He could make things worse by running, or at least seeming to run. Robert would cover for him and keep his name out of it, but Tyler couldn’t ask that of Sue. And he certainly couldn’t expect Brooke to stay silent. But Robert, he would do it. Tyler was certain of it. Robert knew about his past troubles. He knew everything.
But Brooke—she made disappearing complicated.
Tyler looked toward where she sat in the front seat of her SUV, door open and long, tan legs on the ground as she stared at the tree line. Even from here, he could see the tightness in her shoulders, the way she held herself like she was ready to bolt at the first sign of danger.
He should want nothing to do with her. Getting involved with someone in Irma, someone who’d lived there her whole life and knew everyone, was the last thing he needed. The coffee shop owner, no less. Someone who probably had her finger on the pulse of every piece of gossip and news in town.
Worse still, once she gave her name, he realized he knew her. He’d known her brother fairly well once and had even seen him in recent months.
He’d read several articles about Brooke and members of her running club being trapped during a snowstorm up atthe ghost town of Bearwater. They ended up in a fight for their lives after one of the club members made a terrible choice. The article had caught his attention because it was such an odd thing for the people of Irma to be involved in.
Odd, but not unheard of. He knew from experience that bad things could happen even in Basin County.
Brooke didn’t seem to remember him. He was glad about that, yet somehow disappointed.
She’d impressed him. That was the problem. Most people would’ve completely fallen apart after stumbling onto bear caches containing human remains. But Brooke had pulled herself together enough to mark the location, to think clearly despite her fear.
The way she moved on the trail spoke of real experience in the mountains. No surprise, considering what he’d read about her and the rest of her running club.
He’d seen them a few times, taking various routes through town on Wednesday nights. According to one of the articles about the trouble in Bearwater, they kept it short on weeknights but did longer hikes and trail runs on the weekend.
Brooke was athletic and capable, comfortable with the terrain even in a crisis. And the honesty when he’d asked if she was okay...no pretending, no bravado, just the simple truth.
He liked that about her.
Which was inconvenient in about seventeen different ways.
“You keep looking at her like that, she’s going to notice,” Robert said quietly, coming to stand beside him.
Tyler looked away. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t.” Robert sounded amused. “Sue thinks it’s sweet.”
“There’s nothing sweet about it. We just found a dead body.”
“Two bodies, maybe. Sue likes to think she’s right, but it’s hard to say for sure until they get here and get a better look. I will admit, though, my wife is smart about things.” An obvious look of love passed over Robert’s face as he gazed at his wife.
Tyler tamped down his jealousy. He had that at one time, too, before it was ripped away from him.
“That’s not the point, though,” Robert continued. “The point is you can’t take your eyes off her.”
Tyler didn’t respond. What was there to say? That he’d noticed the exact shade of blue in Brooke’s eyes? That her voice had a slight rasp that did things to him? That when she’d looked at him and said she needed to not let fear win, something in his chest had tightened in recognition?
“She seems nice,” Robert said. “Owns that coffee shop Sue’s always dragging me to.”
“I know where she works.”
“You don’t go there.”
It wasn’t a question. Robert knew Tyler’s habits, knew he avoided certain places in town. Coffee shops and restaurants were on the list. Too central, too visible, too much of a gathering place for people who might ask questions.
He made an exception for a couple of the town’s bars. Not because of the booze, but for darts. He liked the challenge of the game and had a few people he could trust that he played with.
“Maybe I should start going out for coffee,” Tyler heard himself say, then regretted it.
Robert grinned. “Maybe you should.”
Sue wandered over, carrying a bag of trail mix. “The deputies are going to want to talk to all of us, I’m sure.”
