Would she have been able to go through with it?

Spring wasn't sure. In a way, she was grateful Colton had put a halt to her exploration of him. Of course she had done everything she was offering with a number of other boys, but they had all been boys. Colton was a man. The first man Spring had ever been attracted to. She'd been twenty-one to his thirty, but she had felt a pull. Of course she would never have said anything, given he was her brother-in-law.

So she had gone on her merry way and dated with fervor, trying to banish errant thoughts of a brooding cop. Spring liked men. She had a reputation of falling in and out of love at least once a month and, to a certain extent, that was true. She'd gone out with more than her fair share of men since Colton had broken up with Sunshine, but none of them ever measured up. Maybe it had been an unfair comparison because none of them had ever stirred her the way Colton had.

What exactly had she been offering him? In retrospect, it seemed a little tawdry and, she hoped, he would forget all about the incident. Jocelyne had been quite specific about the side effects including grogginess and lack of coordination. Well, that hadn't been an issue with Colton. No, his hand had been operating just fine, especially when he had used it to pull her even closer. And kiss? The man could kiss, that was for sure.

But it was the erection which had been the most impressive. Not for size or anything like that, but for his ability to get one at all. Doped up on painkillers and antibiotics, she wouldn't have thought him capable. She'd been dead wrong on that count.

So where had her insecurities come from?

Because, despite her brazenness and her comfort with her own body, she wasn't very experienced. All those boys she'd fallen in and out of love with? Few had ignited her and even fewer had made their way to her bed. No one knew about that except Sunshine and that was because Spring couldn't hide anything from her sister. She had once worried Sun might know about her crush on Colton, but Sunshine had never said anything. Had she been respecting Spring's privacy or ignorant of her sister's deepest desires?

So now she was sitting in Colton Pritchard's apartment and she had no idea what to do. He never had given her the wireless code, so she was stymied with that. She was checking the internet through her phone, but it wasn't the same thing. No, what she really needed was to be able to boot up her laptop. That and she needed to know what was going on between Catriona Upland and Chantale Byrne. What she wouldn't give to be a fly on that wall.

Instead, she was watching over a virtually comatose man who was going to be grouchy as hell when he woke up. Spring had thought she might make him some cookies or something like that, but it was hopeless. The guy had enough single-serve meals to last through Armageddon, but nary a bag of flour to be found. There were some vegetables and fruits, but that was about it. She'd scouted some rice and was planning a stir-fry for dinner. Much beyond that and she was going to have to go shopping.

So how long was she planning to stay? Colton was a big boy and could probably care for himself, but Jocelyne was really worried about an infection developing. Once something like that took hold, it could go downhill really quickly. So Spring could set up a rotation of people to come through and check his temperature as well as help him out with other stuff, but that thought didn't appeal.

No, she wanted to be the one Colton relied on. Because for every moment since that tape had landed on her desk, she'd been fighting this attraction. Up until today, she was pretty sure she'd done a good job. Now, however, Colton knew how she felt. Well, he knew she was willing to pleasure him. If he suspected the rest, he hadn't let on.

Still, she could write a follow-up piece. Assuming the charges against Colton were dropped, there would need to be more said. She wouldn't be able to talk about Belinda's suicide attempt which meant she couldn't talk about how Colton had saved the life of the woman who was trying to put him in jail. Actually, most of what Colton did couldn't be talked about. His quiet determination to put the bad guys in jail had to be enough, she supposed. His arrest record was very high, as was his rate of convictions. Also, few of his cases were overturned on appeal. No, when he and Dorrie put together a case, they did a very good job.

He wasn't infallible, of course, but he was very good at his job.

She'd always wanted to ask him why he'd chosen law enforcement then special victims, but there had never been an opportune moment. Maybe today would be a good day.

A resounding thud and a curse pulled her from her reverie. She leapt from the couch and headed down the hallway to Colton's bedroom. Flipping on the light, she found him lying on the floor.

"What the hell...?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Spring said. "How did you wind up on the floor?"

"My legs...they just wouldn't hold me."

"Well, you're supposed to still be asleep," she said sternly.

He gave her a dubious look. "Who says?"

