One of the boys ambled up to Seth cautiously. “Hey, Sheriff. Thought you’d be watchin’ the Broncos today.”
“That’s what I was planning to do until I got a call from Trask. You scared the shit out of him. He’s too old for your stunts, and you’re too young to realize how stupid you’re being.”
From her angle, she couldn’t see Seth’s expression but she heard the exasperation in his voice with a touch of hard-ass anger. The boy’s expression paled slightly and he took a step back, clearly out of his depth with a pissed off Seth Reilly. One of the girls, however, had no qualms about stepping forward with a petulant look on her face. She stuck out a painted lower lip, her hand on her hip, a tragic expression on her face. Presley guessed that expression worked wonders with the girl’s parents. It didn’t appear to be having any effect on Seth.
“We were just having fun, Sheriff.” The girl took another step forward. “It’s not going to end up like Trent Bauer.”
Seth sucked in a breath and muttered a low curse word. The girl must have seen immediately she had played her cards wrong, and took several steps back, bumping into the hood of the truck. Presley hopped out of the SUV to stand next to Seth, who looked ready to explode. For a moment, she feared he might hurt them, but then she remembered this was Seth. He was always firmly in control, even if he did look madder than she’d ever seen him.
He got right into the four kids’ faces, his eyes dark with anger. “Do you think this is a joke?” His voice was quiet but deadly cold, which only served to send a shiver up her spine. “Do you think your parents will think it’s funny when I have to tell them that you were killed under the tires of a three-ton vehicle?” He turned to the young woman, now cowering and close to tears. “Think your parents will laugh when I show them your ripped-apart corpse after what happened to your brother when he was drinking and driving? You don’t appear to have any more sense.” Seth straightened up. “What happened to my friend Trent could happen to any of you. There was nothing special about that day. He’s dead because we did something stupid. We’d been told not to do it, but we did. Now I’m here, and he’s not.”
One of the girls rolled her eyes and Presley could feel Seth stiffen beside her. The girl looked at the other kids to back her up. “We weren’t doing anything. We didn’t hurt anyone. We were just having fun.”
The girl had Seth’s undivided attention, which was probably not a good thing at the moment. His gaze focused on the young girl, his expression hard. “You almost scared Trask into a heart attack. His reflexes aren’t what they used to be. What if he couldn’t veer off or stop in time and ended up hurting one of you? Or himself, for that matter? Are you okay causing the death of another person? Is that acceptable as long as you’re having fun?”
Seth’s emphasis seemed to shake the girl’s confidence and she wisely stayed silent. He hooked his thumbs into his pockets and surveyed the youths. “I’ve a mind to call your parents. I could also write both of you boys a ticket for reckless driving. That would drive up your insurance rates and your parents wouldn’t be too damn happy about that either.” He crossed his arms over his chest, giving them a stare that turned their faces white and their eyes wide with fear. “What do you think I should do with you?”
The four kids glanced at each other and the first young man finally spoke up. “Give us a warning?”
Seth smiled, but it wasn’t a happy or loving smile. His lips were curved but his eyes glittered like stones. “I did that last time. This time I think I won’t tell your parents, though.” All four kids simultaneously sagged with relief, but Seth continued. “You will tell your parents. I’ll check and make sure you do. If you think you’ve done nothing wrong,” Seth gave the young girl a hard stare, “it shouldn’t be a big deal. I’ll give you one week to do it.”
All four kids started talking at once, clearly dismayed by Seth’s edict. The voices grew so loud Seth finally held up his hand. “Hush. If you don’t want to tell them, I will. Your choice.”
Realizing they were beat, the kids nodded and drifted back to their vehicles, their shoulders hunched. She and Seth watched as the kids reversed direction and headed off, blowing up dirt and dust in their wake. It was a small bit of rebellion on their part, but Seth didn’t bat an eye. He turned on his heel and opened the passenger door of his SUV.
“Let’s get something to eat.”
