Fractured Memories (Badge of Honor #1)

Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

The next morning, Felicity nursed a cup of coffee. Her eyes felt gritty and exhaustion weighed on her, but she couldn’t imagine going back to bed. The case—and the kiss with Noah—had caused a restless night’s sleep. She’d finally tossed the covers off at five. The first trail of sunshine drifted across the tile floor while she reviewed the case file.

Had Brooke been involved with Triple 6? It was hard to believe the kindhearted woman who’d cooked her pancakes for breakfast was part of a ruthless criminal organization, but Felicity had learned early on in her career that people were not always what they seemed.

She turned to a photo buried in the file. It was of Brooke and Kurtis. He had an arm slung around the young woman’s shoulders in a possessive hold. The other hand held a beer. Brooke’s smile was wide, but there were signs of strain around the edges and tension in her posture .

There was no date on the photograph, so there was no way of knowing when it’d been taken. There also weren’t any notes about the item in the case file. Felicity had no idea why it was there, except… maybe the former chief didn’t quite believe Kurtis was as innocent as he claimed.

Suspicions and questions. That’s all Felicity had at the moment. She flipped to Gene Webb’s mug shot. His stony stare iced her blood. It wasn’t difficult to imagine him killing someone for money. Is that why he was hunting her? It was the most logical answer. Hopefully, Noah’s colleague would uncover a connection between Gene and someone else on their suspect list.

God, help guide us to the right answer. Use me as Your instrument to get justice and stop a killer before ? —

A knock on the front door interrupted her prayer. Felicity’s heart rate spiked as her head snapped up. Through the gauzy curtain covering the living room window, a shadow lingered on the porch. She slid up to the door, one hand on her weapon, and peeked out. Then breathed a sigh of relief. Cassie and Leah.

She swung the door open wide. The scent of warm cinnamon tangled with a blast of humid air. Cassie, her growing belly encased in a dress, smiled brightly. In one hand, she held a box of pastries. Leah hefted her daughter, Sophia, higher on her hip. The little girl wore shorts and a T-shirt. One hand was coated in drool and slimy crumbs as she gummed a cookie. At the end of the driveway, Tucker and Nathan were talking with the trooper guarding the house .

Felicity smiled at her friends, while raising a hand in greeting to the men. “Morning everyone. What a pleasant surprise.”

“We brought breakfast.” Leah stepped over the threshold. “Glad to see we didn’t wake you.”

“Nope. I’ve been up for a while.” She hesitated, glancing back at the men who were busy digging into their own pastry box. The trooper set aside the coffee mug Felicity had taken out to him earlier and extracted a bear claw. “The guys aren’t coming in?” Felicity arched her brows at Cassie. “They don’t have to eat in the driveway.”

She waved a hand dismissively. “They don’t mind. Trust me, on deployment they ate in a lot worse places than your front yard.”

Leah snorted. “Sometimes I think they prefer roughing it.” She wriggled her brows. “Keeps them manly.”

Felicity eyed her good friends as she shut the front door. “It also allows them to watch over the property while you guys are here.”

Cassie nodded. “That too. Our husbands can be overprotective at times, but in this instance, I think they’re right. You were nearly shot yesterday. I don’t know about you, but having a few extra men guarding the property doesn’t hurt.” She threaded an arm through Felicity’s and tugged her toward the kitchen. “What I can’t understand is why you didn’t call us last night? Nathan and the others would’ve provided protection without question.”

It was a kind offer. Cassie and Leah’s husbands were part of a friendship circle known affectionately as the Special Forces to law enforcement. All former military, they provided protection to individuals in danger.

Felicity took the pastry box from her friend and set it on the table. “I had a trooper outside my door all night. Tucker is busy working the case.” He was a part of the Special Forces but worked for the Knoxville PD and had duties to uphold. Felicity crossed to the coffee machine and poured Leah a cup. “And there was no need to bother Nathan.”

“You aren’t bothering anyone.” Leah settled into a chair with Sophia. The sweet little girl gummed her biscuit and then pounded the hard end on the table as if to punctuate her mother’s words. “We’re your friends, Felicity, and you’re in danger. We want to help. No disrespect to the trooper. I’m sure he’s good at his job, but he’s no match for five—six, including Tucker—former military men. If you use them, then Noah won’t have to spend the night in his SUV keeping guard.”