"Jocelyne said you would be out for at least two to three hours, if not longer. You've barely been down an hour."

"And I wasn't supposed to remember anything, isn't that right? Because I have a full and complete memory of what happened before I fell asleep."

She was going to have to have a conversation with the good doctor.

"I guess it didn't work," she said, cringing. Then she considered. "What were you doing? Do you have to go to the bathroom?"

"No," he said testily. "I wanted to see who was here because this place has been like Grand Central Station today. All these woman coming and going."

"You want to know if I've heard from Chantale," Spring said succinctly.

He frowned. "Maybe." He paused. "Okay, yes I want to know. I also want to know how Belinda's doing and whether Dorrie has connected with Bonnie about an undercover op we want to run. So, yes, I don't want to be sitting here with my thumb up my ass."

She gave him a mock stern look. "And how long did the doctor say you were to stay on said ass?"

"At least a week," he grumbled. "Then I can go back to work on restricted duty. No chasing bad guys, no going on arrests, no doing anything which might tear the god damn stitches."

"Sounds like you have a very sensible doctor," Spring commented. "Now, will you let me help you get back into bed?"

"I'm tired of bed." Said like a truculent child, Spring thought.

"Well I'm not strong enough to haul you into the living room," she pointed out.

"I can walk," he insisted. "I just was expecting to be stronger, that's all."

She crouched down on her haunches. "You don't like to be weak. I get that, I really do. But you have to realize your body is going to be weak for some time to come. Pushing yourself isn't going to help you heal faster, Colton, surely you know that. At least you should, given that you're a smart man."

His dark brown eyes met hers with burning intensity. "Not so smart," he commented.

"Why not?" The question had barely left her lips before his right hand snaked out and grasped her wrist. He caught her off balance and pulled her down on top of him.

"Not smart because I want you naked, right now. I want to take you up on that offer you made and then I want to reciprocate. I want to lay you down on that bed and feast on you for the next day, or the next week, or even the next month. Just as long as it takes me to quench this damn thirst I have for you."

His words knocked the breath from her more successfully than any punch to the gut could.

God, how she wanted to take him up on what he was offering.

"I need to get you back to bed," she said, trying to lever herself off of him without hurting him.

"I'll go," he said, "but only if you come with me."

Her eyes widened. "It's the drugs," she began.

In response, he fisted his hand into her hair and pulled her into an all-consuming, toe-curling, hair-on-fire kiss. He held her close, his tongue thrusting into her mouth, demanding entrance. So she hadn't mis-remembered. No, the first kiss had been potent. And this one was even more so because she was lying on him. She could feel his erection hard against her hip and she knew, she just knew, that it wasn't the drugs.

They could do this, she told herself. Who would it really hurt? Okay, it would ruin her journalistic integrity, but that had been destroyed when she'd called him to Belinda's house. His heroics would always colour her impression of him. He eased up on his grasp of her and whispered hoarsely, "please, Spring, put me out of my misery."

His misery? Was she really responsible for his misery? Because she was feeling an ache in both her body and her soul which she knew could only be satisfied by him.

"Colton?"

Spring's eyes flew to his and she rolled off of him. She shot to her feet and tried to smooth down her hair which she knew was going in every direction. She took a quick breath and headed out to the living room.

"Seth! Great timing. Colton's fallen and I'm having a tough time getting him back to bed."

But Seth was a cop and wasn't fooled, not even for an instant. He gave her an assessing stare before he nodded. "Sure, I'll help you. How long has he been down?"

"Just a few minutes. Jocelyne gave him some drugs which made him woozy and he tried to get out of bed on his own. Stubborn, you know?"

There was another thud which had both Spring and Seth heading down the hallway to the bedroom.

Colton was upright, but barely. The sound had been made when he'd landed against the wall, miraculously managing to keep his feet under him. But he had to be in agony because it was his left arm which had hit the wall.

"God, Colton, you can be stubborn," Seth said, angling himself under Colton's good arm. He pivoted them.

"Not bed," Colton groused. "I want to be on my couch."

Seth chuckled. "Considering how much you paid for that double recliner, I can understand why."

