Deputy Landrum was waiting on him and drove him home in silence. Cord wondered what the deputy thought but it didn’t really matter.
Ellie was the only one who mattered. And he’d royally messed that up.
“Thanks for the ride,” he said as Landrum dropped him off.
“No problem.”
Cord hunched his shoulders in the wind as he let himself inside his cabin. He walked through the living room in the dark, crossed to the bathroom and showered with only a low light burning. He despised looking at his scars in the mirror.
How could he expect Ellie to not be repulsed?
He scrubbed his body then rinsed and dried off. Regret for all his wrongdoings haunted him. Shame for being a victim. He’d tried so hard to overcome that through his work with SAR.
Ellie was the bright spot in his life. The sunshine that lit up the darkness.
But he’d hurt her.
Stop being a coward, man.
Sucking in a deep breath, he flipped on the light and stared at himself in the mirror, counting the scars and remembering how he’d gotten them.
ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE
Crooked Creek
Ellie had a good cry while she showered. And she hated to cry.
In fact, shenevercried.
Exasperated with herself, she dressed in a T-shirt and pajama pants, then padded to the living room, started the fire then poured herself a finger of Ketel One. The citrussy rich flavor slid down her throat, taking the edge off her nerves, and she finished it then poured herself another one. Her stomach growled, and she gathered a plate of cheese and crackers and carried it to her sofa. She curled beneath the blanket and nibbled on the snacks as she sipped her vodka.
The flames danced and glowed in the dim light and a mellow feeling swept over her. She’d solved a case. Girls in Brambletown were safe. And parents could sleep again tonight.
She’d done her job.
But she’d lost the man she loved.
The doorbell rang, breaking into her thoughts, and she set her drink on the coffee table and went to the door. Hoping it wasn’t another case, she checked the peephole.
Cord.
Her breath caught. He looked freshly showered in a denim button down shirt and jeans that hugged his muscular body. She couldn’t quite read his expression, but his jaw was tight, accentuating his sharp cheekbones.
God. He was so ruggedly handsome.
He knocked and Ellie whipped herself into some semblance of a normal heartrate. But when she opened the door, the scent of fresh soap on him and his sexy eyes nearly brought her to her knees.
“Can I come in?” he asked gruffly.
She could not say no to this man, so she waved him in then closed the door. When she turned back to him, a hungry look burned in his eyes.
He swallowed hard. “I do trust you,” he said.
Ellie titled her head to the side with an eyebrow raise.
“More than I’ve ever trusted anyone. It’s… just hard for me.”
Her anger faded. “I understand that, Cord. But I need it.”
