Shadow protector, p.19
Shadow Protector, page 19
Her clinic?
Sera might have corrected him if Jessie-Lynn hadn’t tugged her aside to whisper that Doc Prichard had decided to pack up and move on. She claimed her alien friends had planted the thought in his head, and lucky for everyone in town, it had taken root.
As the night wore on, she watched men and women bid on their favorite picnic baskets at the annual Blue Ridge Days dinner auction. She watched Babe dance with Walter and a fully recovered Beth do a jig with Flo. She made a point of not watching a patched-up Toby sneak under the bleachers with Beth’s granddaughter.
She’d like to have spent more time—well, any time really—with Logan, but a moment here and there was the best they could manage given the demand for their attention.
Sera supposed it was only natural. Still, she wasn’t sorry when darkness descended and the first starburst exploded in the clear night sky. With Ella nosing her leg, she edged backward across the street—and straight into someone’s chest.
She knew it was Logan before she looked. Lips curving, she let her head fall onto his shoulder. “Hey there, stranger. Shouldn’t you be busting Bulleys or getting hit on by every single female in town?”
“As tempting as those options sound, I’d rather escape for a while with one particular female.”
A bottle of wine appeared in front of her. “Sonoma Valley Cabernet.” She ran a fingertip over the label. “Sig’s favorite.”
“He claimed the most worthwhile hangover he ever had came after a night spent with this stuff. I agreed with him—until I spent a night with some freshly distilled Bulley whiskey.”
“Think I’ll stick with the wine.”
She heard the amusement in his voice when he lowered his mouth to her ear. “In that case, come with me, and I’ll show you the best place in town to watch fireworks and get drunk.”
Two minutes later, they were alone on the roof of the station house. Red, gold, silver, green and blue bombs burst overhead, filling the sky with jewel-toned sparkles.
Logan leaned against the rooftop door and Sera leaned against him. For a long time, neither of them spoke, just sipped Sig’s favorite wine and watched the glitter rain down.
After awhile, she sighed. “Why does this feel so ridiculously perfect to me?”
“Probably because it is. Perfect moments happen, Sera. They’re rare, but not unattainable.”
“Even when people you care about are dead?”
“Even then.”
His simple response had her pushing off to face him. Setting her glass aside, Sera raised her eyes to Logan’s shadowed face and ran a finger along the brim of his hat. “Sig told me you were the best chance I had to stay alive. He was right.”
“You’re the one who remembered his face, Sera.”
“Yeah, two seconds before he hauled me out to his hiding place in the old Morgan house—which you also figured out.”
“Lights on where they shouldn’t have been—it wasn’t hard to figure. Locals have more sense than to use that place for anything, and we already had Wayne Postle in custody. FYI, Postle did hear Gould threatening you the night the power was cut at my place, but all he cared about at that point was getting out before he got caught.”
“Killers and thieves.” She ran her finger from hat to cheek. “Different mentalities.”
“Snakes and weasels.” A smile touched his lips. “Different species.”
“Gould was insane for a very long time, Logan, if he was ever sane to start with. He murdered the real Blindfold Killer. But you suspected that already, didn’t you?”
“Crossed my mind. Gould was also the leak Sig talked about within the department. As for Paxton’s body—no, idea.”
“Ah, well, I’ve been thinking about that. You might want to check out his father’s grave. If I’m right, you could discover that Harvey Gould is no longer alone.”
“Sounds like you neglected to mention a few significant points in your statement yesterday.”
Her eyes danced in the shimmering light. “Yesterday’s done, remember? Today’s just beginning and tomorrow’s a magical mystery tour.” She moved her hips against him. “Beth thinks I should give up psychiatry and stay right here in Blue Ridge. Recruit other doctors, expand the clinic.” She drew a circle on his chest, set her tongue on her teeth, angled her head. “Anything you want to say to that?”
“No.”
Undeterred, she bumped against him. “You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” She sensed his eyes on her face and felt his thumbs slide along the line of her jaw. “Words are cheap, Sera. Action works better for me.”
As his mouth came down hungrily on hers, Sera slipped the Sedona rock he’d given to Sig as a child into the pocket of his jeans.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6618-0
SHADOW PROTECTOR
Copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Goff
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Jenna Ryan, Shadow Protector
