Page 129 of Cautious Love

I hum and look around, pretending to decide. “I think that would be alright.”

He huffs. “Sounds like a hardship for you.”

I shrug and take a sip. “Sometimes we have to make sacrifices.”

He smiles and shakes his head.

“Before you start can you show me the rest of the house?” I ask.

He sets the burgers on the counter. “Sure.”

Ledger gestures for me to go first and as I start to climb the stairs, I glance over my shoulder.

“You just wanted me to go first so you could stare at my ass.”

He hums. “I am many things, but I’m not a liar. You caught me,” he says, holding his hands up.

“Then I guess it’s time to admit I can’t stop looking at yours in those jeans.”

He chuckles and starts down the hall to the right. “There’s three bedrooms, and four bathrooms. Down here is the master,” he says and opens the door.

The room is massive, with a giant bed on solid wood that looks like it was hand hewn. It’s simple but feels cozy, with a white bedspread and pops of green and rustic orange pillows sitting on top, with other colorful western accents throughout the space. The rug on the wood floor is cozy with a classic traditional design that appears worn, but it’s supposed to look that way, giving it a warm feel.

I follow Ledger into the bathroom, and it looks state of the art, a giant walk-in shower with a rainhead hanging from the ceiling and a bathtub arguably big enough for three people.

“This looks comfortable.”

Ledger nods and shows me the other equally pretty bedrooms, all centered around a cozy but somewhat modern theme with touches of western roots throughout the house.

He leads the way back down stairs and gestures to a seat at the island.

I take my beer and watch him gather the ingredients from the fridge.

“How was your day today?” I ask him.

“It was a little chaotic, but slightly more so than normal. We’re still buttoning up things from the hold up at TJ’s.”

I take a sip of beer. “It probably didn’t help that you were late.”

The corner of his mouth tips up, and he opens the package of carrots. “No, it didn’t, but I’d say it was worth it.” He looks up and my skin feels hot.

I take a swig of beer, trying to focus on asking him what’s been on my mind. “So, have you heard anything about Grey?”

He pauses washing the carrots. “No, unfortunately I haven’t. But we’ll catch him. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason, I was wondering if you had.” I feel like I’ve been balancing on a tightrope ever since he disappeared. I keep expecting him to jump out, and I’ll fall to my death.

“Have you heard something?” he asks gently.

“No, I haven’t. I would have told you if I did.”

“We have a warrant out for him. You’ll be the first to know when we have him in cuffs,” Ledger says.

“When you do, he’s probably going to talk,” I whisper. My throat tightens, and I swallow thickly.

“I know. But I have a plan,” he says.