got teeth, Pollyanna. I like it.”
“Then get back to work before I bite.”
Her lips twitched and she saluted me, then picked up her red panties where Josh had dropped them and walked out the door.
I blew air out of my lungs to calm my nerves then looked out the window to check the weather again. Larger flakes of snow were now pelting the glass. The temperature would be dropping lower soon. If Duke was still out there waiting to be found, I hoped he had his emergency gear in the back of his truck.
_______________
Crime scene tape roped off the mortuary as Logan made his way back into town. He stopped and stared at the blacked out building, wondering if they’d determined what caused the explosion. During his search for Duke, his mind had drifted back to that morning and Frank Wells many times. Something about Frank’s injuries had bothered Logan. The way his body had been lying face up, but the blow that killed him was to the back of his head. He’d intended to speak to Duke about it, but now . . . Logan scanned the street looking for a deputy’s vehicle. The snow was falling harder, making visibility difficult, so he eased off his brake and headed into town. When he rounded the corner, bright lights from the football field peeked through the trees. He’d called Skylar once he had decent cell reception, and she’d told him where to find her. She’d asked about Duke, but he’d hedged and said they’d talk when he got back to town.
The streets were jammed with vehicles the closer he got to the field, so he pulled off and parked. He didn’t want to take a chance they wouldn’t allow Max at the game without a leash, so he grabbed Max’s off the floorboard and attached it to his collar.
He noted they had two games in one night. The middle school had their game first, which accounted for all the football jerseys crowding the entrance. After buying his ticket, the crowd surrounding the field erupted with cheers as he approached. A female commentator could be heard over the roar, her own enthusiasm for the previous play apparent as she called out, “Touchdown, Mustangs. A thirty-yard laser shot from James to Humphries puts the Mustangs on the board first.”
Logan scanned the crowd looking for Skylar and found her at the top of one of the two bleachers abutting the field. She was dancing to music coming out of the PA system as the home team kicked the extra point, high-fiving those around her before putting her fingers to her lips and blowing a whistle so sharp Max barked.
Logan curled his tongue and pressed it against his teeth and blew a sharp whistle in return to get Skylar’s attention. She turned at the sound and her face blossomed into the sweetest sight he’d ever seen. Her cheeks were rosy from the wind, her eyes sparkled from the stadium lights illuminating the field. But her expression was soft, meant only for him, and the knot in his chest tightened further. Josh ran over and grabbed Max’s leash from his hand, followed by a group of boys that looked to be his age. He handed off Max to Josh without turning his attention away from Skylar.
“We just scored,” she shouted, turning in her seat so her legs hung over the back of the bleacher.
She looked like she was about to jump from the top. He gauged the distance to be six to eight feet. Not high enough to kill her, but the ground was slick from the snow. Before he could reach her to keep her from injury, she twisted her body and began to climb down the braces like a ladder, jumping the last few feet as he jogged up. When she turned to greet him, Logan scooped Skylar into his arms and slammed his mouth over hers, instantly feeling at peace. His demons had crept back into the forefront of his mind the past few hours, leaving him edgy. But one kiss from Skylar sent them scrambling for cover.
She melted into him as the people around them grew silent. He didn’t give a fuck if they were making a spectacle, he’d been thinking about her sweet lips the whole time he was gone and wasn’t waiting another second to have them.
Giggles filled the air as he pulled his head back and smiled down at Skylar. He was running his hand down her back