“A promise,” she repeated. They were good at keeping those.
They turned, fingers linked, and headed toward the house. Whole. Together.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As with all stories, this one was a journey. Thank you to so many who walked it with me.
To Kimberly Brower, who is a force of nature. I have no idea how you do all that you do, but I’m so grateful that you throw me into the mix.
To Marion Archer, for your wisdom and deep sensitivity.
To Charlotte Herscher, who challenges me in ways that help me grow and is a true pleasure to work with even when asking me to rewrite large sections of my first draft. I’d work with you a hundred times over! And thank you to Maria Gomez and the rest of the Amazon team, who make the process run so smoothly and （seemingly） effortlessly.
To my readers. Thank you for your enthusiasm and kindness, for making me want to strive to do better each time, and for constantly showing up. My appreciation is endless.
To all the book bloggers, Instagrammers, and BookTokers: I am humbled that so many of you have turned your creativity and passion in my direction.
To my husband, thank you for being so damn good at keeping promises. I love you.
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CHAPTER ONE
Reno, Nevada, the one place on earth she’d vowed never to return to. Unfortunately, that pledge had blown up in her face, an outcome that was an iffy mix of fate and her own emotionally charged decision-making.
Would you change it? Sienna asked herself for the hundredth time.
And for the hundredth time, she still wasn’t certain of the answer.
Only . . . yes, yes, she was sure of the answer. She’d do it again if given the choice. She just hadn’t anticipated the choice leading her here.
The cloudless desert sky—vivid blue and endless—stretched above as she pulled open the door to the police department before stepping into the blessed relief of the air-conditioned building.
“May I help you?” the woman at the front desk asked on a smile.
Sienna smiled back, though not quite as widely. “Sienna Walker here to see Sergeant Dahlen.”
“Oh, hi! You’re the new detective from New York, right? I’m Chelle Lopez. Nice to meet you. What do you think of Reno so far?”
“Hi, Chelle. Nice to meet you too. And I’m actually from Reno. Originally, I mean.”
A look of surprise lit Chelle’s round face. “Oh, well then, welcome home.”
Sienna schooled her expression, even while a knot twisted in her stomach at Chelle’s words, and she watched as the woman picked up the phone and let Sergeant Dahlen know she was there.
“She’ll be out in just a minute.”
“Great, thanks,” Sienna said as Chelle picked up another call. Soon she was laughing at something the person on the other end said and lowering her voice as she chatted on what was obviously a personal call.
Sienna had barely taken a seat when a very tall, striking woman in her fifties with white-blonde hair in a spiky pixie cut entered the lobby, her eyes focused on her. “Sienna Walker?”
She stood. “Yes. Sergeant Dahlen? Nice to meet you in person.”
The older woman, who was wearing a black pantsuit, a black shirt, and red high heels, moved toward her and shook her hand quickly as Sienna lifted her chin, attempting to see eye to eye with the woman and failing. “You can follow me this way.”
Sergeant Dahlen led her through the station, buzzing with the midday activity of a busy police force, her long legs causing Sienna to have to hurry to keep up. They entered an office, and Sergeant Dahlen closed the door behind them. She gestured to a chair in front of her desk, and they both took a seat as she picked up her phone and asked someone to come to her office. Sienna did a quick sweep of the room, which was completely devoid of clutter and appeared as squared away as the woman who inhabited it.
She replaced the phone in its cradle, leaned back, and crossed her legs as she perused Sienna. “Your captain, Darrin Crewson, and I are both army veterans.”
“Yes, he told me, ma’am.”
“Ingrid.” She paused, her eyes narrowing very slightly. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my fellow brothers and sisters in arms.”
Sienna nodded, her nerves tingling. “Yes, and vice versa, Darrin said.” If an icicle morphed into a person, Sergeant Dahlen is what it would look like, Sienna thought. Lovely in a cold, sharp way.
Sergeant Dahlen—Ingrid—lifted her chin as though reading Sienna’s thoughts and agreeing. “Even so, I don’t need nor want a troublemaking renegade causing me headaches and unnecessary paperwork. I hate unnecessary paperwork.”