Page 122 of Now and Then

Me: Good to know. Meet at your office? I’ll drop Sutton off at the home store first.

Logan: You’re letting an unaccompanied Sutton roam free in that store?

Me: I’m sure it’ll be fine.

“Order up,” James calls from behind the counter.

I startle and drop my phone. It clatters to the floor, but thankfully, the screen is still intact.

“What’s got you all . . . whatever this is?” James asks. He puts two forks and napkins in our bag.

I shake my head to clear out the bullshit. “Nothing, just stuff at work.”

“That’s right. Detective Michaels.” He slides the bag to me. “How’s that going?”

“Honestly, man,” I say, “it’s a lot more than I thought it would be.”

“What is?” Sutton’s voice catches me off guard when she steps beside me.

“Hey, Sutton.” James’s smile turns up about ten notches. “You look nice today. I mean, you look nice every day.” He snaps his mouth shut, cheeks turning a slight shade of crimson. “Your hair. It’s different.”

Sutton bites her lip, suppressing a crooked grin. “Oh, yeah, I’m trying something new, leaving it down every now and then.”

Like it has a mind of its own, my hand grazes along her back and into her hair. James doesn’t miss this—his eyes dart from Sutton to my hand very intimately resting on her neck. I clear my throat rather loudly.

“Guess we’ll never get to go on that date.” He smiles and winks at her. Fucking winks. As if I’m not standing right here.

“I’m sorry, James.” Sutton wraps her arm around my waist and tucks her hand in my back pocket. “I’m off the market indefinitely now.”

“It was a long shot anyways.” James gives her a soft smile. “Whole town knew you two’d end up together eventually. I’m happy for you, Sutton.”

Sutton smiles back, takes her coffee, and heads for the door. I’m right on her heel when I hear James call out, “You’re one lucky bastard, Hunter.”

“Don’t I know it.”

Eagle Falls is just under two hours from town and is the biggest metropolitan city in the state. Many people from Suncrest Valley make regular trips here for the better shopping and food options. But it also has a huge selection of home stores.

When I pull into the Evermore Living parking lot, Sutton’s face lights up. “I thought you said no work.”

Bracing my hand on her thigh, I squeeze gently. “I thought you could have fun here while I go to the station across the street to meet up with Logan.”

“Oh man.” She bends down to dig her wallet out of her massive bag. “I’m going to be here for hours.”

“You’ve got one.” I open my door and reach for her hand.

“One?” She hasn’t moved an inch.

“Yep.” I nod. “Now, get a move on. Time’s wasting.”

“An hour isn’t enough time, Hunter.” She scoots across the bench seat, bracing her hand on the steering wheel, and slides out on my side. “I haven’t been here for a while. I’m sure they’ve moved the storeroom around, and my regular plan of attack won’t work to cover ground quickly. I’m not even sure what I’m looking for. Maybe I can—”

I brace my hands on her hips and push her back against the side of my truck. She sucks in a breath, eyes staring directly into mine. I can see the abrasive retort sitting on the tip of her tongue.

“You don’t need a plan of attack or a map, babe.” I bend and capture her lips with mine. When I pull away, her head comes forward, lips following mine. I smile. “You’re just killing time and browsing.” I reach inside the cab and grab my hat.

“Just browsing,” she repeats as she threads her fingers through mine.

I slam the truck door closed and pull her to my side as we walk. “This is killing you, isn’t it?”