She Can Hide (She Can #4)(16)

She replaced the carafe on the warmer and turned.

Their bodies were only inches apart. “Why are you so nervous? You know I only want to help, right?”

Nodding, Abby retreated as far as she could. Her eyes widened as she bumped into the counter that formed an L behind her. He crowded her, leaning in and catching a whiff of peaches. Her shampoo?

Her eyes darkened. Desire?

Ugh. That didn’t help with his plan to keep his professional distance. Neither did the way her eyes showed the emotions she worked so hard to hide. “Can you write that list now?”

“Yes.” Abby lifted a shoulder. The neck of her sweatshirt shifted, giving Ethan a view of creamy skin and delicate collarbone. He didn’t stare. Not long anyway.

Why was he spending so much time investigating her accident? Yes, there were too many inconsistencies for his comfort. But those anomalies could be explained. So was his interest really in the case? Or was he fixated with the woman involved?

She wrapped her arms around her body. The pure vulnerability in her posture ignited an instinct to comfort and protect her that nearly overwhelmed him. Regardless of his personal situation or professional impropriety, there was no way he was letting her case go just yet.





CHAPTER SIX

Abby gathered her thoughts. The accident and missing hours had muddled her brain. Plus, Ethan was way too close, and the proximity with his body wasn’t helping her to think clearly. She could see the tiny flecks of silver in his piercing blue eyes and feel the heat that rose from his skin. The need to connect unfurled inside her. She should tell him to back off, but part of her wanted the opposite: to trust him, to hide, to let him take care of everything. There was more to him than bone-melting good looks. Ethan exuded integrity and honesty. But she’d known him for a day, not nearly long enough to place her future in his hands.

She nodded toward the table. “Let me get a paper and pencil.”

Ethan took a step backward and gave her room to pass. She carried her coffee to the table, grabbed a tablet, and started writing. The list was longer than she’d anticipated.

“You don’t remember stopping at any of these places?” He frowned at the paper she handed him.

“No.” Abby’s stomach turned. She set the coffee mug down. Toast would’ve been the smarter option.

Ethan surveyed her with a doubtful gaze. Could she blame him? The whole amnesia thing sounded like a daytime soap plot. All she needed was an evil twin to round out the details. Still, despite the skepticism in the set of his mouth, he tucked the list into his pocket.

“I’ll run by these places. Maybe we’ll get lucky and someone will remember you came by.”

Unease rolled through Abby. He’d questioned her fellow teachers and her boss. Now he was going to ask questions at every other place she frequented. “This is a small town. By Monday, everyone will be talking about me.”

“I know.” Empathy flashed in the deep blue of his eyes. “But don’t you want to know what happened?”

Sort of.

“Yes.” Unless it was really bad, in which case she already had enough nightmares. But the unaccounted time chipped away at her peace. It was a big, black hole that threatened to swallow her new life. How could she ever relax without knowing?

“The chief and I are going over your car this morning, and I’m going to pull the security tapes at the school.” He ripped a piece of paper out of his notebook and wrote down an address. “Your car is at the impound garage. You’ll want to notify your insurance company.” He pulled a card from his pocket. “Here’s my card. They’ll want a copy of the accident report too.”

He slid the papers across the table.

“Thank you.” Abby didn’t reach for them. “I assume they’ll total the car.”

“Probably. It’s old. Frankly, you’re better off getting another one. Once a vehicle’s been submerged…”

She nodded. She’d have to dip into her savings to replace it. Another chink in the independence and security she’d worked hard to build.

He stood and shrugged into his coat. Despite her determination to act like an ordinary citizen, her experience with cops wasn’t positive. What was it about this one that caught her off guard? Ethan Hale was a complicated man. He’d risked his life to save her, and he was determined to find out what happened to her. Was he an honest, by-the-book cop? Or was there a dark side to him? In her experience, no one was that bright and shiny.

“Call me if you remember more.” He stood. “I’ll let you know if my investigation turns up anything else. I’ll probably have more questions.”

“All right.” She walked him to the front of the house. “Thank you.”

“It’s my job.” He replaced his hat.

How deeply would he dig into her life? If he found out what really happened yesterday, could she live with the truth? Or would she have to reboot her life all over again? Pain squeezed her heart as she looked around her house, every inch of it remade with her hands. God, it would hurt to leave it all behind.




The cop car pulled away from Abby’s house. Derek peered around the corner of the house. Crusted snow crunched under tires as the cop drove away. Were the police asking about him? Or did something bad happen to Abby? The bruise on her face looked painful.