She turned and looked out of the side window again. “You know I’ve been wanting to do it. My theoretical virginity feels like a problem I need to solve.”

She’d been repeatedly gang raped by a group of thugs in Indonesia. Eban had told her last year that he didn’t believe that meant she’d lost her virginity as she hadn’t consented.

He knew she felt her lack of positive sexual experiences held her back from forming romantic attachments. He’d tried to distance himself from her, so she’d have the space to grow close to someone else. It was completely wrong of him to now be glad she hadn’t moved on.

“Martin was a great guy. Crazy smart. Dedicated to his field but also very social and a lot of fun.” A sob ripped from her throat as she allowed herself to grieve the loss of her friend. “I do remember dancing with him last night. We definitely had a good time, but we weren’t involved. I’m so sorry he died. He didn’t deserve that.” She drew in a ragged breath. “Are you completely sure I didn’t do it?”

“I never thought for a moment you did,” he told her.

She glanced at him in disbelief. “Not a single moment? Even I thought I’d done it.”

Eban grunted. “Okay, when the results came in that your prints were on the murder weapon I was shaken briefly. I didn’t think you’d have killed him without good reason.”

He would always have complete faith in her. She was a good person. He’d met plenty of bad to judge her by.

They turned into a parking lot and he pulled up close to a mall entrance.

Darby frowned. “Shall I stay here?” She grimaced and shifted in her seat. “But now I think about it, I really need to pee.”

He frowned at her distinctive red hair all mussed around her face. “You have a hat you can pull on to disguise your hair?”

She tentatively touched her hair. “Only my hood. I don’t know where my hat and gloves went. Probably in my truck. I do need boots.” She stared at her inadequate slippers.

Eban rummaged for a black ball cap in the bag behind the seat because it would be too hot inside the mall to keep her hood up. “You’ve been on local news stations all day and your hair is eye-catching.” Brilliant, like flames. Eban reached out and smoothed her silky hair into a pony before burying as much of it as possible under the hat.

She jammed the remaining strands into the cap, clearly uneasy at the thought of being recognized.

He wanted to hug her, to reach out and plant a kiss on those pale lips. But he didn’t wish to confuse her or scare her or take his eyes off the possible dangers that lay ahead.

“Let’s go get us both some winter gear before we freeze to death.”

* * *

Darby couldn’t shake the surreal feeling as she sat near the men’s fitting room in an outdoor survival shop. Eban was trying on a bunch of warm weather gear and she was waiting for the shop assistant to bring her a matching size nine boot.