Page 114 of Searching for Bristol
“I swear I could feel your arms around me, telling me to be patient. That you were coming for me. Not to piss him off, to stay calm and do what he said.”
“I’m so damn proud of you,” Rocky said when he’d gotten control of his emotions.
“You know what?” she asked.
“What?”
“I’m proud of myself too.”
Rocky smiled. He loved that for her. “Good. You should be.”
“I can’t wait to live my life with you.”
“Same,” Rocky said.
Silence descended on the room. Contentedness spread throughout his body. This was what he’d dreamed about while she’d been missing. Having her back in his arms. Safe.
Lifting his head, he saw Bristol was already fast asleep. She’d never fallen asleep this fast back in the hospital. It was good to know she felt as safe with him as he did with her.
Rocky kissed her temple and settled next to her with a small sigh. This was what had been missing in his life.
No,shewas what had been missing.
He fell asleep with Bristol’s scent in his nose and the knowledge that no matter what bumps might be in the road for them, after the last two weeks, they’d be able to weather anything.
EPILOGUE
Drew Koopman hated this time of year. He didn’t like the heat. Didn’t like the humidity. Didn’t like that tax season was over and he had too much free time on his hands.
He was restless and needed to do something. Sitting at home thinking about all the cases he hadn’t been able to solve, all the people who’d hated him simply because he wore a uniform, the men and women he’d worked with who had given their all to the job, literally. As well as the assholes who wore a uniform and gave every single officer out there a bad name.
When he’d retired, he was more than ready to give up his badge and come to Fallport.
Drew was more than aware he was standoffish and hadn’t made many friends in town, outside of his team. It was hard for him to trust, and his previous job in law enforcement didn’t help any. He was working to try to loosen up, but it wasn’t as easy as he thought it might be.
Deciding he was getting morose and needed to get out of his small house, Drew headed out the door. A walk would do him good. It was still early enough that the heat and humidity weren’t too bad yet. He walked toward the square, thinking about his friends…and how happy they were with their women.
Lilly, Elsie, and Bristol were really great. Drew liked them a lot and was pleased his friends had found people they could spend their lives with. He wasn’t sure he wanted that for himself. Drew enjoyed being alone. He wasn’t someone who liked long conversations, he didn’t watch a lot of TV, he preferred the silence to a lot of external stimulation.
Maybe it was because he was an only child whose parents didn’t have a lot time for him when he was growing up. He was used to entertaining himself. Maybe it was because of the time he’d spent alone in his patrol car. Whatever the reason, Drew had no problem being by himself, and after forty-five years, he assumed that was just his lot in life.
Hiking was something he did for his job with the Eagle Point Search and Rescue team, but he also went out into the woods on his own a lot, as well. He knew the trails around the town like the back of his hand because he’d spent so much time on them. He felt freer when he was surrounded by nature.
The walk to the square didn’t take long, and Drew headed for Sunny Side Up. He debated whether to go to The Sweet Tooth and get one of Finley’s mouthwatering pastries or to the diner for a proper breakfast. Because he had absolutely no plans for the day, he decided the sit-down breakfast would kill more time.
As soon as he opened the door to the diner, Sandra called out a welcome. Smiling, Drew gave her a chin lift and headed to an empty booth along one side of the restaurant. Even though it was early, the place was fairly busy. It took a couple of minutes for Karen, one of the waitresses, to come over to his table.
“Morning, sweetie. Coffee?”
“Yes, please,” Drew said eagerly.
She filled a cup and said, “Do you need some time? Or do you know what you’d like?”
“Can I get two eggs over easy, hash browns, sausage links, a cup of whatever fruit you’ve got, and a large glass of orange juice?”
“Of course. We’re running a little behind, since Carl had a family emergency and we’ve only got one cook. But I’ll get your OJ and the fruit right out to start you off.”
“Everything all right with Carl?” Drew asked.
