A swell of pride filled him, even though he had no right to it. Without conscious intent, he squeezed her hand, and she looked his way.
Her smile was equal parts shy uncertainty and knowing amusement. But it was probably hard to miss the effect she had on him. Even his chief had picked up on it, used it as the basis to suggest this pretense.
“Sabrina!” From one of the intact benches near the park, Lora had spotted them. She came running and Tate took a deep breath.
They were about to discover if their ruse was working.
He hadn’t been thrilled about telling Lora their suspicions about Adam, but after his call to her, it had seemed like the best approach. She’d promised to keep it to herself and although she was often in everyone’s business, she was trustworthy. Still, he and the chief had agreed it was best not to give her any more detail than they had to, including the truth about his and Sabrina’s supposed relationship.
Lora slowed slightly as she approached, her gaze dropping speculatively to Sabrina’s and Tate’s linked hands before she threw her arms around Sabrina’s neck.
Sabrina was knocked back a step by the force of it, and Tate dropped her hand. While she was distracted, he glanced around.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just another day in downtown Desparre. There were more people out than usual because of the brilliant sunshine, but not so many that Adam would be able to hide in a crowd.
Then again, he knew his fellow officers were close, and he didn’t see them. The sliver of anxiety he’d felt since they stepped outside grew, and he wished for Sitka’s comforting presence. His K-9 partner was back at his house, since Tate was pretending to be off work. He’d initially argued to bring her, but the chief had overruled him, saying he didn’t want to provide a reason for a group of kids to surround Sitka and distract them.
“I’m so sorry,” Lora exclaimed, squeezing Sabrina’s hand and looking upset. “I had no idea... I believed Adam when he said he’d grown up in Alaska. He knew so much about the state. And his wife—”
“Don’t worry,” Sabrina interrupted, her smile almost reaching her eyes. “We’re not completely sure it was him, but whoever it was, the police seem to have scared him off. And the upside of it all...”
She took Tate’s hand again, and he stepped closer, returning the soft smile she gave him.
“I met Tate,” she concluded, an upward lilt to her voice that made the whole thing sound even more real.
He wished it was.
He’d shared things with Sabrina he hadn’t shared with anyone in a long time. Pieces of his life that he’d been purposely evasive about with colleagues, even those people he called his friends. But after a week of dinners in her hotel room, there’d been only so long they could discuss the investigation, only so many awkward attempts at chitchat before she’d dived in with real questions. He’d looked into parts of her life without her consent, so he figured he owed her some truths, too, even if he couldn’t give her all the details.
She was the only person here who knew how badly he missed talking to his parents, their respective partners, and even his mom’s boyfriend’s kids, who were younger than him and he hadn’t grown up with but were all nice. She didn’t understand his vague excuses for not having seen them in over five years, but the rest of it had been true. She understood because she missed her family, too.
Their connection went deeper than their shared experience—especially since she didn’t even know they shared one. As he watched her smile and tell Lora the story about how they’d started dating, he wished he’d asked Sabrina out the first time he’d met her. Their relationship still would have had an expiration date, but at least it would have been real.
The ache that filled him at that moment must have shown on his face, because Lora shifted her attention to him. As he attempted a smile to cover up whatever she’d seen, she let out a surprised laugh.
“You know, the first time Sabrina admitted she thought you were cute, I told her to go for it. But I thought you were too much of a loner to ever get involved.”
Her assessment of him stung a bit, but it was hard to focus on that part. He grinned at Sabrina, couldn’t help himself from nudging her the way he might if he was actually dating her. “You thought I was cute, huh?”
She flushed an even deeper red, but instead of mumbling something vague like he’d expected, she countered, “Yep. But it was Sitka who pushed you over the edge and got you a date.”
A surprised laugh escaped. “Figures. Everyone always tells me she’s the better-looking one in the partnership.”
Lora laughed at that, then gave Sabrina another hug. “I should let you two enjoy your date.” She glanced from Sabrina to him and back again. “I’m happy for you, Sabrina. You deserve this.” Then she leaned in and hugged Tate. “I think you do, too, Tate.”
As she walked away, Tate glanced at Sabrina again. She was smiling at him, amusement and something that looked like longing on her face.
The longer he stared into her eyes, the more the amusement dropped away until she swayed slightly forward.
He felt himself lean toward her instinctively and then forced himself to straighten, squeeze her hand and tug her forward again. He made his voice overly cheerful, overly loud. “Want to walk around the park?”
It was a reminder to himself as much as her that most of the Desparre police department was watching them right now. As much as he wanted to kiss her, he didn’t want to do it in front of an audience. And he didn’t want to do it when it wasn’t real.
At least if Adam was watching, he should have no doubt that they were a couple.
Sabrina blinked a few times, the desire there fading away until she gave him a tentative smile. “Sure.”
As they continued down the street, regret welled up. Regret that he hadn’t given in to the moment and kissed her. Regret that he couldn’t tell her the full truth about who he was. But even more than that, regret that their time was limited.
