Strictly Confidential. Terri Reed

      “Breakfast?” Her blue eyes twinkled.

      Ah. So there was more to this than a mere ride.

      “Whatever you wish,” he stated.

      He gunned the engine and sped away from the police station. In his rearview mirror he saw her brothers had come out the doors and were watching them drive away. The urge to put his arm around her shoulders was more than he could resist. “Where to?”

      She glanced at his outstretched arm lightly resting across the tops of her shoulders. “The Stagecoach. Of course.”

      With a grin, he drove through the morning traffic and turned onto South Cascade Avenue in the heart of downtown Colorado Springs. With over a half a million in population in the metro area, the town bustled with activity. Between residents going about their everyday lives and tourists come to enjoy the beauty of the town nestled beneath Pikes Peak, the downtown offered something for everyone.

      For the avid reader, the stunning branch of the Pikes Peak Library District was within walking distance from countless relaxing reading spots. Many times over the years Colleen had spent time in one of the many lush parks, working on a story or sitting in a coffee shop among the thriving businesses and apartment buildings of the main thoroughfare.

      After removing his arm from around her, Alessandro slipped the car into a parking spot in front of the charming red barnlike structure that claimed to serve the best apple pie this side of the Rockies.