“Got a horn scrapped across my side, right above my hip bone. Just needed a few stitches. Nothing too serious.” He wouldn’t mention the terror of a two-ton beast charging toward him at full speed. Thank God he’d handled his fair share of livestock before. Quick thinking had turned a deadly situation into one with only a minor injury and bad memory.
“Must be something in the air,” Eve said. “The rodeo comes into town every year, and I’ve never heard of an animal escaping. Especially one as dangerous as a bull. The people who handle the animals are professionals. How could something like that happen?”
“I had the same thought. Madden pulled the security footage to see if someone was goofing around and things got out of control, or if someone had more nefarious intentions.”
Eve shot him a quick frown. “What do you mean?”
Suddenly exhausted, he leaned his head against the seat as a stretch of green meadows passed by the window. News about the death of the young woman would be common knowledge soon. Better for Eve to be aware of the situation than left in the dark. With a killer on the loose, she needed to be on high alert.
“A woman was murdered at the fairgrounds last night, and the sheriff’s department is hiring us for extra protection at the remaining rodeo events.”
Tense silence smothered the inside of the car. He studied Eve’s face as she kept her gaze locked forward. Stiff lines hardened her features. “Do the deputies have any idea who killed her?”
“Nothing yet, but they’re working hard to find the person responsible.”
“Do you think it’s connected to what happened to me?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
He weighed his words. He didn’t want to scare her but also wanted to be honest. “I spoke with Deputies Hill and Silver, and neither has mentioned the incidents being connected. They are being investigated as separate cases.”
She wiped at the tears leaking down her face and blew out a long breath. “I sound selfish. I’m worried about me when a poor woman is dead.”
Reid bunched his hands into fists so he wouldn’t touch her—comfort her with more than meaningless words. “You’re not selfish. You’re human. Anyone would be worried if they were in your position.”
Finding a parking spot on the road in front of Sunrise Security, she faced him with eyes as wide as saucers. “Should I be afraid?”
He weighed his words carefully before speaking. “You should be on alert, but not more than you would have been before you received this news.”
She nodded and deflated a bit against her seat.
“You also should tell me where you got these flowers,” he said, needing to bring a bit of levity into the car. He waved the bundle of wildflowers, and the smell of the blooms wafted up his nose.
She scrunched her face. “I picked them today with Suzy and brought them by earlier to give you as a thank-you.”
“No one has ever brought me flowers.” No gesture could have meant more to him, and her obvious embarrassment was downright adorable. He stared down at the pinks and reds and purples, and his chest tightened. “I’m sure Suzy loved picking flowers with you. That girl is the cutest. Sounds like a fun way to spend your morning.”
A genuine smile spread across her face and chased away the lingering fear. “It was exactly what I needed. I took her to my favorite spot in Cloud Valley—a place my dad used to take me when I was a kid. I loved sharing that with her.”
Her face lit in a way that only enhanced her beauty when she spoke about the little girl. He could stay in the car with her all day, listening to her describe every moment in detail then leave still wanting more.
The door to Sunrise Security swung open, and Peggy stepped outside. She stood on her tiptoes and waved her arm high in the air. People clogged the sidewalk, and Peggy bobbed and wove to keep her eyes on Eve’s car parked a few feet away.
He chuckled. Peggy was more like a surrogate mother than a receptionist, and he hated that she’d been so worried. “She must have been standing by the door, waiting for me to arrive.”
“Crap,” Eve said, cringing. “I told her I’d call and let her know any information I found. Apparently, Madden didn’t tell her much. I feel bad she was left in the dark all this time.”
He whistled, long and low. “I’d tell you to bring her flowers to apologize, but these bad boys are mine.”
She grinned, and a light blush flooded her face.
“But you should come in and say hi. She’ll be even more upset if you leave without a hug. And when Peggy ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.”
Her grin slid into a smirk. “I thought that phrase was a little different.”
He shrugged and shot her a wink. “Well, Lord knows I don’t have a wife, and who knows if I ever will.”
Her expression tightened, and she shut off the engine. “Then we don’t want to upset Peggy. Let’s head inside.”
He watched her climb out, and a pang of regret echoed through him. Marriage would always be out of the question, but for the first time in his life, he wished it wasn’t.
