Chapter 23
Ethan’s gaze ran over the tablet screen, joystick in hand as he searched the live thermal feed. The drone circled high above the forest.
Come on, where are you?
Two sixteen-year-old hikers had been out in the mountains all morning, a male and a female. They’d left before the sun rose, and now it was almost lunchtime. They were supposed to be back by now. It was their parents who’d called.
The morning sun beat down on his shoulders. He was strategically sticking close to base so he didn’t lose signal.
“There,” Jay said over Ethan’s shoulder, pointing at the screen. She lifted her radio. “We have heat signatures about two hundred yards east of the last marker. Could be the kids.”
Ryan’s voice crackled through the radio. “Copy that. Moving there now.”
“There’s no movement,” Ethan added.
“So they could be injured,” Joel said through the radio. “Got it.”
Ethan studied the screen. “There’s a drop-off between you and them. You won’t be able to go straight to them. I’ll find you a new path.” He studied the topographical overlay, fingers moving over the tablet to mark a safer route. “Go south twenty yards and loop around. It’s flatter that way.”
“Got it,” Ryan said.
Ethan and Jay waited, both their gazes on the screen, watching the new heat signatures of Ryan and Joel pop up. Finally, they heard Ryan again.
“We see them.”
“How are they?” Jay asked.
“Checking now.” A couple minutes of silence passed before Joel spoke. “The girl has a rolled ankle. Boy tried to carry her out but got tired. We’re getting them out now.”
“Need us to call an ambulance?” Ethan asked.
“No, it’s not that urgent.”
“Thank God,” Ethan muttered.
Jay gave his shoulder a shove. “You worry too much, Squid.”
“Not wanting any more dead people in our river, especially kids, is not worrying too much.”
Once they had the drone back, they stepped inside base and Ethan dropped his gear to the desk.
“That was not your fault,” Jay said, sitting beside him. “That was a murder and falls under the sheriff’s jurisdiction.”
Yeah, still felt like his fault. When he’d taken this job, it was with the intention of keeping the people of this town safe from everything—that included falling into the river and being pushed.
Jay watched him for a moment. “You really love this town, huh?”
“I do. My parents couldn’t have cared less and started jet-setting off around the world the second I moved out. Even Troy was excited to leave.”
Troy was his brother and worked as an engineer in Singapore. They texted and emailed every so often, but they’d never been close.
“This is my home,” he finished. “It’s Maggie’s home.”
Jay leaned back, crossing her arms. “You’re worried about her?”
“How can I not be? It’s women who are going missing. And finding Priya Tan’s body… Fuck, it hit me. Maggie was out there that night.”
“Yeah. I get it.”
He scrubbed his hands over his face. No matter how much he wanted to not think about that—to not even consider it—it was all he’d been thinking about.
Jay scooted her chair closer and touched Ethan’s shoulder, her voice lowering.
“What you’re feeling is really fucking valid.
But there’s enough shit going on in the world without you needing to worry about stuff that didn’t even happen.
Did she get really fucking close to a shitty situation? Fuck yes, she did. But she’s okay.”
His lips twitched. “You know you cursed like five times in one breath.”
“Of course I did. I’m in the fucking military.”
He laughed and turned his head—that was when he saw Maggie in the doorway.
How had he not heard her enter?
Jay leaned back. “Maggie, hey. Just in time. I was talking some sense into your man. But fuck, he’s a tough nut.”
Ethan stood and crossed the space between them. “Hey.”
“Hi.” She smiled up at him, but the smile wasn’t quite as wide as usual.
“Is everything okay?”
“I came to surprise you.” She lifted a coffee.
“You better drink that fast, Squid, or it might get stolen,” Jay yelled, as she stepped into the hallway.
Maggie frowned. “Squid?”
“From my SEAL days. Nicknames die hard.” He tugged her closer, studying her eyes. “You sure everything’s all right?”
Her chest rose on an inhale, and then her smile seemed to soften as she leaned into him. “I just missed you.”
“I always miss you when we’re apart.” He lowered his head and kissed her, and fuck, she tasted good. A mix of matcha and something sweet, like strawberries or pastry.
His radio crackled from the desk, then Ryan’s voice sounded. “Ethan, can you bring us some ice packs?”
Ethan lifted his head. “Damn.”
She chuckled. “Go. I’ll see you tonight.”
“You’re not going to wait for me?”
“Do you want me to?”
“How is that a question? Of course I do.” One more kiss, and he forced himself to step away, but yeah, he hoped she was still there when he got back.
Maggie held the smile until Ethan turned around. Then the image of Jay’s hand on his arm flashed in her mind. The way Jay had been leaning in close and speaking quietly to him while he’d smiled at her, like he enjoyed the closeness.
She shook her head.
Stop it, Maggie.
Jay was a friend. Same as all the other guys on the team. Being a woman didn’t make her any different. If Maggie wanted her relationship with Ethan to work, she had to trust him.
