Page 38

“Sounds good. Don’t break them. Even civilian quality, these bitches are expensive.”

“Roger that,” he said, and signed his name to the tablet. Then he headed out.

Rowdy double-checked the forecast. Yes, it was calling for snow, but not a lot. He had a few ideas for staying warm and dry, so he drove to his apartment. He had some gear he needed to gather. Annabelle’s comfort was topmost in his mind as he repacked his trail bag. Thicker ground sheet and seat warmers. He could take his sub-zero sleeping bag and open it up around her. Hand-warmers. Toe-warmers.

As he hefted the bag, he realized he’d probably packed too much, but he wanted her to be comfortable. It was hard to tell how long they would have to watch the house next door. Hopefully, just a few hours. The time stamp on the video had been between eleven and twelve when they’d seen the figures outside.

He gave himself some time to catch a quick nap, then when he got up, he packed a thermos of hot chocolate. And some easy snacks. He felt a little ridiculous, because it had turned into kind of a nighttime picnic, but whatever. She had expressed her desire to spend time with him, so he would try to make her comfortable.

Catering to a woman was not something he normally did, and he felt uncomfortable trying to guess what she would think. As a SEAL, he’d been happy with a groundsheet, or a cushion. But women needed more care.

If only they came with a manual.

When he’d been injured, he’d been seeing a woman casually. Erica had been a nice distraction, not especially interested in a deep commitment, which suited his crazy life. He was dedicated to the SEALS, and everything else took a back seat. He’d face-timed her after he’d regained consciousness, and she’d been shocked at his injuries. So shocked, apparently, that after that call, she’d ghosted him. She must have gotten a completely new number because the old one was out of service.

No, they hadn’t professed their love for each other, but damn. He’d thought he’d meant more to her than that.

Whatever.

When he arrived at the Dodd residence, he circled around to the back kitchen door and knocked lightly. The cook let him in, her broad face splitting in a smile. “Oh, Rowdy,” she said, shaking her head. “You have lit a fire under someone.”

She chortled and Rowdy grinned with her. “What do you mean?”

“Annabelle has been talking about her stakeout with you.”

Rowdy frowned, really hoping she hadn’t let slip that they thought they knew where Cookie was. “Well, it’s just a hunch I’m following.”

Emma nodded, reaching for a bag. “That’s what she said. I think it sounds romantic, so I packed you a small repast.”

Rowdy’s brows lifted. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Well, I did. You have homemade hot chocolate in the thermos and some little prosciutto appetizers I threw together. Let me message Annabelle.”

Rowdy thought about the snacks he’d packed. The beef jerky and packaged hot chocolate he’d made didn’t sound as appealing as what Emma had created. Maybe he’d take both bags just to be safe.

This stakeout was taking on a life of its own.

Annabelle arrived just a moment later. Her bright green eyes were lit with excitement, her cheeks flushed with pink, and he felt like he needed to temper her expectations a bit. “This may lead to nothing,” he cautioned. “We may be sitting for hours on the cold ground and get nowhere.”

Her excitement didn’t dim. “I’m okay with that. Although I think otherwise.” She glanced at Emma, and he knew she wanted to say something else, but she erred on the side of caution. “I’m ready when you are.”

Excitement pounded in his chest as he looked at her eager expression. They were going to be sitting in the dark, close, and he had no idea what they were going to talk about. Or even if they were going to talk. There was a chance they would sit there awkwardly, not saying a thing.

No, he knew they would connect. He could already feel it. And he knew instinctively that he could tell Annabelle anything. She had a warm openness to her that he wanted to bask in.

Rowdy mentally shook his head. They had a dog to find. “Come on, then,” he said, voice brusque, and turned for the kitchen door. Snagging Emma’s bag with one hand, he opened the door for Annabelle to go through. Emma flicked off the back light as they left the patio and the darkness wrapped around them. It was only about thirty degrees, and snowflakes were falling softly. Rowdy knew where he wanted to park their behinds. There was a rocky outcropping in the back corner of Mrs. Dodd’s yard. There were several large, flat rocks with a bit of an overhang, and it was the perfect spot to look down into the King’s back yard, where he thought Cookie was.

He heard an ‘oof’ from behind and he paused to check on Annabelle. Her face was pale in the faint moonlight, but she was still smiling. “Sorry, I slipped a little.”

Without thought, Rowdy reached out and took her gloved hand into his own to guide her up the rest of the way. He told himself he did it just because if she fell, he’d have to delay his surveillance that much longer to take her back to the house, but he couldn’t deny the heat that kindled in his heart. It was just her hand, damn it.

They circled around the outcropping and Rowdy dug in his pack for the groundsheet and seat cushions. Then the puffy sleeping bag. Annabelle laughed as she watched him make their little nest. “I thought this was going to be cold and boring, you said.”

He avoided her eyes until everything was set up, then he waved her toward a cushion. “Well, it doesn’t always have to be. I have hand and toe warmers too, if you want them.”

Annabelle grinned at him in the low light, tugging at her knit cap. It had sparkly things on it. “I already packed them.” She drew one out of her right pocket to show him. “And I have one down my bra, as well.” Rowdy blinked at her, and Annabelle grinned. “I’m a Colorado girl. I know how to dress for the cold.”

She settled onto one of the cushions, crossing her legs. Rowdy draped the sleeping bag around her shoulders, and she pulled it tight. He settled onto the cushion beside her, his legs hanging off the rock, but there was almost a foot of distance between them. She would fix that in a little bit.