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I winked at him. “Oh, no promises, but I’ll try my best.”
The conversation around the table drifted into more casual chatter as we finished eating, but then Austin looked up from his plate, his eyes flicking between Tucker and me, his brows furrowed in thought. “So, now that you two are like… for-real dating, does that mean you’re moving to Charlotte Oaks?”
The clatter of silverware hitting plates was the only sound as everyone absorbed the bomb Austin had just dropped. Hope’s eyes widened slightly as she exchanged a look with Colt, who lifted an eyebrow in surprise.
Meanwhile, Tucker stiffened next to me, the fork he’d been holding hovering awkwardly above his plate. He swallowed, his expression somewhere between uncomfortable and confused.
Finally, he cleared his throat and asked, “Why would you think I was moving to Charlotte Oaks?”
Austin’s response was so matter-of-fact that I almost snorted. “Because your girlfriend lives here.”
Tucker’s eyes darted to me, probably hoping I’d swoop in and save him from the awkwardness, and I didn’t hesitate.
I placed my hand lightly on Tucker’s arm and gave Austin a gentle but firm smile. “Honey, your brother’s life and business are in Colorado with you and your mom. I don’t expect him to wanna stay in our tiny town forever. We’re just enjoyin’ each other’s company for now.”
Tucker’s shoulders didn’t relax, but he gave me a small, grateful nod.
Hope jumped in with a smile as sweet as pie. “Well, Dakota, you could always move to Colorado and be a nurse there.” She blinked innocently at me, but I didn’t miss the knowing glint in her eye.
I stifled a sigh, trying not to roll my eyes at her. This wasn’t the first time Hope had made this suggestion—not by a long shot. Ever since I started staying at her place a few weeks ago, she’d brought up the idea more times than I could count. Every time, my answer was the same.
Sure, I could move to Colorado, be a nurse somewhere else… but Charlotte Oaks was my home. I’d grown up here, built my life here, formed connections that ran deep into the soil. The thought of leaving? It wasn’t something I could easily imagine.
But then, there was Tucker. Tucker, who wouldn’t stay. Whocouldn’tstay. His life was as unsettled and varying as the cases he worked—always on the move, chasing down leads and solving mysteries that had nothing to do with a permanent home.
So there was nothing I could do, right? Nothing but enjoy what we had for as long as we had it.
Out loud, I let out a small laugh and shook my head. “Girl, what good would that do? These two travel all over Kingdom Come chasin’ grocery store robot thieves and huntin’ for pirate treasure. Why would I live in Colorado all by myself?”
Colt let out a soft chuckle, but Austin—ever the fact-checker—piped up immediately. “The Marty theft was a local job.”
I grinned, shrugging nonchalantly. “Fine. But, hey, maybe fate will bring Tucker back to Charlotte Oaks someday, and I’ll get to see him again.” I glanced at Tucker, my tone light and teasing as I added, “And if so, hopefully, you don’t get shot in the other butt cheek.”
At that, Tucker’s head dropped back in mild exasperation. “I’ll never live that down, will I?”
I bit back a grin as I watched him shift uncomfortably in his seat, his body language telling me everything I needed to know. Not only was that butt cheek still sore, but he wasn’t used to having conversations like this—ones that hinted at a future, or even the idea of permanence. His hand ran over the back of his neck, and his jaw tensed, a faint flicker of uncertainty behind his eyes.
For a man as sure-footed and grounded as Tucker, the thought of things getting too real… well, it made him uncomfortable. And part of me understood why.
But another part of me? The part that felt that magnetic pull toward him every time our eyes met?Thatpart wanted him to stay. Even if I didn’t dare admit it out loud.
I stayed quiet for a moment, watching Tucker’s body language carefully. His face had softened a little, though the tension hadn’t entirely left his shoulders. Something told me this was just the beginning of the conversation we’d been avoiding for weeks.
21?/?
tucker
The cab of my truck was quiet, save for the soft click of Dakota’s crochet hook and the steady hum of the engine. We were parked at the edge of a gravel lot, the old farmhouse just barely visible in the distance through the trees. The property we were staking out had seen better days, much like every lead we’d followed this week.
I glanced over at Dakota, biting back a smirk. She looked absolutely ridiculous—and somehow, incredibly adorable—with my night vision goggles perched on her nose like an oversized pair of sunglasses. A blanket was draped over her lap, and she was half-hidden beneath it, her hands busy crocheting the scarf she’d been working on.
I still wasn’t sure if she was making it for me or just messing with me, but watching her focus so intently on each stitch was strangely... calming.
“So, is this a typical Friday night activity for you, Magnum PI?” she asked, not looking up from her yarn. The night vision goggles were starting to slip, and she pushed them up on her nose.
I let out a soft groan, choosing not to take the bait with that sass. I adjusted my seat and rested my hand on the steeringwheel. “It depends. If you mean sitting in my truck doing nothing, then yeah, it’s pretty close.”
She snorted, finally glancing over at me with an amused smile. “So, you do a lot of stakeouts?”
