“I’m okay. Sue offered to let me ride down with her. Robert said he’d take my car. But I’m fine. Really.”
“You’d ride with Sue?” His gaze shot toward the group still standing where they’d left them. “And Tyler?”
“Um...I guess? They all rode up together. But, as I said, I’m fine. I’ll drive myself down.”
“I have a better idea. Wait until the warden and I are finished. Once I’ve checked the scene, the coroner should have arrived and Deputy Reeves can handle everything here. I’ll drive you down.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“I don’t mind. After what you’ve been through today, I’d feel better knowing you got home safely.”
There was nothing overtly wrong with the offer. It was kind, thoughtful even. But something about it felt off. Like Adam was trying too hard, pushing too much.
“I’m fine,” Brooke said more firmly. “But thank you.”
“All right. But seriously, call me if you need anything. Anything at all.” He handed her a card with his contact information and gave her another smile.
Brooke tucked the card into her pocket. She wanted to get out of here, wanted to go home and process everything that had happened—the body in the woods, Tyler’s past, Adam’s revelations, all of it.
She felt eyes on her. When she glanced up, Tyler was watching her, his expression unreadable but his posture defeated. Like he knew exactly what she was thinking, exactly how far he’d fallen in her estimation.
Their eyes met for a moment, and Brooke saw something there that made her chest tight. Pain. Loss. Resignation.
She looked away first.
“You’re sure you’re okay?” Sue came over and asked.
“I’m ready to go home.”
“Agreed.”
Sue and Robert walked hand in hand to their car.
Brooke purposely avoided looking at Tyler as she climbed into her SUV and started the engine.
In her rearview mirror, she watched him turn away, heading for the other car. Adam stood by Henry, watching her watch Tyler, that same protective expression on his face.
Brooke pulled out of the parking lot, leaving the scene behind. But the questions followed her.
Who was Tyler Gillis? A man who’d suffered unimaginable loss and was trying to rebuild his life? Or someone with darker secrets, someone who’d been involved in deaths before and might be involved again?
She’d been wrong about Kelsey. Completely, catastrophically wrong. She’d trusted when she should’ve questioned, missed signs that should’ve been obvious. She couldn’t afford to make that mistake again—couldn’t let attraction or sympathy or curiosity cloud her judgment.
Tyler’s wife and child had died under circumstances that made people question what really happened. He’d left town rather than face those questions.
And now he was back, and another body had appeared.
The logical part of her brain was screaming warnings, the part that had learned hard lessons at Bearwater, that had promised to be more careful, more aware, more willing to trust her instincts.
Those instincts were telling her to stay far away from Tyler Gillis.
But another part of her, smaller and quieter but persistent, kept remembering the way he’d looked at her. The gentleness in his touch when he’d steadied her on the trail. The pain in his eyes when Adam had revealed his past.
That part wondered if maybe there was more to the story. If maybe the questions people asked were just small-town gossip, tragedy twisted into suspicion because people needed someone to blame.
Brooke gripped the steering wheel tighter as she navigated the winding mountain road back toward town.
She didn’t know what to believe.
