In Safe Hands (Search and Rescue #4)(111)

It was Lou’s turn to scream as she barreled around the counter for the second time. “He proposed?” She lunged to hug Rory, but then paused in midreach. “Wait. Did you say yes?”

Rory didn’t look like she wanted to answer, but she finally gave a short nod. With another shriek, Lou dove toward her and hugged her hard, apparently oblivious to Rory’s panicked expression and stiff frame.

“Hold on!” Ellie had to almost shout to be heard over Lou’s expressions of happiness. “I don’t get it. Did Ian propose to you using a safe-room brochure rather than a ring?”

“Yes.” Rory’s face softened at the thought. “He said he was going to get me a gun, instead, but he figured I had plenty of those.”

“Congratulations!” Hopping off her stool, Ellie dove into the hug, turning it into a three-way. As Rory’s expression changed from panic to resignation, Daisy grinned at her and wrapped her arms around the cluster of women, joining in the group hug.

Her laugh burbled out of her, sheer happiness making it impossible to hold back. If this was girl time, then girl time was awesome.

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Run to Ground

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Run to Ground





Chapter 1


The new waitress was hot. Squirrelly, but hot.

Theo always got to Coop’s early for the K-9 unit’s breakfast and informal roll call. Those fifteen minutes before Otto and Hugh showed up usually were, if not exactly peaceful, at least a little break from having to hide the mess he’d become. This morning, though, he was distracted by the way the dark-haired stranger kept trying not to stare at him. Since she didn’t seem to be bothered by anyone else in the diner, Theo assumed that it was his uniform that was making her nervous. He’d caught himself watching her four times now, and he’d only been in the diner for five minutes.

A mug thumped on the table in front of him, and Theo turned his frown toward Megan. They had a morning ritual: He scowled. She aggressively delivered his food and coffee. Neither said a word.

This morning, though, as Megan was turning away, Theo was almost tempted to break the silence. He barely caught himself before a question about the new server popped out of his mouth. Stopping the words just in time, he snatched up his coffee and took a drink, burning his tongue in the process. He set down the mug with enough force to make it almost slosh over the rim. Shit.

Before Theo could stop himself, his gaze searched out the new waitress again. She was delivering two plates of food to a table across the diner. By the look of concentration on her face and the exaggerated care she was taking, Theo assumed she was new to waiting tables. She was definitely new to Monroe, Colorado. If she’d been around, he would’ve noticed her. There was no doubt about that.

As she turned away from the table, smiling, their gazes caught for a second before she ducked her head and hurried toward the kitchen. The uniforms at Coop’s were designed to be more homespun than sexy, but Theo couldn’t look away from the stranger’s rear view. He knew he shouldn’t take her avoidance personally. Theo had the feeling she would have the same flight response to any cop.

“Who’s that?” Otto dropped onto the bench next to him.

Tearing away his gaze, Theo gave his fellow K-9 officer a flat stare. “Move.”

“No.” Otto stretched out his legs until his lumberjack-sized boots bumped the opposite bench. “I always sit here.”

Just for the past two months. Theo didn’t want to say that, though. It might’ve led to talking about what had happened, and he really did not want to discuss it. Still, he couldn’t let it drop. “I’m not one of your wounded strays.”

Otto made a noncommittal sound that heated Theo’s simmering anger another few degrees. Before he could rip into Otto, though, Hugh slid into the opposite side of the booth.

“Hey,” Hugh greeted both of them with his standard easy-going grin. “Who’s the new waitress?”

“You’re not going to squeeze onto this bench, too?” Theo asked with thick sarcasm.

Half-standing, Hugh gave Theo a too-earnest look. “Did you want me to sit with you two? Because I can. It’ll be cozy.”

Several smart-assed retorts hovered on Theo’s tongue, but he swallowed all of them. All that would do was convince Hugh to change sides, and they’d be uncomfortable and awkward all through breakfast. Behind Hugh’s placid exterior was a mile-high wall of stubbornness.

Theo stayed silent.

With a slight smirk, Hugh settled back on his side of the table. “Anything fun and exciting happen last night?”

“Eh,” Otto said with a lift of one shoulder. “Carson Byers got picked up again.”

Hugh frowned. “That’s not fun. Or exciting. In fact, that’s something that happens almost every shift. What was it this time?”

“Trespass.”

“He was drunk and thought the Andersons’ house was his again?”

“The Daggs’ place, this time.”

“Wait. Isn’t that on the other side of town?”