"I don't," Spring said. "He needs to be lying down."

"Out of my way," Colton said through gritted teeth and Spring realized just how much it was costing him to stay upright. So she yielded to him and let the two men pass her. She grabbed the thermometer and pills, opting to follow them back into the living room. She watched as Seth manoeuvred Colton onto the couch. He'd chosen the right side so Colton could control the lever for the recliner function. As soon as he was seated, Colton reclined and let out a long sigh.

"Better," Seth asked.

"Better," Colton answered. Then his eyes flew open when Spring popped the thermometer into this mouth.

She gave a self-satisfied grin. "Silence for at least a minute." Which she was going to need because the next part was going to hurt. She lifted his right arm and put a pillow beneath it. It took mere moments, but there was already a sheen of sweat across his brow. Pulling out the thermometer, she studied the readout and frowned.

"What is it," Colton asked quietly.

"One hundred," she replied just as quietly. "Looks like you do have an infection."

"Damn it," he said.

"One more degree and we call Jocelyne," Spring pointed out. "This is serious, hell, this could be life-threatening."

Seth was watching both of them intently. "And yet you were making out on the floor?"

Spring wished said floor would swallow her up.

"That was on me," Colton said. "I was the one who grabbed her. It was completely inappropriate."

"I started it," Spring said, unwilling to have Colton take the blame for this.

Seth held up his hands. "Okay, let's go with it was mutual. But, seriously, have you no sense?"

She noted he was looking at both of them and she felt herself cowering just a bit. Should have locked the door, she chastised herself.

"And with the door unlocked? I could have been anyone."

"We get it," Spring said, now feeling like she was being given a lecture. "Next time we'll lock the door."

Colton let out a strangled sound which sounded like it was somewhere between a choked laugh and a sob.

"There won't be a next time," Seth said menacingly.

"You can't dictate what we do," Spring said, now feeling irate. "We're consenting adults and we can chose to do whatever we want."

"Oh, Spring, you do not want to go there with me right now," Seth said. "My anger is mostly directed at Colton because of the whole Belinda mess, but he knows what I'm saying. You and him? It will only end badly - for both of you."

"How do you know that," she demanded.

"Because I know Colton and I know your reputation. Neither of you is capable of a serious relationship."

"Hey-

"That's not-"

Seth cut them both off with a slash of his hand. He turned to Colton. "She's fifteen years younger than you are and your ex-sister-in-law to boot."

"Hey," Spring repeated. "You're thinking about Summer and Autumn, the twins. They're only twenty. I'm twenty-six."

"Oh, well that makes it alright," Seth bit back sarcastically. "There's still ten years between the two of you and a lifetime of experience. You're naïve, Spring. You have no idea what he's like."

Spring turned to Colton. "Are you just going to sit here and take this? He's your best friend and he's talking smack about you."

"Talking smack? Who the hell talks like that," Seth asked.

"Lay off her, Seth, she didn't do anything to deserve your anger. You want to get mad and take it out on someone? Take it out on me."

"Don't tempt me," Seth warned. "Because ever since you dumped Chantale, I've watched you make mistake after mistake. It's been almost a year, Colton."

Colton's eyes flickered. "What are you saying? That I'm not over Chantale? Hell, she's been married to Byrne for months now and she's having his baby. Whatever I felt for her died a long time ago."

Spring felt her stomach lurch. So he had felt something for Chantale. She'd always assumed he'd broken it off because he hadn't reciprocated the lawyer's feelings.

"Those feelings might have died, but you've been on a tear ever since." Seth hesitated. "Is this because Lola came back to town?"

Spring was about to ask who Lola was when Colton growled. The man actually growled. It was low and it was feral and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Do not ever say her name," Colton said, his eyes flinty. "She has nothing to do with this. She has nothing to do with anyone. She just..."

"Yeah," Seth said, "that's what I thought."

"I never should have told you," Colton said.

"I'm amazed you even remember doing it, you were so piss drunk," Seth said. "I've never seen you that wasted. But then, there was a reason for it, wasn't there?"

