Harris’s expression turned sad. “He was a good guy. Didn’t have long to get to know him when he and his dog were attached to our unit. But you know how it is. You get a feel of a person pretty quick out there. He tried to do the right thing.”
“Then it shouldn’t be a surprise I’m out here, trying to do right by him.” Cruz couldn’t help the rumble in his tone.
“Maybe.” Harris drew the word out slowly. “But then you have to think about what the right thing is for the living first.”
And Harris had family. Cruz got it. He did. But someone needed to answer for Calhoun’s death and the others’.
“At least give me names of the other soldiers in your unit. Give me something to go on.” Cruz tried again. He’d find a way through this mess to see Calhoun didn’t die for nothing.
Harris shook his head. “I’ve already said too much. I could be a dead man already. Maybe. No more.”
Cruz ground his teeth but didn’t press harder. Harris was right. It’d already been too much.
“Thanks for this, at least.” Cruz figured any additional words were over the top so he walked away.
It was time to get Lyn and Atlas back home and for him to find another angle to go at this entire issue.
Chapter Sixteen
Lyn walked in and dropped her travel bag on the bed. She’d need to do laundry. Soon. Like in a couple of minutes, before she forgot and tried to go do something else. Like maybe flop down onto the bed and take an impromptu nap. The cabin was starting to feel like home, complete with cozy nap-inducing temptations. Blankets. Pillows. Bed.
Of course, her thoughts were scattered. Had been since she’d gotten out of the car.
“That is one potent male,” she said out loud to the empty cabin.
And she wasn’t talking about Atlas.
Memories of last night had kept popping back into her head in the car, making her blush. Damn her fair complexion. It was such a giveaway.
And David, the bastard, had noticed every single time and given her a knowing smile so sexy, the rest of her heated up, too. She’d even been tempted to instigate a make-out session at one of the rest stops, if a car full of kids with a puppy hadn’t pulled up right next to them. Probably a good thing she hadn’t. It would’ve been downright mean to Atlas.
At least they’d made it the entire way up from Virginia to Pennsylvania without further…adventures. This whole case had been one crazy occurrence after another. Even without the insanity, she hadn’t caught her balance in regard to David Cruz since she’d arrived. Working side by side with him—seeing him every day—and the more she learned about him, the more she wanted to know. He’d taught her a few things about herself, too. And she was all for continuing education.
But a tiny worry niggled at her, now that she was away from him and truly alone for a few minutes. This warm, happy sensation was a temporary high. It had to be. This sort of thing wasn’t sustainable, and she knew this from witnessing it in her mother and dozens of military wives growing up. This was either going to fade or end abruptly. In fact, it’d be just like any of her other dating experiences since she’d become a training consultant. Wouldn’t it?
Temporary.
Eventually, she was going to move on to the next client and the next dog. Maybe they’d keep in touch. Or perhaps they’d cut it clean when she left. The latter was actually the more practical so she could easily see David opting for that.
“Ouch.” She sat on the edge of the bed abruptly.
The thought burst her bubble of happy effectively. In fact, she was quickly dropping into a serious need for fudge brownies. David hadn’t even said a single word about the future or end of one, when it came to them. Her own brain had decided to take the trip on its own. He wasn’t to blame at all.
Maybe she still had a bag of those dried cherries dipped in chocolate she’d bought in New Hope with Sophie.
She stood and walked back out into the main living area. Movement was good when she was thinking too hard even if she didn’t find her remembered snack. Truly, this was her problem. Too much worrying, too much dwelling on things out of her control, and too much agonizing over things that hadn’t happened yet. This was a project with real exposure and Atlas was a great dog. This thing she had with David was chemistry like whoa and better than she’d imagined even when she’d been daydreaming about it and him, specifically. Neither was over yet.
Maybe both were a chance for her to live in the now. Focus on the project and do better than she’d ever done in the past, for Atlas. And enjoy her time with David. At the very least, there’d be memories to savor for a long time to come. And if she stopped worrying for a few minutes, even, maybe something would surprise her.
Maybe.
There were a lot of uncertainties and most of them weren’t under her control. She’d never been good at handling such situations in the past and she didn’t want those frustrations or disappointments to ruin what she had now. Been there, done that. Regretted it.
This. Here. Now. She’d shoot for no regrets.