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He released her, reluctant to let her go "We need to talk Soon"

"I agree" There was a warmth in her eyes, an openness in her expression

As he walked away, he noticed that the pain he’d felt just moments earlier had disappeared

Thirty-Four

Gloria Ashton sat in her patrol car with the radar gun in her hand This spot on Harbor Street was notorious for speeders Writing tickets was the least favorite aspect of her job, but a necessary one As the most recently hired deputy, she had her dues to pay She hoped it wouldn’t be long before she had the opportunity to work directly with Sheriff Davis, the way Weaver and Johnson had on Wednesday night

Mark Schaffer had been placed under arrest and was currently being held at the county jail The Cedar Cove Chronicle had done a write-up on the incident Needless to say, the entire Rosewood Lane neighborhood had heaved a collective sigh of relief

She was on the last stretch of her seven-to-three shift A car rounded the corner and, seeing her patrol vehicle, automatically slowed Gloria didn’t bother to check its speed Whoever was driving hadn’t gained enough al limit To her surprise, the car pulled in and parked behind hers

She wondered if the driver was in some kind of trouble She set the radar device aside and clinized Dr Chad Timmons, she stopped abruptly

"Do you have a problem, Dr Timmons?" she asked in her most professional voice

He’d lowered his"Can I talk to you?"

"About what?" she asked, although she was pretty sure the subject

"I’d rather do it over a coffee"

"I’m on duty"

"Afterward, then"

She shook her head

Obviously frustrated, Chad sighed "I’d like to clear the air between us"

"No Our…encounterwas a long ti I prefer to forget it"

"Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for me"

"It’s over"

"Apparently it was over before it could even start," he said "If you don’t want to have coffee with ive me a chance to settle this inSohed, unsure what to do

"Tenher indecision "Is that too much to ask?"

"I don’t see what purpose it would serve Fro Sarah Chesney now"

That she are he was seeing another woman appeared to please hirin "Sarah and I are friends, nothing more What’s this I hear about you and Zack Birch?"

"Are you keeping tabs on rily

"No ue with that, so she said nothing

"Ten lanced at her watch "All right, et off"

He srin "Where?"

She was going to suggest the Pancake Palace but changed her ht overhear their conversation and she’d rather not risk that "Meet me at the marina by the totem pole," she said "Tena stopwatch?"

Despite her irritation, she grinned "That ed out of her uniform and parked in the lot next to the library The foot ferry fro in, and the first wave of shipyard workers dise wheel She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d regret this

Waiting until the last possible moment, she left her vehicle and walked toward thefor her She hadn’t seen hiain, by his classic good looks, which were precisely what had attracted her the first tiht had been a disaster, one she had no intention of repeating

Chad leaned against the railing, exuding confidence and poise Where she’d once found that appealing, now it annoyed her

As she approached, he handed her a coffee Wordlessly she accepted it and looked at her watch "Your tenaway"

To her surprise, he turned toward the railing, resting his ar boats in thein a small town," he said "You didn’t either, did you?"

"Are you going to waste your ten minutes with chitchat?"

He went on as if she hadn’t spoken "I took this job at the clinic thinking I’d give it six ht"

"You should have" It would’ve been a relief to her if he had Then she wouldn’t risk seeing hi