"Say another word and our friendship is over," Colton threatened. And Spring could see he meant every word. He was willing to walk away from his best friend? Over a woman? And who the hell was Lola anyway?

"I should leave," she said quietly.

"Stay," Colton said.

"Go," Seth said.

Neither response was particularly helpful, she thought. "Okay, how about a compromise? I'm going to go into the bedroom and make the bed. By the time I come out, I want you two to have reached a truce. Because, I promise you, no woman is worth a friendship like the one you two have."

"Even you," Seth asked. "Would you walk away from him for my sake?"

"Don't answer that," Colton warned her. "He's out-of-line for even asking the question. We survived Chantale, we'll survive this."

"Yes, we survived you breaking my sister-in-law's heart."

"And we survived me arresting your eventual wife."

"See, so this is no big deal," Spring pointed out.

Both men cut her nasty looks. She held up her hands. "Making the bed," she said, beating a hasty retreat. And as much as she wanted to eavesdrop, she didn't, instead opting to close the bedroom door and clean up the discarded clothes while making the bed. She would give them ten minutes, she decided. Unless she heard a fight, of course. Because the last thing Colton needed was to get into an altercation - physical or verbal - with Seth.

Colton wanted to stand. Hampered by his injured arm and a strong desire not to pull the stitches, he stayed where he was.

Seth, however, had no such impediment. He was pacing back and forth in front of the couch, occasionally glaring at Colton. Finally, he said, "it's the drugs, right? That's what making you act so out of character."

Looking down at his knotted fingers, Colton contemplated taking the coward's way out. All he had to do was just admit it was the drugs and Seth would back off. Except it wasn't true. Sometime in the last year or so, he'd begun to have feelings for Spring. Romantic feelings. Completely inappropriate feelings. The woman had guts. In their every interaction, she would stand up to him, challenge him, get in his face. Usually she was protecting one of her sisters, but sometimes it was just for the sake of arguing with him.

And the worst part - or the best part - was how turned on it would make him. Sparring with Spring was just plain hot and Colton always looked forward to their next encounter. Still, he owed the truth to Seth. "It's more than just the drugs."

Seth stilled. "How long?"

"About a year, maybe a little longer."

"So not when you were married to Sunshine."

Colton shook his head. "No. That would have been so completely inappropriate. God, she was twenty-one when Sun and I were together. No, it a more recent thing. There's just something about her."

"You get involved with her and it becomes known, it will blow up in your face."

"I think my life has already been ruined."

"So you want to take her down with you? That's awfully selfish of you."

Seth's words made him cringe. Was that what he was doing? Bringing Spring down to his level? Tainting her with his reputation?

"Or is this just a fling to get you through the worst of this?"

How was he supposed to answer that question? "I would never use her like that," he said with a bit more conviction than he felt.

"Have you even thought about your future?"

Colton did not want to have this conversation. Not here, not today. "I am literally taking one day at a time," he said tightly. "We both know that Belinda's recantation means nothing in the grand scheme of things because I was wrong to do what I did. There's no excuse and there won't be anyone who understands."

"We haven't talked about this," Seth observed.

"I am all talked out. Dorrie, Chantale, Spring...they've all had a piece of me. I have nothing left to give."

Seth regarded him with a long level look. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

"Like you did after I arrested Jocelyne? You were hurting and you didn't come to me."

"You had just arrested the woman I was in love with," Seth observed dryly. Then he appeared to relent. "And you're the one who brought her back into my life, for which I will always be grateful. She's the best thing that ever happened to me."

Colton nodded. "I'm not going to argue with that assertion."

"Do you feel the same way about Spring?"

"No," Colton said quietly. "It's not the same thing."

"Then you should be able to walk away before she does something stupid like falling in love with you," Seth advised. "Because I saw the look on her face and how quick she was to defend you. She was willing to put herself on the firing line for you, without hesitation. That's pretty special of her, don't you think?"

Seth was making very valid points, Colton knew, and yet he was still being drawn in.

"I'll try to leave her alone," he told his friend.

"That sounds suspiciously like a half-assed answer," Seth said. "And I get the feeling she's moving in to take care of you. Sure you can find someone else? What about Mallory or Dorrie?"

