Page 30 of The Deputy's Secret Double

“Listen, I appreciate everything you’ve done, but you’ve already done enough. You saved my life—and Georgie’s—today. You don’t have to hang out with me after. I’m fine.”

JJ thought she had finally done it—finally convinced Price Collins to leave—but no sooner had his grin fallen than a look she could only describe as mock offended animated his features.

He even put a hand to his chest in a classic Scarlett O’Hara dramatic move.

“You might be fine, but have you ever wondered about me? What if I’m the one who’s not fine?”

JJ opened her mouth. Then she closed it again.

Heat started to crawl up her neck and seep into her cheeks.

Had—had she thought she was special to the deputy? Was his constant consideration only because of his role as law enforcement and not because he cared about her as a—

A friend?

A fellow local?

An acquaintance who had fought alongside him?

JJ didn’t know what she would describe their relationship as, and suddenly it left her stumped and in silence.

Thankfully, Price took mercy on her.

He dropped his dramatic pose and gave off a hearty laugh that seemed to fill the room.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine too,” he said. “I’m just waiting for Winnie and Deputy Gavin to drive my truck here. Then we’ll get out of your hair so you can rest.”

More than an itch of disappointment moved beneath her skin at that. JJ tried to recover with her own little laugh.

“Well, good then,” she said. “I guess waiting in here is nicer than staying in the lobby.”

Price’s expression did another little change that JJ couldn’t track. It was like he had his own mask on, and it slipped enough to see what he was really thinking.

But even that JJ couldn’t place.

She wondered if it was simply him being tired.

His next words, however, didn’t sound at all like a man in need of his own bed.

He sounded so sure of himself that JJ sat a little straighter as he spoke.

“Staying with you has nothing to do with the lobby downstairs being nice or not. I’m here because you’re here.”

In all her years of training her emotions to stay hidden, JJ found herself struggling the most right then.

Price Collins might not be dangerous to most, but for her, he was downright a problem.

CHAPTER NINE

Something was wrong with JJ.

Price knew it—knew it in his bones—but had no right to confront her about it. To ask her what was bothering her. To say he had his finger onsomethingbut he wasn’t sure what. It wasn’t just her being uncomfortable in a hospital room. It wassomethingelse.

But he couldn’t say anything of that. All he could do was go along with the plan he’d unknowingly already made the second JJ had admitted she had no one to call to the hospital.

He was going to make sure she wasn’t alone.

Not after what she’d just been through.