We went out for my twenty-first birthday, just the two of us. That wasn’t a sign of anything—we’ve always been good friends. When he asked where I wanted to go, I said the most expensive place in town, just to give him a hard time. Then I bought a knockout dress, got my hair done, even had a manicure. That night Adam would finally realize the smart-ass, irresponsible Savannah was gone for good. I was a woman now.

If he did notice, it didn’t seem to make any difference. I wasn’t his friends’ ward anymore. I was his coworker and pal and that was all I was ever going to be. Take it or leave it. I’d decided to take it. That didn’t mean, though, that my heart didn’t flutter every time I heard his ring tone.

“Let me guess,” he said when I answered. “You’re bored and lonely already.”

“Nope. Got a triple homicide with possible ritualistic overtones already.”

I gave him a quick rundown.

“Jesse’s a good guy,” he said when I finished. “You could use the experience. As the senior employee in Paige and Lucas’s absence, I’m making an executive decision.”

“You like that, don’t you?”

“Anything that gives me the upper hand. I promise not to lord it over you when I get there, though.”

“You’re at a conference. As boring as it might be, you’re stuck.”

“There are just a couple more seminars I want to sit in on, so I’ll leave early and come give you a hand. Jesse’s fine, but better to work with someone you know, right? We make a good team.”

True. But as much as I loved working with Adam, I really wanted this to be my first solo case. As solo as I could make it, anyway. So I said we’d discuss it later. He was fine with that.

“Now, you’re going to stay in Columbus, right? Not commute back and forth.”

“It’s only an hour drive. I have to come back or Paige and Lucas will know something’s up.”

“I’ll say I sent you out to do legwork for me.”