Rising Hope by Edie James
47
Two days later
Peaches’ high heels were the last to go.
Sarah scooped the stilettos off the floor of the bedroom and carried them out to the small pile of items she’d drop off at the local thrift shop on her way out of town. With nothing left to pack, she wandered through the posh living room of the rental mansion, needing to breathe in the view one last time.
Leaving The Cove was way harder than she imagined.
When she moved in, she couldn’t wait to escape: from the DEA and from what passed as a life for an undercover agent. Then Enzo MacKenzie drove into her life with his rock-solid faith, his loving family, and his unwavering protectiveness.
Now that she knew what life could hold, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to turn her back on it. But she had to be honest with herself. Would life in MacKenzie Cove look so attractive if Enzo wasn’t part of it?
He’d made his interest clear, but they barely knew each other.
Sure, he’d come to realize Peaches Duvall was only an act, and she now knew he was far from the cardboard cutout of a do-gooder, but the fact that they’d grown to admire each other didn’t mean they were in any way compatible.
As if she had the first idea what “compatible” actually meant. Her parents were con artists with seven ill-conceived marriages between them. Not exactly shining examples of stability.
If she stayed, she’d fall for him. Hard. She was already halfway there. And then there was his family. The serious yet loving older brother. The adoring twin. The bright, kind, patriarch.
The dream family she’d always wished for.
So much to lose if things didn’t work out. What if, as she was falling harder, Enzo found himself pulling away?
She pressed a hand to her belly, as if she could stave off the sickening thought.
Maybe it was already happening.
She eyed her phone. Still only the one text from Enzo yesterday, inviting her to church and family dinner after. She’d politely declined.
Emmie and Rollo had made it clear she was welcome. It wasn’t that. She just didn’t want to get any more entangled in Enzo’s life. Not when she wasn’t sure what she wanted.
She shoved her fingers through her hair, wishing she could gain some equilibrium. This relationship stuff was hard. And she wasn’t even actually in one yet.
No wonder her shiftless parents walked away when things got tough.
Her phone rang. Her heart soared, her excitement instantly dampened when she saw the number. Gray Ames. She shook her head as she reached for the device. What was her problem? Twenty-four hours ago, she would have been thrilled to hear from her old colleague.
She answered, jumping in first to make sure he and his family were all right.
“All good out here,” he responded. “I got some info on the case through the grapevine. Thought you’d want an update. I don’t know who got to Halliburton, but he couldn’t wait to talk.”
Sarah smiled grimly. She had an excellent idea who persuaded Halliburton to confess. Her fear had been that he’d blame Paulson for everything and somehow go free. As she well knew, Nels could be very convincing.
“He even gave up the location of the bodies.” Gray sounded incredulous. “They found Panetta and Munson and that pilot, Wenmark.” He paused. “Sorry about that. I know you were pulling for the kid.”
She sucked in a breath. Even though she knew Wenmark was dead, having the fact confirmed was a blow.
“You okay?” he asked.
“All good.” She wasn’t. Yet. But she would be.
Phone to her ear, she strolled back to the windows. Waves dashed themselves against the rocks below and dissolved into frothy foam, only to be pulled back into the jewel-blue water and surge forward again. Life. Death. Life. The Lord’s handiwork.
She took some comfort from that.
“How about you?” she asked her friend. “Do you think it’s safe to show yourself?”
“I’m at the office now. It’s pretty clear Halliburton planned the whole thing and recruited Panetta, who brought Paulson and Munson onboard.”
“You’re sure this doesn’t go any higher?”
“As sure as I can be in this game. But yeah. The money trail leads straight to the four of them.”
A sharp tap on the front door drew her attention. She glanced at the video feed on the kitchen counter. Enzo.
She thanked Gray for the info as she headed to the door.
Enzo grinned, a shy smile that about knocked her off her feet. “Hey,” he greeted her.
Her body felt jittery, as if she were a highschooler with her first serious crush. “Hey yourself.”
She gestured to him to follow her back inside. “What brings you out to this side of town?”
“Just slumming,” he teased and snatched a gold beaded pillow off the couch. He waggled it at her. “I can’t believe you’re leaving this behind.”
She made a face. “It doesn’t go with the décor in my one-bedroom apartment.”
“Right.” He tossed the useless thing back onto the designer couch and shoved his hands on his hips, giving the space a once-over. “This isn’t your jam anyway.”
“Oh?” She was curious about how he viewed her. What did he think she’d like?
He made a face as he surveyed the elegant room. “Nah. You’re not fussy.” He gestured at the oversized couch, festooned with pillows. “It would take ten minutes to get all this out of the way to even sit down.” He shook his head. “That’s not you. I bet your place is welcoming.”
Well, he’d lose that bet. “It would be,” she agreed, “if I was ever home long enough to unpack.”
“Moved in recently?”
“Three years ago.”
He made a sound. “Yikes. Maybe you’re working too hard.”
“No maybes about it. That’s why I gave my notice. No more DEA. No more undercover work.”
“Nice.”
She liked how he grinned, a wide uncomplicated smile that said everything she needed to know. He approved.
How was it the man seemed to fill all the available space? She couldn’t deny she was happy to see him, but today, his presence set her on edge. Maybe because she was on edge. She flitted around the room, straightening knickknacks that didn’t need straightening, keeping an eye out for stray items she’d forgotten to pack.
Enzo thrust his hands in the pockets of his jeans and leaned back against the breakfast counter. “Any news on Wenmark or the missing agents?”