"Dorrie is still working," Colton said, "because there are still victims out there. She's working our open cases and setting up something with an officer from Abbotsford. There's a guy we need to nail before he attacks any more women."

Seth only shook his head. "Your life is falling apart around you, you're on leave - probably permanently - and you're worried about nailing a perp. Sometimes you're so honourable it's nauseating."

"And Mallory's giving a big presentation to a conference back east about her restorative justice program. It's a big honour, Seth, and I can't take that away from her. As you said, I'm going down. I don't want Mallory to be brought down as well. Her work is too important."

"Everything okay?"

Spring's soft words brought a halt to Seth's pacing and caused a little flutter in Colton's belly. Just the drugs, he reminded himself.

"We're fine," Seth said tightly.

Spring gave his a broad smile as if she hadn't noticed his tone of voice. "I came to take Colton's temperature."

Seth stepped aside and let Spring walk over to Colton. Everyone was still while they waited for the results.

"Still one hundred," she said. "But I think we should call Jocelyne."

"I'll make the call," Seth offered, but Colton waved him off.

"She was very clear about the numbers. I feel fine."

"You'll say that until you're not fine," Spring pointed out.

Colton shook his head. "This isn't some macho man thing. If it gets worse then I will let you call Doc, okay? I don't really want seizures and brain damage."

Seth cocked his head. "Those sound serious."

"I think she was just trying to scare me," Colton said.

"Or trying to talk some sense into you," Spring replied.

"I have to be going," Seth said. "I may not be able to get back until tomorrow."

"You don't have to keep dropping by," Colton pointed out.

Seth looked back and forth between Spring and Colton. "Oh, I think it's a good idea for me to check in with you from time to time."

"We're adults," Spring spat out. "We don't need a minder."

"Look, Spring, I'm always respectful of women, so I won't say what I really want to say. Both of you are adults, but you're acting like hormone-addled teenagers. This can only end badly."

"What if it doesn't end?"

Both men gaped at her. Colton felt something deep inside him, but he didn't want to spend too much time examining that particular feeling.

"Better that it not begin at all," Seth pointed out. "On that note, I have to get out of here." He gave Colton a quick nod, Spring a long look, and then took his leave.

As soon as the door was closed, Spring went over and flipped the lock. She turned back to Colton. "So who has a key?"

"Seth," he said on a chuckle. "Dorrie and Mallory."

"How is your sister?"

"Busy," Colton replied.

"How does she feel about what's happened?"

Colton considered. "I think she's confused. I mean, I'm her big brother, so she's inclined to want to defend me, but she's spent her life representing the victims."

"You won't make her choose, will you?"

He was floored by her perceptiveness. "No, I won't. She'll need to put distance between herself and me when she gets home. I'm toxic, Spring, you should know that."

"You trying to warn me off?"

"Is it working?"

She appeared to consider, then shook her head. "Do you think Mallory will stay away?"

"Why don't you sit?"

"Is this going to be a long story?" Her tone was light and teasing, but the smile dropped from her face when she saw his expression.

"That bad?"

He shook his head, but still patted the place on the couch next to him, waiting until she sat. He took a breath. "Mallory and I were always close," he said, "because my father was diagnosed with Huntington's disease when we I was eleven and she was nine. Our mother became devoted to him, as it should be, but that left Mallory and myself on the outside. We quickly learned how to be self-sufficient, but also how to take care of each other. My teenage years were horrific, but I managed, always encouraging Mallory. We both decided to be tested for the Huntington's gene and we're both negative, thank God. For myself I wouldn't care so much, but I wouldn't be able to bear it if Mallory were facing something like that."

"Always the big brother," Spring murmured. "Kennedy is the same way with us."

"I think some children are able to settle into the role of oldest child without resentment or complaint. I have always felt protective of Mallory and I don't think that will ever change."

"What about your parents? Are they still alive?"

Colton fought the wave of sadness. "My father...he passed away when I was eighteen. He asked me to help him commit suicide, but I couldn't do it."

Spring gasped. "That was very selfish of him to ask. You were still so young."

"Maybe," Colton conceded, "but he was desperate. One of my greatest regrets is not honouring that wish."

