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“No” He turned her around to face him His thumb brushed away an escaped tear

Claire focused on his scuffed boots, pushed his hands away from her face “Please, just leave,” she said, her voice scratchy

She stayed rooted as his footsteps receded from the kitchen The front door’s click announced Jake’s departure She blinked slowly and bit her lip A part of her, one she didn’t want to acknowledge, mourned

Chapter Seven

I hope I never set eyes on Jake Warrick again” Claire flung a disinfectant wipe into the garbage “Unless it’s to hear hirovel at my feet”

Onion cocked his head at Claire and whined before trotting into the living roo the kitchen She’d used soto wipe away thekisses, the room reeked of citrus

The garbage disposal clanked as she fed it that fateful last slice of pepperoni pizza She could have tossed it in the trash, but seeing it obliterated satisfied her et torn apart It was a visual reminder of how her heart would have looked if she’d spent anysnake’s arms Good riddance to the pizza and all other reminders of Jake

But not the beer That ree Claire had her liood slice of pizza, but it was just wrong to dump the beer Especially when it was her favorite kind, Black Bart Porter All other signs of Jake’s visit had been removed

Except for his SUV in her drive

Peeking out the kitchen’s crisp white curtains, she spied Jake sitting in his SUV Hisin his s He’d never left

Earlier, she’d marched outside, rapped on his rolled-upand tried to shoo hio Told her she’d have to call Hank in to arrest him Then he rolled up his , leaned back in his seat and ignored her She’d stomped back inside

“Big jerk” She snapped the curtain shut

Why had she ever kissed him? Hell, why did she still want to?

The shrill ring of her landline blasted the quiet Claire eyed it warily Not a lot of good things had resulted froainst her curious nature to let the phone go unanswered She crossed to the counter in two steps and picked up the cordless receiver She shot a quick glance at caller ID and smiled

“Hey there, if it isn’t Miss Beth Martinez, esquire Done ork?” She had given her best friend the barest details before going to work on the front door earlier, proot out of a client’s deposition