Free Hold Your Breath (Search and Rescue) by Katie Ruggle

eyebrows rose almost to his hairline. “Excuse me?”
    She gave an uncomfortable shrug. “Like we took advantage of Belly’s, you know, tipsiness or something.”
    “Oh.” He was quiet for a moment. “She wouldn’t have said anything to just anyone, if that makes you feel better. She also, most likely, would have shared all that with you sober.”
    “Really? What makes me special? I just met her, so it’s not like she really knows me well.”
    Callum stopped at the driver’s door of her truck as she pulled it open. “You’re one of us now.”
    Cocking her head to the side, she just stared at him, confused.
    “Fire, paramedics, cops. Search and rescue. You’re not just the barista making Belly’s coffee anymore—you’re her colleague.”
    “Oh.” A warm sensation slipped over her at the thought of being part of a group, of a family consisting of not only the dive team, but of all Field County’s first responders. It was a nice feeling…comforting.
    “Just make sure you keep the information confidential,” he warned. “What we see on the scene or hear from others, like Bel, stays among us, got it?”
    She climbed into the truck. “Got it.”
    When he unexpectedly leaned closer, her breath caught with a sudden mix of panic and startling hot anticipation. Mostly panic. Maybe. Seemingly unaware of her response, Callum reached an arm out and flicked the gaudy pendant hanging from her rearview mirror.
    “This is illegal, you know. It obstructs your view and could create a blind spot.”
    She blinked, crushing any possible disappointment into rubble. “Oh.”
    With a frown, he glanced around the cab. “Don’t you ever clean your truck?”
    “Of course.” The touch of disapproval in his tone made her clench her molars as she gave him a wide grin showing lots of teeth. “Once a year, whether it needs it or not.”
    The appalled look on his face made her laugh for real.
    “Good night, Cal.”
    Stepping back, he checked to make sure she was clear of the door before closing it. He lifted a hand and watched as she backed out of her parking spot. When she turned onto Main Street and headed for the highway and home, she glanced in her rearview mirror.
    Callum was still standing where she’d left him, illuminated by the sodium lights of the Simpson Bar parking lot, looking gorgeous and strong and achingly alone.

Chapter 5
    The next day, an unseasonably warm spell brought hordes of people out of hibernation and directly to The Coffee Spot. It was late afternoon before the shop emptied, and Lou finally had the chance to pull out her laptop and log onto the Internet.
    But before she had time to do anything else, the sleigh bells from hell jangled, announcing the entrance of yet another customer. Biting back the curses that wanted to escape, she closed her laptop and plastered on a smile.
    “What can I get…oh, Cal!” Her fake smile morphed into a real one. “Thank God. I’ve been dying to talk with you. My brain wouldn’t turn off last night. I just kept thinking about everything Belly told us, so now I have a gazillion questions.”
    Although he wasn’t smiling, his expression was slightly more pleasant than his usual dark scowl. He held out his travel mug, and Lou filled it while still talking.
    “We now know a lot more. I mean, HDG had—”
    “H-what?” he interrupted.
    Flushing a little, she explained, “HDG, as in Headless Dead Guy. Sorry, I know that’s insensitive, but I had to call him something, so I’ve been referring to him as HDG in my head, and it just slipped out.”
    Callum looked more amused than offended. “The job—the dive team, not the coffee job—tends to make all of us more callous. Just watch how you talk around civilians.”
    “That’s what the initials are for. So I don’t actually say the words ‘headless’ or ‘dead.’” She grinned. “Anyway, now we know he’d been in the Army, had diabetes, and was missing two toes. So I’m wondering if we should check out