Page 10 of Edge of Steele
She glanced at Finn. He didn’t move, but his gaze tracked Russ. “Nice guy.”
“Do I detect a hint of sarcasm in your tone?”
“Just a hint?” He chuckled.
She might be battling Russ, but she didn’t like Finn dissing her old friend. “He actuallyisa great guy. Or at least when I knew him he was, but he was always the serious one of the family, and a lot of people take him the wrong way. Right now, he’s just doing his job as sheriff to keep us in line and protect his investigation.”
Finn changed his focus to her and leaned against his dusty truck. “Which you plan to ignore.”
Busted.“As do you.”
“Yeah. As do I.” He searched her face. “What if we stopped arguing and agreed to work together? Pool our resources.”
Seriously?How would that be a good idea? It wouldn’t be. Not at all. “With our past? I don’t think so.”
“I’m sure we can put that aside to locate a bomber. At least I can.”
“Of course you can. You were the one who walked away without a backward glance.” The words came out harsher than she’d planned.
He recoiled. “I had to go.”
“Because you couldn’t leave your SEAL team.” She paused, letting her comment linger on the smoke while she tamped down the feelings threatening to steal her ability to think clearly. “Like I said before. Here you are. No SEAL team in sight.”
“Trust me,” he said, but she didn’t. “It wasn’t my choice. I had to leave.”
Nearly overwhelmed with emotion, she couldn’t form the right words, so she eyed him, challenging him to explain,
He let out a sigh. “You remember my friend Felicia? She died a couple of months ago and left her daughter in my care. When Avery was born, Felicia asked me to take care of her if something happened to Felicia. Man, I…”
He shook his head, his eyes darkening. “I never thought it would happen. So I said yes and didn’t give it another thought. Then Feliciadiddie, and I had a decision to make. Come take care of Avery or let her go to foster care.”
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing as if he was fighting to get his emotions under control. “I can’t be a single parent to Avery and still be deployed all the time.”
“Oh, Finn.” Ryleigh clutched his arm.
He jerked back, sliding along his truck and resembling a captured animal trying to escape.
Oh, man. Wow.The second time she’d touched him, and the second time he retreated.
What was up with that? Now was not the time to ask. Now was the time to offer her sympathy at the loss of his friend who’d been by his side since his parents died when he was ten.
She shoved her hands in her pockets so she didn’t try to touch him again. “I’m so sorry, Finn. I know how close you were to Felicia.”
His eyes were vacant and panicked at the same time. Gone was the invincible man she’d known. He moved even further toward his truck’s tailgate and lifted his shoulders. “I’m just trying to trust that God has a plan for this and do my best to move on and help Avery deal.”
His tone lacked conviction. Like he was repeating words he knew he should believe but didn’t. She wanted to know more, but she wouldn’t press him. They didn’t have that kind of relationship anymore. Any relationship. The hours they’d once spent under the stars, talking and getting to know each other were over.
Way over.
Better to stick to facts. “How old is Avery now?”
“Seven.” He lifted his mask to scratch his face, but she noted he was chewing the inside of his cheek, a habit she remembered well, proving his uncertainty. “But losing her mom has made her grow up pretty fast.”
Ryleigh would struggle mightily to survive if she lost her mother. “I can’t even imagine.”
“Sadly, I can.”
She raised a hand to clap it over her mouth, then felt her mask and let it fall. “How insensitive of me.”
