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Back Point Last Seen
Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“Right. Well. Back to the studio. I’ve got a yoga class in twenty minutes.” Bendy Wendy waved and took off running uphill as fast as she’d come down.

“She’s in amazing shape. Did you see her at the restaurant yesterday selling yoga classes to the Shivering Sherlocks?” Elle was in awe. “She swooped right in there.”

“She’s an astute businesswoman. Did they go for it?”

“They were delighted. Apparently they work out together all year so they can do these mystery weekend jaunts. They’re a bunch of spry old ladies!”

He wouldn’t have thought he could smile this morning, but he smiled at Elle. “When you’re an old lady, you’ll be as spry.”

Reaching up, she took the ends of his shirt collar, pulled him down and kissed him. Just a light kiss. A friendly kiss. Nothing that should have encouraged or worried him. Yet he was encouraged...

But he should not be. He had no right to be. Not about this, about her.

In a fierce whisper she said, “That’s right, so let’s get all this figured out, and we’ll be spry old folks together.”

Together? A giant vise squeezed his chest, and he couldn’t catch his breath. She was talking about a future. The two of them together forever. Based on what? Extreme trauma, moments of extreme fear, long hours spent together for safety, the knowledge that even under stress, they got along well. They really did, and that, he knew, meant more than a night of passion...although the mere idea of sex with Elle brought tears to his eyes.

“Are you okay? You look a little like I must have when you pulled me out of the ocean.” She nudged him. “Take a breath.”

He did, then in his most cool, reasonable tone, he pointed out, “We don’t know whether you have someone else you love, someone who deserves all your loyalty. A husband. A lover. A child.”

She observed him with narrowed eyes. “I’m unattached.”

“That’s not good enough for either one of us.”

“You’re right. I’ll see what I can do.” She took his hand. “Come on, we’ve got to clean your wound and get you into a different shirt before our next visitors show up.”

“What visitors are those?”

“Everybody who wants to know what you think of yesterday’s shooting. Trust me. They will come.”

41

WHILE ADAM LEANED AGAINST the bathroom sink, Elle finished taping his wound. “You’re going to have to take it easy for a week or so, but all in all I’m pleased to say it looks pretty good.”

“You’re smug.”

“Yes, I’m smug. I do have some talents, after all.”

“You’re a scientist. Of course you have talents.”