Page 23 of Outlaw Ridge: Reed (Hard Justice: Outlaw Ridge #6)
“So, you don’t remember anything that Tami or my father did that might have made Tami want everyone there silenced?” Hallie pressed.
“Nothing obvious,” Jay said. “But after thinking about it, I remember the way Kip and Tami interacted. Just little things. Tami wasn’t cowering, wasn’t acting like a battered wife. She was the center of attention. If anything, it was Kip who was taking a back seat to her.”
And there it was. If Jay had testified to that at Tami’s appeal, it would have been a nail in the coffin. Especially if others at that party had confirmed Jay’s impression.
“I’m one of those people Tami wanted silenced,” Jay muttered. “You too,” he said, glancing up at Hallie.
“Me, too,” she confirmed. “But she’s been stopped now. She can’t murder anyone else.”
Jay glanced at both of them. “You stopped her. Thanks again for that.” He lowered his head back onto the pillow, the exhaustion from the ordeal all over his face.
“I’ll need an official statement from you, but that can wait a day or two,” Hallie told him. “Get some rest.”
Jay muttered another “Thank you” as they walked out and headed toward the exit where they’d left the cruiser.
“I don’t think Jay will be slinging any more accusations at you,” Reed remarked.
“No,” she agreed, and he heard some of the same relief in her voice that’d been in Jay’s. Finally, this ordeal might be coming to a close.
They went outside, got into the cruiser, and Hallie turned on the ignition.
The rain had finally stopped, leaving the air crisp and cool.
The rhythmic hum of the engine filled the quiet space between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable—it was the kind of silence that came after chaos, a silence that felt earned.
Hallie rested her hands on the steering wheel, staring out at the glow of the emergency room entrance. “We should probably get back to the station,” she said, but she made no move to start driving there.
Reed leaned back in the passenger seat, his gaze fixed on her. “Not yet.”
She glanced at him, arching an eyebrow. “Not yet?”
“Nope,” Reed said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I have to ask you something.”
He watched Hallie’s hands tighten just slightly on the steering wheel, her gaze flicking to him with a mix of curiosity and caution. He knew her well enough to see the walls she kept firmly in place, but right now, there was a crack in the armor.
“What’s that?” she asked, her tone steady, but he could see her bracing herself for whatever was coming next.
“Go to dinner with me,” he said, his voice soft but deliberate. “No case talk. No interruptions. Just you and me.”
She blinked, caught off guard. “Dinner?”
“Yeah, you know, that thing people do when they like each other. They eat food, drink wine, maybe talk about something other than dead bodies. Then, they find a bed or some other surface and have great sex.”
Her laughter burst out. “You’re not exactly subtle, are you?”
“Not about this,” he admitted, his smile fading slightly as his tone turned serious. “I’m not going to pretend this is just about dinner, Hallie. I’ve been in love with you for a long time. Longer than I probably should’ve been.”
Her breath caught, and her fingers tightened around the steering wheel again. “Reed…”
“I know we’ve both got a lot of baggage,” he continued, leaning closer, his voice steady. “And I know you probably think this is a bad idea. But it’s the truth. I love you, Hallie. And I’m not going to pretend I don’t.”
Reed watched her, his pulse thrumming as the silence stretched between them. Her eyes stayed locked on his, and he could practically feel the whirlwind of emotions she was grappling with—uncertainty, fear, and something softer, something that looked a lot like hope.
She let out a shaky breath, the kind that made his chest tighten. “You’re right,” she said, her voice quiet but steady. “This is a bad idea. But I’ve made worse ones,” she quickly added.
The corner of her mouth curved into a small, tentative smile, and damn if it didn’t knock the air right out of his lungs.
“So…dinner?” she added, her tone laced with a cautious lightness that made his heart squeeze.
Reed’s grin spread slowly. “Dinner,” he confirmed. “And everything that comes after.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t hide her smile. “You’re lucky I like you.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’m lucky in a lot of ways.”
“What if it’s more than like?” she asked but didn’t wait for him to answer. “What if I’m in love with you? What if I have been for a long time?”
The shock came. Yeah, actual shock. Quickly followed by the realization that she had just confessed exactly what he wanted to hear.
“I’d say good,” he managed.
Instead of saying more, he went with a kiss. Reed took her mouth, and she took his for a low, slow, thorough kiss that amped up the heat. And the love.
Especially the love.
The tension that had been between them for so long finally began to dissolve. And for the first time in what felt like forever, things didn’t seem so uncertain. They just felt right.