She forced herself to smile and meet Seth's eyes. “No one that matters.”
He didn’t look like he believed her, but thankfully, he didn’t press her about it.
She tried to focus on the conversation, but every few seconds, her gaze wandered back to the bar.
Troy was still there. Still laughing and making himself at home exactly where she'd told him not to be.
In a town the size of Hazard Falls, strangers usually stood out, as she'd learned when she first arrived. But on Saturday nights, Bar None drew people from neighboring towns for dinner, drinks, live music, or a game of pool. Troy was just another face in the crowd.
Finally, he slipped an arm around the woman's waist and headed for the front door with her. Shylo followed them with her eyes until the door swung shut behind them. Only then did she realize nearly every muscle in her body was clenched. She tried to force them to relax, but it was futile.
Troy had left the bar, but the knot of dread he'd brought with him hadn't. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to get out of there before he came back.
She took the last sip of her wine and set the empty glass on the table. “I think I'm going to call it a night.”
Seth had been listening to something Ryder was saying, but his attention shifted immediately to her. “Everything okay?”
“I've got a headache, and my feet are really killing me.” Neither statement was a lie. “I think I'm just ready to crawl into bed.”
He studied her for a moment, and she wondered if he'd push. Instead, he nodded and got to his feet. “I'll walk you to your truck.”
After saying goodnight to everyone, she followed him outside. The heatwave hadn't loosened its grip much, though the air felt cooler than in the crowded bar.
They stopped beside her truck, and Seth cupped her cheek before leaning down to kiss her. The gentle pressure of his lips made it painfully easy to pretend Troy didn't exist—that she wasn't running out of time.
When he pulled back, his thumb traced her jaw. “Want me to follow you to the motel?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No, that’s okay. It's only a few blocks. Stay with your friends. I'll see you tomorrow for dinner.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
He looked unconvinced, but after one more quick kiss, he stepped back. “Drive safe.”
“Always.”
“And text me after you get to your room, so I know you’re okay. Otherwise, I’ll come check on you.”
That was the last thing she wanted tonight—not with Troy lurking around. “I will.”
She climbed into her truck and started the engine. Seth stepped back as she shifted into gear. He lifted a hand in farewell, and she returned the wave before easing out of the parking space.
In the rearview mirror, she caught one last glimpse of him standing beneath the glow of the parking lot lights, watching until she'd turned onto Main Street.
The smile she'd worn for him lasted almost to the end of the block.
Chapter 24
Seth pulled into the motel parking lot and shut off the engine a few doors down from Shylo's room. Sunday chores had wrapped up hours ago, but the heatwave hadn't eased in the slightest. Heat rippled above the asphalt as he climbed out of the truck.
Shylo had called twenty minutes earlier.
Her truck wouldn't start, and he'd offered to pick her up before she'd finished asking if he knew anyone who could look at it tomorrow.
That was one problem easily solved.
As he locked the truck, movement near the far end of the parking lot caught his attention. A man in jeans, a white T-shirt, and a faded ball cap wandered along the edge of the lot, a cigarette pinched between two fingers while he talked on a cell phone. Every few steps, he stopped, glanced around, then resumed pacing.
