Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) - Karen Rose Page 0,124

search on the place.”

“Not a nurse?”

“No, this was posted earlier in the day, before Nurse Gaynor was discovered. If you want to try to get someone in there . . .”

“We’ll do that. Do you know on which job websites they’ve posted the opening?”

Liza frowned as Tom rattled off two websites she hadn’t found in her earlier searches. What was Sunnyside Oaks? And why was Tom interested in it? Who was he talking to? Sounded like his boss. Why were they interested in a nursing assistant position?

“Just because the nursing assistant position is open, that doesn’t mean that the individual will have access to Pastor or DJ,” Tom cautioned.

Liza’s mouth fell open. DJ? And Pastor? They knew where Pastor was?

Apparently so. He was at some place called Sunnyside Oaks, which needed a nursing assistant.

No one had informed Mercy or Rafe or Gideon. They would have been unable to stay silent about something this huge. Which pissed her off, because they had a right to know.

“I know that,” the other man said. “But an in is an in.”

Yeah. It is. And Liza was going to apply to be that in. This was finally something she could do. Yes, they’d tracked down the Eden tattoo and might be able to find Pastor’s wife and kids. But this was Pastor himself. He could lead them to Eden.

And Liza was uniquely qualified to help. So I will.

Tom said good night to his boss and for a brief moment she considered sneaking out without letting him know she’d been there. But that was childish. And dishonest. And cowardly.

She glanced down at Pebbles, who leaned into her hip, staring up adoringly as her tongue lolled to the side. “Wish me luck,” she whispered, giving the dog’s muzzle a soft stroke.

Drawing a breath, she went to the bottom of the stairs and called out, “Tom?” Straightening her spine, she braced herself for the sight of him, like she always did.

Because he took her breath away. He always had.

And then he was standing at the head of the stairs, gaping. “You’re here.”

“I am.”

He came down two of the steps, then paused uncertainly. “Are you back?”

“No.” She backed up a few feet, giving him room as he descended the rest of the way. “I got a call from Mr. Tolliver. Pebbles got loose, so I came back to bring her in.”

Startled concern flickered across his features. He dropped to his knees in front of the dog, checking her for injuries. “Is she okay?”

“Yes. She dug a hole under the fence. You should probably get it filled in. Apparently she only went as far as next door to play with Sweetie-Pie.”

He looked up, blue eyes uncertain as he seemed to drink her in. “Is the Yorkie okay?”

Liza forced her lips to curve. “Of course. They’re BFFs. Anyway, I brought her inside, fed her, and locked the doggy door so she can’t get out again.”

He swallowed hard, and then, not breaking eye contact, rose to his full height.

Liza looked up. She’d always loved that she had to look up at him. But not tonight. He looked pained. And awkward.

“Thank you,” he murmured. “You want to . . . sit? Talk?”

She shook her head. “Today was a busy day. I need to get back to my new place and sleep.”

“Where is your new place?” He held up his hands, surrender style. “Wait. First, I need to tell you I’m sorry. For yelling at you this morning.”

“I know. Irina gave me the message. It’s okay. I’m okay. I need to tell—”

“No!” he shouted, then groaned. “I did it again. Just . . . don’t leave. Please. I’m sorry.”

“And I said it’s okay. Listen, I—”

He cut her off before she could tell him about the conversation she’d overheard. “But I’m not okay,” he said hoarsely. “Please. Let me say some things. I need to say this.”

The agony in his voice stunned her into silence.

“I was scared,” he said in a rush of words. “Really scared.”

Her heart softened, and she hated that it did. Hated that she wanted to soothe him. To tell him that everything would be all right. That she’d come back. That they could go back to the way things had been before she’d shown him Fritz’s picture.

But they couldn’t go back. Eventually it would eat her up inside. So she forced lightness into her tone that she did not feel. “That I’d been kidnapped by aliens or something?”

His eyes narrowed. “No. By a killer who had you in his crosshairs yesterday