Because once they arrested her stalker, she’d be leaving. And he couldn’t follow. New York was too close to Boston to ever be safe for him.
* * *
AFTER TWO FULL days of flaunting her supposed relationship with Tate all over town, Sabrina was exhausted. And Adam—if he was still here—hadn’t taken the bait.
Still, as she walked beside Tate around the cute set of shops outside downtown, hyperaware of the feel of his hand in hers, she didn’t care if Adam took a week to make his move. The outdoor shopping center, a quirky assortment of stores that seemed to have holiday lights on the roofs year-round, was normally one of her favorite spots. But she couldn’t focus on them with Tate beside her.
If she squinted a little, she could make their surroundings go blurry and just keep Tate in focus. If only there were a way to do that with her life. Make all the challenges drop away and just be here with him for real.
For the first time in two years, it felt like someone actually knew her again. Sharing more and more about herself with him each night seemed right. Even if she’d met him back in New York, surrounded by plenty of friends and family, she would have wanted him in her life.
“What made you decide to become a cop?” The words popped out of her mouth without her even realizing she’d been thinking them. But it was something she’d wondered about since the moment that truck had raced toward Sitka, and again later, when she’d heard Tate had been knocked off his feet chasing Mario McKeever.
He seemed surprised by the question, but then his steps slowed slightly, something she’d come to recognize he did when he got serious.
“I told you my parents divorced when I was young.” When she nodded, he continued. “I wouldn’t say it was an ugly divorce, not compared to the things I’ve seen as a cop. But as a seven-year-old, it felt scary. It seemed like all they did was argue, and I was always in the middle. They shared custody, which in the long ru
n, I’m glad about. But at the time, it felt like as soon as I got settled in one house, I was shuttled to the other.”
“I’m sorry,” Sabrina said when he paused, his lips pursed, his forehead creasing. “My dad took off when I was five. Totally different thing, because he spent most of my childhood chasing after the next new thing—usually his next girlfriend or his next car. He reappears every few years, wanting to reestablish a relationship. Even as an adult, it’s disorienting. And honestly, I saw him occasionally, but I’m not that interested. It’s not much of a bond when it’s all on one person’s terms.”
He squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you had your mom and brother. And I’m glad you’ll get back to them soon.”
His words sent a pang through her—a desperate longing to see her family mixed with dread at the thought of leaving him behind.
Maybe he saw how conflicted she suddenly felt, because he cleared his throat and started walking again. She hadn’t even realized they’d stopped.
“So, dealing with my parents’ divorce made me angry, frustrated.” His lips tilted downward as he added, “Lonely. And just adrift. My dad had already moved across town, into a different school district. Then mom couldn’t afford our old house by herself. She moved closer to my dad, thinking it would be easier. But it meant I also had to change schools, and I started getting bullied.”
Sabrina put her free hand against his arm. “That’s a lot to deal with all at once. I’m sorry you went through that.”
He gave her a quick smile that seemed to say Don’t worry. It was so typically Tate that she couldn’t help but smile back. The smile faded as he looked forward again, kept talking. How had she gotten to know what all of his smiles meant? How had it happened so quickly?
She’d known him for just over two weeks. They weren’t even actually dating, and already, she felt more connected to him than she had with Dylan after three months.
The thought made guilt rush through her. She tried to push it back, to just focus on this moment, on this man. Even if it wasn’t real, it was the best thing she’d had in her life in years.
“I started getting into fights, too.” At the surprised glance she shot him, he laughed. “I know. It’s out of character. It was then, too. My parents didn’t know what to do with me. Then one day I was walking home from school, and a group of kids started beating up on me.”
Sabrina gasped, and he squeezed her hand again.
“I was ten then, I think. Three years of struggling at school and at home and letting my anger get the best of me. A police officer stopped his car, sirens flashing. All those kids took off fast. I wasn’t in any shape to go anywhere, so the cop gave me a ride home. He talked to me about channeling anger the right way, about making the right choices even when the people around me are making the wrong ones. It made an impression.”
Sabrina tried to imagine a younger Tate, angry and hurting. She pictured him at ten, his light brown skin covered in bruises, his deep brown eyes—always so intuitive and kind—filled with cynicism and frustration. “Did you stay in touch with him?”
“It wasn’t that big a town. Even if I hadn’t wanted to, he would have found me.” Tate laughed. “He retired a couple of years ago down to Florida.” The fondness in his tone faded to something wishful. “I haven’t talked to him in a while.”
“Maybe you should call him,” Sabrina suggested, wishing the solutions were so simple for the people she missed.
He paused, regret flitting across his face before he smiled down at her. “Yeah, I should.”
She stared back at him, wondering if there was any way to turn what they had into something real. If he could stay connected with his friend in Florida, he could do the same for her in New York. Maybe he’d want to visit, let her show him around. Could they build a relationship from that long a distance?
Then again, did it make any sense to let someone like Tate go over something as simple as geography?
