Page 84 of Edge of Steele
She’d enjoyed dinner and tucking Avery in way too much for her own good. She started imagining meals like this all the time. Her and Finn. And that meant her as a mother. Wow! What a crazy thought to even ponder, much less pull the trigger on. Of course, Finn would have to want that too. Avery as well.
She didn’t think he would want a relationship. Especially not now when everything was so fresh between him and Avery, and the child was just coming to trust him. No. That was a dream she had to pocket. For now. Maybe forever.
“You sure bolted.” Finn’s voice came from behind. “Everything okay?”
She jumped and spun. “You scared me.”
“Sorry,” he said, searching her face. “Did something happen with Avery?”
It did. Totally. But Ryleigh couldn’t tell Finn that she was falling for a child and wanted to help take care of her. To help heal the little girl’s heart with all the love Ryleigh’s mother once lavished on her. Because Ryleigh couldn’t be that mother for Avery. Ryleigh could never move here and leave her family. She’d never even considered such a thing.
Finn’s gaze intensified, locking on hers. Digging. Probing.
She started to look away, but he took her chin softly in his hand, and his gaze softened into a blush of warmth. “I shouldn’t do this. Told myself I wouldn’t do this. But I can’t help it. Not with the way you look in the moonlight. Captivating.”
He slid his hand into her hair, cupped the back of her head, and drew her close as he lowered his head. He was going to kiss her. Right now. Right here. She should say no. Stop. But she inched toward him and wound her arms around his neck to pull him even closer. His body was rock solid and unyielding.
Time stood still. She waited for the touch of his lips. Knew what it would feel like. But it seemed like an eternity before he settled them on hers. She pressed into him. Into the kiss. Gave into the emotions of the past few days. Deepened the kiss and clung to him.
His arms went around her. Solid, yet he held her like she was fragile at first, then tightened his grip. She reveled in his touch. Wanted this more than anything right now. Wanted him in her life.
She let go of her worries. Of her fears and just kissed him back as if her life depended on it.
Her phone rang. Sounding like a mighty gong in the quiet of the night. She startled back to her senses. He jerked back. She took in long breaths. Not wanting the kiss to end, but wanting it to end at the same time.
She’d seriously fallen for him again. The kiss told her that. Big time.
She caught her breath and dug her phone from her pocket. “It’s Russ.”
She expected Finn to look disappointed at the abrupt end to their kiss, but he stepped back and appeared relieved. He hadn’t wanted to kiss her. He’d said as much, but for some reason had given in. Much like her. Fighting the feelings that just wouldn’t let go. Even now as her phone continued to ring.
She forced her attention to the call and answered. “Russ.”
“Just thought you’d want to know,” he said. “Sierra sent techs to Eckles’s place to help look for Carla’s phone. They located it right off the bat. Nick is running an image, and then he’ll get the information to us.”
“Did he say how long it would take?” She stole another long breath, her pulse racing.
“Couple of hours. So keep an eye out for it and for the call logs from Gates’s phone too.”
“Will do,” Ryleigh said, then ended the call to tell Finn about it.
She looked at her watch.
Eight-thirty.
“I’m going to my room to rest so I’m fresh when the information arrives.” She didn’t wait for Finn to say anything but took off. Ran away—bolted was more like it.
She’d probably just lied to Finn. Not intentionally. She would try to rest, but she highly doubted she could sleep with the crazy thoughts that told her to turn around and throw herself into Finn’s arms instead of putting the hunt for a killer first in her mind.
19
Finn sang the last line of the song in the small contemporary church he and Avery had been attending. Felicia had been a member here, and Avery was plugged into the children’s ministry. She loved it, another reason why Finn was hesitant to move her. Not that he couldn’t find another great church in another city.
If they moved to Portland, he liked the church he’d grown up attending, but they’d never transitioned into contemporary worship, which he favored these days. He assumed wherever the Steele family attended had to be great, but didn’t mean it had his favorite form of worship either.
But moving held another challenge.
What job would he do? Military personnel often went into law enforcement. He thought he would like being a cop, but could he do the job while being the sole caretaker for Avery?
