Page 17 of Long Lost Winter

“Yeah, no matter what.”She lifted to her toes to press a kiss to his mouth.

When he held her tight, deepened the kiss, she let him for a few beats, then pushed at his chest and fixed him with a scolding look when he finally pulled away.

“We shouldn’t be late,” she said.

But he smiled at her, ran a hand over her hair.“It’d be a lot more fun.”

She laughed in spite of herself, and it felt good.To laugh.To love.To know they had each other’s backs no matter what.“You never think you should be late forchoreseven if it would be a lot more fun.”

“I mean, Ithinkit, I just don’tdoit.”He was trying to keep that lighthearted feeling, but his expression changed.Became weighted, as they moved for the door.

Worry.Concern.He held a lot of the responsibility at the Bennet Ranch.He was not a man whodelegated.

But because of that, because of who he was, down to the bone, he had a staff of ranch hands who didn’t just respect him but cared about this ranch and wouldn’t let anything fall by the wayside.

“The ranch is in good hands, Landon.”

“I know.”He huffed out a breath.“I just hate the idea this might take weeks.”

She did, too, for lots of reasons.The ranch was fairly low on that list.It would survive.It always did.But she wanted the Bennet brothers to survive too.

Landon opened the door, waited for her to step outside.He locked the door behind them, and they walked in silence to his truck.

Aly wasn’t going to let this trial, thisghost, haunt her present.Not when she had so much to be happy about.

Or so she told herself.

Driving into the courthouse parking lot, even with Landon’s free hand holding hers, it was harder and harder to hold on to that belief.

Chapter Six

Honor’s Edge Investigations Office

Snow had fallenovernight.Just a dusting, but Sam wanted to get on the road early because of it.She didn’t know how easy Nate and Cal would be to roust this morning.Cal had certainly drunk his fill, and Nate had no doubt put away more than he’d planned.

Surely that explained… last night.The hand holding.The hug.Not that any of it crossed anyfriendshiplines, it had just felt…

Like it might.

She felt like they were speeding toward something she wasn’t quite sure what to do with.Because it wasn’t simple on any level.Their past.The fact they worked together.

The fact no one sticks around you for long.

Add a mysterious doppelganger and a trial they all would have to testify during… it just felt like too much.

But Nate understood that.Hence the weird moments.As long as they both kept protecting that line, nothingmorehad to get complicated.

She snorted.How could they possibly handle more?

She shook her head, walking out the front of the office so she could make sure the closed sign was in place, and everything was locked up tight.She stepped into the icy morning, the powdery snow.She checked the sign, locked the door, gave the door a tug satisfied when it didn’t give.

Then heard footsteps.She glanced up.A figure was moving toward her on the sidewalk.He had his head down, face hidden behind the big winter coat collar, but she still recognized him quickly enough.

Bo Lake.

She didn’tlovehim showing up here, especially this early.It left her feeling… not afraid.She could take care of herself.But… unsettled.

Especially since she wasn’t wearing her gun.