?”
“I, uh, yes, of course I’m interested. I just need to...” He leaned on his crutches and tried to catch his breath. “How long do I have before I need to give you a final answer?”
“Given this is last minute, I can give you until the twenty-sixth. The paperwork and background checks take a while. If you can’t accept by then, we’ll need to move down the list.”
“Fair enough. Can I reach you at this number?”
“Yes, you can. If you’d like, I can send you the details on the position and training requirements. Is this the correct email address?” She rattled off his personal one, and he confirmed before disconnecting.
“Everything okay, Roman?” Frankie wheeled her chair over to the doorway and turned bright eyes on him. Every cell in his body zinged at that smile of hers, at the way her lips quirked when she looked at him. As if she was keeping a secret he couldn’t wait to uncover.
“Fine,” he lied as a torrent of uncertainty rushed through him. She nodded and wheeled back out of sight. “Everything’s fine.”
Except it wasn’t, was it? Finally, finally he’d done it. The job was his. Excitement bubbled inside him like a champagne bottle ready to pop, only to then see the liquid fizzle as Frankie’s laughter drifted toward him.
Frankie.
The career, the future, everything he’d ever wanted, everything he’d worked for, was within reach.
All he had to do to claim it was walk away from her.
* * *
“IT WAS NICE to have a reason to celebrate.” Frankie surprised herself—and Roman, it seemed—when she slipped her hand over his as they exited the Flutterby and walked down the twinkling wonderland that was Monarch Lane. It wasn’t the most romantic stroll she’d ever taken; crutches really did put a damper on things. But she’d faced tougher challenges before. “I’ve never seen Abby look so relieved.”