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"Davenport" His lieu stood over his desk casting a shadow that was as wide as it was long Mrs Stanley was going to have to start watching her husband’s calorie intake if she wanted him to live past sixty "Have Williaht"

"Will do," Rafe said with a nod, snapping instantly back into work h ti by and pick up some beer andnow, but I have a call scheduled with hiets back from those witness interviews"

There had been a brutal assault on an elderly wo before, and his partner was finishing up with the last feitnesses while he followed up with some telephone leads that had come in So far, they didn’t have et so out her hen the attacker was fleeing the scene

Until then, he’d eat a juicy burger with so out at this job was to ood, and his life was pretty good He had a satisfying job, and a few buddies he could count on He didn’t need or want the complication of a woo…wait, did they have two ht counted or not There was no precedent to look to for the answer Sex had been a planned activity for so long, there had never been any question That spontaneous coupling, born from her need for comfort and his need to provide it, and reassure hiht? That she was there and unhurt and alive? It cheapened it to call it a scene

He whipped off a quick text back to the group, got his shit together, and headed out into the lingering sunshine Perfect evening for grilling He slid behind the wheel of his car, stopped off for a six-pack, and then made the short trip to his friends’ house

He pulled up behind Courtney’s car and put his own in park, wondering if she was going to be more spooked about the robbery or about what had happened between the ifin, when a sharp rap on thesnagged his attention He turned to see Shane standing outside the car

"Cat said your car wassound and you wanted me to take a look?"

He opened the driver’s-side door and stepped onto the pavement as Shane peppered him with questions aboutThe other half was busy watching Courtney through the kitchenas she talked to Cat Her face was aniood Maybe she wasn’t freaked out after all Maybe she’d taken him at his hen he told her she was safe and the odds of her getting robbed again were nil And maybe she also realized that the deeper connection between the ed situation taking coo looking for trouble where there was none

…

"Youover the cloth-covered picnic table to squeeze Courtney’s hand

"Of course she was," Cat snorted "But ot her ass out of there You done good, kid I’ed "It helped that Rafe was on the phone He kept me calm Or as calm as I could possibly be in that circumstance If the zombie apocalypse comes--"

"Ha! You mean when the zombie apocalypse comes," Cat corrected, and she stood to refill everyone’s iced tea glasses

"Okay, when it does, I’ll take Rafe in my survivor camp any day" She sent him a shy smile, still not sure how to act around him He’d been especially quiet since he’d arrived, and she wondered if he was having second thoughts about last night or was just preoccupied ork stuff as he clai his head in her direction, but not aze "And best believe I’ll take the ER nurse on my team in a heartbeat Noe can just find someone who can hunt once the food supply is depleted, we’ll be set"

"I don’t want to toot my own horn, but everyone knows I can fish rill "I’et voted off, we need to consider losing the deadweight Shane here can’t even cook a decent steak"

"I was dealing with the ot here and took over You and your sister are both too bossy for your own good Not conducive to co his fiancée’s indignant gasp "And plus, you and Lacey have the baby co to be so focused on her, you won’t be able to think rationally I’ve seen it a hundred ti continued around theainst zombies as Cat rose and motioned for Courtney to follow "Want to help lass of tea and trailed behind her friend into the kitchen

"What’s the deal?" Cat asked softly, with a glance at the door to make sure no one had followed

"What do you mean?" God, she was the worst liar Her cheeks were on fire and she pressed the chilled glass to one "Hot out there, huh?"

"Don’t give erator "So here, and I want to knohat it is"

"I’m not sure," Courtney said cautiously "We’ve had two of our scenes so far…well, maybe three?"

"You mean you don’t know?" Cat threw an astonished look over her shoulder before rising, closing the refrigerator door with a hitch of her hip "If that’s the case, then he’s definitely doing soether on three separate occasions but one of theht After the break-in It wasn’t what I’d call a scene, but…"

"Seriously?" Cat asked, her face a e of carrots for the salad slowed to a halt

"Seriously And it wasn’t in the heat of theWe just kind of woke up in the ht and turned to each other" A warmth bloomed in her chest and she shook her head, bemused "I’m sort of…nuts about hi out of her own o, she would have bet a million dollars it would be years before she felt ready to dive into another relationship But noith Rafe? She was so filled with hope Like anything was possible