Free Smoky Mountain Investigation by Annslee Urban Page B

he’d taken. Love. Why’d he have to say that? Let alone used to love. Open mouth, insert foot. Size thirteen, at that.
    “I’m glad you still have an inquisitive spirit. It’s nice that some things don’t change.” He tried for clarification to make amends.
    “I’ve changed plenty, Nick.”
    “Oh?” Now he was curious.
    She took another bite, and he did also.
    “So.” He swallowed. “What changes have you made?”
    “Well,” she muttered, dabbing the sides of her mouth, “I’m more routine and settled. Not quite as impulsive as when I was younger. And, yes—” she met his gaze, her eyes focused on his “—it is awkward when you use the word love. Especially in the past tense.”
    The woman could read his mind. That hadn’t changed.
    “Sorry. I’ll try to watch my words.”
    She lowered her lashes, hiding her expression. “Thank you.”
    He took a bite of his sandwich, chastising himself for his poor choice of words.
    “I just don’t like to be reminded of my mistakes.” She finished her statement with a sigh and Nick bit his tongue to keep from choking. Mistake?
    Ouch. That hurt, in more ways than one.
    Nick sat there a moment, mulling over a response for a comment like that. True, their relationship hadn’t worked out, but he’d never considered it a mistake. A growing experience, maybe. Could she really believe it was anything other than that? Or was she just trying to get back at him?
    No. That didn’t sound like Kylie. She was too sweet.
    Taking another bite, he didn’t bother to try to figure out her motives. His years of training in psychological criminology had supplied him with insight into the behavior and mental processes of the criminal mind. But when it came to the mind of a woman, he was still at a loss.
    Nick wadded up the sandwich wrapper and tossed it into the trash. He’d let the mistake comment ride for the moment. For now he had more important tasks to attend to.
    Catching a stalker was number one on his list.
    * * *
    An awkward quietness lapsed between them.
    Setting her canned drink on her desk, Kylie shot a quick glance at Nick from beneath her lashes. The bewilderment that had momentarily captured his features was displaced by a cool and relaxed expression.
    The poor man was probably confused by her sensitivity to their past. Obviously it wasn’t something he dwelled on.
    Kylie raised her drink to her lips again and took another sip. The logical part of her brain shouted, Good for him. But emotionally, her heart slipped a little.
    “By the way, I had a nice conversation with Dave today.” Nick finally spoke after chasing his last bite of chips down with a drink of cola.
    “He gave me permission to look over the facts in the case,” Nick continued, wiping his fingers with a paper napkin. “I plan to compile them on a flowchart and see how the pieces fit together.”
    She glanced at him, impressed. “You sound so organized.”
    The glint of fervor in his eyes impressed her even more. “It’s helps to write things down and study them on paper. I call it my investigative road map. Hopefully, the trail of clues on that map will lead us to your stalker.”
    “Sounds like a great plan.” She nodded.
    Nick displayed the dedication and zeal he’d had when he was young. A man of integrity who had a passion to fix what was broken, lend a helping hand and not let anyone down. Although it was an impossible quest to live up to, as it turned out.
    The precarious situation she’d put him in the night Conrad was killed still haunted her.
    With a plan to capture a panoramic view of the campsite at sunset for the yearbook, she’d coerced Nick into sneaking away from camp and coming along, knowing he wouldn’t let her go alone. Though the trek took longer than either of them had expected, she’d still selfishly pushed forward, not concerned enough about getting back before curfew.
    If her youthful judgment hadn’t been skewed, maybe Nick’s presence would have diverted