Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Josie watched as Detective Copeland said some parting words to Horton and Vogel and then they got in their police cruiser and backed out of her driveway as he stood in front of her porch watching them leave. Balancing the pizza in one hand, he disappeared up her front steps, and she heard her front door open and then close softly below her.
Josie disengaged the locks on her bedroom door and then went down the hall to the bathroom where she took a quick shower. Squeaky clean, she piled her hair on top of her head in a messy bun, returned to her room, and pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
The heavenly scent of pepperoni drew her downstairs, and when she walked into the kitchen, she saw Detective Copeland standing half turned away from her, staring at the pots and pans on the floor. A drop of water pinged into one, and he looked up, squinting at the stain on the ceiling.
“Hey,” she said, and he turned quickly, his expression morphing into a smile.
“Hey. Little leak, huh?”
“It was little. Now it’s bigger.” When it’d first appeared, she’d only had to put out one pot to catch the drips, but now six were necessary. Pretty soon she’d be able to use her kitchen as a shower. She took a few steps into the room, checking the various water levels in each.
“I have a buddy who does roof repairs. He could probably come out in the next few days and take a look. I’d be happy to call him. It’s probably not the greatest time to have strangers in your home.”
“Oh, well, this isn’t exactly at the top of my list right now anyway.” She looked away so he couldn’t see her embarrassment. She really didn’t want to talk about her pitiful financial situation with this man who probably already thought she was pathetic in practically every way. “Is that pizza I smell?”
When she looked back at him, she saw he had a knowing look in his eyes, but he quickly schooled his expression and turned his attention to where he’d set the pizza box on the table. “I hope you like pepperoni.”
“Who doesn’t, Detective?”
“No one trustworthy.” He smiled, his white teeth flashing, and her stomach gave a little twist. God, he really was distractingly handsome, and as she stood there watching him remove two plates from her cabinet and begin dishing up pizza slices, a tiny sensation of…amazement sparkled through her. In a way, her reaction to the detective was a revelation. She could still respond physically to a man. Whether she’d ever want to take a next step was beside the point. She wasn’t broken beyond repair. At least she didn’t think so, not after this.
She would not fall into old bad habits—seeking the attention of men in order to validate herself, looking for love in all the wrong places. She would not. Especially when a relationship of any sort with the man tasked with protecting her safety would probably be a conflict of interest. She’d gone down that particular road before, and it hadn’t ended well. And anyway, it wasn’t as if he’d look at her that way, knowing what he knew. But never mind all that. To realize she could still feel that rush of sexual attraction when she never thought she’d be capable of it again made her feel…hopeful. Happy. As though she’d won something back.
“You’re smiling,” he noted.
Josie glanced up at Zach in surprise as she brought her fingers to her mouth, smoothing out the smile she hadn’t realized she was wearing.
“I meant it as a positive. You should do it more.” His own smile grew, making him look even more handsome than she’d thought him before. She let out a small laugh as he set the plates down at the table and moved the box to the counter.
Drinks. They’d need drinks. “I, ah, don’t have any soda,” she said, flustered, moving toward her refrigerator. “But I still have iced tea and water.”
“Iced tea would be great,” he said, sitting down. As she poured tea in two glasses, she thought about how she’d done the same thing for this man just two days before, and yet that felt like a lifetime ago.
They sat together eating in silence for several minutes before he grabbed a napkin from a basket in the middle of the table and wiped his mouth, watching her for a moment as she chewed but seeming to be thinking about something. “We should get you set up with an alarm system.”
Josie set her pizza down, using her napkin to wipe her fingers and the corners of her mouth. She didn’t disagree; in fact, she’d wanted to get one when she’d first moved to Oxford. But again…finances. She opened her mouth to tell him so, but he spoke before she could. “I’ll put in for it at the department. My boss wants someone here in person until…” He gave a strange pause. “Until this is cleared up, but if someone did try to break in again, it would help whoever is here to be forewarned.” He glanced away and then back to her. “Ever thought of getting a dog?”