Her pulse picked up as he continued to stare at her, as if he was trying to read her mind. But wondering if he’d ever leave Alaska if they got serious was getting ridiculously ahead of herself. They’d never broached the idea of dating for real. They’d never even kissed.
His gaze darted to her lips.
Could he read her mind? A smile trembled on her lips, and each breath came faster as it occurred to her. What better way to see how Tate felt about her? And as an added bonus, maybe it would finally give Adam the incentive he needed to take the bait.
Before she lost her courage, Sabrina fisted her free hand in Tate’s T-shirt, pulling him downward and swiveling him toward her all at once. She grinned at the surprise that flashed in his eyes, followed immediately by a dark intensity that told her he wanted to kiss her, too.
Dropping his T-shirt, she pulled her other hand free from his and slid both of her hands slowly up his arms, holding his gaze. His eyelids dropped and his muscles flexed under her fingers, emboldening her. She kept going, leaning up on her tiptoes as she slipped her hands beneath the sleeves of his shirt. She vaguely registered the feel of puckered, uneven skin beneath her left hand, and then his lips were pressed against hers.
They were soft, even fuller than she’d realized. Electricity buzzed over her skin as he brushed his lips against hers, once, twice, before sliding his tongue across the seam of her mouth.
She sank against him, gripping his shoulders as his hands clamped onto her hips and raised her up more. Opening her mouth, she invited him in, flicking her tongue against his as her body flushed at the feel of him against her.
Then, too quickly, he was setting her away from him, his hands on her biceps, the apology in his eyes not hiding the desire. “Maybe we should do this without an audience,” he suggested, his voice huskier than usual.
A smile broke free, echoing the hope bursting in her chest. He shared her feelings. She could see it in his gaze, feel it in his touch.
Maybe she wasn’t a fool to think about a future with him. Maybe, thanks to him, she could finally have a future.
Before she could voice any of the things she was thinking, he frowned and dug into his pocket. Then, he was holding his phone out for her to read a text message from Chief Griffith.
I don’t know if Adam left or if he’s just not taking the bait with so many people around.
Sabrina glanced around the sparsely populated shops. She could see Officer Nate Dreymond in plainclothes pretending to window-shop down the street, a couple arguing about their weekend coming out of the shop next to them, and a handful of people wandering in and out of stores. It was less busy than the park where Adam had set Talise’s truck on Sitka. Then again, maybe he was worried the police were watching. Maybe he suspected it was a trap. She glanced down at the rest of the text.
We have a new plan. Something that will look like an easier mark for Adam. You and Sabrina pretend to go away on a romantic weekend together.
Chapter Seventeen
“His real name is Adam Locklay,” Tate announced as Sabrina opened the door to her hotel room.
He paused to hand her the tea and muffin he’d picked up for her in the hotel’s restaurant, taking in her hair, which seemed more wavy and untamed than usual. From the sleepy way she blinked at him, she hadn’t been awake long. He paused to take in a fresh-from-sleep Sabrina as she seemed to register what he’d said.
“What?” Her voice was barely above a whisper as Sitka pushed past him and sat at Sabrina’s feet, wagging her tail.
Sabrina’s eyes were wide enough to momentarily distract him with their various shades of green, shifting from emerald to moss. The scent of the tea he’d bought her wafted toward him, along with the faint smell of vanilla. Her shampoo or lotion? Whatever it was, it was as distracting as the rest of her.
Closing the door behind him, he asked, “Does the name mean something to you?”
“No. How did you figure it out?”
“By spending a lot of time on social media. Using that picture I found, we identified other people in the background close to Adam and dug into their social media until we finally got to a picture where he was tagged. With his real name, we could dig up a lot more about him, too.”
As Sitka gave a short whine, Sabrina smiled briefly at his dog, absently petting her. “I can’t believe I finally have a real name to put to these years of notes and...” She lifted her hand, palm up, as if she couldn’t sum up all of the horror of her past two and a half years.
He slid his hand underneath her upturned palm and she flipped it over to entwine their hands. “A name is the first step. We’re on his tail now. It’s a matter of time before we catch up to him.”
“I hope so.” She glanced down at their linked hands, then up at him, and he could see the questions in her eyes.
Questions about that kiss they’d shared yesterday. About his suggestion that they hit pause until they were alone again.
They were alone now.
Nerves tightened his chest, and anticipation quickened his breathing. She’d always seemed shy, so despite the heated looks she’d been giving him, he’d been shocked when she’d grabbed him and kissed him yesterday. And damn, she really could kiss.
His gaze dropped to her lips, and her tongue darted out to wet them, making him sway forward. But he caught himself before he pulled her to him.
He hadn’t come here to finish something he never should have let her start. He’d come to talk about the status of their search for Adam and their plan to finally lure him out of hiding and end the threat against Sabrina for good.
Letting go of her hand, he stepped around her and set his take-out coffee on the table, giving himself a chance to refocus. He leaned against the wall, putting a little space between them. “Adam Locklay moved out to New York for college and stuck around. He’s got a history of stalking.”
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