He glanced up at her as she stood over him.Her eyes were hidden by sunglasses as well, but something in her tone gave him the distinct impression that she wasn’t just talking about Rufus.“I can do that.”He would be as patient as she needed him to if it meant having her be part of his life again.
He waited for Rufus to move farther away before standing, not wanting to startle or scare him.Leave it to Willow to take in a senior rescue dog.
“What are you doing down here in the middle of a workday?”she asked.
“Just taking a break and getting some inspiration.”This whole past week had been tough.Seeing her at The Skelly had triggered his PTSD.
Sleep had become torture again, the short stretches filled with restless dreams and nightmare flashbacks.He was running on fumes, wanted time and space to think in a peaceful place, and this was a favorite of his.It reminded him of happier times.
Most of them included Willow.
“So what are we looking for?”he asked them.
“Human bones,” Willow said.
He jerked his head around to stare at her.“What?”
“Rufus and I were down here earlier, and he found a leg bone.Bronwyn’s a bone expert.She verified it was human.”
Bronwyn was shaking her head.“I’m actually not an expert?—”
“We came back to see if we could find any more,” Rafe said.
Tripp pushed aside the instant spike of foreboding and kept his expression impassive.“Probably from one of the old wrecks offshore.Occasional remains still wash up here from time to time.”
“It’s possible,” Rafe said.“But I need to check it out.”
Yeah.Of course he did.
“So where did you find it?”Rafe asked Willow, trying to sound casual.
“Over there.”She pointed across the large field of boulders standing between them and the cove, and led the way.
Tripp reluctantly joined in, sticking close to her.Rufus got busy sniffing between all the rocks on their route, checking out every crevice at the end of his leash while everyone else fanned out on the far side to look along the high tide line on the beach.
After about twenty minutes without finding anything, Willow gathered Rufus in close to her and spoke to Rafe.“Maybe we should split up.I can go take a look where the old burial ground is supposed to be at the top, see if I find anything there.”
“I’ll go with you,” Tripp said before anyone else could answer.
“Okay.Come on, Rufus.”
Tripp followed them up the pile of boulders toward the top of the bank.Rufus climbed them easily, but Willow’s foot slipped partway up.
Tripp’s hands shot out to grab her hips and catch her before she fell.She gripped the edge of a large boulder to steady herself and glanced over her shoulder at him, the ends of the two leashes she was using to secure him in her other hand.“Thanks.”
“Of course.You good?”He was acutely aware of their position.Of how close he was behind her, and the feel of her hips in his hands.Pliable.Just soft enough for his fingers to sink in.
“Yes.”Resisting the urge to squeeze the tempting curves he held, he let her go, his palms tingling.Unbidden, an image of him grasping her hips from behind, both of them naked, flashed through his mind.
He shoved the fantasy away.Whatever might have been between them was dead and buried.Another lifetime ago.
At the top of the bank Willow climbed over the edge, brushed some dirt from her pants, and stood tall to look around.Tripp followed her as she walked slightly ahead of him.Rufus kept shooting anxious looks back at him, silently warning him to keep his distance.Whether away from him or from Willow, Tripp wasn’t sure.Either way...
I don’t blame you, buddy.
“How close to the edge was the old burial ground supposed to be up here, do you remember?”Willow asked.
“Pretty close.”He really didn’t want to be involved with this, but it gave him an excuse to spend time with her.
