Page 71 of One Night Years Ago

Natalie’s voice took on a hard edge. “I’m not even going to ask who you heard that from, Dad. Hunter’s not just spending the night tonight. We’re together, Dad, so you’re going to have to get used to it.”

“Together?”

“That’s what I said.”

“But he—”

“He wasn’t the one who attacked me, Dad. Somebody else did. The same person who tried to kill Emma tonight. And I’m going to figure out who did it. But it’s one in the morning and it’s been a really long night, so we’ll have to talk about that another day,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Feel free to come inside, Dad, but we’re going to bed.”

Her father moved aside to let Natalie pass, looking shocked. “No, I’ll go—”

Hunter stepped up. “I told you I wouldn’t hurt your daughter, sir. I meant it.”

The old man looked him up and down as if trying to read into his soul. “Rob told me what you did tonight. I also happen to trust my daughter’s judgment. But if I do find out you hurt her, you won’t be spending the next ten years in prison.”

Chapter 27

Natalie

Natalie poured herself a cup of coffee. She looked over at Hunter, who sat on one of her breakfast stools. “You didn’t get much sleep, did you?”

“I slept enough. I liked watching you sleep,” he said, his voice low. “I’d like to do more than just watch you sleep, though.”

She felt a blush spreading on her cheeks.

“Hold your horses, cowboy. It might be a while till we’re doing more than just sleeping together.”

He snorted, dropping his coffee cup in the sink and picking up his crutch again. The domesticity of the scene staggered her. It wasn’t something she’d ever dared hope or imagine for herself.

“Is it okay if I drop you off at the hospital?” Natalie said. His gray eyes were dark, fixed on her gun belt.

He nodded, looking ashamed of his behavior the night before. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay then. I’m going to head back up to the cliffs with Rob and Susan. Maybe there’s something I missed.”

“Please be careful, Natalie. This man … he’s obsessed with you. He told Emma that he didn’t want her. He just wanted to know what it would do to you to know that he killed her …”

“I’ll be careful, Hunter.”

On her way to the cliffs, after dropping Hunter off, she got a call from Susan. “Susan, I’m on my way to the cliffs.”

“We got the results, Sheriff. Finally. They’d been stored under the wrong case number all this time. It took hours to locate them, but I finally have them. It’s all just nonsense to me, of course.”

“But it won’t be nonsense if we get a sample to compare against,” Natalie said.

We need that sample.

Natalie made a mental note to go back and speak to the mayor again.

Rob was already at the cliff side, looking intently at the place where Emma had been thrown in. Natalie cursed the storm. Any footprints would be long gone.

“Have you spoken to Emma?” Natalie asked. “She’ll be getting discharged later today.”

Rob blushed, the stain spreading from his cheeks all the way down his collar. “No, I didn’t want to bother her. I sent her a text message.”

“You should call her. She’ll be happy to hear from one of the heroes who engineered her rescue.”

“Speaking of heroes, how’s Fowler?”