pretty good as I climbed up. Then I pulled the steps up and waited. He saw me, walked toward me . . .” She stopped and shuddered.
Colton felt his insides tense as he imagined the scene she described.
“And when he got to the right spot, I gave the stairs a shove and they flew down like I’d shot them out of a cannon.” She blinked and Colton saw the fear in her eyes as she remembered. But she shrugged. “He went down hard. But not hard enough, unfortunately. If he’d been unconscious, I would have figured out a way to tie him up and call for help.”
Colton closed his eyes, grateful Jillian was still alive. If the intruder had gotten his hands on her . . .
He couldn’t go there. He walked over to stand in front of the garage. While part of the drive was gravel, the area directly in front of the garage was concrete. Hands on his hips, he simply surveyed the area. He didn’t know what he was looking for, but he’d know it when he saw it.
“What’s going on?”
Colton turned at Katie’s voice and saw her standing with the officers. For the next few minutes, he filled them in.
Katie walked to the edge of the garage and crouched. “Hey, you got a crime scene kit?” She pointed to the concrete. “I think this is blood.”
Jillian stood by the truck, watching as the detectives collected what little evidence had been left behind. A crime scene unit had been dispatched, but hadn’t arrived yet.
She’d been printed so they could compare her prints to any they found. She’d overheard Colton talking to Hunter—they’d caught a break. The place had been professionally cleaned by a local service after the last time it had been used. All they had to do was rule out the cleaning crew’s prints, hers, and Colton’s, and see if the intruder had left any behind. But if she remembered correctly, he’d been wearing gloves.
Jillian walked back to the truck to check on the dogs and climbed through the small door into the cool area. They lay on their sides, eyes open, ears pricked toward the sounds going on around them. Sweat ran down the back of her neck and she was glad Colton had the back of the truck covered with a canopy. He’d left the vehicle running and the air conditioner blew full blast, cooling the area where the dogs lay.
“It’s all right, boys, you’re going to be fine,” she murmured as she ran a hand down Ernie’s side. He lifted his head to lick her hand, then lay back down and closed his eyes.
Gravel crunched and she saw Rick pulling in the driveway. He gave her a wave and kept going.
“Jillian?”
She turned to see Colton standing at the end of the truck bed, right behind her. He helped her back out and she nodded toward the house. “They find anything?”
“Some, not much.”
“I heard someone say something about a blood sample.”
He nodded. “Rick’ll run it through the database and see if there’s a match for anyone. It was dry, so we’re not sure how long it’s been there. As hot as it is today, it would have dried almost instantly.” He placed his hands on his hips and squinted down at her. “Now the problem remains. Who knew you were here? How did they find out, and what are we going to do with you now?”
“Good question.” She frowned as she stared down at the dogs.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You didn’t have anything to do with it, did you?”
He slipped a hand under her chin and looked square in her eyes. “No, Jillian. I thought you’d be safe. I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
She swallowed at the truth she saw there and nodded. “Okay. I believe you.”
Relief glinted in his gaze. The gaze that dropped to her lips. Her heart shuddered as his head lowered. A gentle kiss caressed her lips. Then his head lifted and it was over. Much too soon, if you asked her.
“Thank you,” he said.
14
The ride to the vet had been a silent one. Dr. Wainsworth had promised to check the dogs and keep them overnight. He’d be in touch
Colton felt his insides tense as he imagined the scene she described.
“And when he got to the right spot, I gave the stairs a shove and they flew down like I’d shot them out of a cannon.” She blinked and Colton saw the fear in her eyes as she remembered. But she shrugged. “He went down hard. But not hard enough, unfortunately. If he’d been unconscious, I would have figured out a way to tie him up and call for help.”
Colton closed his eyes, grateful Jillian was still alive. If the intruder had gotten his hands on her . . .
He couldn’t go there. He walked over to stand in front of the garage. While part of the drive was gravel, the area directly in front of the garage was concrete. Hands on his hips, he simply surveyed the area. He didn’t know what he was looking for, but he’d know it when he saw it.
“What’s going on?”
Colton turned at Katie’s voice and saw her standing with the officers. For the next few minutes, he filled them in.
Katie walked to the edge of the garage and crouched. “Hey, you got a crime scene kit?” She pointed to the concrete. “I think this is blood.”
Jillian stood by the truck, watching as the detectives collected what little evidence had been left behind. A crime scene unit had been dispatched, but hadn’t arrived yet.
She’d been printed so they could compare her prints to any they found. She’d overheard Colton talking to Hunter—they’d caught a break. The place had been professionally cleaned by a local service after the last time it had been used. All they had to do was rule out the cleaning crew’s prints, hers, and Colton’s, and see if the intruder had left any behind. But if she remembered correctly, he’d been wearing gloves.
Jillian walked back to the truck to check on the dogs and climbed through the small door into the cool area. They lay on their sides, eyes open, ears pricked toward the sounds going on around them. Sweat ran down the back of her neck and she was glad Colton had the back of the truck covered with a canopy. He’d left the vehicle running and the air conditioner blew full blast, cooling the area where the dogs lay.
“It’s all right, boys, you’re going to be fine,” she murmured as she ran a hand down Ernie’s side. He lifted his head to lick her hand, then lay back down and closed his eyes.
Gravel crunched and she saw Rick pulling in the driveway. He gave her a wave and kept going.
“Jillian?”
She turned to see Colton standing at the end of the truck bed, right behind her. He helped her back out and she nodded toward the house. “They find anything?”
“Some, not much.”
“I heard someone say something about a blood sample.”
He nodded. “Rick’ll run it through the database and see if there’s a match for anyone. It was dry, so we’re not sure how long it’s been there. As hot as it is today, it would have dried almost instantly.” He placed his hands on his hips and squinted down at her. “Now the problem remains. Who knew you were here? How did they find out, and what are we going to do with you now?”
“Good question.” She frowned as she stared down at the dogs.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You didn’t have anything to do with it, did you?”
He slipped a hand under her chin and looked square in her eyes. “No, Jillian. I thought you’d be safe. I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
She swallowed at the truth she saw there and nodded. “Okay. I believe you.”
Relief glinted in his gaze. The gaze that dropped to her lips. Her heart shuddered as his head lowered. A gentle kiss caressed her lips. Then his head lifted and it was over. Much too soon, if you asked her.
“Thank you,” he said.
14
The ride to the vet had been a silent one. Dr. Wainsworth had promised to check the dogs and keep them overnight. He’d be in touch
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