Ranger's Dilemma: A Texas Ranger romantic suspense by Sofia Aves

Author:Sofia Aves [Aves, Sofia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little Quail Press
Published: 2024-01-26T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

COLE

Josie sat at the opposite end of my sofa, wrapped in her heavy metal band hoodie that looked at least four sizes too large for her tiny frame, and nibbled on the sashimi she refused not to get on the way back from the hospital. That last wasn’t an option, or so she informed me. Our resident sushi chef chattered quietly to his wife as he made a fresh dish for her and closed up for the night.

Which was how I ended up with the girl I thought I’d never have in my apartment again back in my living space.

One week without her after just twenty-four hours together, and the absence was hell. Every inch of her normalcy show was a facade she threw over a girl whose hand trembled in mine the moment I touched her. But damn if she wasn’t the bravest person I’d been around for a long time. Paul’s sudden death–right in front of us no less–was a shock to me and I’d seen that shit happen for years.

Josie didn’t have that hardened shell. While I didn’t want to coddle her exactly, I did watch for signs of a crash as it all hit home, and I had a plan of distraction ready to go the moment those trembles got worse…or stopped, and she started thinking.

Because I w as desperate to stop her from having to deal with that right now, knowing exactly how that first time hit home all too well, a reminder that our mortality inched closer by the second. Most people can ignore that truth, but those faced with it sometimes on a daily basis–even the doctors and medical staff who attended Paul’s room seconds after we lost him–hurt. Josie would feel it, but I’d lessen that onset of devastation if I could.

Hell, the only reason we were able to walk away was that I claimed I was there looking for evidence on his case. The doctors were more than forthcoming then once I named Josie as my assistant. Our badass nurse blessedly backed our bullshit story. They’d found no evidence of anything in his scans that led them to believe his seizure was brought on by natural causes. His toxicology report…that was another story.

“Okay, so you are going to investigate Paul’s death, or whatever.” She picked at her sashimi with bamboo chopsticks.

I winced at her flat, matter of fact tone. “You’re going to mangle that, you know,” I said quietly, watching her and not touching my own food. She raised her eyebrows. Touche, hellchild. “Yes. I’ll do a small investigation. Not that I have jurisdiction, and everything I find–if anything–is being reported directly to the local cops handling the case. I’m not pulling rank or claiming glory, Josie. Just the right guy at the right time sort of situation.@

“Cool.” She shrugged and dissected her sashimi pedantically. “So what’s first?”

I pressed my lips into a hard line. If this was her way of coping, so be it, but I predicted a crash on the horizon.

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