“I’m notgoing to let this case collect dust in a fucking drawer somewhere,” I grind out the words.
“Who said you should?” I can almost see the way his lip curls into a sneer with his question. “You can still keep your eyes out. You can still run down every lead that comes your way, but it’s time we accept this may be a case we never solve.”
“Fuck,” I bark out the word and almost take my mug and throw it across the room.
I can almost picture it shattering against the wall in such a way where the coffee would explode and stain the carpet in my office. It would be satisfying. But the feeling would be fleeting.
“We can’t hunt ghosts and that’s what these people are right now.”
He’s right.
I hate that he’s right.
“Yeah,” I grumble.
“Keep me in the loop,” he demands and then hangs up without a good-bye.
I wasn’t really expecting one, but still, damn.
I’m just glad he didn’t bring up my relationship with Helen. It’s clear Lyons is close with Cowell, and he might have an opinion on me capturing the heart of the mayor’s princess. If he tried to tell me to back off, then we really would have a problem on our hands.
Helen has talked to me about how Jessi, her sister, is good friends and works with Ezra, the sheriff’s daughter. Ezra had a strict upbringing which was similar to how Helen and Jessi grew up. The biggest difference was Jessi and Helen had each other; they might not have had anyone else, but they had each other.
Lyons saying a damn thing about Helen would have had me firing something back at him about worrying about his own daughter.
Shifting focus away from this case feels wrong. The need to find the people responsible is still riding me hard.
I’m not one who lets go of these kinds of cases. I know this one will haunt me.
When I stand up, at least half of my coffee abandoned and cold, again, part of me wants to go to Helen. I know she would accept me with open arms and help me smooth the jagged edges of my disappointment and annoyance.
But the very fucking last thing I want to do is take out my pissed off mood on my woman.
Instead of heading toward Dogwood Ridge to get my Helen fix, I head toward the animal shelter. It’s been far too long since I’ve checked on Stella. Maybe a little snuggle time with her will put me to rights.
I can’t go to my woman with all this turmoil inside of me. She doesn’t deserve it and I sure as fuck don’t want to waste a second with her, considering I haven’t tied her to me permanently or talked her into moving in with me.
It’s just a matter of time at this point. I need her with me at all times and I’m not stopping until I make that dream into a reality.
CHAPTER 20
HELEN
Walking into The Goose next to Rhodes feels like I’m entering the gauntlet. Dramatic? Maybe. But still, that’s how it feels.
Everyone’s eyes turn toward us the moment we step through the door. My nervousness takes flight inside of me like a bird who wants to escape its cage but can’t find the door. The only thing grounding me is the warmth and weight of the hand at the small of my back.
As we sit, I try not to obviously glance around, but I can’t help myself. I can’t shake the feeling of being trapped prey. I’m not used to spending time in Sweetwater Valley and it feels like there’s a giant neon sign above my head letting everyone know I belong in Dogwood Ridge and not here. Not on this side of the ridge where the air is, allegedly, cleaner.
But I know it’s not.
It’s fresh on both sides of the ridge. The ridgeline is just a feat of nature and time.
Rhodes and I have talked about how the tension between the two towns is all fabricated nonsense made up by high school team rivalries and the need for humanity to find an enemy they can label as the other. Rationally, I know this feeling is silly. I still want to run for the hills.
Even though it feels like it takes forever, people go back to their meals, their conversations, their shared history woven through with laughter and memories. I almost breathe a sigh of relief, but I hold it back.
Maybethis was a bad idea. Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to this.
