Chapter 1

The new waitress was hot. Squirrelly, but hot.

Theo always got to the diner early for the K9 unit’s breakfast and informal roll call. Those fifteen minutes before Otto and Hugh showed up usually were, if not exactly peaceful, at least a break from having to hide the mess he’d become. This morning, though, he was distracted by the way the dark-haired stranger kept trying not to stare at him. Since she didn’t seem to be bothered by anyone else in the diner, Theo assumed his uniform was making her nervous—and her nerves were putting him on edge. He’d caught himself watching her four times already, and he’d only been in the diner for five minutes.

A mug thumped on the table in front of him, and Theo turned his frown toward Megan. They had a morning ritual: He scowled. She aggressively delivered his food and coffee. Neither said a word.

This morning, as Megan was turning away, Theo was almost tempted to break the silence. He caught himself before a question about the new server popped out of his mouth. Stopping the words just in time, he snatched up his coffee and took a drink, burning his tongue in the process. He set down the mug with enough force to make the coffee almost slosh over the rim. Shit.

Before Theo could stop himself, his gaze searched out the new waitress again. She was delivering two plates of food to a table across the diner. By the look of concentration on her face and the exaggerated care she was taking, Theo assumed she was new to waiting tables. She was definitely new to Monroe, Colorado. If she’d been around, he would’ve noticed her. There was no doubt about that.

As she turned away from the table, smiling, their gazes caught for a second before she ducked her head and hurried toward the kitchen. He knew he shouldn’t take it personally. Theo had the feeling she would have had the same response to any cop.

“Who’s that?” Otto dropped onto the bench next to him.

Tearing away his gaze, Theo gave his fellow K9 officer a flat stare. “Move.”

“No.” Otto stretched out his legs until his lumberjack-sized boots bumped the opposite bench. “I always sit here.”

Just for the past two months. Theo didn’t want to say that, though. That might’ve led to talking about what had happened two months ago, and he really didn’t want to discuss it. Still, he couldn’t let it drop. “I’m not one of your wounded strays.”

Otto made a noncommittal sound that heated Theo’s simmering anger another few degrees. Before he could rip into Otto, Hugh slid into the opposite side of the booth.

“Hey.” Hugh greeted them with his standard, easygoing grin. “Who’s the new waitress?”

“You’re not going to squeeze onto this bench, too?” Theo asked with thick sarcasm.

Hugh gave Theo an earnest look. “Did you want me to sit with you two? Because I can. It’ll be cozy.”

Several smart-assed retorts hovered on Theo’s tongue, but he swallowed them down. All that would do was convince Hugh to move to Theo’s and Otto’s side of the table, and they’d be uncomfortable and awkward all through breakfast. Behind Hugh’s placid exterior was a mile-high wall of stubbornness.

Theo stayed silent.

With a slight smirk, Hugh settled back on his side of the table. “Anything fun and exciting happen last night?”

“Eh,” Otto said with a lift of one shoulder. “Carson Byers got picked up again.”

Hugh frowned. “That’s not fun. Or exciting. In fact, that’s something that happens almost every shift. What was it this time?”

“Trespass.”

“He was drunk and thought the Andersons’ house was his again?”

“The Daggs’ place this time.”

“Wait. Isn’t that on the other side of town?”

“Yep.”

“Dumbass.”

“Yep.”

Only half listening, Theo let the other men’s conversation wash over him. His gaze wandered to find the new server again. She was topping off the coffee mugs of the customers sitting at the counter as she listened to something Megan was telling her.

“I ran into Sherry at the gas station last night.”

Otto’s too-casual statement jerked Theo’s attention back to their conversation.

Rubbing the back of his head, Hugh asked, “How’s she doing?”

“Not good. But what do you expect when her dad—”

“Let me out.” Theo cut off the rest of Otto’s words, glaring at him until the other man slid out of the booth. As Theo stalked from the table, there was only silence behind him—a heavy, suffocating silence. He didn’t have a destination in mind except away, but his feet carried him toward the new server as if they had a mind of their own.

The woman watched him, her blue eyes getting wider and wider, until he stopped in front of her. They stared at each other for several moments. She was even prettier and looked even more scared up close. There were dark shadows smudged beneath her eyes, and her face had a drawn, tight look. Her throat moved as she swallowed, and her eyes darted to the side. Theo tensed, his cop instincts urging him to chase her if she ran.

When she ran.

“Theo,” Megan barked as she passed, “go sit down. You’re being creepy.”

He shot her a frown, but most of his attention was still on the new server. “What’s your name?”

She swallowed again and tried to force a smile, but it quickly fell away. “Jules. Um…for Julie.” Even in those few words, her Southern drawl was obvious.

“Last name?”

“Uh…Jackson.” Her gaze jumped toward the door.

“Where are you from?” He couldn’t stop asking questions. It was partly his ingrained curiosity, and partly a personal interest he couldn’t seem to smother.

“Arkansas.”

Theo called bullshit on that. While she’d said her last name too slowly, this had come quickly, as if she’d practiced her answer. He could see the tension vibrating through her, her body projecting the urge to flee. What was she running from? An abusive husband? The consequences of a crime she’d committed? “What brings you to Colorado?”

“It’s…a nice state?” Her eyes squeezed closed for a second, as if she was mentally reprimanding herself.

Every glance at the door, every stifled flinch, every half-assed response made Theo more suspicious. “You move here by yourself?”

“I…um…” Her hunted gaze fixed on Megan’s back, but the other server was occupied helping a little boy get ketchup out of a recalcitrant bottle and didn’t see her silent plea. “I should get back to work.”

“Wait.” Without thinking, he reached for her arm.

“Theo.” Hugh stood right behind him, and Theo’s jaw tightened as his hand dropped to his side. Why did they feel a need to watch him like he was a ticking bomb? “Food’ll be here soon.”

Theo didn’t want to return to the table, didn’t want to eat, didn’t want to talk about Sherry or anything else. What he did want was to find out more about the new, pretty, squirrelly waitress whose name may—but more likely may not—be Julie Jackson.

Jules.

He was tempted to send Hugh back to the table without him, but what was the point? All she would do was keep lying…badly. Later, in the squad car, he’d run her name, although “Julie Jackson” from Arkansas would produce enough hits to keep him busy for months.

He’d give it time. They were at the diner every morning. He’d have plenty of opportunities to try to get information.

Assuming she didn’t skip town first.

Ignoring his screaming instincts—his curiosity—his interest—he gave a short, reluctant nod and returned to the table. He could wait.

Still, it was hard not looking back.