Two months later...

Leaning against the wooden fence railing, she watched as Cole, sitting astride his horse, came flying toward them, hell-for-leather, across the dry earth and she was once again struck by how accurate her first impression of him had been.

Cole Dalton was a rugged, rough-hewn cowboy who could lasso horses and who also liked a stiff drink and a puff on a cigar at the end of the day. But, Cole Dalton was also one of kindest, softest men she'd ever had the pleasure of meeting. Though Zebuliah Collins did run a close second.

She'd been staying in Cole's home for the past two months, while they finished their case...tying up loose ends, filing paperwork, showing up for court hearings...and trying to avoid the media frenzy around herself and what she'd done to her own sister.  But, that work was through now. Kimber Prescott had been sentenced to life in prison, without parole, after avoiding the death penalty by pleading guilty to the charges of murder in the first degree and conspiracy to commit murder.

Petyon Stark had been buried in a quiet corner of a cemetery on the outskirts of Santa Maria, her grave unmarked but for a small, numbered placard, so that hopefully she would eventually be forgotten...and deservedly so, just like her father before her.

And, though it seemed to be coarse clay in comparison, Detective Rogers was no longer employed as a law officer, nor would he ever be again.

It was all over. And what a travesty it had been. Four lives lost, families upended and torn apart. And it was all for nothing.

Peyton Stark had murdered Hallie Whitmore in cold blood for no other reason than Nathan Rutherford had ended his fling with Kimber Prescott. Nathan had carried on with the woman for a few weeks, taking she and Peyton to concerts in the desert and fancy restaurants around town and to the Gulf where they stayed at an expensive resort. Nathan Rutherford had, during those few short weeks, professed his love for Kimber and had filled her ear with promises of being swept away into a new life, one of leisure and luxury...taking her friend along by-proxy. And a few weeks later, he'd stopped speaking to Kimber and had taken up with Hallie Whitmore.

And of course, when Nathan had thrown Kimber Prescott aside, he'd also thrown Peyton Kendrick aside. And that had been the catalyst that set off the entire chain of events. Peyton Kendrick-Stark, who'd never wanted anything more than to be someone else...somewhere else...hadn't appreciated having that opportunity taken away from her. So, she'd gotten rid of the competition, in hopes that Nathan would decide to pick things up with Kimber again.

It would have been such an easy puzzle to work out...but the right question hadn't been asked.

Hallie's clutch of friends had known that Nathan had briefly dated Kimber and that Kimber's friend had been there in the mix. But, they hadn't put it together simply because Kimber's friend went by the name Peyton Kendrick...rather than Peyton Stark.

Of course, once Hallie had been disposed of, Nathan hadn't pick back up with Kimber. And then Etty had managed to work it out, thanks to Kimber's inability to keep her mouth closed...which meant that Etty had to die. And then it was Kimber Prescott's turn to dispose of the problem, which she'd done handily.

Really, it was all such a terrible waste.

She had no regrets, though. She'd done her job.  The young woman, Tiffany, had been spared any real harm, and the two women had been brought to justice.  And it was none too soon, because Hallie Whitmore likely wasn't Peyton Stark's only victim.

That day at the salon...once everything had righted itself and she could think straight again...she'd wondered how Cole, along with several other officers, could have gotten to the scene so fast. She'd called Zeb only moments before she'd been forced to shoot the woman.

Cole had refused to tell her for a few days. He'd wanted to give her time to process what had happened before hitting her with even more devastating news. That news being that Peyton Kendrick was a person of interest in at least three other murders in the state, though nothing could ever be proved.

Cole had only been tipped off when she'd mentioned Peyton's name, which had rung a bell for him. While she'd been at the salon, he and Zeb had been doing a search...realized who Peyton was and what she was suspected of...and that her last known place of employment was the salon on North Vista...

Cole hadn't wanted her to be alone, in case she managed to discover the truth, and he'd brought backup, in case Peyton Kendrick was there. He'd worried, that if things took a turn for the worse, she might not be able to do what needed to be done. And that he might not be able to do it, either, simply because he didn't want to risk her hating him if anything unfortunate were to happen to her sister.

He needn't have worried, though. She was, after all, known as a shark...a solitary predator, relentlessly stalking her prey...never leaving anything behind but a smear of blood in the water...

"You're bags are in the Wagoneer, so you're all ready to go," a voice in her ear jolted her from her thoughts, bringing her back to the present moment, where Zeb was beside her, a rather melancholy expression on his face.

"Thank you, Zeb," she smiled at him, reaching out and giving his shoulder a squeeze.

"Are you sure you have to go? You could stay for a while longer," he suggested with a small measure of hope.

No. She really couldn't. "I think I've laid low for long enough, Zeb. I need to get back to work."

There were other cases that needed her attention and other families that needed her help.

The sound of horse's hooves thundering against the ground drew her gaze away from Zeb and back toward Cole, who was barreling toward them at full speed. As he neared the fence, he reigned the beast to a halt amid of cloud of dust, the animal heaving out great breaths of air as his nostrils flared.

Cole leaped effortlessly to the ground, pulling off his cowboy hat and using it to knock the dust off his jeans before hanging it over the top of a fence post. "Are you all ready to go?" he asked as he tethered the horse to the railing.

"I am," she replied, allowing her gaze to take in the sight of him, his ruddy hair wind tossed, his face flushed with excitement and effort, his icy eyes sparking with life.

She wanted to commit him to her memory, just in case life made it so their paths never crossed again.

"I'm trying to talk her into staying for a while longer," Zeb stated, his tone a bit downcast.

"I've been trying to talk her into that for a week," Cole admitted as he made his way through the open gate. "Obviously, I'm not that persuasive."

