Burning Love. Debra Cowan

Terra could feel the heat of her glare.

      Terra climbed into Jack’s truck. Only then did Cecily go inside and close her front door. Terra looked at Jack, jolted by the penetrating stare he aimed past her. “What did you find out?”

      “She has my favorite alibi.” That laser-sharp gaze shifted to Terra and she was glad she had nothing to hide. “She was home alone all night.”

      “So, we’ll check out her story about her last meeting with Harris.”

      “Do you know anything about it?”

      “No, but hopefully his neighbors do.”

      “We can go there now, if that’s all right.”

      “Yes.”

      He turned out of the subdivision and headed north on Keller Avenue.

      “What else did you learn?”

      “Just like you said, she was obsessed with the man.”

      “Do you consider her a suspect?”

      He paused. “I got a definite read of ‘if I can’t have him, no one can.’ Do you agree?”

      “Yes, but do you think she’d kill him?”

      “Nothing surprises me anymore,” he said in a weary voice.

      Terra now understood the bleakness in his eyes. The loss. Knowing what had happened to his wife tangled something deep inside her.

      Keeping things professional was going to be a lot harder than she’d thought. He rattled her and she couldn’t pretend otherwise.

      A cell phone chirped and Jack slid it out of his jacket pocket. “Spencer. Hi, Lieutenant.”

      After a brief conversation, he hung up. “We just got a call that there’s a homicide about three blocks from here, just south of Tenth.”

      “I thought you were off duty.”

      “I am, but the other detective on call just started a case on the east side of town by the water tower. I’m next on the on-call list. I really need to check this out. Do you mind?”

      She wasn’t about to tell him that she’d welcome anything that got him out of the truck and farther away than the foot that separated them right now. “No, not at all.”

      “Thanks.”

      As they made a U-turn in the middle of Keller and headed through the light at Tenth, Terra shifted her gaze out the window.

      Two police cruisers, lights flashing, marked the apartment complex’s parking lot where Jack parked his pickup truck. Terra got out when he did, wanting some fresh air and some distance between her and the warm scent of him lingering in the cab.

      The news vans were already parked a few yards away and setting up. From the corner of her eye, Terra saw Dane Reynolds head for her. Brother.

      Jack moved in front of her, paused. “If it looks like I’m going to be a while, one of the patrolmen can take you back to your office.”

      “Thanks.” She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the cool night air. Reynolds moved up next to Jack, who cut him a sharp look.

      The news reporter kept on moving and Terra bit back a smile. T. J. Coontz settled a large camera on his shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up as he hustled to catch Reynolds.

      Jack’s gaze bored deep into hers. “Are you okay?”

      “Sure.” Was that concern in his eyes? “I don’t mind.”

      “I meant about Cecily Vaughn. She was brutal back there.”

      Taken aback, Terra found herself unable to look away. “I’m all right. Thanks for asking.”

      “He was your friend. I can only imagine how hard this is,” he murmured.

      The connection she had felt to him snapped tight. Was he thinking about his own experience when his wife had died? How difficult not only to lose her, but to be a cop and not be able to prevent something like that.

      “I just want to find whoever killed him.” A shiver shot up Terra’s spine and she hugged herself tighter. “If I have to deal with Cecily, so be it.”

      Jack nodded, taking off his khaki jacket. Surprising her again, he slipped it around her shoulders. “Here, wear this.”

      “I’m okay. Really.” The jacket smelled of him, clean and male and mysterious. She reached to take it off.

      His hands covered hers, keeping the jacket in place. “It’s starting to get cold out here. Wear it, okay?”

      She nodded, blinking at the slow spread of warmth in her belly. She wanted to tell him to stop touching her, but she couldn’t get her voice to work. Or anything else, for that matter.

      “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

      “Sure.” Her voice was a raspy whisper.

      He released her, but his gaze stayed locked on hers. A long moment arced between them and Terra swallowed around a knot in her throat. She was suddenly aware of gripping the edges of his jacket with unsteady hands.

      “See ya.”

      “See ya.” She watched him walk away, power and purpose in his smooth, long strides. Trouble. Big trouble.

      Hadn’t she told herself not to let things get personal? When he touched her, it was nothing but personal. She’d never backed away from a challenge. Joining a profession that traditionally employed only men didn’t allow for it, but she wanted to back away now. She wanted to run.