“I know who you are. And I don’t care what you want.” Rica stood firmly in the doorway. “Carter isn’t going…”

Carter put her hand on Rica’s shoulder. “It’s okay, babe. The sheriff’s a friend of mine.”

Rica turned stormy eyes to Carter. “Well, where was she a week ago when we could’ve used a little official help.” She wrapped an arm around Carter’s waist and angled her body between Reese and Carter. “You’re not taking her anywhere.”

“I can talk to her right here if you’d be more comfortable,” Reese said, trying to read the situation. Rica Grechi was more frightened than angry, that much she could see. “It might be better for everyone if Carter and I take a little walk down the street, though.”

“Better for who?” Rica snapped.

“Reese knows the whole story, Rica. We can trust her.”

Rica searched Carter’s face. “Are you sure?”

Carter nodded and kissed Rica softly. “Positive. I won’t be gone long.”

“Take your phone.” Rica stroked Carter’s cheek. “Call me if there’s any trouble. If you’re not back in thirty minutes, I’m coming after you.”

“I’ll be back before then. Don’t worry.”

Reese waited until the door closed behind them and Carter joined her on the sidewalk before speaking. “Sorry. I didn’t realize it would be a problem for me to stop by the gallery.”

“It wouldn’t be,” Carter said as they turned toward the center of town, “except we’ve had a rough couple of weeks since that business with Lorenzo Brassi.”

“When you called and told me you thought the threat to Ms. Grechi was over, I pulled the patrols off her house and gallery. Was that a mistake?”

“That isn’t where our problem’s been coming from.” Carter indicated a coffee shop. “Want anything?”

“Always good for coffee. I’m buying.”

Reese ordered two coffees to go, thanked the many townspeople who said they were glad to see her back, and handed a cup to Carter as they walked back outside. “So tell me why Rica Grechi looks like she’s ready to take on anyone who comes near you.”

Carter smiled. “She’s being a little overprotective, I guess.”

“Considering someone kicked the hell out of you a few weeks back, that’s probably justified.”

“It’s more than that. The FBI pulled me in a couple days after they confirmed it was Brassi who went up in flames. I guess my quitting right before it happened and the fact that Rica and I are lovers sent everybody’s red flags into the stratosphere.”

“You must have expected it.”

“I did. At least I expected to be questioned.” Carter sipped her coffee. “But the lead FBI agent decided if she sweated me long enough, she’d get what she was after. She invoked the Patriot Act and kept me incommunicado for three days. Finally my ex-partner raised so much hell they let me go.”

“Jesus,” Reese said. “Whether you resigned or not, you’re still one of us.”

Carter shook her head. “No. I’m Rica Grechi’s lover. That makes it a whole new ballgame.”

They walked to the end of the pier at MacMillan Wharf and finished their coffee while the ferry docked and a hundred people piled off for a day of sightseeing and shopping. Carter tilted her head back as the wind blew salt spray through her hair. It felt good to be outside and free.

“Rica didn’t know what had happened to me,” Carter said, “and there was no one she could call. She was scared.” Carter’s jaws clenched as she remembered just how scared Rica had been. “Now that she’s had some time to settle down, she’s mightily pissed.”

“I don’t blame her.” Reese smiled briefly, thinking that Tory would have reacted very much the same way. “I stopped by to see if you were staying in town. I guess you are.”

“I’ve got my place here, but I’ve pretty much been staying at Rica’s. I’ll probably end up opening the law office for real.” Carter eyed Reese speculatively. “But this isn’t just a social call.”

“I also thought I’d let you know that the FBI gave us a call and requested we put you and Rica on our watch list.”

Carter’s stiffened. “Why are you telling me?”

“Because I thought you should know, cop to cop.”

“I’m not a cop anymore.”

“You quit because you had to. Because you had another responsibility, to Rica and to yourself. Doesn’t mean you’re not a cop still.” Reese indicated her watch. “We better head back before your girlfriend comes after me.”

“I appreciate the heads-up, but Rica and I aren’t going to live looking over our shoulders. We don’t have anything to be guilty about.”

“I didn’t figure you did, which is why there aren’t any patrols on either one of you. And that’s why we’re not really having this conversation.”

“Thanks.”

“You know, this is a pretty small town. Quiet, most of the time.” Reese glanced up and down Commercial Street, which was coming to life with early-morning deliveries, tourists out for their runs, and people picking up coffee and pastries from the bakeries and coffee shops. “But things do get exciting from time to time. You ever feel like trying small-town policing, come by the station and we’ll talk.”

“You don’t think that would be a problem, considering Rica’s father?”

Reese shrugged as they turned up the sidewalk to the gallery. “That’s his life, not hers.”

The door opened, and Rica hurried out. She slid her arm around Carter’s waist again. “Everything all right?”

“Fine.” Carter circled Rica’s shoulder and held her close. “Don’t worry, babe.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt your morning, Ms. Grechi,” Reese said. “I’ll try to see that you and Carter aren’t troubled any further. If you are, please call me.”

Rica studied Reese for a long moment, then held out her hand. “Please forgive my temper earlier. And call me Rica.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Rica.” Reese saluted with a finger to the brim of her hat. “You both have a good day now.”

As Reese turned and glimpsed Bri waiting in the cruiser, she felt the last shattered pieces of her world settle into place. This was where she was meant to be; this was her life. She was home.