“I’ll think about it,” she said. “Something has to change. I can’t keep living like this.”
She disconnected the call before he had a chance to respond, and he slumped back onto the comfortable bed in Eve’s guest room. The sadness in her voice hit a familiar note he’d heard all his life. First from his mother and now his sister.
He fisted the cool blue sheets in his hand. A part of him wanted to drive back to Indiana, hunt down his dad and kick his ass for being such a jerk. For destroying the lives of everyone who loved him.
But the other part—the part he fought to listen to daily—told him if he ever went back, he’d fall into the same trap that ensnared every Sommers man. He’d become the person he hated most—he’d become just like his father.
Chapter 11
The smell of fresh coffee coaxed Eve out of her comfortable bed after a restless night. She’d tossed and turned, her brain unable to shut off and give her a moment’s peace. But if she couldn’t have peace, at least she could have caffeine.
Wrapping a plush robe over her pajamas, she padded out to the kitchen and found Reid hunched over his computer at the table, a steaming mug beside him.
His head snapped up, and he offered her a tight smile. Bags hung low under his eyes, and his shaggy hair stuck out as if he’d been recently pulled at the strands. “Morning. How’d you sleep?”
“Probably about as good as you.” She made a beeline for the coffee machine and poured a giant cup, inhaling her first sip before facing him.
He snorted out a humorless laugh. “So, like shit?”
She grinned, taking another hit of the liquid gold. Leaning against the counter, she cradled the warm mug in her hands. “Pretty much. What are you working on?”
“Research. I spoke with Madden and got the contact information of the witness. I left her a message, and she agreed to meet with us. Said if we got there before the crowd started rolling in, she’d have more time to talk but isn’t sure how much she has to say.”
Eve’s stomach revolted at the thought of diving into the muck surrounding her life, but this was what she’d asked for, and she wasn’t about to turn back now. “Okay. I’ll get ready and we canhead over right away. The sooner we can speak with her, the better.”
“Agreed.” Reid took a sip from his mug then stood and placed it in the dishwasher. “You hungry? I can whip something up while you get dressed.”
“I don’t think I can eat.” She studied the navy-blue T-shirt sculpted across his torso and crisp, clean jeans and realization struck her upside the head. “We never stopped by your place yesterday. Where’d you get a change of clothes?”
“I had a duffel in my truck,” he said with a casual shrug. “Before I went to bed, I grabbed it. I keep a few essentials in there, but I’ll need to get more if I stay another night.”
She hid her face behind another sip. She’d be lying if she said the only thing that kept her awake the night before was fear. Knowing Reid was right across her hallway had her imagination getting the best of her more than once. If he stayed a few more nights, she might not survive.
“We can find time to stop by your place so you can get whatever you need,” she said. “Hopefully you won’t have to stay too much longer. I’m sure bunking in my guest room is the last thing you want.”
An unknown emotion skittered across his face before he tucked in his lips and sat back down, avoiding her gaze. “Not a big deal. I’ve slept in worse places. Even though it was a little disconcerting to wake up under a frilly comforter surrounded by a mound of fancy pillows.”
As much as she wished she could read what was really going on in his mind, she’d settle for the usual sarcasm that floated between them. “Not my fault you don’t usually sleep places with taste.”
His eyes widened before a sly grin lifted the corner of his mouth. “What would you know about the places I sleep?”
She rolled her eyes at the impish smile, his words a gentle reminder of why she couldn’t fall for a man like Reid. He flirted with his fair share of women. She didn’t want to think about the beds he fell into and the women who slept beside him. “I wouldn’t and don’t need to. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready to leave.”
Fifteen minutes later she sat beside him in his truck. A crispness in the air promised an early arrival of fall, and Eve was glad she’d decided to throw her favorite red flannel over her gray T-shirt. Today she yearned for comfort, even if that was her worn jeans and old sneakers.
She lost herself in her thoughts as they drove out of town. Houses dotted the landscape, their expansive yards showing off gentle slopes, until all that lay before them was an empty country road and the wide-open blue sky. Towering trees and thick brush clogged the side of the road, only allowing quick glimpses into what lay beyond.
A sign for the fairgrounds loomed ahead, and her insides coiled. Only five miles separated her from answers. As much as she was ready for those answers—whatever they may be—the idea of questioning someone about such a grisly act soured the coffee in her stomach.
Good thing she hadn’t taken Reid up on breakfast. Anything more substantial surely would have come right back up.
Reid shot her a quick glance before returning his focus to the road. “You doing okay?”
She could lie. Tell him she was fine and mentally preparing for what lay ahead. But what was the point? No matter the weird tension between them or the mounting attraction she couldn’t extinguish, Reid was still her friend. And right now, that’s what she needed most.
“I wish I could tell you to keep driving. To ignore the signs to turn up ahead and go somewhere far away. Somewhere safe andserene, like the trail I took Suzy to yesterday that’s just up ahead. Maybe a little cabin in the woods surrounded with wildflowers. Anywhere but to a dusty old fairground and the place a young woman died.”
“You can tell me to do anything you want,” Reid said, his voice low and tender. “This is your call.”
