Expired Getaway (Last Chance County #7) - Lisa Phillips Page 0,116

let her do it. But then Eric’s boss got ahold of the intel, and he had the FBI search for Sasha. They never found her though.”

“Why does that not surprise me?”

“I have no idea where she went, or what her plans are.”

“Plausible deniability?”

“I have no idea if she’s even safe.” Bridget figured he was probably right, whether she liked it or not. “She’s a good person. Or, at least, I’ve always thought so. Now I have no idea. I mean, she lied about Sydney. But she’s right. She saved her life and probably mine in the process.”

Part of her hated saying that.

She had lost years of her child’s life.

Bridget thought for a moment. “I wasn’t okay back then. I loved carrying Sydney, but the fire chief was asking around about me. There were a couple of near-misses. Until we faked my death and got me a new ID, I knew I wasn’t going to escape it.”

“I’m glad you’re okay.” His gaze darkened. “If the fire chief wasn’t dead, I’d be having words with him.”

“I was walking home through the woods. He was—” She couldn’t even describe what she’d seen. “It was violent, and more than that. I’ll never forget it.”

He watched her, quietly.

Bridget was grateful he didn’t want to pry the details out of her. That might come later, but for now she could set it aside. “The woman. I think I need to go out there and see…” Bridget shrugged. “I don’t think she’s still there. It’s been years, and no one found a body?”

“Do you know who it was?”

“No.” Had there been that many missing persons during that time? Surely she could find out. “I didn’t see her face well enough to be sure if I knew her or not.”

“We can talk to Tate when he’s back, and maybe contact a K9 officer with the state police. Or search and rescue. See if there’s a cadaver dog.” He almost looked proud of her.

“I think I need a job in Last Chance.” She shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe the grocery store is hiring.”

The corner of his mouth curled up. “That would be sweet having you around. Permanently.”

“I think so, too.”

“Will you go to dinner with me?”

Bridget nodded. “I’d love that.”

“It feels strange to start with a date, considering everything we’ve gone through.”

“I know, but I agree—I want to go slow.” She didn’t like admitting this but needed to. “I’m so scared I’ll mess this up. That something will go wrong, and we’ll lose everything for good this time.”

“I want to do this right, too.” He squeezed her hand. “That’s why I want you to know that I’ve always loved you. I want it all because though it might be different now, that feeling is still there. If anything, it’s more now.”

Affection soared in her. “I love you, too. I probably always have.”

“I’m sticking this out. No matter what.” He looked so earnest. “So, don’t worry about messing up. We both will at some point, so promise me you won’t quit. And neither will I.”

Bridget leaned in. “I won’t quit, and I won’t leave.”

Joy lit his expression. “Good.”

She closed the gap and touched her lips to his. Bridget was vaguely aware of the door opening and then Sydney’s voice.

“See, Uncle Conroy. I told you she was his girlfriend.”

Epilogue

Four months later

Cold wind whipped the trees. Aiden flipped up his collar against the breeze and stood watching the clearing. “This is where it happened?”

Bridget’s hand slid into his, her fingers covered by a pair of gloves. She leaned her shoulder against his. “Don’t make me tell it all over again.”

In the aftermath of what had happened with the fire, and the servers, both Bridget and Millie had been interviewed for hours by the FBI. Over a number of days.

Then Bridget had asked to speak with Conroy. She talked to him for three hours while he recorded the conversation. Aiden would never forget the shell-shocked look on her face when she’d walked out of that room.

He’d since read all the notes and the recording of their conversation. Meanwhile, Bridget had been going to counseling twice a week, and he sometimes joined her to talk about things that involved Sydney. They’d settled into a rhythm as a family since he married her only three weeks after he was stabbed. Neither of them had wanted to waste any time—and Bridget wanted to be there with Sydney as much as she could. That meant being a family.

As for the business Millie ran, it was purchased by an