“Yes.”
Cy waited for his friend to continue. “Just yes?”
“Yes. Just yes!”
“Whoa! For you to clam up like this means she must really be a knockout. Right?”
“That’s not what’s important here.”
“The hell it isn’t! I’ve been there, remember?”
“I do remember. Vividly. That’s why I called you.” Cy had ended up marrying the woman he’d been protecting.
“You shouldn’t have any trouble with the captain. No matter how you do it, he knows Kit Saunders always gets his man. But he’ll give you the same advice he gave me. Be careful you don’t cross the line.”
Kit knew exactly what his friend meant. A strong attraction could complicate a case while you were trying to remain professional. “That won’t happen to me. This woman’s in shock.”
“So was Kellie. But it wore off. When it wears off for Mrs. Harris, that’s the time to worry.”
“Thanks for the warning, Cy,” he muttered. “Give my best to Kellie. Talk to you later.”
He ended the call and dialed TJ. Might as well run it by him. Depending on the captain’s answer, Kit would have some preparations to make before eleven in the morning when he saw her again. He’d have to keep his head down and try to concentrate on his work instead of those eyes, green as lush spring grass.
* * *
NATALIE HAD ALREADY used up a week of her ten-day paid leave for family bereavement. She was thankful for a few more days to play with her golden-haired daughter before going back to work.
She was just the sweetest little thing, Natalie thought, as Amy ambled around the house on fairly steady legs, pushing her little grocery cart. Natalie adored her and sang her favorite songs over and over again while she got her dressed and fed her breakfast.
One day Amy would have to know about her father, but that time wouldn’t come for years yet. Since he hadn’t been around at all since moving to the hotel, she rarely said “dada.” Her vocabulary consisted of about twenty words. She loved her farm animals and had cow and pig down pat. Amy particularly loved the “Eensy Weensy Spider” song and always said the word spout very loudly when the time came.
At quarter to eleven Natalie let Amy drink her milk from a sippy cup then put her down for a nap and sang nursery rhymes until the toddler’s eyelids fluttered closed. After tiptoeing from the bedroom, Natalie walked back to the kitchen to clean off the high chair and straighten up. The Ranger would be arriving in a few minutes.
She hurried into the bathroom to give her hair a brush-through and put on some lipstick. Today she’d dressed in a blue-and-white print blouse with jeans and sandals. When her cell rang, she went to her bedroom where she’d left it on the bedside table.
She knew when she saw that there was no name on the Caller ID that it had to be him. Miles. The two hang-up calls had come in on her landline. She clicked Answer. Maybe he wouldn’t be coming, after all. “Hello?”
“Mrs. Harris? Ranger Saunders here. How are you this morning?”
The vibrancy of his deep voice curled through her. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d believe you. I’ll be by in a minute. I’ll be driving a dark red Altima and I’ll come to the front door this time. You mentioned putting your little girl down for a nap—I’ll knock so I don’t disturb her.”
“That’s very considerate of you. I’ll listen for your knock.”
“All right, then.” He clicked off.
Natalie left her bedroom and paused at the nursery door. She’d played hard with Amy and figured she’d stay asleep for an hour, but probably no longer. By that time, presumably, the Ranger would have finished whatever it was he needed to do and gone.
The news had been shocking enough when she’d learned that Rod had been found shot. But whatever news the Ranger still had to share couldn’t possibly be as ghastly as what she’d learned about her husband yesterday. He’d committed murder.
Rod hadn’t even been his name... She shuddered to think that she’d been married to him all that time. They’d had a baby together. Natalie felt violated. She hadn’t slept well.
She was still deep in torturous thought when she reached the living room and heard a soft knock. As she opened the door, another shock awaited her. The Ranger who’d left her home yesterday had been so transformed she almost didn’t recognize him except for those fabulous hazel eyes and dark brown hair.
Standing in front of her was a tall, well-honed priest carrying a suitcase. He wore a traditional, short-sleeved, tab-collared clergy shirt in a vivid blue color and a pair of black pants. His white collar stood in contrast with the tan of his complexion, and even more brilliant was his smile. It took her breath.
“If you’ll invite me in, I’ll explain.”