Presley nodded and slid up onto the seat. She didn’t say anything, giving Seth time to calm down and let his anger drain away. The drive to the barbecue place was silent and filled with tension. Luckily, the restaurant had several wide screen televisions so they settled in to watch the Broncos game and eat some of the best beef brisket she’d ever tasted. Seth slowly relaxed as the crowd cheered and booed at the game. It was halftime before either one of them said more than an occasional “Pass the salt” or “This is really good. Do you want to try a bite of mine?”
She took a casual sip of her iced tea. “So who’s Trent Bauer?”
Pain flashed in Seth’s eyes and then was gone. “You heard that?” He looked at a commercial playing on television then looked back at her. “He was my best friend growing up.”
She didn’t say anything else. Seth was a man who kept his own counsel. He didn’t spill his emotions all over the place and sure as hell wasn’t going to do it in front of a couple hundred people in a barbecue joint. She went back to watching television, letting his words echo in her brain over and over.
Trent was Seth’s best friend, and obviously something bad had happened. It wasn’t any of her business really. She wouldn’t push him to talk about something that was clearly painful.
“He was straddling the two cars,” Seth said suddenly. “Just like Adam was today.” Seth’s throat worked and she reached out to grab his hand. “I was driving one truck and Harley Madison was driving the other. We did it all the time. We were always trying to impress girls like that, doing crazy shit to get their attention.” He shook his head. “We’d heard about it from our parents and the sheriff a million times. They told us we were going to end up breaking a leg or something.”
Seth paused, his eyes far away. “Breaking a leg would have been a good thing compared to what really happened. It was a cold day. Colder than today. We were deep into November and it had snowed, but most of it had melted. There was a patch on the road that had frozen again and when my truck hit it, the wheels spun.”
Presley listened in growing horror as Seth recounted that day in a tight voice, as if he were trying to keep a rein on his emotions. She didn’t respond. She didn’t know what to say to such tragedy. Seth took a long drink from his beer. “I got control of the truck quickly. Shit, I’d been driving in this weather since my dad put me behind the wheel at twelve. It only took a split second and suddenly Trent was gone. I couldn’t seem him anymore so I hit my brakes. Harley had already done that but I didn’t know why.”
She squeezed Seth’s hand but he didn’t seem to notice, lost in the past. “When Trent fell, he went under Harley’s tires. Harley ran over him. That’s why he stopped. He’d run over Trent.”
Seth’s lips curved into a smile. “You had to know Trent. He was the nicest damn guy I’ve ever known. We laughed all the time. He was the quarterback on the football team and I was a receiver. He was smart and every girl in school wanted to date him.” Seth’s smile fell. “After I stopped the car, I ran back to where he’d fallen. He was dead. The doctor’s said it was a blessing he didn’t suffer.”
The thought of what Seth had seen that awful day wrenched at Presley’s heart. She’d been through some shit the last week or so, but her best friend hadn’t died. No one she cared about had lost his life. It was clear why Seth took protecting her so seriously. Why he took the safety of his town so seriously. Fuck, why he took everything so seriously. Even where things were filed in the office.
“It wasn’t your fault, Seth.” She put every ounce of conviction she felt into her statement.
Seth gave her a sad smile an
d it broke her heart. “Honey, you’re sweet to say that. But the truth is, it was my fault. I know it, and Trent knows it. Now you know it.”
She shook her head, not wanting him to take the blame. “It’s not. Kids do stupid shit.”
“I didn’t steal a rival school’s mascot, Presley. I killed my best friend.”
“It was an accident,” she said desperately.
Seth took another long swallow of his beer, his face unutterably sad. “Yes, it was an accident. That doesn’t make Trent any more alive, does it?”
It didn’t, but that wasn’t the saddest thing of all. Trent had gone on to a better place. Seth was still living here in his own self-constructed purgatory. It didn’t appear he was looking for a way out, either. He was settled in for the long haul.
