She let out a long sigh. “Jag?”
“What, babe?”
“You know I truly, honestly loved you, right?”
“I know,” he said. “I loved…I still love you. I probably always will. I guess that’s what they say about first loves.”
She closed her eyes tight, squeezing out a couple of tears. “I still love you too. Only, we’re not the same people we used to be.”
“Thank God for that.” He kissed her temple. “Get some sleep. I’ll answer all your questions for your book in the morning.”
Callie let her body relax as she took in a few cleansing breaths. She wasn’t even sure of what she wanted to ask anymore. All she knew was that as much as she loved him, he couldn’t be in her life long term.
Chapter 7
Jag blinked open his eyes and smiled. His heart swelled. It had been a long time since he woke with the woman he loved more than life itself in his arms. It felt surreal.
But he knew it wouldn’t last because he knew she would never give up her search for her sister’s killer. She would never be able to put anyone else before finding Stephanie’s killer.
He could understand that, and he didn’t blame her. He certainly wasn’t mad at her for it. If it were one of his siblings, he’d never rest until he brought the murderer to justice.
Hell, he wasn’t about to let it go until Stephanie and all the other victims had a voice, and that meant he had to find the Trinket Killer if it was the last thing he did.
He hugged Callie close, kissing her temple before slipping from the makeshift bed and hiking up his jeans and pulling a sweatshirt over his head. Last night had been about forgiveness. It had been their way of letting go of the past, showing each other that while they still loved and cared for one another other, they were moving on.
It was a goodbye of sorts, and he could live with that.
He slipped from the tent and shivered. The weatherperson had mentioned that the temperatures would drop back to what would be considered normal for this time of year, but it still chilled his bones. He managed to start a fire and put on a pot of water to make instant coffee. It would taste like tar, but it would do the trick to wake up his brain.
And calm his libido.
Because last night couldn’t happen again.
It would break his heart.
He flipped open the cooler and pulled out the eggs and sausage he’d packed and prepped them. It wasn’t going to be a five-star breakfast, but it would get the job done. His cell vibrated.
Matt Montgomery’s name flashed across the screen.
“Hey, man, what’s up?” Jag asked.
“I’ve got some news for you. Where are you?”
“Camping at Fort Casey,” Jag said.
Matt grunted. “That’s interesting considering Callie’s back in town.”
“Don’t go reading anything into it. She wanted to interview me for her book. I agreed, but I didn’t want to do it in the office or at my home. I thought somewhere that put us both on common ground would be a good place to hash something like that out.”
“You didn’t need to give me a dissertation,” Matt said. “Do you want to know what I’ve got?”
“I sure do.”
“No prints on the trinkets left at your place, but we did find a local store that carries them, and it’s the same one that carried all the other ones that the Trinket Killer left at all his crime scenes.”
“Any idea when they were purchased?” Jag scratched the center of his chest, hoping it would help the heartburn that churned in his gut.
“The store owner said someone bought their entire stock about a month ago. Paid in cash. No receipt. Only remembers it was a woman, average height, thought maybe light-brown hair, but couldn’t be sure because her hair was tucked up under a hat. The owner didn’t think anything of it because the woman was on the phone talking to someone about how she found the perfect party favor,” Matt said.
“And how many were in their entire stock?”
“Fifty at ten dollars apiece,” Matt said. “That’s a lot of cash to be carrying around these days.”
“Sure is.” Jag stood by the fire and stared out at the lighthouse. The salty air filled his nostrils, cooling his increasing anxiety. “When the Trinket Killer made his, or her, first purchase, it had been after Renee’s murder, so they’d already had an attachment for the store. Did you ask if they had any of the original dolphin ones?”
“I did, and they haven’t carried them since they found the Trinket Killer purchased them at their store.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“I sent all the information over to Detective Marlo at the cold case division. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thanks, man, I appreciate it.” Jag tapped the screen, ending the call, and shoved the cell in his back pocket.
A woman serial killer would shift the entire investigation.
Movement in the tent caught his attention. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “Good morning, babe.”
Callie stepped from the tent wearing his long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants. She’d pulled her hair into a messy bun on top of her head.
His favorite look.
Especially after wild, passionate sex.
“This yo-yo weather is crazy.” She rubbed her arms.
He pulled her in for a hug, pressing his lips on her cheek. “Do you have all your questions that you wanted to ask me with you?”
“Most of them are in my head, but my recorder is in the Jeep.”
He dug into his pocket and pulled out the key, pressing the button. The Jeep beeped twice. “Let’s get this party started,” he said with a slightly sarcastic tone.
“I promise, I’ll go easy on you.”
“Right,” he said with a chuckle, patting her behind as she jogged toward his SUV.
He went back to the open fire, his
