Colton K-9 Bodyguard. Lara Lacombe

he said softly.

      Micah bit back a grin as Fenwick paled. He shot a hateful glare at Micah before retreating a few steps, turning his focus to the TV mounted in the far corner of the waiting room.

      The elevator at the end of the hall dinged again, and Bea’s sisters Layla, Gemma and Patience walked out. Patience, the veterinarian at the K-9 training center, gave him a nod as the group walked over to their father, and Micah relaxed a bit. Bea’s siblings should be able to handle Fenwick, at least for the time being.

      “Nice job, chief,” Micah muttered.

      Finn sighed. “I’m sure I’ll pay for that later.”

      Micah noticed a doctor enter Bea’s room and wondered if everything was okay. Had her injuries been more severe than they appeared? The gash on her forehead was deep and jagged, but Micah was more worried about a concussion or brain injury. She’d seemed to have no trouble speaking to him earlier, but he knew her head had been hurting. Hopefully that wasn’t a sign of more serious damage.

      He was so distracted he didn’t realize Finn was speaking to him until the man touched his shoulder. “Still with us?”

      Micah shook his head. “Yes. Sorry. Uh, what were you saying?”

      Finn lifted one eyebrow but didn’t otherwise comment. “Ballistics probably won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, I want you to assume these two bodies are linked. I want you and Carson and Shane to coordinate your investigations until we know more.”

      “Yes, sir.” Micah nodded. The door to Bea’s room opened, and the doctor walked out. “I’ll take care of it,” he said, already walking toward the man in the white coat.

      “Doctor?” The man turned. Micah showed him his badge. “I’m the officer who came in with Beatrix Colton. How is she?”

      “She’s got a mild concussion, but she should make a full recovery. I’m going to write up her discharge paperwork.”

      “Can I question her now?”

      “I see no reason why not. But she might not be in the mood to talk. She’s got a pretty severe headache.”

      Micah frowned, unhappy at the idea of Bea in pain. “Can you give her something for it?”

      The doctor nodded. “Already ordered. It won’t affect her cognitive abilities, so she should be able to answer questions if it’s necessary.”

      “It is,” Micah replied. The sooner he discovered what Bea had seen, the better his chances of catching whoever had attacked her. They’d been looking for a break in the Groom Killer investigation, and Bea might have just the information they needed to crack the case wide open.

      Micah thanked the doctor and took a deep breath. He felt a fluttering sensation in his stomach, and he realized with a small shock that he was nervous. Stop being ridiculous, he told himself. He’d done well over a hundred interviews with witness and suspects alike since joining the Red Ridge police department. In all that time, he’d never once felt uncertain or worried before starting the process. Why was he acting like a rookie on his first day now?

      Because it’s Bea. The answer came immediately to his mind, and much as he wanted to deny it, he knew it was the truth. Bea Colton had always been his weakness, and even though years had passed since he’d seen her, his body still reacted the same way it always had to her presence.

      Her father’s words echoed in his mind. Didn’t you figure out she doesn’t want you?

      “Oh, yes,” he muttered. “She made that very clear.”

      Even now, the memory of her letter was enough to make his heart ache and his eyes sting. He’d looked for her letters at every mail call, but she’d never written. He’d told himself she was busy making their wedding plans and packing her things to join him after he returned. There was a lot to arrange while he was gone, and he felt guilty leaving her to do the lion’s share of the work. But she had probably employed her grandmother’s help, drawing on the older woman’s expertise to plan a sweet, simple ceremony.

      He’d been allowed one phone call after arriving at boot camp, but Bea hadn’t been home. Normally, the lack of contact with her would have driven him crazy, but they kept him so busy he fell exhausted into his bed every night, too tired to do more than imagine her face before he drifted off to sleep.

      Today was different though. There had been a letter for him at mail call, and once he saw the writing on the envelope, he knew it was from Bea. He’d have recognized her handwriting anywhere. Unable to wait for a little privacy, Micah had ripped open the letter then and there, only to crumple it in his hands a few seconds later.

      Dear Micah,

      I’m sorry to do this, but I’ve done a lot of thinking since you’ve been gone. I’ve decided that I’m not willing to be a soldier’s wife. I want a husband who will be home every night, not someone who will be gone for months at a time. I know this probably comes as a shock, but being away from you has given me the time and space I needed to think. I rushed into our engagement, and now I realize it was a mistake.

      Please don’t try to contact me. I’m not going to change my mind.

      Bea

      Micah rubbed his chest to soothe the familiar ache. The pang of sadness had grown duller over the years, but any time he thought of Bea and the way she’d rejected him, his heart throbbed like a fresh bruise.

      Part of him wondered if Fenwick was right. Perhaps he should recuse himself from the investigation and let someone else interview Bea. It would be easier than subjecting himself to the torture of being around her again, of hearing her voice and smelling her scent. He’d spent countless nights in the desert, dreaming of her and wishing he was holding her in his arms instead of snuggling with his service dog. Duke had been an exceptional military working dog, but he was a poor substitute for the woman Micah loved.

      Because even though she’d broken his heart, Micah hadn’t stopped loving Bea. And now that he’d seen her again, he realized he probably never would.

      * * *

      “A mild concussion,” Bea said softly. She reached up to gently probe the gauze covering the gash on her forehead and exhaled heavily. “Could have been much worse, I guess.”

      Maybe she should close the shop for the next few days. After all, it wasn’t like she had an army of brides beating down her door to buy wedding dresses. A little break might do her some good and give her the time and space to come up with a strategy for saving the shop.

      A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. “Come in,” she called. Hopefully it was a nurse bringing the medication for her headache. Dimming the lights had helped dull the pain somewhat, but Bea wasn’t going to turn down a little pharmaceutical assistance.

      Micah poked his head around the door, and her heart did a little flip at the sight of him. “Mind if I come in?”

      He looked shy and a little uncertain, and she felt a pang of worry. Had something happened between Micah and her father? She hadn’t heard a loud commotion, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

      Micah entered the room and closed the door softly behind him. “The doctor said you’ll be released soon.”

      “I hope so.” Right now, she wanted nothing more than to go home and lie down in her own bed. Hopefully she’d feel better after a good night’s sleep.

      “Do you feel up to talking while we wait for your discharge orders to go through?”

      Now it was her turn to feel hesitant. “Okay,” she said. Did he really want to discuss their past right now? She didn’t think it was the best time, but perhaps he had something to say after all these years...

      “I need you to walk me through what happened at the boutique tonight. Do you remember seeing or hearing anything unusual before you were attacked?”

      Of