Seth’s lips twisted. “Listen, about earlier…”
Presley lifted her hands in surrender. “I get it. It was a mistake.”
“Not a mistake, just…I think we should slow things down a bit, that’s all.”
It was strange to hear a man talk about slowing down when it came to sex. It wasn’t just the woman’s prerogative after all. Obviously, she’d gotten too close.
“We probably should. Maybe we should take a break from spending time together outside the office.”
“I didn’t mean we shouldn’t see each other,” Seth insisted. “I just meant we’ve only known each other a week. Maybe we should get to know each other more.”
Presley didn’t know an elegant way of saying what she needed to say, so she was simply going to put it out there. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea for us to see each other at all. Shit, Seth, you’re a buttoned-up control freak. My life is in chaos. Sure, I’m pretending while I’m here that everything is normal, but let’s face it, it’s not.” She shook her head, thinking about how she lived her life in Tampa. “If I’m brutally honest, my regular life isn’t all that in control. I’ve been drifting from job to job since I quit school. My sister says I have no direction. My friends say I’m trying to find myself. I can’t even keep a houseplant alive. I wanted to get a cat and my friends talked me out of it, fearing for its life. If you’re attracted to a woman like Eliza, I’d make you crazy inside of a month. I don’t like rules. I don’t like barriers. I do like you. That’s why I think you should know what you’re getting into. It won’t be peaceful and sedate. It’ll be a roller coaster ride. You have to really want that.”
She blew out a breath as she waited for his response to her monologue. They weren’t right for each other, but damn if she didn’t really like this man. He wasn’t only handsome and sexy, he was good. And kind. And she felt safe and protected when he was around.
Seth rubbed his chin. “Maybe today isn’t the day to make decisions. Why don’t we enjoy our food and the game? Nothing more complicated than that. There’s time to figure out all the other things later. Neither one of us is going anywhere.”
Presley slumped back into the booth. It sounded like a nice way to brush her off. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, which was so like Seth. She’d only known him a week but she knew he didn’t like hurting people. She nodded in agreement, but inside wanted to crawl away and lick her wounds. Seth didn’t want her the way she was.
She didn’t know any other way to be, and she wouldn’t, couldn’t, change for him. She’d tried that once, and it hadn’t worked out at all.
* * * * *
Seth couldn’t sleep. It had been one hell of a day and although his mind was emotionally drained, his body was too keyed up to sleep. He put it down to Sunday Night Insomnia, but he knew who the real culprit was.
Presley.
His body still remembered being on top of her, stroking her soft skin, and breathing in her delicate scent. It was telling his brain he was a stupid idiot who ought to be with Presley now, deep inside her. Instead he was sitting in his kitchen eating cookies his mother had brought over earlier. She’d given him a look as if she’d wanted to ask him what was wrong, but she hadn’t. They’d chatted about the weather and Eliza’s new boyfriend. His mother had been waiting for him to say something, but the days of running to Mommy for comfort were long gone.
She’d been there for him when Trent was killed. They’d been like brothers so she’d loved Trent like a son. Seth hadn’t really thought about that until this moment. She must have been as broken up as he was but she’d been the strong one. She’d been the one who dragged Seth’s ass out of bed every day when all he wanted to do was sleep and forget. She was the one who had supported his decision to work in law enforcement when he returned from Iraq, over his father’s objections. His mother had been there every step of the way asking nothing in return.
Like Presley. She hadn’t asked for much tonight. Just his understanding of who she really was. Seth knew she was a bundle of trouble. The way she drank cup after cup of coffee all day long. The way she engaged with complete strangers all over town. She’d met a lot of people in the last week and they all loved her. Why not? She was sweet and kind and she made people feel good about themselves.
Even him.
She made him feel like a god. That day they’d found Millie, her expression had been filled with admiration. She looked at him as if he were some great protector. Seth knew the truth. When it came down to it, would he be able to keep Presley from harm or would he fail her as he’d failed Trent that day? He’d spent his entire adult life trying to make up for that moment. He wasn’t sure if it was even possible, but he couldn’t stop himself. It drove him every waking moment of every day. The need to atone was strong. And painful.
