I wasn’t sure I had it in me to actually do a relationship. I’d been holding back. I knew that. I wanted her so much, ached for her…

Loved her.

I fucking loved this woman who I’d known for so little time.

I opened my mouth to actually say the words, but before I could, a police car drove up.

42

Lacey

Warmth coursed through me. Rock was staring at me with something new in his eyes. The lust, yes, but something almost…reverent.

I shivered, tensed, and shivered again, until he opened his mouth.

“What the…?” he said.

I turned. A police car drove slowly up Rock’s cobblestone driveway. My heart sank. We’d been about to have a moment. I was sure of it.

I sighed. Probably something to do with his father’s murder. But why here in Montana? The crime had occurred in New York.

“Wait here,” Rock said and walked toward the squad car.

A uniformed deputy stepped out. “Mr. Wolfe? Rock Wolfe?”

“Yes, that’s me. What can I do for you?”

“We’re looking for a Lacey Ward.”

My stomach dropped. What did they want with me?

“Is that her?” the officer asked.

“Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t,” Rock said. “What do you want with her?”

“She’s wanted for questioning in a murder case in New York. We’ve been asked to make sure she returns to New York right away.”

“I’m Lacey Ward,” I said, approaching. “Unless you’re here to arrest me, you can tell the department in New York that I’ll be back on Tuesday.”

“We’re not here to arrest you, ma’am, but apparently you’ve become a person of interest in the murder of Derek Wolfe.”

“That’s my father,” Rock said. “Lacey had nothing to do with anything. You heard her. She’ll be back on Tuesday, and I’m sure she’ll cooperate with the NYPD at that time.”

“Ma’am, they need to talk to you right away.”

“Have they heard of a phone?”

“They’ve asked—”

I held up my hand to stop his words. “I won’t be talking to anyone without an attorney present, and I won’t be able to get counsel until Tuesday anyway, since this is a holiday weekend.”

“Listen,” Rock said. “Lacey here is an attorney herself, and I know a setup when I see it. This has my mother written all over it.”

“Your mother?” I said.

“Yeah. Connie’s trying to pull something here. She got the NYPD to call the county sheriff out here to harass us. I haven’t quite figured out why yet. I already agreed to give her the money she wanted. After all, she was married to the louse.”

“Look,” the deputy said. “All I know is I’m supposed to get you back for questioning.”

“Not without arresting me,” I said adamantly.

“You heard the lady,” Rock said.