Page 46 of Cole

"Good to know. Thanks, Sadie."

"How's she doing? The researcher?"

Cole glanced back at Janice, who was cutting the pie. "She's tough. Smart. Handling everything better than most people would."

"And how are you doing?" Sadie's tone suggested she was asking about more than just the mission.

"I'm fine."

"Uh-huh." Sadie didn't sound convinced. "You know you wouldn’t be the first to⁠—”

“Sadie,” he warned, glancing at Janice, who was thankfully busy at the tiny kitchen counter.

“Well, try to get some rest.” Sadie laughed. “Logan wants to conference call tomorrow morning with you, me, and Landon. Figure out the next steps."

After the call ended, Cole returned to find that Janice had set the pie out on the counter.

"I figured we've earned dessert after the day we've had."

They ate standing at the counter, and Cole had to admit the pie was worth every bite. Sweet, rich, exactly what they both needed after the stress and cold and danger.

"Tell me about your family," Janice said between bites. "Your sisters."

So Cole told her about Kate and Emma, and about his mom who still lived in the house where he'd grown up. About the hot chocolate his mother made on cold winter nights, and about his nephew Dylan who was already showing interest in airplanes.

Janice listened with genuine interest, asking questions, laughing at his stories. And somewhere in that conversation, with chocolate on their tongues and the cabin warm around them, Cole realized he was in serious trouble.

Because this wasn't just attraction anymore. This wasn't just about adrenaline, forced proximity, and danger creating false intimacy.

This was real. She was real. And he was open to finding out if this was more than just two people meeting in unusual, adrenaline-infused circumstances. But when he looked at her, he no longer just saw someone who was part of a mission and everything to do with who she was—passionate, stubborn, brilliant, brave, beautiful.

"What are you thinking?" Janice asked, catching him staring.

Cole set down his plate, considering his words carefully. "About how you're the most interesting person I've met in a long time."

Color flooded her cheeks. "You are to me, too."

They stared at each other again, and this time, the air felt electric with possibility. With want. With all the things neither of them was quite ready to say out loud but both were definitely feeling.

"We should probably get some sleep," Cole said finally, though it was the last thing he actually wanted. "Tomorrow will be another long day."

Janice nodded, though her eyes held disappointment that mirrored his own. "You're right. We should rest."

But neither of them moved. They just stood there in the warm cabin, looking at each other, the space between them charged with everything they weren't saying.

Finally, Janice broke the spell, glancing over at the bed.

“I’ll sleep on the floor,” he said.

“But—”

“No… I’ll sleep on the floor,” he reiterated.

She dragged her tongue over her lips, then nodded. Turning, she grabbed her night clothes and headed into the bathroom. When she finished, he did the same. By the time he came out of the bathroom, she was already in bed. He checked the windows and doors, then added another log to the wood-burning stove before placing the blankets and pillow on the floor.

After a long, silent moment, he heard her roll over. When he looked up, she was peering down at him.

“Cole, can I ask you a question?”