Spring didn't look convinced. "If you had been convicted, then you never could have become a cop."

"Well, we've seen how well that turned out," he said sardonically.

"Colton," she said, her voice a quiet admonishment. Then, after a beat, she asked, "and your mother?"

"Caught pneumonia the next winter and died. I'm not sure she had the will to fight after she lost my father."

"But that left you and Mallory alone," Spring pointed out, rather unnecessarily.

He shrugged. "We had each other. I dropped out of college for a couple of years to take care of her until she was settled into university. There was enough money from the life insurance policy for both of us to get degrees as well as setting us up. Mallory chose psychology and I went into law enforcement."

"So your degree is in criminology?"

Colton shifted, telling himself it was the arm which was making him uncomfortable. "Actually, I did a degree in business," he said honestly.

Spring eyed him speculatively. "It's a long way from business to cop, Colton. There's something you're leaving out."

Lola, he thought. He was leaving out Lola.

"I just felt a pull," he said, aiming for honesty. Because after what Lola had done, he had felt like he needed to seek justice for those who couldn't seek it for themselves.

"Colton."

He met her eyes.

"You shouldn't lie to me," she said. "I'm pretty good at sniffing out when someone's being deceptive or when they're lying to me."

Which was possibly why she was a good journalist.

"There's no big story or conspiracy," Colton said. "I just decided I needed to chart a new course with my life and public service seemed more appropriate than business. At one time I thought I might go into some kind of fraud or forensic accounting, but that wasn't where my talents lay."

"You're good with people," Spring observed.

"Fraud involved victims," Colton pointed out.

"But it's not the same thing," Spring said quietly.

"No," Colton agreed, "it's not."

She regarded him closely. "Who is Lola?"

Colton was glad he wasn't sipping a drink because he would have spit it up. Tenacious, he had thought of her. Now he added just a touch of admiration to that thought.

"Lola is nobody," he said honestly. "She means nothing to me."

"But she used to," Spring observed.

"There are lots of women in my past who used to mean something to me but no longer do," Colton said flippantly.

"Like Chantale?"

That brought him up short. He would never have thought to put Lola and Chantale in the same pile of ex-girlfriends. No, Lola was one of the very few, possibly the only, women who had walked away from him. Colton always did the walking, if it even went that far. He went a long way to make sure it never got that far.

"I didn't mean to hurt Chantale," he said honestly. "I'll always regret that."

"So you didn't hurt Lola?"

He glared at her.

"So she hurt you."

He tried for menacing, but he knew Spring wasn't going to back down. "I don't want to talk about Lola," he said plainly. "We all make mistakes and Lola was mine." He wracked his brain for a new topic. "I'm hungry."

She arched an eyebrow. "This isn't over, Colton, not by a long shot. Because I get the feeling this Lola had something to do with the demise of your marriage to Sunshine."

"You know nothing about that," he shot out. "And it's none of your business."

"Sunshine is always my concern," she shot back.

"Unrelenting," he spat out. "You just don't know when to leave well-enough alone."

She looked momentarily stunned by the vehemence in his tone. Maybe he'd been more forceful than he'd intended, but she needed to know this was a no-go topic for him. He never talked about Lola. Okay, he had once gotten really drunk and had confided in Seth, but wasn't that slip coming back to bite him in the ass?

Then, all at once, her expression changed. It softened and she gave him a small smile. "Always the strong one. You need to be able to talk to someone about this, Colton, all of this."

He offered her the best smile he could muster. "Spring, I'm all talked out."

"So then I'll feed you," she said. "Which microwave meal do you want?"

He grimaced. "So you got a look at the fridge?"

She offered him a smile. "Yup. When you go down for your nap, I'm going to run to the grocery store."

"Look, Spring, as much as I appreciate all this, you don't need to stay."

"Well, Colton, you have two choices. One, I stay. Two, I set up a rotation of friends and family who take shifts. I was thinking of including Chantale and Sunshine as well as Seth and Dorrie. You think you're all talked out with just me? Imagine how exhausted you'll be in that case."

The thought held zero appeal. "Don't you have somewhere to be? Something to be doing?"

