Page 97 of Finding Denver

I take some comfort in the knowledge that Garrison doesn’t know who Colt is yet, and I love the little goose bumps I get when they realize. It’s fun every single time.

“Garrison,” Garrison says, extending his hand once more.

Colt grips it in a firm shake. “Colt Harland.” Garrison’s smile disappears, and Colt looks at me. “It was the cold hands, wasn’t it?”

“It was.”

Garrison’s gaze barely has time to flick to mine before his blood and brains coat the back of the truck. I take a step back from the mess as the rest of his men are taken down in careful, coordinated shots.

A mess, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. “We nearly had a perfect day.”

Lewis holsters his weapon. “Three out of four ain’tbad.” He points between Colt and me. “Do not fucking sing.”

We both scowl.

“Were you checking on me?” I ask Colt as the bodies are shifted and the boxes are unloaded.

“I was going to ask if you wanted me to take you to a late lunch,” he says, reaching out to adjust my scarf. “Your nose is pink.”

“Because it’sfreezing,” I whimper. “When does it warm up again?”

“This is nothing. Wait until New Year. So … lunch?”

Chapter 25

Colt

“Apart from fake Garrison, how was the rest of the morning?” I ask as Denver gets comfortable in the chair next to me. The lunch rush is over, so other than the conversation floating from a few people on the far side of the room and the soft music, the restaurant is quiet.

“It was fine,” she says. “Same as home, really. Lewis thinks it’s more fun, though.”

Lewis is at another table with Charlie, cackling at a story Charlie is telling, and I dread to think which one.

“Do you think it’s fun?” I ask.

She shrugs. “It’s … fine.” She meets my eye. “Is this another attempt to get me to stay?”

“Maybe.”

Her cheeks flush as she smiles. “I’ll decide when I’m ready.”

I shouldn’t push. I know that. Regardless of her marriage, her life is in San Francisco. She grew up there, it’s all she knows, and even though her parents are from here, she doesn’t know this city. But God, I want her to stay. I likehaving her here. I like knowing I can go to Finn’s and she’s there. I like knowing I can take her to lunch whenever I want to.

She’s also safer here. Spider has fallen suspiciously quiet since he tried to take her. There haven’t been any sightings of him, and that makes me nervous. There’s no way he’s let his son’s murder go. He’s lying in wait, planning something.

“I got an update about Theo today,” she says. “He’s safe. He went to the park.”

“Are you still sure you don’t want to go for custody?” I ask. “We could find a way.”

She shakes her head. “He’s happy. And she … she seems like a nice mom. I can’t take him away from that. Anyway, how are you? Where did you go?” she asks, switching to her brighter self, something she does far too easily. I wonder how many emotions she’s brushed over to make other people comfortable—to make Ranger comfortable.

“Making deals with scary men,” I say, reading the menu. “But you want to know the scariest thing that happened to me? I picked Holly up from a birthday party today, and she told me she has a boyfriend. She’s six. Six!”

“Almost seven,” Denver points out. A basket of bread is placed down, and she drops the menu in favor of a slice. She’s remarkably calm after hearing news that almost had me pulling over and shouting into my steering wheel. “What did you say when she told you?”

“I asked for his name and social security number.”

Denver chuckles. “Do six-year-olds even have social security numbers?”