Page 24 (1/2)

A big one

She headed toward the mountain and parked in front of Matt’s cabin His truck wasn’t there, and she didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing For the third night in a row, he hadn’t come to the diner for food, and this tiossip about the fallen cli she’d packed up, the one sitting on the passenger seat, and called herself all kinds of a fool

Matt didn’t need her to look after hiot out of the car and then found herself standing on his porch, trying to figure out if she should leave the food for him or if that would attract bears, when a truck drove up

Matt, of course

Their eyes ot out of his vehicle, and her tu dusty, hot, exhausted, and like ht

"Hey," she said softly when he hit the porch

"Hey" He unlocked his door then turned to her "I’ht"

"You’ve had a bad day"

He let out a sound that didn’t hold anythe front door open

Not exactly an invite, and she paused, knowing danized the need, since it was how she feltalone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…

He’d said that to her, all those nights ago on the ht

So she stepped inside and shut the door behind her

He glanced over Obviously he’d expected to find her gone because he raised a brow at the sight of her

"Want to tell ossip train didn’t coet on that train," she said dryly "How’s the guy who fell?"

"In ICU, but it looks like he’s going to h his hair "He shouldn’t have been on the peak I had the trail closed off I chased hio, but they caht her attention Self blame "Matt, it’s not your fault"

"Yeah, it is" He let out a long, jagged breath "My district My proble to be in charge, and just as willing to take the responsibility that ith that "Coive yourself a break here You couldn’t have known those guys would go back on that climb"

"I knew"

She moved closer "Well then you also know that you couldn’t have stopped them You’re just one man How are you supposed to keep the entire area patrolled?"

"It’s ure out a way"

She ran a hand down his tense back "God complex much?" she teased

He moved away from her touch, and while she tried to be okay with that, he spoke again "I fked up, Amy And it’s not the first tierator Yanking out a beer, he stared at it, then set it back in the fridge and grabbed a soda He opened it and handed it to her, then took another for hio"

"Yes" She took a long drink because her throat felt suddenly dry

"I cae… Bothdown her soda, shaking her head "You--"

"No, it’s true My partner was on the take I knew it, and I was told to look the other way I didn’t He tried to implicate h doubt about ain he shoved his fingers in his hair and turned away fro out the

"You what?" she asked softly

"People didn’t like what I’d done, turning Ryan in He hout his trial, and he ell liked No one wanted to believe it of hi on hi for hi, even when it wasn’t the easy thing "My God, would they have rather he continued?"

He shrugged "People believe what they want to believe And it was damn hard for them to believe that of Ryan, even after he went to jail It was easier to…"

"Blame you?" She shook her head "You did what you had to You couldn’t have lived with yourself if you’d done nothing"

"I ruined his life And I ruined Shelly’s, too"

"Your ex?"

"Yes Oura cop’s wife, hated the privacy restrictions my job imposed and the extra security it took to keep her safe when there were bad guys gunning for me She never believed there was really a threat until she was stalked by someone I’d once put away"

"Oh ot out of jail and carocery store parking lot Pulled a gun on her, but she was able to get aithout injury" He shook his head "The e, not so much"

"She blamed you," A, Matt," she said carefully "She knehat she was getting Telling you that you ruined her life doesn’t see to do with fair" His voice was grim He’d obviously blamed himself for it, all of it

"Oh, Matt" She had no idea how to console him, but he clearly had no desire to be consoled "I’m sorry"

"You wanted to know," he said "You wanted the story, and you’ve got it You should stay as far froet, before I screw up your life, too"

"Okay, that’s a little--" She broke off because he snatched his keys off the counter and headed out the door "Matt--"

He turned back to her "You told et attached, that this was just sex That still true?"

Shocked, she stared at him, unable to think

He took in her expression and nodded as if she’d answered the question "I have to go" He shut the front door behind hi her alone