"My story is on hold until Belinda's condition improves. By the way, you didn't give me your code to the Wi-Fi."

"Do I have any say in this?"

She appeared to consider, her eyes bright and clear. "That would be a no. I'll run interference for you, but that means you accept my help."

"You know, Seth pointed out this could ruin your reputation."

"Oh, or it might improve my reputation," she said with a grin. "I haven't been around enough bad boys."

"Spring," he began.

"Colton," she shot back. Her shoulders set. "I have never cared what people think of me except perhaps my sisters and we now know where they'll stand. Belinda's recantation might not mean anything to some people, but it means everything to my sisters. Especially the ones who believed in you for the beginning."

"This could have torn your family apart, Spring. Don't think I'm not aware of that."

She waved him off. "Nothing is going to tear the Dixons apart. Now, there's three cheese ravioli or meat loaf. There are about a dozen others, but those are your choices for the moment."

God, but she was a bossy little thing. No, not little. Spring Dixon was all grown up and she had spunk in spades.

"Meat loaf," he said. "Then I think I need to lie down again."

As Spring made her way through the Save-On, she reflected on the past few days. Spinach? Check. Bell peppers? Check. Falling for Colton? Double check.

His warning of bringing her down, which she'd so brazenly brushed off, was probably more accurate than she was willing to admit. This was a town divided and even if Belinda made a full recovery and again recanted her story, there would always be a cloud of suspicion over Colton. There would always be people who believed he had abused his authority. Hell, he still believed he had done something wrong.

"Spring?"

She looked up and came face-to-face with Jessica Stone. The statuesque redhead had the most extraordinary emerald green eyes which were assessing her.

"Jessica," Spring said, trying for a genuine smile and falling short. "Nice to see you. How's CNC?" The Canadian News Channel was where Jessica worked. Although she lived in Mission City, her job was to report on the much larger metropolis of Vancouver. She handled the crime and punishment beat.

"CNC is good," Jessica said, "but that's not what I want to talk to you about."

"Oh?" Spring tried for innocence and knew she was failing miserably.

"I heard you and Colton were at Belinda Oliphant's yesterday when she tried to kill herself."

Spring blanched. "I can't really talk-"

Jessica waved her off. "About the suicide, yes, I get that. I just want to know how you and Colton just happened to be there. Was he confronting her? Did she call him or did he just show up? How do you fit into all this?"

Tread carefully, Spring told herself.

"I'm a friend of Belinda's. That is to say, we went to school together. I went to see her about getting an interview and she turned down my request. She later called me and I could tell she was in distress. I called Colton and emergency personnel. That's the entire story."

"So why did he need over forty stitches? Why was there a hole in the window of Belinda's front door?"

If Spring had a reputation of being tenacious, Jessica was known as a pit-bull. The woman had been kidnapped by a radical terrorist group while covering a conflict in the Middle East. She had watched a colleague being beheaded and then eventually had been released. Her story was well-known across the country, but Spring knew more. She knew Jessica had been in therapy with Kennedy for almost a year. Spring knew she could casually drop a hint and that might end this interrogation, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. There were lines you just didn't cross. Seeing a psychologist was one, as was a suicide attempt.

"Off the record?"

Jessica looked leery, but eventually nodded. "Okay, for now. I reserve the right to seek independent confirmation, though."

Spring couldn't blame the woman for trying.

"I think I pushed Belinda too hard and she cracked. Yes, Colton broke into her house at my behest. He also gave her mouth-to-mouth and saved her life, all the while bleeding profusely from the wounds he suffered when he shoved his arm through that little window which was covered in glass. But he'll never take the credit, Jessica, and you know that. He'll never want his part known, and if you just report he was there, it will destroy whatever chance he might have of getting his reputation back."

"So it's true," Jessica murmured, "she did recant in her suicide note."

Was nothing private, Spring thought desperately?

"I cannot confirm that fact," she said honestly. "I did not see the note."

"But you're aware of its existence," Jessica persisted.

"I am," Spring said with reticence. "I was in the room when Colton was told about it by the responding officer who found the letter. I don't know whether it has been authenticated. I just know that we can't talk about Belinda's suicide attempt."