Her words stopped Felicity cold. “What?” She blinked. “Noah was here?”

“He left shortly before we arrived.” Cassie’s brows arched slightly as she took the glass of water Felicity offered. “You didn’t know.”

“No.” Felicity closed her eyes. Some Texas Ranger she was. “I thought he’d gone home. It never occurred to me…” She sank into the chair, realizing her mistake. Of course, Noah wouldn’t leave her. Not after the shooting. He’d been worried Gene would make a move while she was vulnerable and sleeping .

Cassie eyed her knowingly. “He cares about you. More than just as a friend and colleague. And unless I’m misjudging the way you two have been interacting over the last several months, you care about him too.”

“It’s complicated.” Felicity absently touched her lips with a forefinger as the memory of last night’s embrace replayed in her mind. Her stomach tightened. No one had ever made her feel like that before. Cherished and wanted and feminine. The intensity of her emotions shocked her. She’d known there was attraction and friendship, but the kiss they’d shared had revealed the true depth of her feelings for Noah. She was dangerously close to falling in love with the man. A terrifying proposition. Noah would never purposefully hurt her, but was he capable of truly moving on after losing his wife?

More importantly, was she ready to date a single dad? To step into the role of caregiver to a little girl who’d already lost so much? Compromise would be required. Her career wouldn’t be front and center anymore. Felicity didn’t want to spend her life alone, but facing the reality of making different choices was unsettling. Was she truly capable of doing this?

Her dad hadn’t been. Michael Capshaw had been a loving man who cared deeply for his daughter, but his career had always taken priority. He’d missed holidays, birthdays, and school plays. A part of Felicity had resented her dad. As an adult, that pain softened with understanding. He’d worked hard to put food on the table, but more importantly, his job as an emergency room physician saved lives. Michael took that seriously. Had instilled that same work ethic into his daughter.

It’d been foolish to kiss Noah. She’d been caught up in the moment, but the cold light of morning brought a sense of clarity. They were working a case. The last thing either of them needed was to rock the boat and make working together awkward. Unfortunately, Felicity feared that was exactly what’d happened.

Cassie opened the bakery box, revealing an array of freshly baked pastries. “Most relationships are complicated. Nathan and I had a rocky start.” She handed Felicity a blueberry scone. “Leah and Tucker were nearly killed by a psychopath before figuring out they loved each other.”

“Yep. Plus Tucker was unemployed and struggling with his faith in God when we met.” Leah bounced Sophia on her knee. “The road to happiness isn’t always easy, but don’t forget that you have people here who love and care about you, Felicity. I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn when I include Noah in that statement.”

“I know.” Felicity broke off a piece of her scone. “And I won’t deny things have shifted in our relationship lately, but Noah’s heart was broken when his wife died. I’m not sure he’s ready to move on to something new. And I…” She frowned. “As much as I want a family, I don’t know if I’m capable of putting my career second.”

Why was she even talking about this? It’d been one kiss. One kiss.

One steamy, over-the-moon kiss.

Her cheeks flushed, but Felicity mentally admonished herself. One kiss didn’t mean Noah wanted a relationship. Things were heightened, emotions were running amuck. He might have regretted it the moment he stepped out of her house last night.

And yet something deep inside Felicity told her the kiss meant something. Noah Hodge wasn’t the kind of man who gave into his desires easily. He’d probably been thinking about her for as long as she’d been thinking about him. Her heart pattered a bit faster at the realization.

“Have you talked to Noah about your concerns?” Cassie asked. “Or about how much you care for him?”

“No, but I’m sure after last night, he has some idea about how I feel.” The heat in her cheeks increased. “We kissed.” She groaned and pushed her scone away. “I’ve got a killer hunting me. Brooke’s case is complicated and getting more so with every piece of evidence we uncover. Is it possible to develop deep and powerful feelings for someone when everything is in chaos?”

Cassie and Leah shared a look. They both grinned and said in unison, “Yes.”

Felicity laughed lightly. She should’ve anticipated their answer. “So what do I do now?”