Page 80 of Rekindle My Heart

Sarah’s tear-streaked face swam in her vision. The hurt in her eyes. Her flushed cheeks. She’d been yelling and crying right before she fled.

It was the last memory of her.

Sure, now she could see her face, not last night when she was high on lust. She knotted her fingers in her hair.

This had been the best night of her life, but she’d take it all back if she could have one more chance to see her sister’s smile. Hear her laugh. Smell her perfume.

She’d failed as a sister, damn it. Her job was to protect her baby sister. One job, and she blew it. Sarah had been the weak one. Her mother always told her to watch out for her.

Erica rocked back and forth. How could she have strayed so far? She couldn’t blame it on the alcohol. Not all of it. She’d lusted for Ryan since the first hormones fluttered around in her little-girl system, but that didn’t mean she should have let him in.

Oh, he was in, all right. Not just in her body but in her head as well. Thoughts of him pushed Sarah right out.

She rubbed her palm over the ache in the middle of her chest. She feared she’d let him into her heart as well.

No. She couldn’t, not in that way. This was a one-off. A “blowing off steam” kind of thing. Now they could go back to being friends. She’d like that. Friends. She’d missed him. And if that didn’t work, then they’d go back to enemies. Because no way could they be lovers again.

A knock startled her. She jumped. “Yeah?”

“I have to go.”

Thank goodness. “Okay.”

Would it be weird if she hung out in here until he left? He’d think she had the streaming squirts. She could live with that.

His voice floated through the wooden door. “There’s an SUV matching the one in the video cruising the neighborhood for the last fifteen minutes. Mrs. White called it in.”

Mrs. White? “Hang on. I’ll be right out.” She balled up a handful of tissues and wiped her eyes before finishing up her business. Avoiding Ryan would take a backseat to the case. She didn’t want to be sidelined.

She pulled up her big-girl panties. Literally. In less than two minutes, she’d brushed her teeth, pulled her hair up, and finished her morning stuff. A new speed record for her.

Inhaling, she braced herself and opened the bathroom door. Ryan sat on the bed fully dressed. He strolled to her, framed her face, and gave her a good-morning kiss that curled her toes.

Don’t get distracted.She broke the kiss, jogged to her closet, and pulled out clothes. “I’m going with you.”

“I got this. Go back to bed. It’s early.”

“I’m going.” She evaded his touch and snatched her keys and wallet as she slipped on her shoes. “I need one more thing.”

She ran to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of jerky.

“Breakfast?” Ryan held out a hand.

She clutched the bag to her chest. “Not for us. It’s for Annabeth.”

Ryan’s bottom lip popped out. Damn, he was even cute when he pouted.

“Fine. One piece.” She opened the bag, and the aroma of spiced meat made her stomach growl. She snagged two pieces, handed one to him, then closed the bag. Annabeth would have to share.

White teeth ripped off a chunk of the jerky just before he asked, “Okay, do you mind if we take your car? Or we can swing by the station and I can grab my loaner car.”

“It would be faster if we go straight to the scene. I’ll drop you after.”

“Sounds like a plan, except one thing.”

“What?”

“I’ll drive.” He held out his hand for the keys.