Whatever happened between him and Presley, Seth vowed he would do everything in his power to keep her safe and alive. She was so full of life and spirit. It would be wrong for it to be extinguished too early. She might decide not to be with him. He would keep her safe and alive and deliver her back to her old life.
He’d go back to the life he had before she came here only one week ago. Solid and controlled.
Chapter Eight
Presley pressed the button on the new coffee machine she’d picked up in the city on Saturday before heading back to her desk. She needed the caffeine. She hadn’t slept well last night. It wasn’t surprising but it was starting to wear on her. When she’d looked in the mirror this morning, there were purple shadows under her eyes. She’d spent an extra minute with the concealer, hoping no one would notice.
There wasn’t much to do today. She’d spent most of last week re-organizing the office and it was much easier to manage now. Everything was at her fingertips and the paperwork was under control. Maybe she could talk Seth into letting her scan in the old paper records so they could be digitized. The printer was also a scanner so it wouldn’t cost the city any money. She would need to set up a meta tag system so they could be searched, but she’d done it at one of her previous shit jobs. The bundled software the office used had the capability. It would be a challenge to figure out how to use it, and a nice present to leave Harper when she finally moved on.
She was absorbed in the software manual when the front door opened and Marion Reilly bustled in with a smile. Presley really liked Seth’s mom but was instantly wary as to why she was here. It had been clear as a bell the night Presley had dinner at the Reilly ranch, Mom Reilly wanted her baby boy married off, and giving her some grandchildren. Several hints had been dropped Presley’s way when they were touring the Elvis room.
“Mrs. Reilly! How lovely to see you this morning. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“I certainly would, dear. It’s chilly this morning. And please, call me Marion.” Marion peeled the gloves from her fingers and shrugged off her coat, taking a seat on the other side of Presley’s desk.
“How do you take yours?” Marion told her and Presley made two coffees, before settling back in her chair. “What brings you to town so early in the morning?”
Marion sipped at the hot liquid and her face split into a smile. “That’s wonderful. It may be the best coffee I’ve had s
ince our vacation three years ago to Seattle. We went to visit an old friend of George’s. The coffee there was sinfully delicious.”
“I bought a new coffeemaker when Eliza and I went shopping on Saturday.” Presley waved to the shiny stainless steel machine with several buttons and levers. It was state of the art and the coffee she was now drinking was kick-ass. A huge improvement on the drip dinosaur Presley had shoved in the storage closet.
“As for what brings me to town this early, on Monday mornings I do my grocery shopping for the week. I like to get there early when it’s not very busy and get it done. I’m making bread today. Do you like to bake?”
“I can make cookies,” Presley laughed. “My talents don’t run to something like bread. It sounds tasty, though.”
“Why don’t you come to dinner tonight and try some? I’m making lasagna and garlic bread. Do you like lasagna?”
Presley loved lasagna but she wasn’t sure this invitation didn’t come with strings attached. “I do, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea. I’m not sure how Seth would feel about it, honestly.”
Marion patted her hand. “I appreciate your honesty. It’s one of the things I like about you. You tell the unvarnished truth. But you do it with love. It’s a rare person who can do that.”
Presley felt like shit. She was keeping a huge secret from Marion. Her real identity. She wasn’t fighting crime like Batman to make it okay. Presley was just trying to stay alive.
“Thank you, I try. But no one is truthful all the time.” She’d learned that the hard way.
“True. You’re special, Presley. I think so, and I know Seth thinks so. I saw him last night when he came home. I know that haunted look in his eyes. Something reminded him of Trent. Did he tell you about Trent?”
Presley took a sip of the scalding liquid, letting the caffeine calm her nerves. “He told me Trent was his best friend and about the accident. He told me it was his fault.”
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