Page 59 of Inside Silence

“Yes, it is,” I agree, returning his smile.

I gratefully accept the mug of coffee he hands me and almost burn my mouth in my eagerness for a hit of good caffeine.

“Want some eggs for breakfast?” he offers.

“Thanks, but I’ll grab a yogurt at the station. I have a lot of work to do.”

I need to put together my case against Sanchuk this morning so I can get him officially arrested and charged, or else he’ll walk tonight when his seventy-two-hour hold is up.

“Understood.”

“Not to be a wet rag, but one of the things we need to do, at some point today, is go over the statement you gave me on Friday and see if there’s anything you want to add before you sign it. If I can’t make it myself, I’ll send one of my deputies.”

“Or I can come to the station if that’s easier for you. Doc Wilson didn’t say anything about not driving.”

“That’s up to you.”

I toss back the last of my coffee and walk around the island to rinse my cup at the sink. Nate steps up behind me, caging me in as he braces an arm on either side on the counter, resting his chin on my shoulder.

“At the risk of putting a damper on what was a truly mind-blowing morning,” he mumbles by my ear. “We didn’t use a condom. Not only don’t I have any in the house, but I was so wrapped up in what was going on, I didn’t even stop to think of it. I’m sorry, that never happens. Not smart.”

I’d come to that realization myself when I was in the shower reliving every single moment of our early morning’s activities. Luckily, I’m religious about taking my contraceptive.

I turn around so we’re face-to-face and loop my arms around his neck.

“I’m on the pill. Also, I haven’t had time for intimacy since Matt died.”

He leans his forehead against mine.

“It hasn’t been quite that long for me, but it has been a while, and I always use a condom. Still, I’ll make sure to get tested sometime this week to be safe.”

“I can do the same,” I offer. “But now I really have to get going.”

I lift up on my toes to kiss him before grabbing my belt off the kitchen island where I left it, and fitting it on my hips.

Nate follows me to the front of the house and as I open the door, I turn to look back at him.

“I’ll call you later, okay?”

I lean in for another quick brush of lips before stepping outside…just as my father’s Bronco comes to a stop at the curb. His keen eyes fixed on me.

Well, shit.

Nate

* * *

My back goes up when I see her father march up to the front step.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” Savvy asks.

She puts herself between me and her approaching father like some fierce pint-sized sentry. It’s cute, but I have no intention of hiding behind her. I gently take her by the shoulders and move her to my side.

“Morning, Savvy, Nathan,” he greets us stiffly, but his eyes remain on me.

The man’s expression is inscrutable and I’m having a hard time reading him, so I simply nod and wait for him to explain why he’s here.

“Why are you here?” his daughter asks again.