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Then…nothing

Onion stopped barking, trotted acros

s the kitchen and took several long, deep sniffs at the botto

“Good boy, Onion Good boy”

She looked down at the shotgun in her white-knuckled hands Unable to hold it any longer, she placed it on the fireplace’s brick hearth Her blood rushed through her body so fast, she could swear she heard the ocean

Claire sluainst the wall and slid to the floor She ran her treh her hair The rain beat down nearly in ti heart, but the thunder and hail had passed

A rapping at the baystartled her She jerked her head up Jake stood on the other side of the pane, his dark, rain-soaked hair plastered to his head “Are you okay?”

His words, ht to her heart, cal Unable to form any words, she pushed up off the floor and crossed to the door She tugged it open and cool air stroked her cheeks The breeze brushed the hair off her shoulders

Jake folded her into his arms His chin rested on her head, a war down one side of her face, a baptised her fear Asked for help Received it Found safe harbor Wanted more

“It’s going to be okay” Jake stroked her hair “I’ve got you”

And that’s what scared her e of falling for aabout After Brett, she’d worked hard to block access to her heart Jake shook down her barriers like an earthquake

He’d be gone as soon as they trapped Kendall’s killer She couldn’t take another heartbreak It had taken so long to come back from the last one

“Claire—”

A car horn interrupted him She peeked around his arm and saw Beth’s Mini Cooper in the driveway

“I have to go” She stepped away Confusion was clear in his eyes and it gut checked her Claire stood on her tiptoes, gave him a kiss on the cheek “I can’t do this I’m sorry”