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I chuckled. ‘No, that’s your job.’

‘It’s too close to daylight for lumberjack jokes.’ He yawned again.

‘You started it. How was Parker?’

‘Okay,’ he said cautiously. ‘I gave him some blood. Last thing we need is for him to go into a bloodlust.’

‘Absolutely. Did he say anything?’

‘Not really,’ he admitted carefully. ‘He asked after you.’ I winced. Connor sighed. ‘This whole thing is eating at you.’

‘How do you do that?’ I demanded.

‘Do what?’

‘Know what I’m thinking.’

‘Because I knowyou. You have a huge gooey heart that still beats in your chest. You will always worry about others.’

I was silent. I’d never thought of myself as particularly kind hearted; I’d grown up selfish and that was how I saw myself. Finally I whispered, ‘Thanks for seeing that in me.’

His tone was low and soft. ‘I see everything in you. You are the good, the better, the best part of me. Now go rest. You need that, too.’

‘I will. Goodnight, Connor. I love you.’

‘I love you too, Bunny.’

With my mind quieter, I threw a frozen dinner in the microwave, dutifully downed a warm cup of blood and ate. Then, full and sleepy, I collapsed into my bed with my furry companions by my side.

Chapter 44

On my way into work, I decided to stop at the diner to get some coffee. The coffee in the hardware store was delicious but today I needed the full-strength, melt-your-teeth coffee that the diner offered.

As I strode into the Garden of Eat’n, I smiled when I saw two familiar faces having brunch together: Hayleigh and Ray. Hayleigh looked relaxed; the austere bun was gone and her mousy-brown hair was tumbling over her shoulders. Her outfit was far more flattering and it was clear that Ray thought so too because he was gazing at her with open adoration. I was glad that the bear-shifter and his estranged wife were working it out. I hoped this time he wouldn’t be so dumb as to offer his wife an ultimatum about her reading habits.

I gave them a finger wave but didn’t interrupt. They beamed at me in return, looking so happy it made my heart smile. I’d done good work there, for all that it had felt like a nuisance case at the time.

When I got to the office, Emma was there with Gunnar and Sigrid. She smiled up at me. ‘Hey, Bunny.’

‘Hi Emma, how did you sleep?’

‘Better than I expected,’ she said honestly. ‘And you weren’t kidding about Sigrid’s food!’

‘I know, right? I’ve eaten at plenty of Michelin-starred restaurants and they’re not a patch on Sigrid.’

Sigrid blushed. ‘Oh hush!’ she objected, but I could see that she was pleased. She pulled me into a hug. ‘Okay, sweetheart?’ she asked quietly. ‘Gunnar said you were shot.’

‘Just a little – a graze on my arm,’ I assured her.

She looked amused. ‘I’m not sure you can be shot “just a little”.’

I grinned. ‘Nothing a little blood didn’t fix.’

‘Thank goodness for that.’ She eyed me critically. ‘Did you get enough rest?’

‘I’m fine,’ I promised, quietly pleased by her motherly fussing. ‘Thank you.’

Gunnar was holding a pad and clearly making notes on a statement for Emma. ‘Sorry to interrupt,’ I said.