Isabel grinned. “Yes. Definitely yes.”
“Wonderful. I’ll send over the paperwork this afternoon. Full-time position, flexible hours, and from what I’ve seen, you’ll have plenty of freedom to run your own investigations once you’re settled in.”
“That sounds perfect,” Isabel said. And she meant it.
“Great! Welcome aboard, Isabel. We’re thrilled to have you.”
When the call ended, Isabel sat there for a moment staring at nothing, the phone still pressed to her ear. Then she let out a long breath and laughed — bright, breathless, and real.
She’d done it. She had a new job. A newlife.
The tension that had lived in her shoulders for months began to ease, replaced by something lighter — excitement, maybe even pride. She was staying in Phoenix Ridge. And this time, it wasn’t because she didn’t have anywhere else to go. It was because shewantedto stay.
She reached for her phone again before she could talk herself out of it and scrolled to Victoria’s name.
When she hit call, it only rang twice before that deep, familiar voice answered. “Langley.”
Isabel smiled instantly. “You know, you could try ‘hello’ like a normal person once in a while.”
A soft chuckle came through the line. “Old habits.”
“Well, break one for me tonight,” Isabel said. “You free?”
“Tonight?”
“Yeah. I was thinking I could take you out. An actual date — no explosions, no stakeouts, no kidnapping victims in the back seat.”
She could hear Victoria’s amusement even through the phone. “An official date?”
“Official as it gets,” Isabel said, grinning.
There was a pause, then Victoria’s voice softened. “I’d like that.”
“Good. Then it’s a date,” Isabel said, trying and failing to keep the excitement out of her voice. “I’ll text you the details. And don’t worry — I’ll even let you pick dessert.”
Victoria laughed quietly. “Dangerous offer, Torres.”
“I can handle it.”
When she hung up, Isabel caught her reflection in the window — her hair messy, her smile wide, and her eyes brighter than they’d been in months.
She was staying in Phoenix Ridge.
And tonight, she was taking the woman she’d fallen for on their first real date.
For the first time in a long, long while, everything felt exactly where it should be.
Isabel leaned against the rental car as she waited outside of Victoria’s town house. She had told Victoria to be ready for 7 p.m. and it was already 7:05. Being late was not something Captain Langley would ever do, but Isabel smirked thinkingabout Victoria trying to gussy up for the date and losing track of time.
Isabel had never been one for fancy restaurants. Too many sharp edges, too many watchful eyes. But as she stood waiting for Victoria, her legs crossed against the passenger door and her heart beating a little too fast, she thought maybe she could get used to it—at least for tonight. At the sound of the door unlocking, Isabel’s head snapped up.
Victoria stepped outside, the dim amber light glancing off the deep green of her dress — a soft, elegant wrap that hugged her figure before falling in effortless lines. Isabel froze for half a second, her breath catching in her throat. She’d only ever seen Victoria in crisp suits, every line sharp enough to cut. Tonight, though, she looked softer. Human. Devastating.
“Wow,” Isabel managed, trying not to sound as breathless as she felt.
Victoria smirked, the faintest color rising in her cheeks. “You said to dress nice.”
“Yeah,” Isabel said quietly. “I sure did.”
