“Didn’t give any details.”
“I’ll see what I can learn. Probably won’t affect what we’re doing in August, but that may explain the hesitation we got yesterday when talking about a winter event.”
“Not the place to be discussing this,” Jack said softly.
“Yep. You’re right.”
The long-term business plans centered around several events each year. A winter race in the Absaroka Mountainsoutside of Elkridge would be a big draw—if they could do it in a safe manner. The mountains were known for heavy snowfall and weather that could turn on a dime. In early spring, some of Steph’s racing club members got caught in a storm, and things turned deadly for reasons beyond just the weather.
Steph had the sled now. She’d set it down and was checking something on the tow bar, crouched over it with the focus of someone who had done it before and knew what to look for. A few feet away, a woman stopped to talk to her. Steph looked up and smiled.
She looked happy, but there was something else underneath it, something that had surfaced briefly when Chris mentioned the baby and disappeared again just as fast, tucked away behind good manners and genuine warmth.
He’d caught it because he was watching, and he’d been watching because he couldn’t help himself. Not just because she impressed him, but because she was beautiful and he couldn’t look away. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to.
He wanted to know what that look meant. He wanted to know a lot of things about her that he had no business asking.
“She’s not going to make this easy,” Liam said, following his gaze.
“I know.”
“I’m not just talking about the business.”
Jack picked up a pair of gloves from the nearest table, gave them a cursory look, and set them back down.
“I know,” he said again.
Chapter 5
Steph
The sheriff’s family Thanksgiving would’ve been fine. It would’ve been warm and loud and full of people she loved. Each year, Meagan Hepner set out an incredible spread, full of all her favorites.
Steph also knew herself well enough to know that she would spend the entire meal watching Bethany’s hand rest on her stomach and smiling until her face ached, and she’d had enough of that particular exercise at the gear swap.
So, Friendsgiving it was.
Joe Monroe’s condo was warm and cozy. Instead of him making everything from scratch, they had each brought a dish. Most of it leaned more toward convenience than homemade, but that didn’t matter. They were good friends, all part of the running club, all single with little or no family nearby. Being together mattered more than homemade rolls.
Steph told herself that more than once.
“Here you go,” Joe said, handing her a sparkling water.
“Thanks.” She smiled.
Steph enjoyed Joe’s company. A few months earlier, when someone tried to kill her good friend and fellow running club member Brooke Davies, Joe had been instrumental in tracking down the assailant.
Steph had played a small role in it, going with Joe to Sheriff Hepner with the evidence they had uncovered,showing the same person was not only responsible for the attack on Brooke but also for the murder of four others.
During that time, Steph and Joe ended up spending more and more time together. People started whispering about them being a couple. They weren’t, though Steph had been open to exploring the possibility. Joe, however, had stopped calling and took longer to respond to her texts. They were still friends, but his actions made it clear there wouldn’t be anything more.
The rejection carried a sting, but Steph valued Joe’s friendship too much to make it awkward. Besides, deep down, she knew Joe wasn’t the one either.
The problem was thatthe onedidn’t seem to exist. Not for Steph, anyway. Accepting it hadn’t been easy, but now she understood. And she changed her plans to accommodate for this, even giving herself a deadline, marking a bigXon next year’s calendar. March 16, the Monday following The Frozen Divide 100.
“Should be a few more people here shortly,” Joe said, turning back toward the fridge. “Make yourself comfortable. I think I’ll set out the appetizers.”
“Thanks, Joe.” Steph moved from the kitchen to the living room.