“Unfortunately.” She crossed her arms over her chest and faced him. “He’s dead. Halliburton coughed up the location of the bodies.” She filled him in on the rest of her conversation with Gray Ames.
He stared down at his feet. “Sounds like there’s no chance Halliburton will skate out of this.”
“Probably not. I’ll feel better once he’s convicted, though.”
Raising his head, Enzo regarded her while the surf pounded against the rocks outside. “You never told me what happened in Miami.”
It seemed like years ago since she mentioned it, on their first drug buy. “It was about five years ago, right after I made my deal with the DEA. Another joint mission, this time, just us and the FBI. Nels and I were taking point, contacting the dealers. We worked together for months.”
“Sounds like you guys got close,” he observed.
Her gaze flickered over him. How did she keep forgetting how observant he was? No point in denying the obvious.
“Yeah. I kinda fell for him.” She made a face. “Hard to imagine it now, but he was everything I wanted. He was the only member of the team who trusted me. At least he acted like he did.”
Suckered her in but good. Amazing, given her background. “Anyway, as it turns out, he was playing me the whole time.”
Enzo’s eyes narrowed and his jaw worked, but he didn’t say a word.
She hurried through the rest. “When it came time to pull the trigger on the operation, it turned out he’d already contacted his FBI teammates. They collared the suspects an hour before we were set to make the arrests. Nels, and the FBI, got the credit, and I got a butt-chewing from all three of my supervisors.”
Understanding dawned on Enzo’s face. “That’s when you broke his nose.”
She ducked her head. Not something she was proud of. Still, she couldn’t deny that at the time, it felt really good.
“Yeah, so that’s my history with Halliburton. I’ve learned way better people skills since.”
He nodded, his expression bleak. “I’ve got a ways to go in that department. I still can’t believe Paulson was part of this. From what I hear, he was a good man. I thought so, too. Shows how great my judgement is.” He paled. “How does someone get caught up in something like this?”
She thought about her family, about the generations of cons and grifters and flat-out thieves. “A step at a time, I’d say.”
“Makes sense.” He smiled sadly. “I can see that. One small choice after another, right?”
“Exactly.”
Out of things to say, she made another sweep through the sparkling kitchen.
Enzo followed. “Hey, so my family’s getting together tomorrow night for pizza and darts. I thought you might want to come along?”
To meet the rest of the family? The thought terrified her. Pleased her, too. But it was a lot. And if she wasn’t staying, there’d be no point…
“It’s just casual,” he said. “No worries.”
But it wasn’t. Even she could see that he’d put himself out there by asking.
“I’d love to.” Not a lie. She would, if she wasn’t already gone.
He cleared his throat and thrust a hand in his back pocket, pulling out a brochure. “Something you might be interested in.”
He handed her the slick brochure. “It’s a cottage. Seaside view. For lease. It’s in Cabrillo, the next town up. Just thought you might be interested if you’re considering a move. Stuff like this goes quick. The realtor is a high school friend. She’ll hold it until Wednesday.”
Her fingers tightened on the paper. “I don’t know what my plans are…”
He put up a hand. “You don’t have to decide now.” He curled his hand over hers, closing her fingers over the paper. “Just hang onto this, okay?”
“Okay.” She agreed. But it wouldn’t matter. She probably wasn’t going to stay for the pizza party anyway.
Parties. Had she been to one in the last ten years? If wild gatherings thrown by drug dealers didn’t count then…no.
The very thought of socializing with actual non-criminal humans made her shake.
Enzo frowned. “What?”
“Nothing.”
He met her eyes. “Don’t even think about missing the party.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Is that a threat, Lieutenant?”
He squeezed the back of his neck and grinned. “Will it work?”
“Could be.”
“Then consider it a threat. A dangerous one.”
How could she have thought him callow, or untested? He—and his engaging family—drew her in like a magnet. Their whole-heartedness was a balm for a weary soul like hers.
They even had her longing to cultivate a relationship with the Lord.
Wherever she settled, she’d find a church. That was a promise she made to herself. But as for staying in MacKenzie Cove…
The risk was too great. Enzo had made his intentions toward her more than clear. And much as his interest delighted her, all she could think about was what would happen if—and in her case, when—their relationship fizzled?
Would she be able to stand living in the same town?
Every indication from her past was no. Walkers ran from emotion. They sprinted. Vanished.
Enzo tapped her still-closed fist. “Cabrillo’s a few miles up the coast. It’s not like you’d be in my back pocket.”
But what if she wanted to be? That was the part that terrified her.
She nodded. “I know. And I do appreciate this. Really.”
He squinted out at the stunning ocean view. “I know you’re done with the whole undercover thing, but you’d be a great cop or detective. Maybe you just need out of that whole federal system?”
She winced. Having to prove herself to a new set of fellow officers again felt like a hard no.
He blew out a breath. “I’m pushing. Emmie tells me that all the time. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s nice that you care.”
He shrugged, but she could tell her words pleased him.
His expression shifted to one of wide-eyed horror. “It’s Monday.”
“It is.”
He thrust out a tanned arm to check his watch. “I have to jet. Big date—with my niece,” he added, grinning. “Monday surf lesson.”
He hurried to the door, pausing to point at her on the way out. “Tomorrow night. Be there.”
She locked the door after him and leaned into it, pressing her forehead against the perfectly stained wood.
Dear Lord, what to do? I want this life, but is this the right man? The right time?
She didn’t know much about praying, but she did know not to expect a clear answer. Or a quick one. So when the feeling came over her, the decision so very right, she gasped in surprise.
So it would be.