. . .” She shrugged. “I just don’t, but we had some good times.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him. “I can’t believe he’s gone. I know I keep saying that, but it just hits me over and over. I stop thinking about it for thirty seconds and then it’s back like I’m just learning about his death for the first time.”
“That’ll ease, Sarah. It’ll take time.”
“I know.”
“I know you know.”
Caden turned and tucked his phone in the back pocket of his pants. He raised a brow at the two of them and their coziness, but Gavin didn’t care.
“That was one of the detectives who’s allowing me access to all of the information on the shootings,” Caden said. “Wilmont is waking up and so is Mrs. Nelson, Brianne’s friend. I’m going to head to the hospital and see what I can find out.”
Sarah jumped up with a slight wince. “I want to come too.”
“Maybe we should sit this one out,” Gavin said. She turned with a raised brow. He held up a hand. “Or not.”
“Thank you.”
Caden hesitated, then with a glance at Gavin that swung back to Sarah, he shrugged. “Keep your investigative instincts under control and that’s fine, but just know that if you get in the way, they’ll remove you.”
Sarah shot her brother a dark look. “I’m not an idiot.”
“Didn’t mean to imply you were.” He blew out a breath. “And that’s my cue to exit. See y’all there.”
He left and Gavin led Sarah to his truck. “When are you going to get Herbie fixed?” she asked.
“Her—what? Who?”
“I’ve named your truck Herbie.”
He blinked. “You can’t name my truck Herbie.”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
“Because . . . why?”
He huffed a laugh. “Because . . . well . . . because it’s my truck and Sheila isn’t a Herbie.”
“It’s Herbie to me.”
He thought he heard her mutter something about temperamental and high maintenance under her breath and smothered a smile. “Well, at least if you’re going to give it a guy name, give it something a little more masculine. Wasn’t Herbie something like a . . . a . . . Volkswagen bug? This is a truck. I’m sure there’s a law somewhere that says trucks can’t be Herbies.”
“I like Herbie. I don’t like Sheila.”
“Why not? Because it’s a female name?”
“No.” She scowled at him. “Because it’s too close to Sarah.” She slammed the truck’s passenger door.
Trying not to laugh, Gavin climbed into the passenger seat and cranked Herbie. No, Sheila. He glanced at the woman beside him, arms crossed, jaw jutted, eyes narrowed. His heart thundered at the unexpected rush of feeling . . . affection? . . . that swept through him. She cut him a look from the corner of her eye and her expression softened. He paused for a moment, then slid a hand under her ponytail, pulled her to the middle of the console, and pressed a kiss to her lips. A light one that demanded nothing, but hopefully expressed a fraction of his current emotions. He ended it almost before it began—and definitely before he was ready. She blinked at him, wide-eyed.
He couldn’t help the smile that spread. “I like you, Sarah Denning. A lot.”
She swallowed and cleared her throat. “I like you too, Gavin. A lot.”
“I’m not like your father, I promise.”
“I know.”
“And baggage doesn’t scare me.”
“You don’t know mine.”
“But I feel like I know you. And the truth is, I don’t mind temperamental and high maintenance when it comes to you.”
“What!” She punched him in the arm and he laughed.
She fought it, but finally gave in and joined him in the mirth. For a few seconds, they shared some much-needed relief from the constant tension that had plagued them for the past few weeks.
“You’re something else,” she said. “Thank you for helping me find laughter when I sometimes think I won’t ever laugh again.”
He kissed her forehead. “Time will help.”
“I know.”
Levity faded as he drove, keeping an eye on the mirrors. He noticed Sarah doing the same thing and knew she was remembering their brush with death on the way to the mountains. He couldn’t blame her. He was still considering her observation that the bullets could have been meant for him. He didn’t think so, but he wasn’t as quick to dismiss the idea as he’d led her to believe. If someone was after Sarah because of her father, then it made sense they’d want Gavin out of the way to gain access to her. Then again, if