"Or maybe I need to get back to my work," she pointed out. "I think I've taken up your spare room and hogged your TV remote for long enough."

Cole shrugged as he gave her a good-natured grin. "I don't mind. I'm kind of getting used to watching that show about rich housewives. Its kind of soothing, despite all the screaming."

"That's the point, Mr. Dalton," she advised as Cole turned to her, something of a sorrowful look softening his rugged features.

"Are you sure you won't stay?" he asked her for what felt like the hundredth time. "You know you're welcome here for as long as you want."

She felt that he'd left off the...forever, if you want...and she was glad. She didn't want her leaving to be any more painful than it needed to be.

"I'd stay if I could. Really," she said as he stepped up to her. "But, I just can't."

A deep sigh escaped Cole as he stood there, towering over her. "I feel like once you drive away from here, Detective Stark, I'll never see you again."

"I hope that's not the case," she admitted truthfully. "But, even if I can't make it back to Santa Maria, I have a place in Savannah. The door is always open. For both of you."

She slid her gaze over to Zeb, who's somber face brightened a measure. "I'm probably going to take you up on that. I think good friends should stay in touch. And they should see each other if they can."

"I agree," she told the young man, who suddenly took hold of her and pulled her into his arms, crushing her against him in a hug that pushed the breath out of her lungs.

"I'll miss you, Tessa," he said as he pressed a kissed to the top of her head. "And if you need anything, you just call me and I'll come running."

She pulled in a breath of the sharp, sweet cologne he always wore. "I'll miss you, too, Zebuliah. And you can call me, even if you don't need anything."

After several moments, Zeb finally dropped his arms to his sides and took a step back from her, allowing Cole to move in and offer her his arm, which she accepted. As they walked away from the fence and toward her Wagoneer, she cast a last look toward the two story stone ranch house with the red metal roof and the wide front porch scattered with rocking chairs.

She'd spent the last weeks sitting on that porch, watching as the sun set out over the desert, watching Cole as he exercised his horse, listening to the night winds play through the scrub. She'd never felt more at home...more at peace.

"I'll be calling to check on you, Tessa. And I'll likely make a nuisance of myself, just to warn you," Cole stated firmly.

"You can call all you like. And I'll always answer," she assured him. "Even if you are being a nuisance."

"Good," Cole grinned as they made their way around to the driver's side door. "Because if you don't answer, I might just come looking for you."

"If I don't answer, you should come looking for me, Detective Dalton." After everything Cole had done for her, the only reason she wouldn't answer his call would be if she couldn't answer his call.

Coming to a stop, Cole pulled opened the door for her. "I'm gonna miss you like the dickens, Tessa."

She nodded, trying to ignore the pang that struck her heart as she traced the planes and angles of his face...watched the silver threads at his chin glimmer in the sunlight...tried to feel how much space he seemed to take up, even outside in the wide open.

"Be safe," he whispered, leaning down and pressing his mouth to her cheek...and then to the tip of her nose...before gently capturing her mouth beneath his in a whisper-soft kiss that caused her soul to tug.

Maybe...if things were different...if she was someone else... But, she wasn't someone else. She was...she. And she needed to put some distance between herself and Santa Maria.

After a lingering moment, Cole straightened up and moved away from her, allowing her to slide behind the wheel. And with nothing more to be said between the three of them, she closed the door, turned over the engine...and started away from the little stone ranch house and the two men she'd come to love.

Driving along the stretch of road leading away from Cole's ranch and toward the highway...she did her best not to glance in her rear view mirror. She needed to turn her thoughts forward and leave Santa Maria—and everything that had happened there—well behind.  Looking back would do her no good.

Braking to a stop at the end of the mile long road, she glanced up and down the deserted stretch of highway slicing through the desert, finding that she was actually looking forward to heading back home to Savannah. She needed to check on her little cottage on Honey Bee Lane, maybe take a few days to enjoy the Autumn season. The summer tourists would be gone and the weather would still be a balmy eighty five degrees...just perfect for having an afternoon swim or searching for moon jellies at night.

Just as she prepared to step on the gas and point herself eastward, her cell phone rang. Reaching into her bag laying in the seat beside her, she pulled it out...a waft of warmth passing through her as she saw the name displayed on the screen.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey there, Beauty. Remember me?" the deep voice in her ear greeted.

"As if I could forget," she returned as all the memories...good and bad...swept over her.

"How've you been keeping yourself?" Axl wondered, his tone gentle.

Wasn't that a loaded question. "I'm keeping myself alive. You?"

"Pretty much," the man replied. "Listen, Tessa, are you working a case right now?"

Something in Axl's voice caused her stomach to tighten. "I've just cleared one. I'm actually headed back home for a while."

"Well, then I hate to ask this of you, but do you think you could spare some time for an old friend?"

"I might be able to. What's up?" she wondered, knowing that Axl Harding wouldn't be asking for her to spare some time just so they could catch up.

"The big wigs asked me to call you. They're wondering if you'd be willing to come back to Point Grace and help finish up some business," Axl stated and her heart skipped a beat.

"What business would that be?" she asked, suddenly sounding a bit breathless.

She'd only worked one case in the bustling, seaside town of Point Grace. Just one case... And that case, which she hadn't been able to resolve, was constantly with her, haunting the back of her mind.

Axl paused for a second, as if he didn't want to utter the words. "He's back, Tessa. The North Bend Strangler is back."

Tessa heard herself suck in a sharp breath.  The North Bend Strangler...was back?  That sadistic monster...was back?

After a long, frozen moment, she forced herself to move, stepping on the gas and hitting the open highway, heading west instead of east. Savannah would have to wait. "I'm on the road now.  I'll be there as fast as I can..."

THE END