Jessica's brow furrowed. "But you must know that's not right. If she's recanting, then people need to know."

Spring considered. "Colton is worried about her. About her mental health, about how she's going to reintegrate into the community."

"A community to which they both belong," Jessica pointed out. "People have the right to know Colton is innocent of the charges levelled against him."

"You know it's not that simple," Spring said. "There was physical evidence."

Jessica nodded. "Okay, but I'm assuming there's an explanation for that. Look, Colton was one of the first people I met when I came to Mission City and maybe that interaction has coloured how I feel about him, but I've always found him to be honourable and above reproach."

Spring cringed inwardly. Colton didn't consider himself above reproach on this particular matter. "I think you need to speak to him," she said at length. "And I know he won't talk to you."

"I can't get to him," Jessica said, "not for lack of trying. The guy's got an impenetrable wall around him. Hell, I can't even find out where he lives and I can always find out where someone lives."

"How about Dorrie?"

Jessica shook her head. "Same wall. Everyone is protective of the two of them. I mean I've called in every favour and asked everyone I know, but it's all been for nothing. I have located his cellphone, but it goes straight to voicemail. I've left a couple of messages, but I'm not holding my breath. Hey, wasn't he married to one of your sisters?"

Slowly, Spring nodded. Colton's marriage was a matter of public record, so there was no sense arousing Jessica's suspicions by lying. "Yes, my older sister Sunshine. It was a very short marriage and, to be honest, I don't know why it ended." Or why they had even married in the first place.

"Did he abuse her?"

Spring's jaw dropped. "Oh hell no," she spat out. "Don't even think about trying to go down that road. Colton is incapable of hurting a woman."

"So how did Belinda Oliphant get bruises on her thighs?"

"I don't know," Spring said quietly. "I haven't had the guts to ask him."

"Because you're afraid of the answer?" Jessica's eyes narrowed. "So you are in contact with him. I thought you might be."

Spring cringed inwardly. No, this was not going well.

"We're still off the record, right?"

Warily, Jessica nodded.

"He's running a fever and there's concern about an infection. I need to be getting back there."

"Will you plead my case? I know you want the exclusive, but he's very photogenic. The camera will love him."

"Jessica, honestly, I can't think of anything less appropriate to say. His looks should have nothing to do with whether or not he speaks to the press. Look, I'm there as a friend, not a reporter. He can't talk to me without jeopardizing the case, which he won't do." And did he really have a face the camera would love? Spring saw him as dark and brooding and wasn't sure that would come across as sincere and open.

"Just let him know I'm interested, okay? I'm pushing to get an interview with Belinda Oliphant, but I know that's a long shot."

"I should say," Spring said, bile rising. "You need to leave that woman alone."

Jessica shrugged. "I go where the story takes me."

"At what cost?"

"I have limits," Jessica agreed. "I won't put someone in jeopardy."

Her green eyes were clouded with pain and Spring felt her annoyance waning.

"Not your fault, Jessica. I thought you had worked through this."

Bright green eyes shimmered, for just a moment, with unshed tears. "Yesterday would have been Damian's fortieth birthday. I got a call from his husband, telling me how proud he would have been of the work I'm doing. I'm trying, but I just can't get past it."

Spring longed to reach out and pull the older woman into an embrace. "Have you talked to Kennedy?"

Jessica seemed to recover herself. "I'll be okay. I just need to work. Work is what I'm good at."

"But work can't be the be-all and end-all of your life."

A small flicker of a smile flitted across Jessica's face. "Oh, Hunter makes sure I don't work too hard."

Hunter Coleman was Jessica's long-time boyfriend, world renowned photographer, and all-around hunky guy. He was as light as Colton was dark, with shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes. The guy was gorgeous. And he had often accompanied Jessica to the ranch for her counselling sessions, standing by her whenever she needed the support.

"Well, tell Hunter I say 'hi'."

"And you tell Colton I say 'hi'."

"I will," Spring reassured her, "but I have to go."

Jessica waved her off. "Go. Tell him I hope he's feeling better."

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