“Did I scare him off?”
Maggie turned at Jay’s voice. “Sorry?”
“Ethan’s gone?”
“He’s taking some ice packs to the guys.”
Jay laughed. “That reminds me of when the guys needed him to get to a location in Jordan. I was so scared he was going to use his busted-up compass. It wouldn’t have gotten him where he needed to go.
But he wore it all the time because he swore it brought him luck.
Wouldn’t let me or any of the guys replace it. ”
“I’m sure you have lots of inside stories with him.”
“Oh, I have plenty more if you want them. Plenty of inside knowledge on the other guys too.” She lowered to a seat at the desk and pulled open a drawer full of granola bars.
“The first thing I did when I got here was fill this because Squid gets so busy he forgets to eat. He’s the opposite of Joel, who takes every opportunity he has to stuff his face. ”
“I’m glad he has someone looking after him.” Or she should be. No, she was. Ethan wasn’t giving her any reason to feel insecure, so she shouldn’t feel that now. “How’s the back room looking after the fire?”
“Come see for yourself.” Jay rose and started down the hall, not waiting to see if Maggie followed.
She did, and when she stepped into the room, she was shocked. “You wouldn’t even know there was a fire.”
Beds sat pushed against opposite walls, and floor-to-ceiling curtains bordered the window, likely blackout curtains in case someone needed to sleep during the day. There was also the thick smell of paint in the air.
Jay scanned the room. “The guys did most of the work themselves. Although a contractor managed to get the new window in fast. I think he’s on team you-guys-will-save-our-town.”
“What’s the other team?”
Jay rolled her eyes. “Those shitheads who are spreading rumors about them not being good guys. It’s bullshit. They’re the best people I know. Do you know how many times those men have almost died saving other people? Too many to count.”
Maggie never liked to think about the dangerous things Ethan must have done during his time as a SEAL and the close calls he would have had.
“I have a hundred stories on each guy being a hero,” Jay finished. “So it pisses me off that dumbasses who’ve never done a meaningful thing in their lives say that stuff. These guys don’t wait for things to get safe before they go in. They are the safety.”
“You are, too. I mean, you were the intelligence behind everything, right?”
“Oh yeah, I’m the brains. But they’ll never admit that.” She winked before heading back out to the main area.
The weight in Maggie’s chest began to feel lighter. Jay wasn’t so bad. Of course she knew inside information about the guys. It wasn’t just Ethan. It was all of them, because she’d worked with them for so long.
She followed Jay back to the common room.
“Want a coffee?” Jay asked.
“I just had one at Bloom.”
“Uh, yes, hence Ethan’s coffee.” She eyed his to-go cup.
Maggie laughed. “I’ll bring you one next time.”
“Black, no sugar.”
Why did that order not surprise her?
“Ethan said there was someone leaving comments on your work socials,” Jay said, as she worked the coffee machine. “Want me to try to trace down the person behind it?”
“Ethan’s already offered, and I told him I don’t want him doing anything illegal. Plus, the person keeps deleting their accounts. Thankfully, they haven’t done anything to hurt me.”
“Doesn’t mean they won’t. Once these people get their minds stuck on something, they don’t usually stop.”
The fine hairs on Maggie’s neck rose. Because sometimes she felt like she was waiting. Waiting for another comment on her socials. Another break-in. Another thing of hers to go missing.
Ten minutes later, Ethan stepped back into the building, Joel behind him.
“How’d it go?” Jay asked, mug in hand.
“Ryan’s driving them to the hospital now,” Joel said.
Ethan leaned down and hovered his lips over Maggie’s. “I’m glad you stayed.” He kissed her before lifting his to-go cup. As he crossed over to speak to Jay, Joel approached.
“So…how’s our friend Polly doing?”
Maggie lifted a brow. “Our friend?”
“She’s my friend. And I think she secretly likes me.”
Maggie laughed, but she kind of thought the same. Not that she’d ever in a million years say anything like that to Polly.
As Joel opened the granola drawer and took out a bar, Maggie turned to see Ethan and Jay still talking. They stood close and their voices were lowered.
A text came through on her phone.
Polly: SOS. Any chance you can come and do a shift at Bloom for me? One of my girls called in sick.
Maggie: Be there in ten.
Polly: You are a life saver.
She moved over to Ethan and touched his shoulder. “Hey, I have to go. Polly needs me to help her at Bloom.”
“So I have to let you go?”
“Tragic, I know.” She smiled at Joel, then Jay. “I’ll see you both later.”
Joel waved, his mouth full of granola.
“It was nice chatting,” Jay called.
Ethan slipped an arm around her waist. When they reached the door, Maggie glanced behind her one last time. And that was when she saw it. Jay was looking at them—or more accurately, looking at Ethan’s arm around her waist—and the expression on her face wasn’t happy.
It was a mix of anger and jealousy and longing.