Love in the Shadows

Chapter Twenty-Two

(Sam's POV)

I looked up as the bedroom door opened and I heard Lucy making her way towards me. As she entered the kitchen I pointed at the mug sitting in front of the coffee maker. "I put in cream and sugar but figured that you could pour the coffee in, so it would be hot. I didn't know how long you would be."

She glanced at her watch and the look she shot me was apologetic. "You mean you didn't expect I would be over an hour."

She poured her coffee and came to sit next to me, bringing with her the delicious smell of... wait she smelled like me.

Had anything ever smelled as good?

I pulled the plate that I'd made for her over, sliding it along the island top. "I made you a sandwich. Sorry, I tried to wait but I was really hungry."

Her teasing glance took in my own plate, now consisting of only crumbs and a streak of mayo. "No problem. Thanks for feeding me."

I shrugged. It wasn't like taking care of her was a hardship, I liked it more than I probably should. "How did it go?"

Lucy played with her plate, spinning it around and then finally pulling it towards her. "She's worried it's too soon for me to be out in the field." She took a deep breath and those honey coloured eyes met mine. "Understandably worried. I think I should be fully honest here Sam, I don't want to keep things from you. It's too soon for me to be out in the field."

She doesn't want to keep things from me...

I felt her words pinch at my heart and opened my mouth to respond, only to close it right away as she continued. "But, regardless of Serena's reservations, the more I explained what we were finding here, the way that this investigation is being handled, the more she felt that we're needed here."

"That sounds like you got approval." Her answering smile and nod sent a tingle of relief up my spine. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I know for a fact, I'm not at my best right now but I am glad that we can stay here, together and hopefully get this search back on track."

Together.

She took a big bite, chasing her sandwich down with coffee. "This is really good. Thank you. The thing about Serena is, I don't only consider her to be my therapist, she's become a friend and she doesn't always take well to being on the sidelines. She often works with my task force and she has a soft spot for teenage cases."

She took another sip before she continued. "The more I talked about the different cases that seemed to be flagging or possibly connected, the more she wanted to stay in the loop. She said that she'll clear her schedule and come up at a moment's notice, if needed."

She looked embarrassed that she had a close relationship with her therapist but I couldn't imagine anyone getting to know Lucy and not caring deeply. "Sounds like a good friend to have."

"She is. I am exceptionally lucky that she's part of my life." She rubbed at her eyes and confessed, "A session with her always leaves me drained. Thank you for caffeinating me."

Her hand found its way on top of mine. "I'm sorry for how I handled your dad. I should have stayed calm but his little lady act got under my skin."

Her skin tone was a shade darker than mine and I loved how her hand looked on top of mine. I gave my head a shake, trying to focus on the conversation rather than the warmth of her touch. "You handled my dad better than anyone I've seen. I don't think I've ever seen anyone manage to shut him up and actually make him listen. I get what you are saying but my dad's not an easy man to get through to. I honestly don't think it could have gone better. He got your message, loud and clear."

I flipped my hand so that our palms touched. "Which was what had to happen."

She shook her head and quietly caressed over my hand, before removing it and grabbing her coffee. I could tell that she was still going to continue to beat herself up about it. So, I changed the subject, trying to distract her. "Lee wanted to let you know that he managed to get a call into the Investigator in charge of the missing person case out in Halifax. The one attached to Brad Harrington. He's off today but back in tomorrow and Lee gave them your number for him to call."

She nodded and I pulled out my trusty notepad, trying to recall what else I wanted to share with her. I had started writing everything down a couple of years ago, it made me feel better to know that I wasn't forgetting anything. My job was too important to miss small details. "Lee was heading over to interview Travis immediately. He said he would be in touch. He also got me Brie's address and we can head over as soon as you finish."

I tapped the last point on my page. "He thinks that if you have to take over tomorrow, there are a few Lake Ridge officers, who he would recommend for our team. He said he'd shoot you a text to let you know which to pull in."

She stood up, stacking my plate and hers and setting both our mugs on top. I stood up next to her, trying to reach out to grab the dirty dishes. "Lucy, you don't need to do that."

She gave me a smirk as she pivoted around me and placed our things in the dishwasher. "You cook, I clean. Are you ready to go? It'd be nice if we could talk to Brie without any parents around."

I glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was just after three o clock. "Shit. Where does the time go? Yeah, I'm ready."

I trailed Lucy to the front foyer and swallowed hard as she bent down to tie up her converse.

Stop staring at her ass.

I tore my eyes away but her blush as we walked out the door together told me that she had been more than aware of my staring.

Focus Sam.