The professor froze and blinked. Recognition flashed across her face. “Chief…”
“What happened?” Avery scanned the other woman. Her clothes were disheveled, although they were intact and she wasn’t bleeding. Another high heel shoe rested on the stairs. Had she fallen?
“I r-r-ran.” Professor Jenkins used the wall to support herself as she rose to a standing position. She swallowed hard. “I-I…”
The professor burst into a fresh wave of sobs. Something—or someone—had clearly terrified the woman.
Avery kept her voice low and comforting. “You’re safe. Everything is going to be okay.” She reached for the radio at her waist. “Madison to dispatch.”
“Dispatch is a go.”
“I need backup at the Fairman Building ASAP. A medic too.” She glanced behind her at the empty hallway. “The building is not clear. Responding units need to enter with caution.”
Avery’s gaze shifted to the stairwell. No one was there. She took off her jacket and wrapped it around the professor. The entire woman’s body was trembling, and Avery feared she was going into shock. “Are you hurt, ma’am?”
“N-n-not me.” Professor Jenkins grabbed her arm. The nails dug into her skin. “Upstairs c-c-classroom.” Tears ran down her face. “She’s…she’s dead.”
Two
Texas Ranger Weston Donovan set his fishing pole in the back of his pickup truck next to the tackle box. He assessed the low-hanging clouds. Not a drop of late-morning sunshine poked through, and last night thunderstorms had ushered in a cold front. Perfect fishing weather.
A light drizzle peppered the brim of his cowboy hat as he lifted the tailgate and shoved it into place. Weston’s cell phone rang. For half a heartbeat, he considered not answering it. Today was his first day off in over six weeks. Conducting back-to-back investigations had left him exhausted. Still, ignoring his phone wasn’t a viable option. Weston was a lawman first. Everything else came second, including trips to his favorite fishing spot.
He freed the cell phone from his pocket. “Donovan.”
“Hey, it’s Luke.”
Luke Tatum was a fellow ranger as well as Weston’s good friend. They both worked together in Company A.
“Sorry to bother you,” Luke continued, “but I have a favor to ask.”
Weston leaned against his truck. “The last time you asked for a favor, I ended up spending months on a case. I was buried in paperwork.”
“Don’t be such a whiner. I was the one who got shot.”
“Pssst, whatever. That was barely a scratch.”
Downplaying Luke’s near-death experience was a coping mechanism the whole ranger team used. None of them liked to think about how close they’d come to losing one of their own. Fortunately, Luke had survived. He was now married to his long-time love, Megan. They were expecting their first child any day.
“Before we get to the favor, how’s Megan?” Weston asked.
“Actually, she’s part of the reason I’m calling. Megan’s gone into labor. I’m taking her to the hospital as we speak.”
Weston straightened, his heart jumping into his throat. “Is she doing okay?”
“She’s cool as a cucumber. I’m a nervous wreck.” Luke blew out a breath. “Hold on.”
There was some muffled conversation. A woman’s voice—Megan’s—floated over the line. It sounded like Luke was helping his wife into the truck. Weston’s suspicions were confirmed when the sound of an engine rumbled to life.
“Ya still there?” Luke asked.
“Yes.”
“Okay. There was a murder Friday night at Harrison University. The chief of police is a friend of Megan’s. Her name is Avery Madison. I need you to meet with her to discuss the case.”
“Text me her number. I’ll reach out to her after I hang up with you.”
“Actually, she’s on her way to your house. Avery was coming to meet with us and, clearly, that’s not going to happen. Since she was already en route, it was easier to redirect her your way. Hold on, I’m putting you on speaker. Megs wants to talk to you.”
“Weston, hey.” Megan’s voice was a touch breathy, but she sounded calm. “Listen, you’ve never met Avery, but I’ve worked with her several times. She’s an outstanding police officer. Nothing much rattles her, but this…whatever happened Friday night has her shaken.”
A patrol car turned on Weston’s street bearing the Harrison University Police Department logo. It parked in front of his house.
“Don’t worry about it, Megan,” Weston said. “I’ll take good care of your friend. You just focus on bringing a healthy baby into this world. I’ll be saying prayers for you.”
“Say a special one for Luke. He looks like he’s about to pass out.”
Weston chuckled. “Will do.”
He hung up. Avery Madison, dressed in a police uniform, came up the driveway carrying a binder. Her strides were long and confident. A strand of copper-colored hair had freed itself from the tight bun at the nape of her neck. Damp from the rain, it flirted with the most piercing set of green eyes Weston had ever seen.
“Ranger Donovan?” she asked.
“That’s me.” He extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Ma’am is reserved for my grandmother and my subordinates. You can call me Avery.”
She slipped her hand into his. Avery’s grip was firm, her skin soft. The faint scent of wildflowers drifted across the space between them. A zap of something akin to attraction arced up his arm. It was immediately followed by stab of guilt. Weston dropped her hand. The wedding rings, hung from a chain around his neck, swayed under his shirt as he took a step back.
“Thank you for meeting me on such short notice.” Avery’s gaze slid to the back of the pickup and his fishing pole. “I’m sorry to interrupt your Sunday afternoon.”
“It’s not a problem.” Weston led the way up the porch stairs, out of the rain, and gestured to a rocking chair. “Can I get you some coffee? Or water?”
“No, thank you.” Avery sat. “Any more caffeine and I won’t have to drive back to Harrison University. I’ll be able to fly.”
The chair seemed to swallow up her athletic frame. It wasn’t that she was particularly small. Around 5’5”, give or take, but the rocking chair had been made specifically for Weston. It’d
